Page 220 of Star Bringer
“You don’t understand. I don’t have a choice.”
How many times have I thought that? How many times have I justified my actions—or more likely, my lack of actions—by telling myself I have no choice? But it wasn’t true then, and it’s not true now.
“You always have a choice,” I tell him. “You just have to accept the consequences. Take me back before it’s too late.”
“I’ll die if I do that. So will you. And the others will all die anyway. We can’t win against the Corporation.”
I glare at him, trying to raise my arms to push him away, but I still have almost no strength. A few more minutes, and I might be able to fight him off again. “Maybe you can’t, but—”
“Gage!”
I almost sag to the floor at the sound of Ian’s voice. And yeah, saving myself is all well and good, but sometimes it fucking rules to have a crew to back you up.
I stare at Ian. He’s not alone. Milla, Max, Jarved, and Merrick are behind him, plus a whole crowd of people in ragged gray jumpsuits. The prisoners.
Ian’s face is deadly as he raises his pistol. “Let her go, Gage.”
“I can’t do that. And I’ll kill her if I have to.” He presses the weapon into my side.
Ian growls low in his throat. “You harm one hair on her head, and I’ll rip off your arms and beat you to death with them.”
But I can see the frustration on his face. He won’t risk attacking Gage in case he hurts me. And I can’t allow Gage to take me out of here. I’m guessing that’s the only thing that is delaying the troops from an all-out attack on the others. They’re waiting for word that Gage has gotten me free.
It’s good to know how much Dr. Veragelen believes she needs me. You never know when you’ll need a bargaining chip. But first, I have to get away from Gage.
I take a deep breath. I can do this. I’ve been trained by the best, after all.
I move as fast as my muscles will let me, jabbing my elbow into Gage’s solar plexus. He gasps and folds over, and I pull my arm forward, punching up. Pain radiates through my hand as I catch him in the jaw. He screams, and I finally jerk my arm free and stumble forward.
Gage reaches for me just as a blast comes from the left of us. It takes him in the chest, and he spins with the impact. His eyes turn sightless, and he’s dead before he crashes to the ground.
I turn slowly. Max stands there, arm outstretched, pistol in his hand.
His face is expressionless as he drops his arm to his side, and with a last glance at Gage, he turns away.
Then Ian is on me, wrapping his arms around me and hugging me close.
“Handcuffs,” he mutters into my hair. “Fucking handcuffs.”
Chapter 98
Ian
I’m pretty sure that was the worst moment of my life.
Fucking Gage. I never should have trusted him.
“You did great,” I tell Kali. Better than I would have expected. She kept her cool and gave us the chance we needed. But I’m still shaking, and I don’t want to let her go.
I take a deep breath and step back. We have to get off this asteroid and get everyone to safety. Because once we’re safe, I want nothing more than to hear her say she loves me. And then I’m taking her to bed and we’re not coming out until the world explodes around us. And maybe not even then.
The prisoners are pouring through the corridor now. I tug Kali to the side as they stream past, dozens of them, heading for the entrance. We told them there’s an army out there—I guess they don’t care, but only a couple of them are armed.
It’s going to be a massacre.
The first of them rushes out into the open. I hear cries and the crash as the body hits the ground. It doesn’t deter the others. They’re flooding out, and the air fills with a cacophony of blasts.
We were supposed to sneak out the back way. That was the plan.
