Free Shadow Soldier by Kali Argent Page A

scent of freshly baked bread filled the dining hall, and Roux’s stomach gurgled, reminding her she’d walked out of the bakery without her breakfast. Food would have to wait, though.
    “Why are we here?”
    In answer, Deke pointed to a table against the far wall.
    Secluded from everyone else, four men ate in complete silence, staring down at their trays as if they’d been force-fed broken glass. Showered, shaven, and dressed in borrowed clothes, they were barely recognizable as the same guys she’d left the previous night.
    “Where’s Nevah?” She didn’t know Nevah well, didn’t even really like her, but she felt responsible for the woman. “Did something happen to her?”
    “I’m sure she’s around here somewhere.”
    She tensed at the evasive answer. Deke had known exactly where Cade and the others were in the cavernous room. Whether he could smell them, hear them, sense them, or whatever, she didn’t know, but it stood to reason he’d be able to use the same methods to find Nevah.
    “Where is she?” Roux pressed.
    “I told you, she’s—”
    “That’s the first lie you’ve told me.” Now that she knew what it sounded like, she could confidently say he’d been telling the truth about the treatment of humans in Trinity Grove. “Where is she, Deke?”
    Sighing, Deke rubbed the back of his neck while he scanned the cafeteria. “Not here.”
    “Fine.” Roux gritted her teeth against the growing frustration. “Later.” She understood the need for secrecy, but the lack of answers grated on her already frayed nerves. “I’m going to talk to Cade.”
    * * * *
    Deke bit the inside of his cheek until he tasted blood. The female asked too many damn questions, and she was going to ruin everything if he couldn’t get her under control. Once again, he thought about honoring his promise to help her get out of the city. He rejected the idea just as quickly, though, his need to protect her outweighing his need to safeguard the mission.
    Ideally, he’d find a way to do both, but that meant telling Roux everything, entrusting her with secrets that could potentially get her killed. So, he’d put her in danger to protect her. Somehow, his plan felt a little counterproductive.
    Wanting to give Roux privacy with her friends—even if she wouldn’t admit they were friends—he moved to an unoccupied corner of the room and leaned against the wall. He tried to occupy his mind, to think about anything except her, but his gaze continuously drifted to the far side of the room.
    He told himself he just wanted to keep an eye on her, make sure nothing happened to her. If his heart beat too fast, or his stomach clenched when she hugged the leader of the group, it didn’t mean anything. And if he focused his hearing until the roar of the room faded into white noise, allowing him to eavesdrop on Roux’s conversation…well, that didn’t mean anything, either.
    “Denny, you’re looking dapper,” she greeted the older gentleman with glasses. “I see you have a new bowtie.”
    She turned on the bench to look at the two men sitting across the table. “Greg, I don’t think I’ve ever seen your face before,” she said with a laugh.
    “It’s different,” he answered, smoothing his palm along his jawline.
    “He refused to get his hair cut, though,” the guy sitting beside him interjected. “I don’t know why. It looks like a fucking bird’s nest.”
    “Brody!” Roux slapped at his hand where it rested on the tabletop. Then she sat back between the one she called Denny and the leader, Cade. “How are you? Are they treating you okay?”
    “Forget us.” Grabbing her shoulders, Cade turned her to look at him, running one hand over her face and petting her hair with the other. “How are you ? Did they hurt you? I really hoped you’d gotten away.”
    Growling under his breath, Deke curled his fingers, squeezing his hands into fists against his thighs. Without warning, his fingernails erupted into inch-long