“Asher?” she called out, hoping somehow he’d be able to hear her and meet her halfway. She didn’t want to waste the time trekking into the depths of the chamber ahead, where the remnants of tunneling equipment lay abandoned.
Destiny continued, calling out his name every ten steps or so, knowing that none of this was going to be easy.
Not with Asher.
Not with Lipton.
And certainly not with the two of them together.
But it had to get done.
Sooner rather than later.
At least she’d finally found someone who might be able to help Asher. And if nothing else, take over for the man when his sickness took his last breath.
CHAPTER 49
“I’ll be right back,” Summer said, getting out of her chair.
Krista leaned past Simms and grabbed Summer. “Wait, where are you going?”
Summer yanked herself free in a twist. “To talk with my brother. Is that okay with you?”
Krista stood up. “I’ll cover you.”
Summer held her hands out. “It’s just my brother. It’s okay, I got this.”
“Not with those things over there.”
“I’ll be fine, Krista.”
“I thought you were going to let me handle security.”
“I am.”
“Then I’m coming with you. Unless, of course, you’ve decided to go back on your word?”
Summer paused, remembering their conversation from earlier. “No, you’re right. You’re in charge of security. If you want to tag along, then by all means.”
“Like you said, it’s my job.”
“And like you said, I need to let you do it.”
“Exactly,” Krista said, taking the lead toward the desk in the middle.
Krista passed the desk, then headed into the thicket of Scabs with Summer right behind, their eyes trained on her the entire time.
The Scabs remained on their chairs in what Summer could only describe as a commando crouch. It wasn’t the proper term to describe their choice of sitting positions, but it was all she could come up with.
When they arrived at Nomad, Krista told him, “Your sister wants to have a word with you.” She moved aside, making a path for Summer.
“Here or outside?” he asked.
“Here is fine,” Summer replied, waving at him to come closer. “Just need to tell you something.”
Nomad relaxed his posture, bending a knee and leaning forward.
When his ear was close to her lips, she whispered, “I’m sorry about hitting you earlier. I never should have done that. That was wrong and I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay,” he said in his broken-down voice. “You had every right.”
“I just missed you so much. It’s been hell all these years without my big brother.”
“Trust me, I understand.”
“Still, can you find it in your heart to forgive me?”
“Already done.”
Summer put her arms around his neck and gave him a long overdue hug. “It’s good to have you back.”
“It’s good to be back.”
Summer wanted to give him a kiss on the cheek, but she wasn’t ready. Not yet. She needed to take it slow in small steps. That’s what she needed. Small steps. To allow her heart to heal and her head to process everything.
Some wounds take forever to heal, much like Blaze’s scars. His outside looked like what she felt on the inside, but she knew deep down that she wanted him close. She hoped he felt the same way, putting family first, above all else.
She let go, gave him a smile, then turned to Krista just as a blur of motion came through the door to the room.
“Looks like your sister is back,” Krista said, as Destiny walked in with an older man whose pace was as uneven as the splotches of hair missing on his head. Destiny had her hands on his elbow, matching his stride, both of them looking down at his feet.
“Is that Asher?” Summer asked.
“He looks half dead,” Krista said before looking up at Nomad. “No offense.”
“None taken.”
When Asher brought his eyes up, they went wide at the same instant his mouth dropped open. He stopped walking and froze with that look on his face.
Summer followed his gaze across the room.
It appeared to be focused on Lipton.
Lipton stood up.
“You son-of-a-bitch,” Asher said as he broke free of Destiny’s grip and started toward Lipton.
Destiny ran behind him with her arms out but not closing ground, almost as if she really didn’t want to stop the man.
“Easy there, Hunt,” Lipton said, backing up from his chair with his hands in front. “Let’s not do anything rash.”
“I fucking knew it,” Krista said. “I told you, Summer. I told you he was in on this.”
“Shit,” Summer said, breaking into a run.
Krista followed, the two of them dodging Scabs and chairs, weaving through the chaos.
Asher flew chest-first into Lipton, sending the two of them to the floor, with Lipton landing on his back.
A second later, Asher started throwing punches—old man punches, looking more like wild slaps and unplanned arm swings.
Destiny grabbed Asher’s back and pulled him up, the last of his punches landing on the side of Lipton’s face in a whack.
Lipton turned to the side and pressed to his feet, his hand covering the impact point. “What the hell is wrong with you, Hunt?”
“I told you never to come back here.”
“I know, but I had no idea where we were headed. If I had known you were this ‘Asher’ character, I never would’ve—”
“It’s called a codename, you prick.”
“Like Blackstone.”
“Exactly. For tactical reasons.”
“And I suppose this codename business was your idea after I left?”
“Actually, it was mine,” Destiny said.
Asher twisted his arms and fought against Destiny’s grip. “Let go of me.”
“Not until you calm down.”
“I am calm. Let me go.”
“You better keep that man off me,” Lipton said.
“What’s going on here?” Summer asked when she and Krista arrived.
Krista stood in front of Summer, taking a defensive posture. “I need everyone to just back the fuck up. Right now.”
It took another handful of seconds before Asher stopped his resistance. That’s when Destiny let go of him.
Lipton rubbed his jaw. “If you think I’m going to help you people now, you’re sorely mistaken.”
Krista whirled around and let her fist go, catching Lipton in the jaw. He flew sideways, crashing into a bank of chairs head-first.
Lipton groaned, rolled over, and sat up, his hair now in a twisted flop. “What the hell was that for?”
“I knew you were involved, you lying snake.”
“How was I supposed know these people were the people I used to work with?”
“You must have known. Or suspected. You’ve been on edge the whole time.”
“It’s called instinct.”
“More like treachery.”
Lipton got to his feet and held his arms out like a preacher asking for grace to be bestowed upon him. “Anyone else want to assault me? Because now’s the time.”