Page 24 of Savage Escape

“All right.” Screw it, she’d just go for it. “Let’s get out of this shit hole.”

A startled crooked smile spread on his lips but then just as quickly disappeared when his brows furrowed and his blue eyes turned wary, like he was afraid to hope. Instead of answering, he only bit at his lip and kept on dabbing at the oozing cuts on her flesh. It wouldn’t take long—he could only hold out for so long. It had to be burning him up.

Caden schooled her expression, trying very hard not to smirk evilly at the sight of his jaw flexing every few seconds. Like he had to actually bite his tongue to stop his questions from pouring out. Finally, he tossed the rag and settled on the cement in front of her. As soon as he opened his mouth to start the inevitable interrogation, she spoke.

“Can you set my nose?” It was very hard to keep the smirk off her face at the sight of his clenched jaw and the questions burning in his eyes. It was killing him.

“Uh.” Big calloused hands hovered over her face for a good sixty seconds. They almost made contact twice before they dropped again to his sides. “I can’t.”

“Why the hell not?”

“I don’t want to hurt you.” Like he hadn’t tasered her into oblivion countless times before.

“Savage.” Was he serious? “How many times have we fought? How many times have you gut-socked me?”

“Yeah, but this is different. Now... you’re all broke. I don’t want to break you more.”

“Are you serious?”

“Caden, look at ya.” He gestured at her, making sure to keep from touching her. “A gust of wind could take you out.”

Well, now he was exaggerating.

“Ugh.” Caden steeled her nerves, raised her hands, and took three quick breaths, and when that didn’t spur her into action, she blew out three more. “Shit. Please, Savage, I promise I won’t die.”

His lips formed a thin grim line, but she could tell he’d relented by the sagging of his shoulders.

“Fine.” Warm fingers settled on her cheeks. “On three, okay?”

“Okay.” Caden huffed again and pressed her head firmly against the cold wall so she wouldn’t puss out and jerk away from him.

“One.” Fingers lined up on both sides of her nose.

“Two.” Fuck. It would hurt like all hell.

“Ya know what—you can’t even tell that it’s broken.” Fingers still hot on her skin, he grinned down at her. “I mean, you’re still hot. Let’s not do this.”

“Savage.” Caden couldn’t help the growl in her voice. She couldn’t do it herself.

“Fine.” Another grimace and then resolve. “Three.”

Pressure. A wet-sounding snap. White hot mother-fucking pain engulfing her face.

“Ahhhahahaa!” She tried to grip her face, but his hands were still there. “Son of a mother... fucking-cunt-sucking-donkey-fucking-shit-bag!”

His hands left but came back three seconds later with a cold wet fabric that was nothing short of holy salvation on her face.

“Thanks.” Caden plucked the fabric off her face when the pain subsided and examined it. It was a larger piece of her shirt that had been ripped to shreds.

“Sure.” He moved out of her personal bubble and settled on the concrete in front of her once again.

“So you think I’m hot, huh?” She could feel fresh blood trailing over the crusted blood under her nose. Her eye socketshad to be pure black and blue at this point and not an inch on her wasn’t bruised or sliced up. Hot didn’t quite cover it.

A slow smile pulled at his lips, and he dissolved into laughter when she waggled her eyebrows at him.

“Well, right now you look like a zombie straight out of a bar fight. But somehow you still manage to be attractive.”

Well.

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