Page 22 of Taken By the Convicts
Hazel eyes lowered. Shame, perhaps, but the answer was clear. She was not a part of the unit. She was their prisoner, theirproperty.
“I w-won’t be their prisoner. Your prisoner. . . the four of you. Either all of you see me as an equal in this unit, or I’ll fight you, every one of you. And I’ll escape the first chance I have.” To emphasize her point, she stepped back from Reece. “I won’t be owned, Reece.”
His eyes immediately filled with anger again, but they left her and fell on Ivan.
They had tried to kill each other. Mystery Guy was right. These men had yet to figure out who was in charge, and the outcome would determine her fate.
Jayce wanted to rent her out, Ivan wanted to punish her for some unknown reason, and Mystery Guy enjoyed the fact that Ivan and Reece might kill each other over who led this unit. Either way, she needed to escape. This unit, these men, were not for her.
Massive arms pulled her in against a hard chest, and she melted into Reece’s hold. Damn, she couldn’t leave him. She feltsafein his arms.Her silent giant was the only one she could count on, but she had a feeling even he would not be able to keep her safe from the others. And if she left this bunker, she’d fall into the hands of men more violent, more cutthroat than these four.
She was as trapped here as she had ever been with Namir.
* * *
IVAN
Every musclein his body ached, but nothing compared to the pounding in his head. He wanted to lift his hand, but that trivial motion seemed too daunting, and his eyelids felt like someone had put lead weights on them.
Fingers gently grazed against his forehead and then his cheeks, down to his chin and neck before returning to his forehead to brush the hair aside.
“You slammed him against a cement wall, Reece,” said the lyrical voice of an angel, a very annoyed sounding angel.
A grunt followed.
“I’m not mad, but I’m worried about him.”
An angel of death, Ivan amended as he recognized the voice. He pushed himself to open his eyes. Nothing would move.
“Look, Reece, it’s been hours. He’ll probably sleep for a while, but I want to watch his vitals, to make sure things don’t get worse. You can go to your job or do what you need to do.”
Reece grunted, but it didn’t sound like he was leaving. Ivan kept his eyes shut. He wasn’t ready to confront Reece again yet.
The woman sighed, sounding tired. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be short with you. This is so overwhelming. I thought you understood what I was saying earlier. I won’t be a prisoner, Reece. If you don’t let me out of the bunker, I’ll. . .”
She didn’t finish her thought, but Ivan had heard the tremor there. She was scared. What the hell had happened, anyway? Crusher had gone berserk for no reason.
“Forget everything I said. It’s my problem, not yours,” she said, sounding more determined now. Hurt. The monster had feelings. Interesting.
Her hand rested on Ivan’s arm, her thumb absentmindedly moving back and forth. Such a simple touch, and yet it felt so nice.
Her thumb suddenly stopped moving. A moment later, her hand disappeared as if she realized she’d been touching him andhewas the monster.
Ivan thought back to those moments before Reece had attacked him. Hell, he’d been rough with her, verbally, emotionally, and physically.
But she deserved it. Didn’t she? She’d killed his squad.
Her fingers brushed his hair back again. That felt so fucking good.
“I stitched the wound with the field kit Jayce found in the supply room, but I’m worried about internal bleeding.” Her hand rested on his arm again. “Please let me take him to the med-center. I’m limited in what I can do here.”
Why the fuck would she want to treat him at all?
“Reece, please don’t be angry with me. I know you’re mad at him and probably me—”
“Een,” Crusher said, his voice sounded like he was pleading.
Fuck. When had Ivan ever heard Crusher speak or attempt to speak? Never. This was interesting, to say the least.
