Jasper shook his head, seemingly unoffended. “Nah. They might be citizens of Tourism Rouge, but they’re not the biggest fans of the corporations. Tourism Rouge is a pretty laid-back corp. It doesn’t demand undying loyalty the way Mars Mining and Omnistellar do. And besides, my family would never turn their backs on each other.”

A moment later, Rune and Imani returned from their room. Imani’s eyes were suspiciously red, but she kept her head high as she settled on the couch, gnawing on a piece of garlic bread. “So,” she said, “what do we do now?”

“We need to make a plan to destroy that ship,” I replied immediately. As I spoke, Cage emerged from the girls’ room. I glanced at him and he almost took my breath away. I’d damn near forgotten what he looked like clean and healthy, and I’d never seen him without his prison uniform. In his jeans and T-shirt, his hair tousled, a black hoodie slung carelessly around his shoulders, he looked more confident, stronger, more like someone you’d run into on the streets. He caught my eye and winked, and my cheeks grew warm. Actually warm, like a blushing anime schoolgirl. I wrenched my eyes away to hide my embarrassment. “As I was saying,” I said, “we have to destroy that ship, and it has to be soon. Before Omnistellar gets here, for sure. Sooner if we can manage it.”

Reed glared at Mia and Alexei’s closed door. “We should have everyone here before we discuss this.”

“Still?” Cage rolled his eyes, crossed to their door, and hammered on it. “Mia! Lex! Get out here!”

I couldn’t hear the response, but Cage shouted in reply, “I don’t care! We need you. Let’s go.”

He rejoined us on the couch and snagged a bowl of soup. “What?” he demanded as we stared at him.

“I don’t . . .” I met Rune’s gaze and shook my head. “Never mind.” I still didn’t understand Cage’s relationship with Mia, or Alexei for that matter. But they seemed to more or less follow his orders. Not mine, evidently.

But at the same time . . . I realized that if I’d banged on that door shouting for help, both Mia and Alexei would have materialized in seconds. Alexei was easier to understand. He was soft-spoken, kind, protective, but with a metal core you couldn’t tarnish. Mia, on the other hand . . . on some level I liked her and thought she liked me. But now, I realized I trusted her as well. Despite my initial worries, she’d come back for us at the Mars prison without any second thoughts. Whatever else happened between us, I knew Mia had my back.

Or at least would. As long as she never discovered I’d killed Matt. What would someone who gave her friendship so carefully and her loyalty so completely say about that?