Legacy (Alliance Book 3) by Inna Hardison

gun into his hand and stepped away from him, looking at Lancer. The man didn’t move from that tree, but his face wasn’t calm anymore, and he was looking at him, not Brody.
    Brody threw the still buzzing gun on the ground. “You win, Riley. He is free to either help us or leave, whichever he chooses,” he spat at him, and he turned around and ran back towards the city. He knew he’d tell the others, and that when they get to the tower, nobody would be pointing guns at Maxton. He just didn’t know if Maxton would want to stay with them after what they did, and he was afraid to ask. He made himself look at him. Maxton was still leaning against that tree, eyes closed, breathing hard for some reason.
    “He wasn’t wrong, Riley. He was just trying to protect his crew. But what you did.... You can’t do that to your friends. They’ll never forgive you for it,” he said softly, eyes still closed.
    “What do you want to do, Lancer? I am okay with it either way, I’ll have to be. Just say it!” he snapped, all the tension spilling out of him.
    The man’s gray eyes flew open, looking at him. “I want to fight, Riley. I want to fight.”
    They were all sitting around the table when they walked in, and they all stood up, looking at Maxton. Brody walked over and offered him his hand, not saying anything, and they shook, and he knew it would be okay for all of them now, it would have to be, because Brody was still in charge, and he would defend and protect this new man the same way he would anyone else on his crew, even if he hated him. He walked Lancer over to the table and had him sit next to where he and Ams sat, noting that his hands were shaking. He ran to the kitchen and brought him a thermos of broth, the same thing that Brody made him drink when he was like that, and he could tell after a few minutes that he would be all right.
    Stan got up with a holo, showing them whatever he could find on Crylo. They were looking at a building with people milling around, women wearing the same strange dresses that Trina had on when he saw her last. He swallowed hard and looked at Brody and his head was down. Stan was explaining something about these dresses and how they would need to find a way to make them for the girls, and that he thought he could do it if he could get his hands on something or other. Brody got up, looking very pale, and left the room, Laurel chasing after him. Stan stopped, looking at him, confusion all over his face.
    “It wasn’t you, Stan. Just keep going. He’ll be okay.” And he did, and then Stan and Loren walked up to Maxton, shook his hand and were gone, probably to try to find that thing Stan needed to replicate the dresses they saw.
    Ams was staring at Maxton, eyes curious. “I don’t know how else to say it, Maxton, but whatever you do, please don’t make Riley regret this. He fought for you like I’ve never seen him fight for anyone but Ella and Brody before, and I’m not sure why he’d to do that for someone who killed all those people. His people, Maxton. I don’t need to know or anything. Just... don’t hurt him,” and she turned away from him.
    “I feel like an exhibit of some kind, the way everybody is staring at me, Riley. Can I get out of here?” he whispered just for him.
    “No, I think you should talk to them, Maxton. They think what Ams does of you, that you killed all those people. Tell them what you told me.”
    Maxton stood up, eyes taking in the few people still in the room, and put his hands behind his back. “Riley wants me to tell you that I didn’t murder all those people, but that would be a lie. I did. I didn’t know that’s what would happen, but it doesn’t change that it was me who disbursed the neuros. None of us knew what they were programmed to do. The code label said vaccine on it. I assumed it was. Doesn’t matter though. I’m still a murderer. It’s something I’ll have to live with. When Brody and his soldiers got me, I wanted to end it, check