TWENTY-SIX
Ry frowned, attempting to interpret the words as if she'd just spoken in the Abipón.
A sense of dread filled her, pressing down on her chest, making her eyes sting. She hated reflecting on her childhood, and she'd never, ever thought she'd mention this to another living soul.
"Say what?!" Logan's voice was dangerously low as he came closer.
"You heard her." Nick gripped his older brother's shoulder, holding him back.
"Are you saying … yeah, you are, aren't you?" Zane took an aggressive step forward, but Teal grabbed his arm and halted him in his tracks. "You think our father was your father?"
"I know he was. My mother told me so."
"Magma, that's just not true. There was trouble in their marriage. Yeah, they fought all the time, but they loved each other. Loved us.."
Her throat tightened, and her eyes burned with unshed tears. Vulnerable emotions she'd kept at bay for years, were exposed, leaving her nerve endings and emotions stripped of their protective coverings. She hated feeling this exposed.
"They loved you, Ry. Between one day and the next Dad refused to look at me. The next day he left. He'd found out that mom had lied to him from the moment I was conceived. Five years of lies. I knew you were aware of how she felt about me because you always tried to compensate for her coldness. I loved you for that and so much more."
Finn's hand tightened on hers. A small show of support, but huge for Peri. "After she died, I found the letters she'd written, and never mailed, to Daniel Cutter. They confirmed what she'd told me. She wrote that she loved him, sacrificed her marriage, was saddled with a kid she didn't want, based on his promises to return for her. Each letter got progressively angrier, more desperate. In the end, she told him he'd ruined her life, and she was left with nothing. She hated him. She hated m-me."
"Ah, Jesus, Magna. That's not true."
"She told me she did. I was twelve." Peri gave him a steady look, seeing the pain of belief in his eyes. The dawning realization of why their mother had treated them so differently. "I was the nothing she was left with."
Rydell winced. "She had emotional problems, love. I should never have left you with her."
"Of course you couldn't have taken a little girl with you for months on end. I wouldn't've left Adam with her anyway. Half the time she forgot his damned doctor appointments. I forgave her a long time ago. But I can't let this secret follow me to my grave."
"Why didn't you tell me this years ago?"
"Because I didn't want to see you looking at me as you're looking at me now. I didn't want you to hurt because you thought I was hurt. I never planned to tell any of you. But just in case-"
Finn squeezed her hand. "No one's dying today."
"I know," Peri said with confidence before turning back to the others. "Despite my preconceived ideas, I was shocked myself when I discovered how much I like you, guys. You deserve the truth." God, it felt good to be free of the burden of holding the secret inside for so long. Peri felt a little like a helium balloon as her guilt lifted, giving her an unfamiliar feeling of lightness and buoyancy that was intoxicating.
Releasing Finn's hand, she went to hug her brother tightly, whispering in his ear, "You'll always be my hero, and obviously, my favorite brother. Please tell me this doesn't change how you feel about me, now."
Ry took her face in his big hands. "I've loved you since the day you were born, Persephone. Nothing, and no one, can change the bond we’ve always had. Love isn't finite, it expands to encompass as many people as you want. Your happiness makes everything else noise. Now go. Everyone is waiting to participate in the love-fest."
"I love you."
Her brother ran his finger down the slope of her nose. "Ditto." As soon as Peri turned around, Bria came over to give her a tight hug. "Welcome to the family, Peri. We can never have too many sisters."
Callie came in next. "Thank God," she said against Peri's hair. "I hated that my love for Jonah kept us apart. You're the sister of my heart, and I love you so damned much, and my loyalties being torn, was breaking my heart."
Peri's eyes blurred. "I'm sorry."
"My turn," Teal said, coming forward. "I'm not a hugger, but with this family, I'm learning." She gave Peri a quick catch and release. "Welcome to the family." She stepped out of the way for Nick.
Nick lifted her chin so Peri looked directly into his startling blue eyes. "You spent all those years baiting us to see if we would come over to Sea Witch and demand to know who you were and why you were stealing from us, didn't you? You wanted us to come to you. I wondered if you'd ever tell us."
"Wait. You wondered?" Zane demanded, grabbing his upper arm. "You knew about this? How and why the fuck didn't you tell us?"
Nick lifted a brow, his lips twitching. "You forget that I do work for a counterterrorist organization, brother. I knew within days of her pirating you. Seven years ago."
"And it didn't occur to you to mention it to the rest of us?" Jonah said mildly. "Especially considering how I came to be in the family."
"It wasn't my secret to tell. Just as your secret wasn't mine to tell," Nick told Jonah. "Come and hug your sister so she can get ready for a hasty wedding. We have more pressing issues right now."
"If she's getting married, they should do the deed at Cutter Cay, it's only fitting," Zane announced.
Nick smiled. "That's something we will definitely plan for- later."
For the next few minutes Peri was swept into the arms of her half-brothers and passed along like a birthday package.
Jonah wrapped his arms around her and kissed her temple. "One of these days, I'll tell you how I introduced myself to our brothers. Half brothers. Daniel was my father, too. You aren't the only one in the family with acting chops." His smile reached all the way to his devilish, Cutter-blue eyes as he released her. "Welcome to the family, Sea Witch, glad to have you."
When Jonah let her go, Peri's gaze went to her brother, who stood apart from the activity, to gauge his reaction to all this. It would break her heart if Ry felt as though, now that she had this big happy family, he was excluded. She sent him a look filled with questions which, knowing her as well as he did, he easily read.
He smiled and gave her a thumbs up.
She cocked her head, trying to read any nuances in his expression. Really?
Ry mouthed, "All good. Swear to God." And twirled a finger to continue.
"My turn." Logan took his place, hugging her with a genuine warmth. All this emotion made her chest hurt. It was almost too much, too soon. She lived on her own, sailed on her own, went weeks without speaking to a single soul, and now she had an entire army of family and a man who loved her.
She emerged from the tight hug with Logan. "Now you have five brothers to watch your back. Good thing we already like Finn. We’ll need some time to work with Rydell, but we're Cutter's we can do this."
Laughing, Peri pushed her hair over her shoulders and returned to Finn's side. "God help me. I'll never get away with anything."
"When were you born?" Zane asked. "Checking birth order here." When Peri told him, he shot her a smile. "Excellent. Now, you're the baby of the family."
She smiled back. "Weird, but surprisingly wonderful."
Her smile faded when she noticed Finn was on the phone. When it looked as though he was finished, she gave him a worried glance. "Is something wrong?" She rolled her eyes. "Is something more wrong?"
"The captain will marry us on the bridge in thirty minutes. It's going to have to be quicker than Elvis marrying us in the Chapel of Whatever in Vegas. I want to be there for the launch."
Shoulders hunched, Ry said thickly, "Jesus, this is all happening so fast. This isn't what I wanted for you, Magma. I've only ever wanted you happy, and knowing that you've kept this secret for most of your life - that you were unhappy, kills me.
"I want you to be happy now. God only knows you deserve every scrap of happiness thrown your way, not rushed into a decision you don't have time to consider because we're about to be obliterated." His voice was choked with emotion as he ran his finger down the slope of her nose. A uniquely Ry display of affection. "At any other time, I'd want you to have the wedding of your dreams."
"Any wedding where I'm marrying Finn is the wedding of my dreams. I don't need time to consider. I knew the second I set eyes on him that he was the one." It was wise not to tell her brother that she'd fallen hard when Finn had awakened, for the first time in her life, the feeling that she was loveable.
No, she thought, as she studied her brother, who carried a world’s weight of worry as his eyes bounced from Finn to her. And back again. Best not to tell Ry what Finn had done for her when Ry had tried all his life to give her all the love no one else ever had.
She cleared the gruffness out of her throat. "I don't need fancy. I just need Finn. I'm making the right decision, Ry. But it would be even sweeter if I had your support."
"We'll make sure Peri has the wedding of the century," Callie assured Ry. "At Cutter Cay after Finn saves the world, and we catch our breath. Right?"
Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, Finn drew her away from the others. His face was serious as he said, "There's a 50/50 chance this'll work. You don't have to m-"
Standing on her toes, Peri drew his head down and kissed him. Not a peck, not a gentle kiss. A full out, erotic, tongue and teeth kiss that took up at least half her allotted time. They were both a little breathless when their lips parted.
"Shut up, Finn Gallagher. If you don't marry me in the next half hour, I'll sue you for breach of promise. I also have five brothers who'll march you down the aisle at shotgun point should you change your mind." Just saying five brothers boggled the mind.
Finn brushed long, untidy strands of her hair behind her shoulder, then slid his hand around the back of her neck. His thumb did a lazy sweep up her nape that made her heart flutter. For a moment he said nothing as his eyes caressed her features.
"I love you Persephone Case. I have pretty much since I saw you in the museum. Even the end of the world won't change my mind." He brushed her lips with an achingly gentle kiss. "See you on the bridge in nineteen minutes, my love."
She was two minutes late, and when she arrived she took Finn's breath away.
Barefoot, Peri ran through the open door into the solarium, which was still decorated for the previous wedding. Seeing everyone gathered there, she hesitated. "Had to shower, find something to wear. . .Thanks, Callie. . .God, I'm nervous."
Heart beating, slow and steady, Finn wordlessly held out his hand as he walked to meet her halfway. She crossed the long room with confident steps, her eyes locked on his. No matter what she wore, or didn't wear, she was, without a doubt, the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen, despite the nick on her cheek, and raw wrists, which spiked his blood for a different reason. Her damp hair hung down her back, a dark copper skein that would dry to the wild, flame-colored mass he loved.
Finn took her cold hand, opened her fingers, then pressed his lips to her palm. "I'm not nervous at all, this is the easiest decision I've ever made in my life. Let's get married, then go save the world. Captain?"
Rather than experiencing the Mojave Desert launch on site, firsthand, Finn watched the prep work for the blastoff of his multi-stage rocket on a flat screen thousands of miles away. With his wife. Marriage didn't feel odd, but being here, on the other side of the world, when this momentous event had consumed him night and day for years, did.
Everyone was gathered in the conference room to watch Red Star on the giant monitors. They all stood, too wound up to sit. Tension filled the air, vibrating as if it was alive and had infected the entire group. Calculating had been done, by dozens of people across the world, yet minute adjustments would be made on Red Star's path to the comet. There could be zero room for a miscalculation.
The weather in California was ideal; seventy degrees, winds twenty-nine knots, wind direction eighty degrees.
With Peri tucked against his side, Finn checked the numbers and stats scrolling to the left of the main screen. Red Star stood on the launch pedestal, a pad that was roughly a mile and a half round. Huge propellent tanks, and a water tower to deluge the pad to suppress sound prior to liftoff, were housed inside the circle. Hold down arms, to cradle the rocket prior to launch, dropped away, umbilical connectors were released to snake to the ground.
"Launch commit criteria met. All systems go," Halperin said, off camera, his usually calm voice holding a thread of excitement.
Less than a month ago, Finn would've stated emphatically, and unequivocally, that nothing, and certainly no one, could derail his mission to be the first to colonize Mars.
He hadn't counted on a beautiful redhead, an ancient seer, or a five-hundred-year-old prophecy.
Peri twisted her head to look up at him, and mouthed "Okay?"
He realized he'd been holding his breath and released it. "Everything I could possibly want or need is right here in my arms." Truth.
Her arm tightened around his waist. "I'm sorry you couldn't be there in person. This has got to be really hard for you."
He squeezed her shoulder. She got him.
"Five. Four. Three. Two. One." An automated voice from the launch site counted off the seconds. "We have lift off."
There was a spontaneous round of applause as seven million pounds of thrust erupted from the launch pad in a fiery display. Flames shot out of the bottom of the shuttle, scorching a line through the clear blue sky as a thick trail of orange smoke billowed behind them.
Even Finn's state-of-the-art audio equipment couldn't recreate the feel of the shock waves blasting through the air by all that energy. The familiar, Earth-shattering rumble, a wall of sound, was a prelude to the reverberation building to a crescendo of popping. That was followed by a loud, relentless, crackling roar, as if someone was shaking a metal sheet.
"Holy shit." Rydell's quiet voice was filled with awe. "Sounds like the sound waves are literally ripping through the air."
"If we're still around for your next launch, can I be there, boots on the ground up close and personal?" Teal's eyes were fixed on the brightness of the flames from the solid rocket boosters as it shot vertically into the air. "What's the method of spacecraft propulsion?"
Finn smiled at her enthusiasm. "I'll let you handle every one of the over three million bits that make up the rocket." If they were around for another launch. He explained the propulsion and various specs to Teal and the others, but his entire focus was on his hopes and dreams, and the billions of dollars, going in the opposite direction of what had been so painstakingly planned.
"Thousand says your rocket makes contact exactly on time," Zane bet.
No one was going to say otherwise.
"Four minutes under," Jonah offered, expression intent as he watched the screen. Callie winced slightly, and he eased his grip on her shoulder, then pulled her in to kiss her temple.
Logan wrapped an arm around Dani's shoulders, cocked his head, and watched the scrolling numbers. "Eight seconds over."
"I'm out. This is a no-brainer." Nick rested his chin on top of Bria's head as he held her flush against his chest, both facing the screens. "I trust Rocketman. Not to mention, Blackstar predicted the outcome."
Finn trusted his people. Trusted his own estimation of the success of this launch. He watched his pet project arc across the sky as the rocket boosters successfully separated and the rapidly decreasing point of orange hurtled faster and faster toward space.
He felt a sharp pang of loss for what could have been. He'd planned, anticipated, this Mars launch for years. Now, most of the safety controls had been abandoned, the payload lightened as much as made sense, and the direction markedly altered. This precipitous launch would effectively set them back at least five years if not longer. But then, considering what would've happened if he hadn't had a rocket sitting ready on a launch pad, was unthinkable.
A passenger trip to Mars wasn't that important in the grand scheme of things.
"How long until it hits?" Jonah asked as the onboard cameras showed the decreasing size of the Earth in the rearview mirror.
"Twelve hours eighteen minutes and eleven seconds," Finn told him, seconds before the new countdown clock appeared on the screen. "We won't know the result until tonight. I suggested everyone use the time to get some sleep. We'll reconvene here this evening."
There was nothing more they could do but wait it out and see if the calculations had been correct. See if they could nudge the giant rock sufficiently to change its trajectory.
"I'm too wired to sleep," Peri told him as they made their way up to his cabin, letting the others leave, or not leave as they chose. "If it works, which it will, we can sleep tomorrow. If it doesn't, then I don't want to waste a second I can spend with you."
Flooded with pearly early morning light, Finn's cabin looked jarringly normal after all they'd been through in the last twenty-four hours. Yesterday, she'd thought she'd never see it again. Never see Finn again. A lump formed in Peri's throat.
"We'll lie down and close our eyes," Finn told her. "If we sleep that'll be good."
"Trust me," she told him, padding barefoot into the bedroom ahead of him. "I won't sleep. We should just go back and watch your rocket while we're waiting."
Stripping his black t-shirt over his head as he walked, he tossed it onto a nearby chair. "Not much to see for the next twelve hours."
His hair was mussed and he desperately needed a shave. Peri’s heart filled to overflowing. Love, lust, need, tangled together inside her in a warm glow. "I don't know about that, I'm enjoying what I'm seeing right now." His tanned skin looked like bronze satin, his broad chest roughened with dark hair which arrowed between his cut abs. She touched the bandage high on his shoulder. "Except this. I'm not enjoying that you have a bullet hole in you."
"I forgot I even had it."
Sitting on the edge of the bed, he slung one arm around her hips and activated the remote to shut the drapes. The thick white sheers glided with a faint susurrus across the ceiling to floor window, wrapping them in a hazy white glow.
"Liar." Peri stood between his spread knees, then combed his hair back off his face. His hair felt thick and silky between her fingers.
Gently, he reached up to touch under the cut on her cheek. His touch was achingly tender, but his expression was murderous. "I will never, as long as I live forget this. Nor will I forget every fucking second you were in danger." He brushed a kiss to the rope burns on her wrists, and one to each raw fingertip. "I want hours, days, months, years, to make love to you."
"First you have to save the world." Peri took his hand and linked their fingers. "You have to forget what happened today. It's over. He's over. Thinking about it won't change history. We just go forward, and live each moment we have a hundred and ten percent."
"You're very wise."
She smiled. "I'm very lucky."
He winced as he moved, and her smile turned into a concerned frown. "How badly does it hurt? Don't go all macho. Tell me, seriously."
He smiled as he placed his hands on her hips. "Every ounce of feeling in my body has traveled somewhere a lot more interesting. And there's no pain involved."
"So, lust works like a pain killer?" She let the strands of his hair drop, then combed through them again as if she were petting a cat. A large, panther with an erection tenting his pants. "Good to know."
He urged her closer into the V of his body. His fingers hot through the thin fabric of her dress as he anchored her against him. "We've been up for eons," he reminded her, running his palms from her hips down the outside of her thighs and back again. "And exciting eons at that," he said, voice husky as he stroked his hands higher. "The adrenaline surging through us has dissipated. We'll feel like leaked balloons soon enough." He slid the fabric up her bare legs, then sucked in a breath when he saw she was naked from the waist down.
"I love that you didn't bother with underwear."
Peri's nails dug into his shoulders as her nipples puckered. Anticipation. "You have on too many clothes." Her voice sounded thready as the blood pounded through her veins. "I don't have any clothes on board, remember? I had to borrow this dress from Callie. I wasn't about to borrow her underw- Oh God." All the breath left her lungs as he dipped his head to brush his lips across her stomach, his breath hot and moist against her sensitized skin, his rough jaw in counterpoint to the smooth glide of his tongue.
"Sexual satisfaction cures almost all ills I've found."
"I know." She braced her hands on his shoulders. "You've kept me in a constant state of arousal from the moment we met. Do you believe Blackstar predicted- us- five hundred years ago?"
"I won't say I don't believe."
Her eyes widened as his tongue explored her navel, sending shivers over her skin. "Really? Scientific, skeptical you?"
He shrugged. Lifting his head to speak left a cool damp place on her stomach. "Everything else he predicted seems to have come to pass. Why not us?"
"This has been incredibly fast."
He looked at her. "Preordained?"
She cocked her head.
"I won't say I don't believe. It doesn't matter if it is or isn't. We're joined together now, no matter how it came about. Are you happy, Persephone?"
"Overwhelmingly so. Are you?"
"More than I ever thought myself capable of being."
"So you're happy being stuck with me until the end of time?" Of course, the end of time might come in twelve hours.
"And beyond," he said, as if reading her mind. He scanned her features with humor-lit eyes. "I'm into this for the long-haul. My rockets always go where I send them."
She gave him a sassy smile as she pushed his shoulder to topple him onto his back. "That sounds very sexy," she said, resting her knees on the bed on either side of his hips. "Let's see what you've got, Rocketman."
"I have everything you need, darling." He drew her down on top of his hard body, then rolled so that they were side by side on his lovely wide bed.
They finished stripping each other, slowly, kissing , as if they had all the time in the world to explore each other's body. His movements felt languid, but his silvery eyes were all hot, black pupil. Warm honey flowed through her veins and her heartbeat did flips. They made love dreamily, the heat banked. Then climaxed together. Even when Finn disengaged, they stayed facing each other, pressed together from chest to ankles.
The room was getting lighter as the sun crested the horizon. Peri felt absolutely content. "Should we go downstairs to check the monitors?" she murmured, tracing a zig-zag path across the dark stubble on his jaw from his ear to his mouth with a finger tip.
"Halperin will contact me if something goes awry." Finn was draping her hair over his chest, and didn't look up. "We're here to rest. You don't have to sleep, but close your eyes."
"Are you saying you're going to try to take a nap right now?"
His leg slid between hers. "Why not?"
"I don't want to miss anything." Her eyes felt gritty, her body lax and replete. His erection pressed against her mound. "If you want to make love again, you're going to have to do all the work," her words slurred. "The spirit is willing, but my body is just going to lie right here. . . She closed her eyes with a small sigh as he stroked his hand up her back under her hair in a slow sweep. "Love y-"
She slept for ten hours and came up on the helicopter deck yawning, blinking the sleep from her eyes. She wore white shorts and a black tank top that Addison had sent over. Her hair, flowed wild and loose down her back, just as he liked it. She glanced around. "Holy crap. It’s night again! Why didn't you wake me?"
Finn met her halfwayand wrapped his arm around her waist. "No need. Anything that's going to happen is going to happen within the next hour. The others will be rendezvousing here in the next twenty or so minutes. Your timing is perfect. You’re perfect.” She was warm and soft and smelled of the lily shampoo she'd left in his bathroom what felt like a lifetime ago. "Hello, wife.
"Hello, husband." Reaching up, she brushed a toothpaste-scented kiss to his jaw. “It feels perfect being in your arms.” Worried eyes searched his face. "And?"
“And Red Star is on time and on target.”
“Yes, but will it make it before we go the way of the dinosaurs?” Peri wiped the words away with a sweep of her hand. “Sorry. Of course it’ll do exactly what you want it to do. You’re Finn Gallagher.” She glanced around the empty deck. "Where's everyone?"
He loved her faith in him, and even though he and his team had crunched numbers, and made minor adjustments, all day, there was still a chance that things might not work.
"Showering, napping, grabbing a bite to eat,” he answered. “The women went back to their respective ships. They'll all be here soon." He pulled her in front of him, circling her waist with his arms, and nestling her sweet butt against a hopeful erection.
"Your brother is an amazing man,” he said nuzzling her cheek. “We had a long talk while you were sleeping. He grilled me like a cheese sandwich, but the bottom line was; do I love you more than humanly possible?"
She turned her face to look up at him. "Do you?"
“Hell yes. He believed me. We talked salvage, business, and rockets. Every thread of the conversation was in a veiled and not so veiled, reference to you and your well being."
"Then the Cutters joined us, and he told them, without frills, his side of the story and they did the same. Cleared the air. They all came to realize most of the animosity stemmed from their fathers' bitter feud."
"I know your brother's reaction and feelings concerning your relationship with the Cutters worries you. He knows it too, and assured me, he's okay with it. His feelings for you haven’t changed, you must know that."
"I'm glad they talked and cleared the air. That's been a long time coming. How do the Cutters really feel?"
"They're tickled to have a little sister," he told her.
She smiled. "Really?"
"Yeah, really. They feel as though they have years to make up for."
"They don't. I should make it up to them for hating them because of something they had no control over. I wanted to hurt them because I was hurting. It was stupid and childish, and I feel like a complete moron for not just boarding one of their ships and telling them flat out years ago. My anger and pain was mixed up with my love for Rydell. He adored our Dad- his dad. I didn't want to tarnish that."
Finn tenderly stroked his palm up and down her bare arm. "You'd been fending for yourself for so long you thought you didn't need anyone, macushla. But you went to extraordinary lengths to make a connection."
"Pretty damn stupid. My rational brain told me time and time again they weren’t responsible for their father's actions. But he was dead. They were the only connection I had to take out my-"
"Pain."
"Frustration. Pain. Yes, I suppose so."
You want to be loved, to be acknowledged. To know you had worth. I think you stole from the brothers hoping for acknowledgment. It was as though you were daring them to come to you, to demand to know who you were and why you were doing what you were doing. You wanted them to see you.”
"All little girls need to feel safe and wanted." Finn turned her in his arms. "The props were knocked out from under you at a young age. When you grow up without something, the lack is always with you. I know better than most. Even when you finally have it. I understand that it's hard for you to trust. Give me another chance to prove to you that I’ll always be your rock, and I'll stand by your side no matter what."
Peri wrapped her arms around his neck, a wicked gleam in her eyes. "Even if I fib?"
Love swelled his heart. He was in for a lifetime of fabrications, and whimsy. "How about this? If I ask, 'honestly?' you'll tell the truth."
"Okay."
"Honestly?
She laughed.
Shaking his head, amused, happy, and crazy in love, Finn kissed her soft mouth.
"Hey, you two," Ry said as he and Addison came over to the rail where they stood. "You have an audience."
"You shouldn't be supervising my honeymoon, big brother." Peri, arms loosely looped around Finn's neck, stayed in his arms as she turned to smile at the couple.
"We want Adam to witness the non-apocalypse," Ry said dryly. Cradled in his arms, the baby wore a swimsuit covered diaper, and a minuscule blue t-shirt that read, 'Dive Baby'. He waved his little arms and legs and gave a gummy smile.
"How long?" Ry asked Finn.
”Twenty minutes and a handful of seconds, give or take.” Walker set up a couple of monitors over there. We can watch from the onboard cameras."
About to leave, Case hesitated at a nudge from his wife. "I've been reaching across the aisle, Magma. We have a long way to go to trust each other, it'll take time. But the Cutters and I have two people we love in common. That makes a strong, unbreakable tie, binding us together. Either I embrace them as family, or I lose both my sisters. And that's unthinkable."
Peri's eyes filled as she said simply, but with great depth of feeling, "Thank you."
"I want a couple of those," Finn said softly as Ry took Addison and the baby and went to where three giant monitors were set up. Lounge chairs were arranged so his guests could see the monitors, or lie back and watch the sky.
Either they’d get a show. Or it would be a giant curtain call.
"You do?" Peri kissed his chin.
She sounded as surprised as he was. But the desire to have kids with Peri was as strong as he’d felt about any of his passions.
"Hmm. You realize that we haven't used a condom for the last nine hundred and ninety- eight times we've made love, right?" Peri murmured, tracing a zig-zag path from his ear to his mouth with a finger tip through the dark stubble on his jaw.
"Do you think we made a baby?"
Her hand stilled. "You don't sound worried about it."
"I'd love a daughter with your red hair and pioneering spirit, and a son with your jade eyes who'll colonize Mars. Or the other way around. I want to watch our children grow, and thrive. I want to teach them, and make sure that they know from the moment of conception that they're wanted and loved."
“We’ll have to keep trying." Her jade eyes sparkled.
In the background, he heard the footsteps and low murmurs of the others coming out on deck for the final showdown.
Family. His now, too. An unexpected bonus.
In Finn’s ear, Mission Control started the countdown, “Impact minus five minutes.”
“It’s time.” Gently, he led Peri to stand near the others. “Kill the lights,” he instructed the captain via his headset.
The ship instantly went dark. It was an eerie sight. In the distance, the other ship’s lights were pinpricks of gold dust, but the surrounding water was sprinkled with diamonds of starlight in the black dome of the sky.
Lining the port-side decks below, the entire Blackstar crew, and all his office staff, looked out over the dark water. Tension pulsed in the near silence. No one spoke, people barely breathed.
“Point to exactly where we should be looking.” Jonah’s voice was hushed with anticipation. Finn indicated the location. “What do you expect to see?”
If they saw nothing it meant his rocket had missed its target. Hundreds of powerful telescopes around the world were focused on the same point. “A brief ball of fire as the rocket hits the asteroid, followed by a streak of fire as it harmlessly bounces on the atmosphere and hurtles into space.”
Logan drew in a breath, tightening his hand in that of his wife’s, who stood by his side. “From your brilliant mind to God’s ear."
"Amen," Dani whispered.
“Holy shit, Rocketman, this is goddamned nerve-wracking!” Nick said quietly, arms wrapped tightly around Bria as they stood beside Finn and Peri at the rail.
“It is exactly as Blackstar prophesied,” Vadini said reverently, his gaze intent on the sky. He dropped to his knees, clutching one of the tablets tightly to his chest, his lips moving in prayer.
“He predicted that Finn would save the day, right?” Rydell, standing on the other side of Peri, had his arms around Addy and Adam as they too looked over the vastness of the dark ocean.
“I have every faith in you, Finn,” Teal said. Zane stood beside her, their arms around each other’s waists. “This is epic, and I’m proud to be standing here at this very moment in history. Watching you make history.”
“Two minutes to impact,” Finn repeated Halperin’s words, then held his breath, tightening his arm around Peri’s shoulders.
"I take the pot," Jonah said with satisfaction.
Logan gripped the rail. "Hasn't hit yet."
"It will."
"Don't spend your ill-gotten gains yet," Zane told him. "It might be over."
All eyes went to the monitors. Real-time images from the onboard cameras in the nose of Red Star showed every detail of the comet in living color as it closed the distance to the giant rock hurtling toward them.
Everyone tilted their heads to the sky. More reassuring, Finn thought, than seeing what was about to happen in real time on a giant screen. Millions of miles away, seen with the naked eye, was less threatening.
"Watch the sky. Fifty-six seconds."
"Come on come on come on," Peri whispered, fingers bunching his shirt, as she pressed tightly against his side. Fin tightened his arm around her shoulders.
Finn continued the countdown, his own calm voice settling the threat of jitters in his gut.
A flair of red sparked in the blackness, minutes earlier than predicted. Jonah was right. He'd won the bet. Finn's breath left his lungs in a rush, as he continued to repeat what Halperin was saying in his ear. “We made contact!”
A bright orange ball of fire flashed, as Finn’s multi-million dollar rocket struck the asteroid.
Zane whispered, “Did it -?“
“It hit!” Laughing, Finn swung Peri in a circle.
“Damn, that was close.” Rydell slapped Finn on the back. “Congratulations to the man who saved the planet. Literally.”
Everyone cheered as a tail of fire streaked across the blackness of the sky indicating the asteroid was bouncing on the atmosphere, as it harmlessly hurtled into space.
“Shit, that was almost the end,” one of the Cutters said, voice hoarse.
Gathering Peri into his arms, Finn whispered, “No. It’s only the beginning.”