Page 61 of The Alien Bodyguard

Mal’ik blew out a breath. “And you’re giving it to the Resistance.”

“Yeah.” Oliver dropped his head back and looked up at the ceiling. “Maybe I’ve made things incalculably worse. Maybe it would have been better to keep that weapon in the hands of only one side.” He bit his lip. “But it was the only leverage I had. It was the only way I could think to convince Harrison or Serihk that I was serious before you got away.”

“They’re how you found out I’d be in that hangar.”

Oliver nodded. “I was terrified I’d missed you. You can’t imagine how relieved I was when you walked through that door.”

Mal’ik didn’t want to revisit what he had felt when he’d walked into the hangar to see Oliver. The overwhelming joy and affection he felt now were much better. A war to rival the invasion was brewing on the horizon, and yet he couldn’t stop smiling.

“I wonder what you’ll look like in normal clothes.”

Oliver dropped his head back down from looking at the ceiling and wrinkled his nose. “Normal clothes?”

“You’re always so dressed up. But you’ve left all your money behind.”

Oliver laughed. “No, I’ve left it with Serihk. I transferred him the entirety of my personal funds and assets, which are considerable. They’ll freeze my accounts as soon as they’ve discovered what I’ve done, and he’ll have some tough questions to answer, but I’m sure he can manage those.”

“You thought of everything.” Mal’ik smiled fondly. That was his Oliver.

But Oliver shook his head. “I didn’t think about what I’d do if you didn’t return my feelings.”

Mal’ik pulled him down to kiss his forehead. “Well, you don’t have to.”

Oliver unbuckled himself to slide onto the ground with Mal’ik and relax against Mal’ik’s chest. “Thank god for that.”

Mal’ik wrapped his arms around him and rested his chin on Oliver’s head. “I know I shouldn’t be happy right now. Not with everything that’s happened and with everything that will. But I am. I’m so happy, Oliver.”

Oliver tightened his arms around Mal’ik, then pulled back just far enough to look up into Mal’ik’s face. “I’m happy, too, Mal’ik.”

And for now, as they sped toward the Resistance on a torvar-piloted transport, that was more than enough for Mal’ik.

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