“What exactly happened?” she probed. Multi-tasking had never been an issue for Andi. She was able to evaluate and treat as she carried on full conversations with those around her. As she quickly took vitals and pressed on the injured man’s abdomen, she waited for an answer.
“A pair of shuttles docked. Both of them were using codes that were recognized and accepted. After the men walked off the ship, they must have detonated bombs as soon as they were clear of the blast radius.” Shaking his head and wiping his hand across his sweating face, the man knelt down to see what she was doing.
“Keep going. How did that warrior get injured if they were clear of the explosion?”
“When we realized what was happening, security managed to get some shots in before a majority of the invaders made it past the bay.”
“Wait a minute, they were trying to hijack the ship?” She stood, stunned at the chaos around her.
“Some of them were able to board. The explosion caused too much confusion and we were unable to stop them all. We have security officers searching for them as we speak.”
“This man may have some broken ribs. He needs to be carefully moved to medical to avoid further injuries, but he can wait to go into a bed until we see if someone else needs it first.”
Nodding quickly, her escort bent and hefted the large warrior into his arms as if he were a child. “Find Rodin and Tamin. They will most likely be closer to the main explosion areas. That is where the more heavily injured men are.”
“Got it,” Andi said, already making her way closer to the still-smoking rubble.
As she hurried around obstacles, she kept her eyes open along the way for anyone who might need her help. Seeing a green tunic, she paused for a moment. Her medical training was screaming at her to check his condition and see if there was anything she could do. Walking to the man, she nudged his leg with her foot to see if she got any response. Getting down onto the floor beside him would be foolish if he happened to be playing possum. Creeping closer, she saw that from the front he had no visible injuries.
“Where are you hurt?” she asked loudly, trying to see if he was conscious enough to respond.
Receiving no acknowledgement of her question, she watched to see if his chest was rising and falling. It was dead still. The relief at that observation made her feel immediate shame. She shook it off quickly. These men had come here and attacked. It might be cold to think it, but she was happy they had got what they had coming to them.
Without getting any closer to the prone body, Andi skirted around him. Keeping an eye out for others who might need her help, she scanned the room. Sweeping her gaze from side to side, she spotted Tamin and Rodin, both leaning over a familiar figure.
Her stomach dropped when she recognized her best friend. Zane was lying on the floor, unmoving. He was bleeding heavily from a wound caused by a piece of what appeared to be the ship lodged in his abdomen.
“Dear god no.”
The plea was whispered but Rodin heard her and glanced up. Surprise and anger lined his features as he pressed a hand to another open wound on Zane’s side.
“I will yell at you later for not staying in the medical center,” Rodin said in a low voice. “For now, I need you to hand me the sealant in my bag. I am not able to remove my hand without him bleeding heavily.”
Andi moved quickly even though her hands were shaking and her legs felt week.
Zane’s skin was almost gray in color, his lips taking on a white cast as he struggled to breathe. Andi found what she was hunting for and handed it to Rodin. Kneeling beside the man she had once been matched to, she gripped his hand in hers and was surprised at the strength with which he clutched back.
“I’m here, Zane. Everything is going to be okay now.” She leaned close, giving him a kiss on the cheek.
“Andi…” His voice came out choked, blood starting to leak out of the side of his mouth.
“Shhhh. Don’t try to talk.” She held his fist to her chest as if clutching the cool flesh would keep him with her longer.
“I didn’t expect it to end like this,” he wheezed, his eyes wide with panic.
Andi soothed him as best she could while staying out of the way of her men. Whispering to him to stay strong made him relax and the stricken look on his face fade to one of calm. “Everything is going to be okay, Zane. Hang in there for me.” She kept repeating the mantra, knowing that he needed to hear her.
Both Rodin and Tamin worked furiously over his abdomen. Their efforts seemed futile when more blood poured out of his body to the beat of his slowing heart, the bright liquid pooling on the polished floor beneath them.
“Zane, please…” she whispered, her tears trailing down her face and onto her chest like melting wax. “You have to fight, Zane. My men will fix you but you have to fight, dammit!”
Zane pulled his arm weakly away from her chest. With their fingers still linked, he brought her hand to his mouth. Feeling his cool lips kiss their joined hands, Andi started to sob. Her heart broke as she realized he was trying to say goodbye.
“Be strong,” she pleaded, her throat closing up when she observed Rodin shake his head at Tamin. The men both set back on their heels, exhaustion and pain on their features.
“What are you doing?” she asked furiously. “Don’t you dare give up on him!” she yelled at Rodin. Seeing the defeat on his face caused a lance of pain to hit her chest.
Turning her streaming eyes to Tamin, she begged, “Please. I love him. You have to be able to help him.”
“Andi—” Rodin started.
Gazing down at the man who had been her beloved friend, Andi saw a small smile grace his almost colorless face. The trail of blood dribbling from the corner of his mouth told Andi he was not going to make it.
“What, Zane?” She turned all her attention to his still figure, brushing back a lock of hair from his forehead.
“I found out that I was matched today. I have a bride.” His smile was wide for a moment with the happiness he had felt at the thought of a future before it drooped with the reality of the situation. “I was going to surprise you tonight.” Zane wheezed again, a tear rolling from his eye.
The vision of her strong, funny friend crying made Andi sob even harder. He was one of the strongest men she knew and he was crying. Looking away for a moment, she swallowed hard. Tamin and Rodin were blinking rapidly as if trying to control their own emotions.
“Oh, Zane.” She tried to smile at him through her tears. “I bet she is great. I can’t wait to meet her.”
Trying to distract him from any pain, Andi asked, “Do you think she’ll like me?”
“She will love you, Andi. Just as I do,” he said quietly, the life starting to fade from his voice. “I love you, Andi. You are my sister, I cherish our time together…” His voice trailed off as he struggled for air, coughing as his damaged body protested.
“Zane?” Andi tensed when he didn’t speak or open his eyes again. Panicking, she gripped his fingers harder, her knuckles turning white with the tension.
Leaning close to listen for his breathing, she was surprised and relieved to hear him whisper, “Remember what I told you. You came here to live. Listen to me…for once.”
With one last breath, his body became completely still. Zane was gone.
“Tamin!” she cried to the man at her side. “Do something, for fuck’s sake.”
Yelling at him, she clung to Zane’s weighted hand. Her grip seeming to be the only thing keeping her grounded.
“Andi, the damage was too severe,” Rodin said in a soft voice.
“But he has a bride, Rodin. He doesn’t deserve this. It’s not fair. He can’t die,” she argued.
“He is gone, sweetheart.” Tamin tried to pull her into a hug.
Andi resisted for a moment, feeling a need to stay close to her dear friend. She wanted one last hug from his large, laughing figure. One more joke that he told, laughing at the punchline before even getting to it. One more ridiculous eyebrow wi
ggle while he teased her. All the animation that had been so apparent, even when he was standing still, had disappeared from the man lying still in front of her.
Realizing that he was truly gone, she nodded her head like a zombie. “Why?” she whispered brokenly.
“There is no reason.” Rodin crawled to her other side, gripping her tightly, his hands and fingers stained with the blood of her fallen friend.
“Andi, we must keep treating the wounded,” Tamin said firmly, interrupting her grief. Scrutinizing the room, he visually catalogued where they were needed next.
“Yes.” Moving as if she were a robot, Andi leaned down to kiss Zane’s cheek. Settling his hand across his chest, she stroked his hand. She took in a deep breath. “Let’s do our job,” she said in a voice that was stronger than she actually was.
There were others there who needed their help.
The group took turns assessing the rest of the fallen warriors. Overall, the Phaeton had lost four men in the attack. At the end of the day, Andi’s heart was broken for one in particular.
Chapter Fourteen
Time stood still for Andi, regardless of the days that had passed since the episode. Her actions in the week after the attack had become a daily routine of going through the motions. She was in disbelief at what had happened and the price that the Phaetons had paid. All the invading Verge warriors had been either killed or captured. The ones in custody had been questioned regarding what the Verge planned next. None of them broke their silence. The council ruled they would be held accountable for their actions by serving their time on a mining planet in the furthest reaches of Phaeton-controlled space.
Never having been one who approved of the death penalty, Andi was shocked at her reaction of wanting the Verge survivors dead. They had killed Zane. Prison, regardless of it being hard labor, seemed too good for them.
Her men had also started treating her differently. Tamin and Rodin had resorted to handling her with kid gloves. Gone were the hot glances and sneaking hands she had come to anticipate during the day. Their behavior didn’t change once the medical center was closed. It followed them home. At night they made dinner, watched a movie and then tucked her between them in bed.
Cleaning out Zane’s apartment had been heartrending. Her men had given her the option to stay there for a few more days.
“No, it will be harder to stay here. This place still smells like him,” Andi had answered sadly. Sitting on their couch one evening, Andi had cried silently for a while before Tamin and Rodin had found her. With them hugging her, she breathed in the comforting musk from their tunics.
Something had to give.
Staring at Rodin across the room, Andi made up her mind. Since their last patient had left for the day, there was nothing stopping her. Walking up to Rodin, she rubbed his back. Startled, he turned toward her with surprise in his eyes.
“Hey, how are you doing today?” he asked, clearly uncomfortable.
“Better than yesterday,” she replied in a soft voice.
Visibly relaxing, Rodin turned and hugged her. Pulling her into his body, he set his chin on top of her hair. “You seem better.”
“What’s up with the silent treatment lately?” Andi couldn’t hold in the question. The men’s behavior recently was reminiscent of the way Zane had acted when with her. With affection that was lacking any sexual element innuendo.
“What do you mean?”
“Well…there haven’t been any kisses. At least any that really would qualify as kisses in my opinion. You are treating me like I’m your sister instead of your soon-to-be wife.”
Rodin frowned at her. Shaking his head, he muttered to himself for a moment, “I told Tamin this was not the way.” Raising his voice, Rodin yelled loud enough for the sound to carry out of the main entry room. “Tamin! Get in here now!”
Gripping Andi by the upper arms, he guided her until she was standing in front of a chair. “Sit,” he barked out, appearing angry.
“I’m not a dog, Rodin.” Andi gave him the skunk eye, although part of her liked the change in him. This dominant man was more like the Rodin she had come to know and love.
“Is Andi okay?” Tamin asked, rushing in. Seeing her sitting down in front of Rodin, he quickly crossed the room and knelt in front of her. Holding her hands in his, he searched her face quickly.
“Are you feeling well, love?” he asked anxiously.
“I am fine,” she soothed him, absorbing the concern he displayed so openly.
“Tell him what you just said to me,” Rodin ordered gruffly.
“That I’m not a dog?” Andi replied sarcastically with a smirk on her face.
“That attitude will cost you a spanking, Andi,” he chided with a sexy smile. Shaking his finger at her, he said, “You are aware of what I am referring to.”
At the thought of any sexual contact with Rodin, even in the form of a spanking, Andi felt the muscles in her thighs tighten. A wide smile came over her face. This was exactly what she had been missing. What she needed.
Turning her attention to Tamin, she replied, “I asked Rodin why you were both treating me like a sister.”
“A sister?” Tamin sounded confused and insulted at the same time. “There is nothing sibling-like regarding our emotions toward you, Andi.”
“None at all,” Rodin affirmed.
Andi was shaking her head at them both. “Well then what has been up with the cuddles but no kissing or touching?” Speaking directly to Tamin, she stated, “Before all of this happened, you would sneak a pat on my butt or steal a kiss.”
“We were trying to give you time to heal, Andi,” Rodin offered as an explanation.
“Well stop it,” she shot back with a determined glare. “I need you to treat me like you normally would.”
She studied them both for a few seconds. It was easy to tell that they had honestly had good intentions in their actions, but it wasn’t working in this situation.
“I hurt. The pain over Zane’s death was like taking a sledgehammer to the chest.” With one hand held to her heart, she rubbed the area as if the hit had been physical instead of emotional. “He was my best friend. I will always feel the loss, but I need to be reassured that our relationship hasn’t changed. Does that make sense?”
Tamin let out a gush of air. “Thank your god that we can stop trying to control ourselves. It was driving me insane.”
Tamin scooped her up and out of her seat. Without giving her time to even yelp at the fast actions, he had her lips locked in a kiss that would have knocked her off her feet if she had been standing. Sitting on his lap, she curled around him like a snake, arms entwined behind his neck as he practically devoured her mouth.
Breathing heavily, she tried to control herself before she tore off her pants and demanded they fulfill the promise the kiss had hinted at.
“What about you?” Gazing up at Rodin who had yet to move, Andi waited for his answer.
“I have been at my limit for the entire week.” Moving to take her from his friend’s embrace, he cradled her in his arms. Nuzzling her neck, he breathed in deeply. As his hot tongue moved along the column, his breath tickled the skin.
“Well…we are done with patients today,” Andi pointed out. “How about we go to our apartment and officially seal the deal?”
At her suggestion, both men moved so fast her senses spun. Tamin grabbed her bag from her desk while Rodin strode for the door in swift movements.
“Are you sure you are ready for this?” Rodin asked, his lips close to her ear causing shivers to tingle the length of her spine.
“I have no doubts.” Andi’s voice was sure and firm. Turning to Tamin as he walked behind them, she yelled, “Hurry your ass up.”
She laughed when he playfully lunged for her where she was held in Rodin’s grip. Rodin’s voice then turned serious. “That is two spankings.”
“I can’t wait.” Winking when he almost stumbled at her words, she laughed.
Walking next door to their
apartments was accomplished in the blink of an eye. A definite advantage to being the ship’s main medical team. Andi tensed slightly as they entered the quiet space. She was sure of her decision. Everything in her was screaming yes when it came to the men. What she was apprehensive about was the actual sex part. Their earlier experience had been tame in comparison to what she was expecting to do today. The thought of coming across as inexperienced made her feel nauseous. Her previous sex life had been fulfilling but vanilla all around.
Feeling her tense in his arms, Rodin stopped and turned them both toward Tamin, who was walking closely behind them.
“Tell us what you are thinking,” Rodin asked, watching her closely.
“How did you know I was thinking anything?”
“Do not stall answering the question.” He tilted his head to her, giving her a serious look.
“Andi, is everything alright?” Tamin’s concerned voice broke through her annoyance at being busted by Rodin.
“Yes,” she answered softly, unsure how to explain her nervousness.
“And?” Rodin prompted when she was quiet.
Andi stayed silent for one moment, causing Rodin to sigh heavily. Setting her on her feet, he propped his hands on his slim hips and frowned at her.
“If you are not ready for this, please say something,” Tamin pleaded “We do not want to pressure you into something you are not yet ready for.”
“I am sure I want to do this,” she repeated. “The only thing I am concerned about is my lack of experience.”
Both men stared at her with stunned faces.
Tamin started to sputter when Rodin held his hand up for him to be quiet. Stepping closer to Andi, he stared her directly in the eyes.
“You will never disappoint us. All the practice we have had has been forgotten, because it is a completely different situation between the three of us. Do you understand? We are nervous too. This is an instance where we are relying on your body’s reaction to tell us if we are pleasing you. When we had appointments in the Pleasure Sector, we did not worry about the woman’s pleasure. They were paid to please us. Not for us to please them.”