Page 106 of Taken By the Convicts
“Why?” she asked, her hand stroking the scruff. Zev had always been so clean-shaven. This wasn’t like him.
“You’re safer not knowing.”
“Are you returning to our unit?”
“I can’t.”
“We’ll help you with whatever it is. That’s what a unit does, Zev.”
His dark eyes ran over her. She could see the need there. He wanted to touch her, but he wouldn’t allow himself.
Melina kissed him. He resisted at first, not opening his mouth, and then he opened for her, letting her taste him as his hand cupped the back of her head.
The sweet, familiar taste of Zev’s lips brought back how much she’d missed him. He quickly took over the kiss, letting his tongue learn every part of her lips and mouth as if he were starved for her. She felt whole again. He’d returned to her. All her men were safe. . . at least she hoped so.
“Jayce. . . I’ve got to get back to the med-center. He was injured.”
“Not yet. Hawke’s men are out there searching for you.”
“But I heard Ivan’s voice.”
“And so did Hawke’s men. Right now, Ivan’s the distraction we need to get out of here.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
ZEV
Zev hated being this involved, but he had no choice. He couldn’t let Hawke take her, and he couldn’t let Ivan get himself and Reece killed.
After Zev took Melina to the bunker, he tracked the rest of his unit. Hell, they weren’t really his unit, but they felt like they were.
Whatever they were to each other, he had to pull them out of this mess with Hawke, before the guards cracked down on the entire area with sonic grenades or worse. Thorne had already assigned additional guards to get the prisoners under control. The manager wouldn’t tolerate the fighting for long, especially as more men died. He needed these prisoners in good shape, and Zev needed Thorne to feel like he was in control or he’d tighten security everywhere. There were too many fucking complications on this job.
Ivan would circle back to the med-center at some point to check on Jayce. Maybe. Zev waved his wrist over the scanner at the med-center. The door opened. The place was crowded with prisoners in the halls and guards scrambling to chain them to anything that would hold them down.
Slowly, calmly, Zev walked through, unnoticed by the guards. He’d always been good at blending in everywhere. It came from attitude, how he carried himself, and that only required observing and then mimicking the people around him.
He found Jayce quickly enough. The man had been sewn up and was resting on a bed. Chained, of course. Zev unlocked the chain with a key he’d taken from a guard weeks ago. Jayce’s eyes opened.
“Stay quiet. I’m taking you to Melina.”
Together, they walked through the overflowing med-center. Melina would be upset that she wasn’t here to help the wounded. Too bad. He had to think of her safety first. Too much was happening on Veenith, and Hawke wasn’t going to stop until he had her.
Jayce passed out half-way to the bunker. Fortunately, no one was nearby, so carrying him wasn’t a risk. Zev hoisted Jayce over his shoulder, trying not to aggravate the man’s wound.
When he entered the bunker, Melina was sitting at the top, waiting. “Thank the goddesses,” she said, her voice fraught with worry. Zev carried Jayce to his bed.
“I think he’s just tired. He was conscious most of the way here.” Zev slid the backpack off. “I grabbed everything on your list.”
She eagerly emptied the backpack and immediately set up bandages, sutures, and antibiotics for Jayce. Then she lifted the gray case Zev had taken from the chem lab.
“Thank you, Zev,” she said as she examined Jayce’s wound. “His vitals are strong. Any sign of Ivan and Reece?”
“No, precious. I’m afraid we’ll have to wait for them to find us.”
Her eyes showed her worry, but she understood. She was a fighter, his Melina. She wouldn’t give up hope. And neither would he.
* * *
