Rayne was waiting for him at the edge of town, worry lining his face. Of course, Eno’s mind took that moment to also replay that last little scene where Rayne had run toward danger, throwing a knife with such precision that he managed to drop a full-grown man in a heartbeat. The stuffy advisor was just too sexy for words. He was hopelessly attracted to the complex conundrum that was Rayne. Strong, confident, and intelligent. Bookish and yet he never hesitated to jump into a fight. Combative and yet there were times when he needed to be held and protected.
Eno wanted to grab him, pin him against the back of the diner, and kiss that frown away. He wanted to tangle his tongue with Rayne’s and taste him, leave him writhing and moaning in his arms. Wipe away all thoughts of the Empire with one devastating kiss.
“This is insane, and you know it,” Rayne announced as Eno reached him.
So much for kissing him senseless. He wanted to talk.
“True, but you know what will happen if we don’t do something. The Empire will tear this town apart until they find out what happened to those soldiers. We can’t leave these people helpless.”
“Yes, yes, I know,” he agreed with an absent wave of one hand. “But even if it is a small base, there have to be at least a few hundred soldiers inside, all of them better armed than we are. We need a solid plan, something to give us an edge.”
Eno stopped in front of Rayne and cupped the side of his face. The man instantly froze, his breath catching, and then his eyes fluttered as if they were going to close. Oh yeah, he loved Rayne’s every reaction to him.
He leaned close enough that the tips of their noses bumped. “That’s why we’re going to get help from this Katie. Everything is going to be fine.”
It would be so easy to lean in those last few inches and take Rayne’s mouth. To get lost in a blistering kiss. But Drayce’s laughter echoed down the alley, and it sounded like it was getting close.
He released Rayne and stepped back with a smirk. “It’ll be fine.”
But first he needed a fucking shower. Preferably a cold one.
Katie Hopewell was nothing like her name, and exactly what they needed. Eno was sure of it within a minute of meeting the woman. She was battle-hardened with steel-gray-and-white hair buzzed into a flattop. Short and stocky, she moved like she was all muscle with only the hint of a limp in her right leg. Scars cut across her deeply tanned cheeks, and she was missing a couple of teeth when she smiled at them.
“This was supposed to be my retirement,” she drawled, accepting a beer from Rayne before dropping into one of the orange chairs. Eno settled on the couch with Rayne while Caelan sat in the chair opposite Katie. “I’ve seen more than my share of action with the Empire over the years, though most of it was when I was just a kid. When they offered me the assignment at the Shallow Edge base, it was supposed to be a cakewalk. Keep an eye on the Ordas, and train up some of the greener soldiers.”
“But the Empire ruined those plans,” Caelan murmured.
“Fuck yes, they did.” She winced and shook her head. “Sorry, Your Highness.”
Caelan held up one hand, halting her apology. “It’s fine. Warranted, even. Can you tell us what happened?”
“Empire came through the bloody Ordas and struck at twilight.” She swore softly under her breath and shook her head. “The latest swap of soldiers had been made, and the vast majority are so green, you’d mistake them for a fern. Fresh from basic. Barely know which end of the gun to point at the enemy.”
“They would have been slaughtered,” Eno observed.
“We weren’t outnumbered, but we were outgunned, and they definitely had experience on their side. We’re not equipped for a battle with soldiers. Our job is managing the Ordas. That’s it.”
“Would you like to kick the Empire out?” Drayce inquired from where he was seated on the arm of Caelan’s chair.
Katie looked at him like he’d lost his mind. “Of course I would, but we’ve already got strict orders to not engage the Empire unless they attack our people.”
“But could you ‘assist’ the Empire if it sounded like they were under attack?” Rayne suggested, even making the air quotes with his fingers.
Eno twisted in his seat to gaze at the advisor who was now wearing a slightly devilish smile on his lips. “Do I even want to know what you’re thinking?”
“Oh, I do,” Katie rubbed her hands together. “You can tell he’s got something good cooking in his brain. The quiet ones always got the best ideas.”
Rayne blinked at her for a second while Drayce fell off the arm of the chair, laughing so hard. As strange as it sounded, Katie was right about Rayne. He might be the serious, responsible one of their group, but Eno didn’t doubt that his brilliant mind could also come up with some wicked ideas.