Page 10 of Savage Escape

He only scowled at that and nudged it closer, looking like he was contemplating shoving it down her throat. But he let out a sigh and slid over till he was even with her back.

Caden didn’t bother fighting when he hovered over her and examined her back. She’d probably piss herself from the effort. His fingers were gentle on her back. Caden didn’t like it or him, for that matter. He was annoying and god, he just had to waltz in and ruin everything.

“I have to piss.”

“Okay.” His hands moved to her shoulders, and Caden couldn’t help but growl. “Are you—are you actually growling at me?”

“I don’t need your help, Savage.” Caden pushed herself to her feet and watched through narrowed eyes as the man put his hands in the air.

“You’re hurt, Quinn.” He was all aghast, like it was madness, allowing her to get to her two feet without aid. Like she was some delicate little flower that would collapse at the slightest breeze.

“Yeah, no shit.”

Pain was the one constant in her life. It wasn’t some foreign thing she’d never dealt with before. It wasn’t terrible or all-consuming. It just was.

Most times, it served as a reality check; she was not a machine and she should stop pretending she was.

Other times, it was a reminder that her life was and always had been shit.

But Caden had learned a long time ago exactly how to grin and bear it. A ripped-up back was nothing comparatively. Still, though, it hurt like a bitch.

So she did what she’d always done. Pushed the pain to the back of her mind and focused on her goal. Getting to and pissing in the bucket across the room.

Easier done than said really, seeing as how it was walking and squatting.

“Anyone ever compliment you on your friendly disposition, Quinn?” He was getting snarky.

“Not anybody that likes breathin’.” Which was a lie because nobody actually ever commented on any part of her shining personality.

Even before all the stealing and killing, conversation with other people mostly consisted of one-word sentences and a good arm’s length of space away from her. People, Caden realized, didn’t much like her.

He scoffed and, very much like the gentlemen he was, turned so he was facing away from her. Another little show of trust that Caden herself wouldn’t give to another human being so freely. Which really wasn’t saying much, being who she was and all.

“So... do you mind me askin’ how you wound up in here?” With his back turned towards the light, Caden could make out a couple of different scars that had long since healed. He’d been shot in the back. And it looked like he’d taken a knife to the side and whirled away from it.

“My last job went south, got nabbed, and auctioned off to the highest bidder.” Muscles burning, blood drizzling down her back, and feeling like a million fucking bucks, she reached the bucket.

What she didn’t say was that she really hadn’t tried all that hard to escape the first ass-hat. She’d gone into the first job looking to take a bullet or a knife somewhere fatal, and when that didn’t happen—well, she was nothing if not persistent.

“Highest bidder? You mean Kyott paid money for you just so he could hurt you?” He was all incredulous, like he couldn’t imagine such a thing. “Well damn, what’d you do to him?”

“Killed his bouncing baby boy in Ireland last year.” Caden bit back the urge to explain herself to him. She did not feel guilty for taking that little pervert out and she didn’t have to justify her actions to him, even if she felt like he was judging her. Dammit. “You can turn around now.” What she needed was a change of clothes. She’d been in the same jeans for two fire-fights, a few tussles in the mud, and then the bleeding. Most of it was someone else’s, which made it that much more gross.

He didn’t respond, only watched her like a hawk while she took up a bit of concrete as far as she could get away from him. As soon as she’d settled back skyward and head in her arms, he stood and stretched.

Caden tried very hard not to gawk like a schoolgirl as the man exercised. But really there wasn’t much else, besides a few rats and the gray walls, to stare at. So Caden gave up, pretending that she wasn’t perving over his finely toned abs and arms and watched as he went through a few quick exercises. After a good forty-five minutes of him workin’ up a sweat, he finally stretched again and took the spot by her head.

“Okay, Caden, we are gonna get the hell outta here. Together—we’re both alive in that scenario, just F-Y-I. But first we gotta fix... this.” He motioned towards her sprawled figure with both hands.

“Savage,” How many different ways was she gonna have to say it? “you don’t seem to be comprehending this. You don’t get a choice. So leave me the fuck alone.” Maybe she could request a different roommate.

“Yeah, and I believe we’ve already been over this whole ‘I’m not gonna let you kill yourself’ thing.” His deep voice took on a slightly elevated ‘duh’ tone that grated on her already friednerves, like she was the one that was too thick to get it. “So, uh... do you wanna talk about it?”

Caden curled her lip at his stupid, sincere face and laughed outright. He only frowned and gave a disapproving look. A look that served to not only piss her off, but make her feel guilty at the same time. Maybe if she didn’t engage him, he’d stop. Eventually, the man would recognize a lost cause. He wasn’t stupid.

“Okay fine, I’ll start.” He scooted over so he wasn’t crowding her and crossed his arms over his bruised chest. “I, uh... I’ve been retired from the agency for two years now. You may have noticed?”

He looked down all expectantly at her and Caden decided to stop looking at him as well.

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