Page 41 of Hidden By the Convicts
“Why do you care about one woman, anyway? You guards aren’t stuck here. You rotate on and off Narkos all the time. You can have any woman you want when you’re off Narkos.”
“The little bitch bit me. I still can’t piss without pain. When I find her, I’m going to rent her out to everyone. Guards and prisoners. Teach her a lesson.”
Harlis focused on keeping his hands unclenched and his face indifferent. “If I find her, I want something in exchange.”
“Name it.”
“Switch me to West Side.”
“Deal.”
Mozely walked away, leaving Harlis with a better understanding of why Bowen was so mad at him for letting Teagen leave the house. He couldn’t let Teagen risk herself again, even to save one of them. The price was too high.
* * *
TEAGEN
Teagen was too damn tiredto care that she was sleeping in a pit beneath the floorboards. It wasn’t the most comfortable of places, but it was safe. She could finally shut her eyes and fall asleep without worrying that the perimeter alarm might go off. She had to think of the pit as a safe room before she worked up the courage to climb in without the guys around.
She had been repairing the harvesters all night, every night for the past four nights, and returning before dawn. Then, maybe an hour later, she woke with the guys. None of the guys were due back until after third shift, and she wasn’t going to last until evening if she didn’t nap. The last thing she wanted was to fall asleep when they returned home. She treasured every moment with them.
After pulling the bed into place and sliding the string free, she wrapped the blanket around her, curled up on the bottom of the pit, and closed her eyes. Despite the cramped space and smell of dirt all around her, nothing felt so good as shutting her eyes and not worrying about any alarms or guards for once. Just sleep. Pure, blissful sleep.
* * *
“Teagen!”Harlis shouted, jarring her awake.
She woke disoriented, and not sure how long she’d been sleeping, but it wasn’t long enough.
“Are you down there?” he called as he pushed the bed aside and pulled out the floorboards before she cleared the fog from her brain. “You scared me,” he said, lifting her out and pulling her into his arms.
“I’m sorry.” The words seemed inadequate given how much he was shaking, but it was all she could think of. “I fell asleep.”
“I didn’t see any guards, and the alarm wasn’t tripped.”
“No one was here that I know of. I just needed to sleep, and I was afraid if I fell asleep in the bed I’d never wake if the alarm went off. It’s hard waiting for one of you to come home before I can sleep or shower or do anything that would distract me from the alarm.” She bit her lip, realizing she was going on and on about trivial stuff. “Ignore me, Harlis. I don’t mean to complain.”
“I get it,” he said, still holding her.
“You can let go now. I’m fine, Harlis. Really.”
“I’m not. Just let me hold you a minute longer. When I opened the door and didn’t see you, I ran to the bathroom, but you weren’t there. I panicked for a moment before remembering the pit. But then you didn’t answer when I called your name.”
“I guess I was in a deep sleep,” she said as she slipped from his arms and started replacing the floorboards. “I was really tired.”
“Your sleep schedule is off.”
“Too many nightmares, I guess,” she quickly replied, so as not to arouse any suspicion.
His lips thinned. “Or maybe you’re tired because of your middle-of-the-night activities. I know you’ve left the house every night this week, repairing the harvesters.”
Her mouth opened in shock. He tipped it closed with a finger. “Your secret’s out, princess. I saw you leave that first night and I followed you.” He held up a hand, silencing her. “No need to explain. I get it. You feel useless around here.”
“That’s not it. If it were just about me, I’d put up with feeling couped up. But that night when the guards brought Bowen back, I got in bed with him and held him. He didn’t move or talk, except for a few mumbled words that I couldn’t make out. He didn’t seem to know I was there. He was solost, Harlis. I’m afraid of what it will do if they throw him down there again.”
“No one can fault you for caring.”
“Is that why you didn’t stop me?”
