"Ava-"
"Prejudice works both ways, Byrnes," she snapped.
There was silence in the hallway.
Ava realized she'd raised her voice, and she never dared to do so around the Nighthawks. "Oh, I'm so sorry."
"Don't be," Ingrid said, and the smile she gave Ava had a knowing edge to it, before she shot her husband an arched brow. "Byrnes needs to mind his own business. Kincaid helped rescue you, my love, and you're a Nighthawk."
Byrnes held both hands up in surrender. "I spoke out of turn, Ava. I'm sorry." But he gave her the queerest sort of look.
"Someone say my name?" Kincaid said loudly, appearing at the top of the stairs.
Oh, no. How long had he been there?
Long enough, clearly, for he gave Byrnes a cool look as he used the bannister to ease down the stairs. "You've both been gone. You missed a great many changes around here. I'm willing to concede blue bloods aren't all that bad. Present company excluded, of course." He coughed under his breath. "Asshole."
"Prick." Byrnes shot him a smile. "I think I've almost missed you."
"There are other changes too." Kincaid's hands settled gently on Ava's shoulders with careful deliberation, squeezing gently. "All good, kitten?"
Ava froze. What was he doing? This was supposed to be.... Everyone would know.
Perhaps that was precisely the point.
She knew he still saw Byrnes as competition for her feelings; he'd practically shouted it at her the other day. And although the matter had been settled in her mind-and heart-she hadn't realized it perhaps wasn't settled in his, despite what she'd told him last night.
You fool. Ava slowly reached up and caressed his hand. "I'm fine, thank you for asking." Then she smiled at him.
A tiny declaration, but she might as well have grown fangs and hissed at the others. Both Byrnes and Ingrid stared at her as if she had.
Then Ingrid stepped forward and kissed Ava on the cheek. "Congratulations."
And Ava panicked a little again, because they were presuming Kincaid had declared his intentions, when the pair of them hadn't quite worked everything out. Kincaid was the one holding back, but if he asked her for... forever... then she'd give it to him.
Her heart squeezed. She'd give him every part of herself if he only opened himself up to the possibility.
Byrnes wasn't quite as sanguine. "Do I need to-"
"No, you do not. I am not an idiot, and although you all treat me like a child, I can make my own decisions." Ava sucked in a slow breath, trying to fight her sudden anger. "I want this... whatever is between us, I want it with every part of my heart."
And God help her, but her mouth had said the words before she could edit them, and now her feelings were on the table, and they were all looking at her, and-
Kincaid squeezed her shoulders again, and stepped around her to take her hand. "We haven't worked out the specifics," he told the pair of them, "but frankly, it's none of your business."
"Or mine apparently," Malloryn said, startling all of them. He looked frustrated as he strode out of the shadows behind the stairs. "I think I'm going to make a company policy of pairing members of the same sex together to avoid this nonsense."
"Because that's working so well for Jack and my brother, Debney." Byrnes snorted. He drifted into the parlor and sank into a chair. "Now I've been told quite firmly to mind my own business, I think we should get to the crux of the matter. I want whoever shot Garrett." He clasped his hands between his knees, looking deadly serious. "And I want his head. I would advise all of you to stay out of my way."
That was... it?
Ava's shoulders relaxed. Everything was out in the open right now, and it felt like they'd all accepted it. It felt like Kincaid had even accepted it.
He brushed his knuckles against her back. "You can breathe now, luv."
"The sniper's yours," Malloryn said, "but after you bring me Ulbricht." He handed Ingrid the folder he carried. "I want the pair of you up-to-date on developments. Ava and Kincaid have discovered a poison that can kill blue bloods...."
Byrnes looked horrified as Malloryn swiftly filled the pair of them in on developments. "Sniper can wait," he finally agreed.
"The thing I don't understand, Your Grace, is the threat against the Nighthawks," Ava said thoughtfully. "Where was the serum? We all thought the SOG were going to fire poisoned darts at them. But they didn't. Just a single sniper to take Garrett down and spur the Nighthawks into a head-on collision with the mob. Why didn't they use the serum? It would have been the perfect opportunity."
"You mean, what are they saving it for?" Kincaid said, cracking his knuckles with his mech hand.