Sumi paused just outside the doorway. Her heart hammering, she looked into the hospital room where Dancer sat in bed with Kalea snuggled against his chest while she read to him. Of course, she was too young to actually read, so she was making up stories for the pictures.

“And see this one here is the sweet kitty, Daddy. And he’s saying that he don’t want to go to bed. He’s not tired. Not even a little.”

“But what if it’s past his bedtime?” Dancer asked with a smile.

“You’re not listening, Daddy. See, little baby kittens know when they need sleep and when they don’t.”

Sumi smiled. “Luckily, it’s not bedtime for little baby kittens.”

“Mommy!” Kalea sat up and smiled. Then she stood on the bed and launched herself.

Gasping, Sumi caught her. “Careful, sweetie! You could get hurt.”

“Sorry, Mommy.”

Sumi sat down on the bed and took Dancer’s hand. “Syn said that he thinks he got everything out?”

Dancer nodded. “He’s paranoid, so I’m here until morning.” He released a highly irritated breath. “I can’t stand this crap. I’d rather be beat than locked in a hospital.”

She fingered one of the braids at his temple. “I know, baby. But remember, if you’re a good boy…”

He laughed at her promise. “I’m being very good. I only hit Syn once.” Sobering, he brushed a portion of her face paint off and scowled at the bruise he uncovered. “That wasn’t there earlier. What did you do?”

She glanced about innocently. “How do you mean?”

His eyes darkened with anger. “Someone hit you. Who?”

Kalea gasped. “Mommy got a boo-boo!”

Sumi rubbed at the tender bruise Pera had given her. She met Dancer’s gaze. “It’s fine. I just went and made sure you were safe.”

“Pera?”

She nodded.

Hauk was stunned. He’d expected one of his friends to take care of her. But he should have known it would be his little mouse who did it. “You could have been hurt.”

There was no denying the ferocity in her gaze, or the sincerity. “No one comes after what I love.”

He reached out and touched Kalea’s head, then Sumi’s cheek. “I know the feeling. At least tell me you didn’t go alone.”

“I tried,” she said with a laugh. “But the number of beings wanting a piece of her just kept growing and growing. It was the weirdest thing, honey.”

He smiled. “Yeah. They’re like space barnacles that way. No matter how hard you try, you just can’t avoid them or scrape them off once they’ve latched onto your ass.”

“See,” Jayne said from the doorway. “I told you guys. He’s totally whipped.”