At some point in the middle of the night, Keith and Quinn joined us in bed. Clay held me tight against him in sleep, but he loosened his hold just a bit when I squirmed. Keith kissed my forehead and put his arm around me, too. Quinn climbed onto the end of the bed. I closed my eyes, and darkness took me back into her sweet embrace.

In what felt like only minutes but couldn’t have been because there was light streaming through the windows, I woke up to a clearing of someone’s throat. I looked around, confused, until I saw Tommy standing by the end of the bed with a smirk on his face.

“So I’ve been working nonstop for hours, and you’re all here cozy in bed, sleeping soundly.”

Keith leaned back on his elbows. “Jealous?”

“Totally.” He flopped down on the bed, lying on top of all of us. “And I don’t have easy news.”

Quinn groaned. “You lost?”

“No. I mean, I got Graham Alexander on my side. I think he’d say yes to anything Melissa asked him to do. Her tablet message to him did the trick. Our father-in-law was less than thrilled to make my acquaintance, particularly after the news got to him that you told off your mother, love.”

I groaned. I wasn’t ready to make nice, but I would if Tommy needed me to. “Do I have to apologize?”

“I’d never ask you to do that. I’m proud of you. He doesn’t have that much power. He’d like more, but whatever. Graham thinks I’m going to have to make personal appeals to all the rich families to get their battalions involved. He won’t have the support to send Earth to war without that.” He shook his head. “I’m going to be shaking a lot of hands. And I’m going to need Quinn and Keith with me to do it. You too, love, if you’ll go.”

I sat up. “Whatever you need, Tommy. You know that.”

He yawned. “Right now what I need is peace and quiet and slumber.”

Quinn kicked him. “Well, you’re not doing that lying on top of us, man.”

Clay laughed. “It’s okay. I’ve got to get up. I’m working today.”

“That’s what I figured.” Tommy took his spot when Clay moved. “That’s why I’m letting you out of shaking hands.”

Clay leaned over and kissed me, a quick peck. “Lucky me.”

Tommy was already snoring by the time Clay left the room. Quinn grumbled a few moments later and followed Clay out the door. I closed my eyes, and for just a little while longer, I was able to sleep cocooned between Keith and Tommy.

I woke up when Tommy rolled over. Keith was gone. I rubbed my eyes. My body was sore. I needed a shower and food, in that order.

My husband didn’t notice when I left the room. I took care of myself, and on my second egg, I realized that other than sleeping Tommy, I was alone in the place. It was probably a good time to try to locate the missing uncles. If I didn’t focus, I wasn’t ever going to get anywhere on that project.

Maybe I wouldn’t anyway, but it was worth the try.

I pulled up the information from my tablet that I’d taken off Mars Station and started reading. After a moment, I had the name of the ship where at least one of the Uncles operated in the Dark Planet zone. No Earth control. I tapped the table with my finger and then decided to go for it. Uncle Fletcher. He was the son right after Uncle Quinn. Garrison, Quinn, Fletcher. Then five more.

He looked like he was some kind of pirate. Notations indicated he stole from cargo ships that hauled medicine and gave them to poor planets that needed them. I rubbed my eyes. I typed the name of the ship, The Lafayette, and entered it into my communication section on the tablet. The ship would either take my communication when it received it—which could be who knew when since the Dark Planets weren’t known for their fast comm systems. or not. I quickly typed up an introduction and hoped he would respond.

I’d work on the other uncles later. My tablet dinged. It couldn’t possibly already be Fletcher Sandler. My message wouldn’t even have left Earth space yet. I stared down.

They’re going to kill the Spare right now. If you don’t want him you dead, you might tell the Heir and the Who Cares about it. Clock is ticking, Paloma.

I stared at the message. There was no indication who it was from, which was bizarre. Usually, a message unsigned couldn’t get through the system. I decided to ignore that and read what was said. Again. And Again.

It didn’t make sense. I jumped to my feet. Tommy needed sleep, but this was some kind of death threat. I rushed into the bedroom and shook him till he opened his eyes. He smiled at me. “What’s up, baby?”

I shoved the tablet at him. “What does that mean? Heir. Spare. All that?”

Tommy stared at it for less than three seconds before he was on his feet. He spoke into his tablet. “I need Graham Alexander, and I need him now.”

The tablet binged, and Melissa’s father’s voice boomed out of it. “I know you’ve had as little sleep as me. What are you doing?”

“My brother Clay is going to be killed at the courthouse.”

What? My heart plummeted into my stomach. Tommy had at least understood that message. He grabbed my arm. “Reach Keith and Quinn, wherever they are, and get them here.”

He pulled on his pants even as he communicated with Graham. “Yes.—No, I have no idea who it’s from but I will find out…You can count on that. I don’t think the person threatening Clay is the one who wants to harm him. This was a warning. My father’s people don’t make them. Right. Fine. I’ll stay here. All focus on getting Clay and getting him here. I’ll just be in the way, and if it’s a trap to draw me out, then fuck them.”

I shot off messages to Keith and Quinn. Both answered immediately. Quinn was running errands and almost home. Keith had stopped by the university and would be back momentarily. I sat down on the edge of the bed. “Tommy, I need an explanation.”

“I’m the heir, my father’s heir. Or at least I was until I left. The spare was always Clay. The heir and the spare, lest something happen to me. And then when the twins were born, the really shitty people started calling them the and who cares. The first two weren’t invented for us. That’s been said for millions of years. That last bit some asshole made up.” He touched his wrist. “Clay, viable threat has been made against you. Graham is sending forces to secure you. Don’t give them shit.”

He sat down on the side of the bed next to me. Our tablets dinged. Clay, Keith, and Quinn wanted answers. I answered the twins with the general information that I had no idea what was going on. Tommy put his head in his hands after answering Clay. “I can’t believe I’m going to sit here.”

“It was smart what you said. If you’re meant to go running and get caught, then they would have won. Or if you somehow become a problem and Clay gets killed because of it, then that’s a disaster. You’re staying out of the way and letting the second most powerful man on Earth take care of things. You didn’t act without thinking. That’s why he’ll survive this.”

I stood. I really, really hoped I was right.

“Did you know I have to meet with the Prime Minister next week? I’m hoping you’ll come with me on that. Use some of that charm.”

I leaned over and kissed his forehead. “Count on it.”

Quinn was the first through the door. He threw a bag down, which spilled out onto the floor. He’d bought me more clothes. All of them red. With nothing else to do with my time but obsess and wait, I grabbed them and started folding what needed to be folded and hanging the rest. My hands had to be busy, or my mind would explode.

Keith was next. He dropped his tablet on the table and then picked up mine. He was fooling with it, and as far as I was concerned, he could do as he pleased with my device. “What if you had been sleeping?”

I didn’t answer him. Instead I walked into the kitchen and grabbed cleaning tools. I’d scrub. That would be really helpful. The bland nothingness that came with housework…

“Our idiot brother is refusing to leave the courthouse.”

I stopped moving. “What?”

“He has to see the judge about this client, and he is refusing to leave until he’s done so.” Tommy threw his tablet. I winced. I hoped it wasn’t broken. Did the makers of these things keep in mind how frequently they got tossed?

I picked it up. The screen wasn’t cracked, which was at least something. “If he won’t come to me, I’m going to him.”

Quinn shook his head. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

“No one is threatening me. I’m not listed there. He’s being stubborn, but just because he cares about this guy. This man’s problems have been eating at Clay’s soul. He won’t ignore me. I have to go to him.”

Keith rocked back on his feet. “Not by yourself.”

“Yes, by myself. I can get there and back. You come with me, and it’s a whole different thing. You’ll get spotted.”

Tommy spoke in a low voice. “You were with us at the meeting. They know you now.”

“They knew me like that. Red dress. Dramatic face.” I’d had to scrub it all off in the shower. I was going to have to be careful with when I did that look. My skin would never survive the onslaught. “I can be invisible. I trust you guys. You can trust me.”

They looked at each other. I had news for them; I was doing this whether they liked it or not. Clay needed me to go pull him out of his own head and get him home safely. I loved him. I wouldn’t leave him there.

I spoke into my tablet, sending my message to Clay. “I’m coming to you.”

That was that.

* * *

Dressed in my best impression of an initiate outfit, which included a long grey skirt and a white blouse—the skirt coming from the maid closet down the hall and the blouse being my own—I’d pulled my hair back in a slick bun. With my new bangs, I looked very severe. I had on makeup but not to make me look better; too much powder had the opposite effect. I was wearing Quinn’s brown boots. They were too big. I hoped I didn’t have to run.

Tommy had reached out to Graham, and Dennis Beene, the commander in charge of Clay—who wanted to haul his ass out regardless of Clay’s wishes, possibly unconscious if need be—knew to expect me. I even knew where I was going, thanks to the feature on the tablet that made getting directions an option.

It buzzed at me whenever I was supposed to turn. I kept my eyes on the ground, not making eye contact with anyone. I took a seat on the train when it pulled in front of me, and entered my coordinates into the machine. It knew where to take me now. We jolted through Oceania, heading for the courthouse district. I popped out when it stopped and made my way forward.

I looked back down at the ground. I was no one. A woman that none needed to pay any attention to whatsoever. If I’d had a headpiece, I could have completed the look completely and then not only would those passing by not look at me, they’d run the other way. As it was, I was enough bland in this grand world of colors that I was okay.

A crowd of soldiers stood in a half circle, their guns pointed at the courthouse. Clay was inside, and he needed to come back out. It was then when I noticed the second group. There were people wearing red on the steps of the courthouse. I didn’t have to guess to know who they were. Sandler red. But not Tommy’s. Not Clay’s. Not Quinn’s. Not Keith’s. That was Garrison’s group on the steps. I wasn’t a betting person, but I would lay credit on the idea that the people of Earth hadn’t known that they had such a Sandler presence here with them.

I sighed. Getting in might prove to be complicated.

I looked for the leader from the Alexander brigade and decided that the one with the black armband might be the one to start with. He could at least point me in the right direction. I tried to get to him and was stopped.

“Ma’am, we’re not letting anyone through right now. In fact, you’re going to want to go far away from here.”

I sighed. “I’m supposed to be here. My name is Paloma Sandler. My husband is who they are trying to kill, and Commander Dennis Beene is waiting for me.”

He sucked in his breath. “Well, that’s different. Yes, we were told you were coming. With me, please.”

I followed him and was taken to the man with the black armband. He was tall, younger than I’d thought he would be—not older than Tommy—with red hair and bright green eyes. A slew of freckles splayed over his nose. He was taller than any of my husbands and built like a wall. He was in charge of these hundreds of soldiers, and I could see why. I wouldn’t say no to him, ever. Except if I had to.

“Sir?” The soldier who had brought me over caught Dennis’ attention, and he looked down at me.

“Well, you look different than your picture.”

I nodded. “That was the point.”

“Pretty still, but yeah, you hid in plain sight. Good work. So, your husband is obviously an idiot.”

I stood up straighter. “Excuse me?”

“He has you out here, and he’s risking his life in there? If I had a woman, I wouldn’t be taking any risks.”

The only women wandering around on Earth were married or spoken for. People protected their daughters like the commodities they were. If Dennis were to ever have a woman, it would be because he’d worked his way up for someone like Graham Alexander.

“My husband”—I tried to keep my cool. I wasn’t sure it was working, but I tried—“has been waiting years to help a man in there who needs him. He’s in front of a judge. He’s fighting for that man’s life. What he’s saying is he doesn’t care about his own life. He didn’t ask for them to call you in. We did. Now that being said, I’m going to get him out of there if you can tell me how I can get in.”

Dennis nodded, looking away for a second. “My mother would have been ashamed of me. I know not to speak out of turn. I’m one of eight boys. She was determined we would be gentleman. Maybe someone will love me like you do him, some day.”

So many boys, no women. That was always the problem. Wherever we were in the universe, we couldn’t undo that….

“A way in?” I needed him to stay on track.

He blinked and then shook his head. I had to remember that some of these men would go their entire lives without speaking to a women briefly on the street. I was an oddity out here alone. Safe enough, considering the cameras that watched everything, but an usual occurrence, for sure.

“I was worried it wouldn’t work, but considering how you’ve changed your appearance from the one on our tablets, this might go as planned.” He pointed toward the service entrance. “There’s one guard keeping people from coming out the service entrance. They’re not stopping people from going in. More hostages. They’re insisting to our negotiators that they only want Clay. I have a small battalion in front of the door. They can’t get to him yet.

“How am I going to get through the battalion?”

“I…”

He never got to answer me. Bullets started firing. I didn’t know who was firing what. There were laser guns, but they weren’t using them. This was old-fashioned weaponry. Guns and bullets. Dennis pushed me down to the ground, covering my body with his. I was going to kill Clay.

He’d better not be getting killed inside that building. I was supposed to be sneaking in the service entrance, not dodging bullets. Alexander’s troops charged forward, and Dennis pulled me.

I grabbed my tablet and started speaking incoherently as he dragged me along. Quinn’s boots did not make anything easier as I tried to explain to all of my husbands how I was under attack.

“Is anyone hurt?”

“Not my people,” Dennis called out to me. He held up his wrist. “I get signaled in my chip if anyone is hurt or killed. Nothing. We’re highly trained. That group on the steps is a disaster. The ones inside are worse. Garrison didn’t send anyone worthwhile for this mess. They’re about to be slaughtered.”

He pulled me along until we were behind a building. “I’d love to babysit you, I don’t spend a lot of time with beautiful women. But I’ve got men to lead. Stay here. Don’t move. Consider it an order.”

I didn’t usually take orders, but I wasn’t an idiot. My tablet was going crazy. I stared down at it and was about to answer the questions of the three not with me when Clay appeared with Dennis behind him.

He grabbed my shoulders. “Paloma, are you okay?”

“Yes.” I shoved at him before I stepped back. “Why did you stay in there? Why didn’t you come out?”

“Because I had to.” I wasn’t even sure what that meant, but he whirled around to look at Dennis. “I didn’t want a whole brigade here. Were you hurt? Were your men?”

Dennis shook his head. “No. We’re all fine. They’re all dead. That’s beside the point.”

“I had no choice but to finish. The judge said if we left, it was over. I couldn’t leave till it was over. My father has systematically been illegally forcing farmers from their homes here on Earth. It’s how he’s sneakily moving his people here. Something had to be done.”

Dennis scratched his head. “My father has been suffering through that. You actually care?”

My heart swelled. Yes, I’d forgotten during the bullets, but Clay cared. He cared more than anyone I’d ever known. “He does.”

“There are lots of us who care. You just have to find the right group. I’m sorry. I didn’t want anyone hurt, and I would have done what I could not to die. Still, some things, someone has to say no more to, someone has to put himself out there and make what is wrong right. That’s specifically me. I won’t stand idly by anymore.”

Dennis nodded, looking at the ground for a moment. “Look, I don’t want any of my men killed because you stay in a courtroom. But if you need anything personally, you reach out to me. I’ll be there. And I want to know more about who these lots are since I don’t know anyone who would have done what you did.”

He left us, and I took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, Clay. I wanted to kill you when the bullets started flying.”

“Well, I pretty much want to kill you for being here. What in the fuck were my brothers thinking?” He extended his hand, and I took it. “Why did you come?”

“I thought I could drag you out.”

He shook his head. “Foolish girl, always running into trouble.”

“Foolish guy, trying to save the world.”

He kissed me. “Reach out to my brothers. Tell them you’re okay. I’ll let them know what I think about what they did in letting you come, later. Paloma, I did it. I got him his land back.”

I hugged him as tight as I could. “Of course you did. You’re the best person I’ve ever known.”

* * *

I stood staring at the view through my window as my husbands argued. Who had let me go. Why Clay didn’t value his life over others. It was ongoing. I yawned and my tablet dinged. I looked down at it, trepidation climbing up my spine. Who had sent me the Spare rhyme, and who was reaching out now?

You owe me one. You and your four will meet me at dinner at La Crema tonight at seven. Don’t be late.

As I had before, but this time with less terror, I brought Tommy my tablet and handed it to him. The arguing stopped as soon as I entered. They were brothers. They’d been fighting with each other longer than I’d known them. Still, I thought they knew I didn’t like it and tried to stop when I was around.

Tommy read the message and then passed it to Clay who quickly gave it to Keith. Quinn read it over his twin’s shoulder. They all looked at me.

“I think we should go if for no other reason than to know who sent us that note and why.”

Tommy nodded. “I agree we should go, but I know why.”

“Then do enlighten us.” Clay leaned back in his chair.

“They want something. Every meeting I’m going to take over the next few weeks is about what I can give in exchange for help. I have money, but no one here needs any. They want things from me. They want what I can give them when I’m Chancellor Sandler.”

Quinn cleared his throat. “Tommy’s going to give away half the region before we even get back.”

A muscle ticked in Tommy’s jaw. “What choice do I have?”

“None. And I know how you hate to be backed into a wall.” I climbed onto Tommy’s lap, and he sighed. “You’ve had no sleep. Two hours until we have to meet whomever this is. Take a nap.”

He nodded, and I kissed him. Wherever we went, our troubles followed us.

* * *

I was changing my clothes when my tablet pinged again. Did our rescuer change his or her mind about where he or she wanted to have dinner?

How are my nephews?

It took me a moment to realize the new message was from Fletcher Sandler. The identification said Lafayette, and so much had happened since I’d sent that note—days’ worth in hours—that I had to get my bearings.

Amazing. Thanks for responding.

This was going to be a slow-moving conversation.

I set down the tablet. I wore one of the outfits Quinn had brought me. They’d again put me in Sandler red, but this time it was a half shirt, showing some of my belly, and a pair of black pants. I donned a silver piece of jewelry that wrapped around my belly button. I had black heels on, and I’d painted my face the same way as the night before. La Crema was a casual restaurant, or so the tablet had told me when I’d investigated.

I let my hair fall in waves but straightened my bangs. When I’d cut them for effect, I hadn’t remembered how hard bangs were to take care of.

I shook my head. I hoped I was setting the right image.

Clay whistled in my doorway. “Lovely woman.”

“Crazy man.”

I took a page from his book and winked at him.