Page 174 of Starborn Husbands

She’s a different woman than she was earlier, all fire and grit. She shrugs. “I’m a defenseless old star. There’s no way I’ll be able to fend off an Orion guardian,” she says really fucking sarcastically. “I suspect your friends would want you to get out of here.”

Who am I to argue with a “defenseless old star”? I give her an Orion salute. “Thank you, ma’am.”

She winks and I sink into the battle surrounding us, becoming one with it. Father barrels through the crack in the stone as I’m about to barrel out of it. “Sir?”

“I was out there with all my warriors, Atlanta. No way I was letting them take you to the rock people. If I wasn’t beholden to the king, I’d kill him for it.”

“Boone?”

“Some fortunate timing. He showed up on our doorstep yesterday. Apparently, he owes Treyu a bunch of favors, so Treyu asked for his help with this.”

“The angels?”

“Not so fortunate timing, so we’ve gone with plan B.” Father likes a solid plan, so when things don’t go to plan, he calls it plan B as if there always was a plan B. “There’s a horde of them out there. I have to get to the king. We need to secure the palace with him in it.”

I nod. “That way.” I’ve got to get to the palace too.

“Wait,” he says. “Ship’s outside. Take it.” His eyes are hard, but they’re also glassed over. He means take the ship and leave with it.

“But that’s your pride and joy, sir.”

“And so are you. Never forget it.” He claps my shoulder, racing off before I can say another word.

Outside is war. Angels swarm the skies, blue light flashes across the darkness. Guardians have surrounded the field, trying to remain neutral, but that’s not going to last long at this rate. Boone’s army doesn’t have a single weapon, dammit. I can’t do it. I can’t leave them. I want to be with Gem so damn bad, but what kind of man am I if I leave?

Something’s bowling toward me so fast, I can’t tell what it is. It collides with an angel and tosses him out of my path. The man’s massive, looks similar to Boone, and has a streak of dark hair over a shaved head.

“Hey, you must be Atlanta. Heard all about you. Can’t believe you shot Major Ryker.”

“Major who?”

“Boone,” he says, rolling his eyes. “Oh, shit. Hang on.Ryker!Ryker, get your damn ass away from that angel, now.”

He’s saying Ryker, but it lacks the same flavor as when he said Major Ryker.

A man crash lands beside us. “Aw, c’mon, Ridomie. I was just playin’. You never, ever,everlet me have fun.”

Yup. Different “Ryker”, but damn, he’s almost a clone of Boone—smaller version, though.

“You’re supposed to keep them busy, not beat the shit out of them,” Ridomie says.

“What-the-fuck-ever,” Ryker says. “Oh, shit. Atlanta, right? Did you really shoot the Major? You gotta tell me that story. Whoa, hang on.”

Ryker uses his body like a crash pad, slamming into the flying dick with wings. I catch the wave of silver this time as it runs over his body head to toe. The angel bounces off him.

“Fuck this is fun,” Ryker says.

“Hot,” Ridomie says, yanking Ryker to him by the collar of his shirt for a kiss. “As you can see, we got this. Get your man and then get the fuck out of here. That’s the whole point of this by the way. We’d planned to bust in and grab you, but, well, angels. We’ll catch up with you.”

“Is this the Major’s idea of catching up with me from the last time?”

Ryker winces. “Don’t ask him that. He’s been bitching about having to save your ass twice now. Just thank him when you see ‘im, okay?”

“If things go my way, I won’t be seeing him again.” I’m grabbing Gem and taking him to a hole so deep they’ll never find us. “Pass along my thanks.”

“Wait! I didn’t get to introduce myself. I’m Briggland Ryker. This asshole here is Ridomie.”

Ridomie’s hand cracks against Briggland’s ass. “Don’t get smart, Ryker. Yeah, I’m—whoa!”