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  “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