Page 52 of Savage Escape

“She is a good person.” There was no way to convince Holden of anything he didn’t see for himself, but he was going to try, anyway. The throb in his head was lessening, and the nauseous feeling in his gut was dissipating.

“A good person?” It wasn’t really a question, more of Holden trying to process the thought.

“And you should be thanking her. This woman has saved my life. I don’t know how many times. So don’t look at her like that when she wakes up. I’ll already have a hard enough time convincing her to stay without your face messin’ it up.”

“Stay? You want a killer and a thief to stay here? Here with Ellen and Bobby?” All incredulous, like Nathan had given Dracula an all-access pass.

“Yes goddammit, she’s just as much of a killer as you or me. She’s a good damn human being and a soldier before anything else, you ass. So if you can’t keep your face polite, you need to leave.”

Nathan watched as surprise and anger morphed his brother’s features. There was a moment of fight in him, but his shoulders relaxed and he crossed his arms in grudging surrender.

“Fine, I’ll keep my face judgment free, but I ain’t leaving this woman alone. Ain’t she the one that shot you?Twice?” Holden was suddenly remembering all of Nathan’s bitching about this woman and Nathan was suddenly regretting all the complaining he’d done.

“Yes, she did. Good shots too, both of ‘em.” It came out more admiringly and less defensive than he was aiming for, but he was number one in the Caden Quinn Fan Club and would be the first to admit it.

“Are you serious—how?” Holden cut himself off and took position at the far side of the room, obviously deciding not to question his brother’s insanity.

“She’s the one that shot you in the ass?” Kade grinned, taking up the position Holden had vacated.

“Yep, and the one that kicked your ass.” Nathan took the trouble to insert that little tidbit. The scowl and the accompanying growl on his brother’s face was enough to make that trouble worth it.

“Yeah, what’s it like to be on our level now, oh-demoted-one?” Holden snickered from his side of the room.

“First of all, what have I told you about quoting Mulan at me? If you don’t love it, you don’t get to quote it.” He wasn’t grinning now. “And secondly, the woman—she—you weren’t there! I thought she was, I don’t know…nota fighter. I was not prepared for her to break her own damn arm.”

“Are we talking about when Kade got his ass handed to him?” Maddox appeared in the doorway, permanent wide smile on his face. “I watched that go down—I thought she was gonna kill him.”

“You watched but did nothing to help?” Kade was now outraged and looking all accusatory at Maddox.

“I was piloting the chopper. What’d you want me to do, land it on top of her?” Maddox was still smiling and making a beeline for the window seat.

“I don’t know, something other than giggling with D about it,” Kade returned, only slightly less miffed sounding.

Nathan was feeling marginally better now that there were numbing drugs in his system. It was good to be back. It was good to hear his brothers bickering again. Damn, it was good to be alive.

“Hey, I giggle like a man. ‘Sides Daisy was on the ground exploding shit; there was no giggling on her part.”

“Actually, she did do some giggling when she blew the charges,” Reid chimed in. “Crazy woman.” That was muttered, but not low enough for Nathan to miss.

“Of course, she giggled—she giggles. That’s D.” Maddox was smirking again and turning his attention back to Kade. “But what we were actually discussing is how Kade Savage can no longer lord over us with his undefeated title of two years running. Caden knocked him off that particular high horse.”

“She may have… caught me off guard, but I can still kick all your asses.” Kade was shoving his finger around the room like he was going to take them all on at once.

“No—no fighting.” Reid’s voice was authoritative and stern all at once. “Not until those ribs have healed, at least.”

Maddox let out a laugh at Kade’s scowl, and Holden even cracked a smile.

“Wait, wait—” Reid’s voice sounded again, this time concerned. “I’m Reid, remember?”

A small panicked sound came from behind him. Nathan wrenched himself around, forgetting about his injuries, but had to stop mid-wrench. The pain was somewhat numb, but he felt itnow. White hot and tearing into his muscles. Caden was awake and panicking and he was sitting there uselessly. He had to reassure the mercenary before she went into defense mode and annihilated his brothers or hurt herself, but he was too slow.

A scuffle sounded behind him. A pained moan. A feminine grunt and then a body was flung off the bed behind him and landed with a thud on the floor at his feet.

He half expected it to be Reid. But Caden was the body moaning in pain before him. She glanced up at him, eyes wild and breathing heavy. She was battered six ways to Sunday, but she was alive. Alive, because she’d gotten them out. Even when they’d walked into a war zone and he’d been lying down, shot. She’d fought and fought and got them out.

Recognition sparked and the wild in her eyes dimmed a tad.

“Nathan.” She smiled.

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