Free Salvation by Jambrea Jo Jones

the guys.”
    He hoped, and he’d survived on less before. Time to move.
     
    * * * *
     
    Was this really about him? It kept coming back to that, and Zander was at a loss. He followed Rock down a hallway until they reached a room with a heavy steel door.
    “Get in here.” Rock gestured for him and Se to enter the metal box.
    Zander wouldn’t argue. Safe sounded good to him. Safe with his new lovers was even better. He’d just met them and wanted to know more about them. They were good for him in a way no one had ever been before. They seemed to get him, and he liked that more than he could even say.
      He jumped when the metal door clanged against its hinges and the lock was thrown into place. Helplessness seeped through him. He had no idea what to do. He might have some training in self-defence, but these guys were using weapons. He was a scientist, not a warrior.
    “Here, take this.” Se thrust something into his hands. He almost dropped it when he recognised the gun.
    “I don’t know how to use this.” Zander tried to hand it back, to no avail.
    Rock wrapped his arms around him and locked both their hands around the weapon.
    “Flip this, which is the safety, point and squeeze the trigger. That’s all there is to it. Keep behind me and Se and only use it if you need to. We should be fairly safe in here. This door is reinforced and can withstand most blasts.” Rock gave him a pat on the back before turning back to whatever it was he was doing.
    They were both so calm in the face of death. His panic began to rise and he couldn’t breathe. This was different than in the pod. There he’d had a little control. It had been only his own life on the line in that craft. Not the lives of two people he cared a great deal for.
    Zander stumbled back into the corner. His back hit a wall and he slid down. This wasn’t happening. None of it. The ship, the explosion, sex with these two gorgeous people. It must be some bizarre nightmare, or he was stuck in some hospital and this was a coma dream. People had those, didn’t they? Anything to explain this other than reality. Zander slammed his head back and saw stars when he hit the bump on the back of his head. Not the brightest idea he’d ever had, but his brain was out on a lunch break.
    No, this was happening. They could all die and he might never know why. That didn’t sit well with him. Not one little bit. He was starting to get angry. Not a sensation he was used to. His world dealt with calm, control and rational thought. There was nothing sane or rational about his life right now.
    “What are you doing?” Se whispered beside him. She looked between him and Rock.
    “Panicking. Not very manly, I know. This—” he waved his hand around the room
    “—this doesn’t happen to guys like me. You two are so comfortable and I’m the weak link. What if you get hurt because of me?” That was his true fear. He didn’t want them hurt because of some klutz thing he did.
    Se took his hand in hers. “You aren’t weak. I was a soldier for a long time and Rock has led an… interesting life. We need someone like you in our lives to balance us. And I think you need us, too. Science isn’t everything.” She kissed his cheek.
    “Right. If you say so. What is he doing?” Zander pointed over at Rock and focussed on his breathing. In and out.
    Can’t panic. Calm. Be calm.
    “Trying to get Rave or Kain on the line and to see if the Alliance will help out.”
    “So who are Rave and Kain again?” The small-talk was helping him to calm down. They hadn’t done much talking in the time they’d spent together.
    Se’s presence might have something to do with it as well. They were bonding. That was good. If this was real, they would need more than sex to keep them going. He stopped thinking and started listening. He didn’t want to miss what Se said.
    “That is a whole other story. I’ll give you the highlights. Kain is my cousin. Rave is his partner. A bit ago Rave was