Page 29 of Us Dark Few

Barron tsked. “What did I tell you? Animals. She’s a little slut like the rest of them and needs to learn a thing or two about respect. This girl could have done permanent damage to me.”

She should’ve done more damage to him. She should’ve killed him when she had the chance. No doubt, Khalani had not been his first victim. She couldn’t see Takeshi’s face, but his hands tightened into fists at his side.

“What I find more appalling, Guard Barron,” Takeshi stated, stoic and calm, “is that you let your guard down, and a prisoner was able to overwhelm you. I think the Warden would be more inclined to hear about a guard too weak to fend off small girls. That would mean you’re unfit to handle your job.”

Barron’s face turned crimson, and he opened his mouth to say something, but Takeshi interrupted him.

“This is what’s going to happen. You will go back to your duties and stay away from Prisoner 317. We can’t risk her overwhelming you again, can we? Since she is my prisoner, I will administer any necessary punishment for her actions. If you do those things, then the Warden won’t find out about this,” Takeshi commanded, his intense gaze unyielding.

Khalani vaguely realized that her mouth hung open. She couldn’t believe her ears—Takeshi Steele was defending her.

“This fuckingbitchattacked me.” Barron’s eyes flickered with revenge as he took a threatening step toward her. “For that, she should be dead. This prisoner is coming with me.”

“Let me be clear.” Takeshi’s muscles appeared to ripple as he stepped forward, going toe to toe with him. “As your Captain,Ihave the final say on this. You would do well to remember that, Barron. You will stand down. Disobey me, and I’ll deliver your punishment myself in the fighting pit. And trust me, you don’t want that to happen.”

Even Khalani shivered at the underlying menace in his threat.

With each word, Barron seemed to shrink where he stood, like a deflated balloon. Takeshi remained steadfast and motionless.

Khalani’s awareness of the other prisoners and guards ceased. The air was so still, she could feel the blood pumping through her chest and the veins pulsing in her neck. The knot in her throat refused to dissipate as she awaited her fate.

“Apologies,Captain,” Barron bit out, his smug confidence gone. His face turned a concerning shade of red, but after shredding Khalani with another death glare, he abruptly turned around.

Neither Khalani nor Takeshi moved for a few moments as Barron stalked away in silence. When he disappeared, Khalani let out the deep breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding.

Adrenaline still coursed through her veins at full throttle, her heart hammering so fast, she was sure he could hear it.

She glanced over at Takeshi, who unclenched his fists, stretching his fingers out by his side. The last thing she ever expected was for him to intervene.

Why did he do it?

She was unable to read Takeshi’s face as he turned in her direction, his foreboding, distant expression firmly in place.

“Is this the part where you kill me instead?” She waited.

Takeshi’s lips pressed into a hard line as he gave her the side-eye. “Not yet.” He walked past her without a word.

Khalani frowned. She didn’t know what to make of Takeshi. He was her biggest adversary, but he didn’t let Barron kill her.

Was it a game?

A way to toy with her emotions, to keep her off-balance and strike when she least expected it?

“Are you coming?”

Her face scrunched up, eyes darting over her shoulder. Takeshi stood immobile as he studied her, his expression unreadable.

“Coming where?”

“To your cell. I’ll allow it this once.” He crossed his arms. “You’ve caused enough trouble for one day.”

Her brows furrowed, and she opened her mouth to argue over his choice of words but thought better of it. She desperately wanted to be alone behind bars, but danger loomed.

“What if that guard tries to find me?”

“He won’t.” His tone was so assured and sinister that she believed him.

She rubbed her palms together, muscles coiling anxiously. She escaped one deadly predator and was in the grasp of another. Takeshi couldn’t be underestimated. In many ways, he scared her more than Barron.

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