She looked where he was looking and felt herthroat tighten when she saw Fallon looking back at him with a darklook on his face.
“You need to keep a muzzle on your friend,”Fallon spoke above the first man’s head to another just duckinginto the tent.
“I’ll speak with him,” a familiar voicesaid.
Shea’s eyes swung back to the two men as theair thickened and froze around her. A pair of brown eyes flicked inher direction and then just as quickly away as he collared thefirst man and started to jerk him from the room.
Witt’s mouth was set in a hard line as hestarted herding the man she was just recognizing as Paul out of thetent.
They hadn’t made it out of the encampment allthose months ago as she had hoped. She’d looked for them, for anyof her men, every time she came back but hadn’t found any sign ofthem.
Now, in possibly the worst situation, shehad.
She took a tiny step back as Paul continuedto fight against Witt. Trenton’s eyes came sharply to her as themovement drew his attention and she stilled.
“No! She’s right there!” Paul yelled at Witt,flailing an arm in the direction of the table’s head, where Sheawas inching back step by tortuously small step. Several pairs ofeyes swung her way. She looked blankly back at them and thenglanced behind her.
No one there but her.
“That’s who you wanted, isn’t it?”
“What is he going on about?” Darius askedimpatiently.
“He’s imagining things,” Witt said tersely,“or trying to cause trouble. It wouldn’t be the first time.”
“I’m not,” Paul stated loudly.
Witt yanked him harshly around and shovedhim. Paul fell to one knee and struggled up only to be caughtroughly by the shoulder and propelled to the door.
“Hold up,” Fallon’s quiet voice stopped thepair. “Let him speak.”
Paul shoved free of Witt and stepped aroundhim. Witt’s head dropped slightly, and it looked like his fistsclenched before he too turned to face the Trateri’s leader. UnlikePaul, whose face was victorious as he eyed Shea with a smirk, Wittwas careful to keep all thoughts hidden behind a hard mask, leavinghim to watch the room and Fallon guardedly.
Shea noticed Henry, the Horse Clans leader,eyes linger on her a moment as his mouth pursed thoughtfully. Hesuspected what was coming. She was sure of it. Her body flashed hotas the skin on the back of her arms and neck started prickling andsweat popped up on her forehead.
“Tell me why you felt the need for youroutburst,” Fallon said. Despite the feeling of heat bouncing aroundShea’s nervous system, she still shivered at his tone.
“You mean you don’t know?” Paul asked,cocking his head. “I can’t believe this. Your entire army is outlooking for her, and now you don’t even recognize her when shestands next to you at dinner.”
That was her cue. Time to go. Though theentire gathering was between her and the exit, she didn’t plan tolet that stop her as she loosened her grip on the dinner knife shehad palmed the moment she’d recognized Witt.
The nice thing about tents as opposed tohouses is that the former was made of cloth, which could be cut. Soreally there were an infinite number of escape routes if someonewas inventive enough. Shea was extremely motivated to beinventive.
“I suggest you make your point quickly, boy.”Darius sounded tense as if he had already guessed where this wasgoing.
A hand caught Shea’s shoulder and anotherreached down to jerk the knife from her hand. “Going somewhere?”Trenton asked in her ear.
Slowly, Shea raised her eyes to meet Fallon’sgaze. His eyes held a startled recognition that quickly changed toa fierce look of victory before a shutter dropped down, masking histhoughts from her.
Shea drew in a sharp breath. Possession hadbeen there too.
“Everybody out,” Fallon said softly, stillpinning her with his gaze.
“It’s Shea,” Paul kept going, ignoring theorder. He pointed at her, “That is Shea. The woman you’ve beenlooking for.”
“Out,” Fallon roared.
The room emptied quickly. Many of the menslid her sidelong looks. The Cobra smiled coolly as she movedlithely out of the room. Shea barely registered this, findingherself unable to move her attention from Fallon’s intenseregard.
