Brow furrowed, she straightened and scanned her surroundings. Blue had caught the fist-size missile with his power. As she watched, he sent the thing high in the sky. There was an explosion of fire and smoke. Blue collapsed, spent.
Solo moved to his side and stood sentry, daring the three remaining men to approach. Evie steadied her rifle. Keep it together. One by one, as the males circled the pair, closing in, she introduced them to the grave.
Draping the weapon over her shoulder, she ran. Finally ran, screaming, “Blue! Just hang on. I’ll patch you up, I swear I will.”
When she reached his side, she dropped to her knees. His skin was pale. His lips were a scary light blue, doing justice to his name.
He offered her a weak smile—there was blood on his teeth. “Saved me . . . you, warrior princess . . . me, soldier in distress . . . storybook . . .” The rambling stopped as his head lolled to the side—and he died.
* * *
“Michael!” Evie shouted. “Help!”
Heart thundering in her chest, she rushed down the hall, clearing the way for Solo, who held an unconscious Blue in his arms. She managed to revive him on the drive over, but he crashed three more times. If she didn’t get him stabilized, she was going to lose him for good.
Vika appeared in a doorway and gasped when she saw the bloody trio.
“In here,” Evie said to Solo, barreling into her bedroom. They’d called Michael during the drive and told him to meet them at a safe house she used for medical emergencies. “Put him on the bed, and be gentle.”
The steel pipe lodged between the slabs of muscle in his stomach had sunk so deep it now poked out the other side.
The moment he was settled, she leapt into action, gathering the supplies she would need. She might not be prepared to deal with massive burns, but this . . . this she could handle.
Keep. It. Together.
Michael raced into the room.
“You’re going to assist me,” she said, her voice calm despite her raging emotions. “The rod has to come out, but I can’t remove it and stop the bleeding at the same time.”
“I’ve done triage,” her father replied. “I can do this. I won’t let you down.”
In the bathroom, she scrubbed up as best she could. She was trembling, and that wasn’t good. She could do more damage to him . . . to Blue . . . her Blue.
Deep breath in . . . out . . . Okay. Yes. I’m capable. Cutting into people is practically my superpower. Her nerves began to steady as her adrenaline kicked in and her confidence revved back up.
Blue would come out of this. No other outcome was acceptable.
* * *
Blue cracked open eyelids that felt as dry and rough as sandpaper. A strange beep sounded in his ears. Wherever he was, the lights were dimmed. His side ached.
“Hey,” a soft voice said.
Evie.
The beeping quickened.
It had to be monitoring his heart rate, because the muscle careened out of control at the first indication that she was nearby.
She came into view, leaning over him, his own personal angel. Long, dark hair fell over her shoulder, curling at the end. Those big, brown eyes that dominated her face were filled with worry and relief. The heart-shaped lips he loved to kiss were . . . slightly blue? Why? Then his gaze snagged on the angry mark marring her pale skin, and he could focus on nothing else.
“Your poor cheek, baby,” he said, reaching up. The tendons in his shoulder protested painfully, and he grimaced, but that didn’t stop him from running his fingers across the wide bruise. “What happened?”
“You were in another explosion,” Evie said. “A piece of metal tubing perforated your side, but we got it out. You lost a lot of blood, but don’t worry, we didn’t give you a transfusion. I remembered what you said.” She smoothed her hands over his forehead.
“I didn’t mean me. What happened to you?”
“Oh. Your power came back in a burst and knocked me across the room.”
“What?” A sharp pain lanced through his middle. “What?” he asked more gently. “I did this?”
“You had no idea what was going on, so I’m not going to hold a grudge. Seriously. Don’t worry. I promise I’ll only remind you of the pain I suffered on holidays and anniversaries.”
She made light of it, and he wanted to hug her for it, but he wasn’t sure he would ever be able to forgive himself. “I’m sorry, princess.”
“Don’t be. I mean it.” She traced her thumb across his jaw. “You’re on the mend and that’s all I care about.”
He held her gaze for a long while, wishing he could do more. He would rather be stabbed every day for the rest of his life than do anything to hurt her. “How’s Solo?” he finally croaked.
“He’s already up and around.”
Good. Something to be relieved about. “Give me a few hours. I’ll be up in every way that matters, too.”
He wanted her to grin. She didn’t. She merely blinked at him, saying, “How about I give you a few days? You only got out of surgery yesterday.” Then she dropped away from him, flopping into a chair beside the bed.
Light from a side lamp spilled over her, allowing him to see her more clearly. Glistening tears cascaded down her face, and her teeth . . . her teeth were chattering. The air was frigid, he noticed, and he frowned.
“Come here,” he said, patting the mattress beside him.
She shook her head, and his frown deepened. “I don’t want to accidentally—”
“Come here,” he repeated more sternly.
This time she obeyed without hesitation, stretching out beside him and curling into his side, being careful of his wound.
Her skin was ice, and he didn’t like it. He wrapped himself around her, willing his warmth into her body as she shivered. “Why are you so cold?”
“Remember when Dallas told us he was healed by the Arcadian king? Well, I called Dallas and told him I’d cut off his man junk if the king failed to give me any pointers. He told me open wounds heal better in frigid temperatures. Apparently, your planet is a frosty one.”
Blue hadn’t known that. He’d always lived here. “If you get sick because of this, I will finally give you that spanking you so richly deserve. And I won’t let you give me one in return.”
She humphed. “You wouldn’t be able to stop me.”
“Want to bet?”
“Darling, did you hear the part about speaking to the Arcadian king? I also asked him where your most sensitive parts are so I could have you on the ground crying for your mommy in seconds.”