Page 40 of Evening Shadows

When two men tossed his battered body into the cell, he fell into a crumpled mess and—at Sam’s gasp—changed from overly wounded to hiding what pained him beyond all reason. He’d wanted to protect her, the woman he loved, but he couldn’t, and that tore at his heart more than anything.

“Ken,” she gasped, dropping to the floor. “Oh my God.” Her quavering voice struck at his heart.

“I’m okay,” he assured her with his bold-faced lie. He probably should’ve saved his breath because she wouldn’t fall for that. His condition was obvious. “Just help me to the cot.”

The swelling in his left eye grew, and he feared it might close his eye completely, hindering his vision. He’d do what it took without it, but with it would be better. If he’d been untied—bad leg or no—he’d have kicked the shit out of the guy who’d used him for a punching bag.

“Are you sure you should move?”

Not really, but he didn’t want to remain on the floor that had housed who knew what. “Just help me.”

When she complied, he looked at her, and the tear that slid down her face startled him. First, because her toughness and ability to focus on an op wouldn’t have allowed for tears. Second, she’d turned cold toward him after they’d last kissed. Not wanting to know the true reason, he didn’t ask why she cried.

“Why did they beat you?” She strained to help him as he used her body and strength to stand.

The leg hadn’t felt so bad when he’d been questioned quietly. When his torturer arrived and kicked him on his wound right off the bat, he’d crumpled to the floor. After that, for every question he’d refused to answer or not given the answer they desired, the man’s fists found a place to pound. While he’d prefer not to endure the beating again, they’d have to bring a whole helluva lot more down on him. Even then, he wouldn’t break. His teammates knew this so they wouldn’t have to rush in blind. A solid plan could be formulated. But Sam… what if their captors…?

His woman held him up strong. He nearly halted in his limping tracks.His woman?Thinking they might not see another day, he’d told her his deepest feelings for her. Although not expecting her to respond in kind, he’d wished for something. They’d had months to rebuild their friendship and grow close. He’d felt it, lived for it. Yet when he’d finally built the courage and kissed her, she’d turned him away.

Barely free of her hold, he dropped on the cot and rolled onto his back. He tossed his arm over his eyes to block out the single light bulb hanging from the ceiling. Pain radiated up and down his torso, and he worked to push away what discomfort he could. He wouldn’t be any more of a liability than he already was on this op. He’d become mobile come hell or high water. A Ranger didn’t know when to quit, no matter the obstacles. That philosophy had carried over to the agents of HIS.

Ignoring her question, he asked, “Anything?”

Since she didn’t wear perfume out in the field, it took her warm breath on his cheek before he realized her closeness. An enticing womanly scent clung to her, though only obvious at close range. “Just Daphne.” Her soft voice soothed him, and a sigh escaped his lips as he relaxed a fraction.

They were regrouping, which he’d have expected at this point. If they followed the plan, there’d only be three of them available to rescue or cover them. Not good odds since he and Sam would not have weapons and he’d handicap their escape.

He’d completely forgotten. “What are they saying at the top of the hour?” They needed to know the next open extraction point in case they could find their way out of this miserable place.

Before she leaned away from him, she whispered, “Bravo.”

Remaining quiet while she jostled him enough for her to sit and place his head on her lap, took a monumental effort. Once there, it was worth every ache and pain.

When her fingertips glided lightly over the swelling of his eye and where he expected a bruise, it drew out another of those relieved sighs as temporary shivers of pleasure overrode the pain. If only he’d get the same relief from his other wounds.

“Where else are you injured?”

From the hitch in her voice when he’d first been tossed back in their cell, he’d known she wanted to check him for each and every wound. It had to be killing her to just wait for him to expound.

“I think they missed my little toe.”

“This little piggy went wee-wee-wee all the way home,” she said with light humor to match his.

Laughter lifted inside him, but pain kept him from releasing it.

“Is it bad? How’re your ribs? Your wound?”

He’d purposefully kept an arm across his chest and belly, and she must’ve realized that. However, he’d only answer what she asked. No sense worrying her any further. “The ribs hurt, but I don’t think they’re broken. The wound opened up again but didn’t bleed much as far as I could tell.”

“And your face?” Her fingers whispered, featherlike, across his cheek.

With some pain, he formed a smile. “Would it make you think me more of a man if I said it was twenty big-ass bikers plus a couple of grizzlies?” Drinking in her light chuckle, he didn’t care whether she answered or just kept stroking his face and hair.

“Hmm. Men and their exaggerations. I’d give you a grizzly who’d been madder than a hornet’s nest but not more than that.”

That felt like what he’d run into already. He just needed a short rest and he’d be good as new. Or about as new as he’d been when he’d arrived.

“Did you find out why he wanted Cody so badly?” She fingered a strand of his hair and his mind began that drop into blissful sleep.

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