Free Shadow Soldier by Kali Argent Page B

daggers, the claws digging into the flesh of his palms, but he barely noticed the pain.
    Or the blood that dripped from between his fingers.
    “I’m okay,” Roux answered, leaning away from his touch.
    Deke relaxed a little.
    “What happened to your arm?” Ignoring her reaction, Cade took her hand, lifting it and stretching her arm so he could inspect the gauze-wrapped wound. “Did someone do this to you?”
    Visions of slapping the asshole through the glass window flittered through Deke’s mind. It would be satisfying, but ultimately, it wouldn’t accomplish anything.
    “I fell.” Gently, Roux removed her hand from his grasp and placed it in her lap. “It happened before we left the fishing shack last night.”
    “I remember.” Brody bobbed his head. “Nevah patched it up.”
    “Where is she anyway?” Straightening in his seat, Greg peered around the dining hall, as if he expected the female to come waltzing down the aisle. “She was there when they took us, but I haven’t seen her since we got here.”
    “I don’t know. I haven’t seen her.” Roux fidgeted in her seat, her gaze darting toward Deke and away again quickly.
    “What the hell are you wearing?” Cade demanded. His gaze narrowed, and a crease formed along the bridge of his nose. “Where have you been, Roux? Where did you get those clothes?”
    Deke stilled, holding his breath while he waited for her to answer. Would she lie? What would she say about him?
    “I’m okay,” Roux insisted, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. “I stayed with the captain last night.”
    “You mean he kidnapped you.” Cade rolled his eyes and scoffed. “We’re not guests here, Roux, we’re prisoners.”
    “It’s safe here,” the older man, Denny, interrupted, his voice quiet and wavering. “They haven’t treated us poorly.” He stared down at his tray, his shoulders rounded and his back hunched. “It’s better than out there.”
    “Don’t be stupid.” Brody rubbed a hand over his newly shorn scalp. “We’re getting out of here, and the sooner the better. I don’t trust them.”
    With stilted and halting movements, Roux rose from her seat and rubbed at her arms. “I need to go, but I’ll be back. Keep your heads down and don’t do anything stupid. Just…give me some time.”
    Before any of the men could argue, she spun around and hurried toward the exit. Pushing away from the wall, Deke navigated around the long tables, catching up with the female just as she reached the double doors.
    “Everything okay?” he asked. “You look a little frazzled.”
    “I’m fine.” Roux glanced over her shoulder and frowned. “So, uh, where to now?”
    Unable to say anything comforting without revealing he’d been eavesdropping, Deke pressed his hand to her thin back, ushering her through the double doors. “We’ll swing by the dorms first, get you some clothes that fit, then I’ll take you to the infirmary.”
    “What dorms?” she asked, purposely ignoring the bit about the infirmary.
    He pointed to the end of the corridor. “The females’ dorms are to the right, just before you get to the exit. Three women to a room, so it’s kind of cramped, but there’s been talk of expan—”
    “What happened to your hand?” Roux grabbed his wrist, jerking his hand closer to examine the bloody, mangled flesh of his palm. “These look like…” Trailing off, she prodded the four, crescent-shaped wounds with a light touch. “Did you do this to yourself?”
    “Just an accident.” Her concern touched him, gave him hope, but still, he withdrew his hand and wiped it against his pant leg. “It’s fine.” Flipping his hand over, he held his palm out again for her to see. “Already healing.”
    Indeed, the skin tingled and itched where it had begun to knit itself back together. In another hour, there would be no evidence that anything had ever been wrong, apart from the smeared blood, and even that would wash away.
    Fuck, he didn’t know