Page 8 of Hidden By the Convicts
“I’m not a whore,” she repeated.
“We know that. Don’t we, Harlis?” Bowen asked, looking over his shoulder. The sandy-blond haired man said nothing. His eyes met her, but his expression had changed. Regret, she guessed. That was a first.
“You two dump this in the jungle,” Bowen ordered. “Scatter it around so it’s not obvious. And use the time to get your head out of your ass, Harlis.”
Gavin and Harlis carried the pile of dirt out of the house, leaving her alone with Bowen.
She reached toward Bowen’s cheek, then hesitated.
“You can touch me,” he said. “Though I don’t know why you’d want to.”
She held her breath and brushed Bowen’s cheek with her thumb. Nothing happened. He stood there, still looking at her, and the world didn’t implode. She let out a breath. “Dirt,” she explained, relieved that she could still touch a man and not fall apart.
He raised a brow. “Can I return the favor? Wipe a spot off of you?” His voice gained an unexpected ease, almost like he was flirting.
“I think I need more than a single spot cleaned,” she said, stepping back from him. “And I don’t think I’m quite ready to be touched.”
“Understood. But Harlis is right. You need a shower. There are towels and clean clothes in there. Take what you need.”
Eyes wide with surprise she said, “Thank you.”
“I’m surprised they didn’t let you shower. The crops get priority, but we’ve never fully run out of water unless there’s a maintenance shut-down.”
Even if the guards found her tonight, Bowen had given her a few minutes of respect, a reminder that she was someone, and that was worth more than all the zurlite on the planet.
She squared her shoulders and stepped forward, tempted to press her fingers to his lips. She just couldn’t bring herself to touch him yet, especially when he might get the wrong idea. When those sky-blue eyes peered at her, though, a pleasant shiver ran through her. Despite all his bossiness, he hadn’t touched her.
“I avoided showering. I thought it might keep them from. . .”
He nodded. She didn’t have to say it, thankfully.
“You don’t have to do this, Bowen. Any of it. I can be gone tomorrow. I just need a night to rest.”
He grabbed the shovel and jumped back into the hole. “You’re not going anywhere. Not without a plan. And a destination. There’s nowhere to go on Narkos where you won’t be discovered.”
“I know,” she said in a low whisper.
“Get a blanket from the bed, put it beside the hole.”
Obey me. Completely and unequivocally. I demand loyalty and obedience.
She couldn’t do it. Not complete obedience. If she gave in fully, there’d be nothing left of her.
As she spread the blanket beside the pit, Teagen tried to ignore Bowen’s scent, nervous that it would trigger another panic attack. Nothing would change until she figured out how to overcome her fear. Getting to know them was key, if she could find the courage within her to reach out to them. And let them in.
Teagen held her breath, then breathed out slowly. The sounds of their gruff voices, the way they looked at her, even their scents, told her they were different from the guards.
At least she hoped so.
She peered into the hole, which brought her closer to Bowen. She inhaled his scent. Even as sweaty as he was, he didn’t remind her of the guards at all. Perhaps a different soap. Or maybe it was just the smell of agoodman.
“I think that’s big enough for me to fold myself into.”
He rammed the shovel into the dirt harder than before. Angry. The man wasangryagain. He turned that anger on and off like Mozely did, but in this case she was sure she understood Bowen, at least a little. He cared about his unit, and she had placed them in danger.
“I’m widening the hole. You’ll want the room to move around if you’re in here for a while. And you need room for basic supplies. It gets cold at night, and being surrounded by earthen walls will make it colder. You’ll need blankets, water, maybe some food.”
“How long do you think I’ll be down there?”
