She looked at him from beneath loweredeyelashes. He was right, damn him. She wouldn’t be going anywherewith that threat over her head. They probably wouldn’t escape withher either. For them, these people were home.
All of her barely formed plans crumpledaround her. There would be no waiting for the right moment. Nogreat escape. She was well and truly caught.
Her mouth firmed into a tight, thin line.Icily, she asked, “If that is all?”
His lips quirked in an acknowledgment ofhaving won this battle, and he raised one hand to flick his fingersat her in dismissal. “For now.”
She ground her teeth in annoyance and battedthe door flap out of her way. Vexing bastard. He may have won thisround, but she’d find some way out of this. Eventually.
Chapter Nineteen
Shea stormed out of the tent into thesunshine. Though it was bright and nearly blinding, she didn’tsquint or shield her eyes until they adjusted, as she would havenormally. She was too mad for that.
“Guardsman.”
The encampment that had seemed so hugesuddenly felt stifling. She wanted out. To walk into the greatbeyond until there was not another soul for hundreds of miles.Maybe then she wouldn’t feel as if her skin was too tight for herbody.
People. God, people. Men especially.
“Guardsman Shea.”
Stupid, stupid man. She had saved him when hewas helpless in a spinner’s web. If she had left him there, hewould have been sucked down like a man sized drink of water. Butdid he thank her? Nooo. He threatened her, tried to fit her insidea little box.
“Shea,” a voice yelled right next to herear.
“What?” she snapped back, thinking better ofit when she met Caden’s irate gaze.
She gulped and quickly rearranged her scowlinto some semblance of a pleasant expression. Judging by the wayhis mouth turned down, she didn’t think he appreciated hereffort.
Shea took a deep breath and then released itslowly. This man could make her very miserable for the foreseeablefuture. It paid to get on his good side.
“I apologize, sir. I didn’t hear youcalling.”
Caden grunted and snapped, “Follow.”
Caden didn’t stop to look behind him, simplyassuming she would follow. Though it rubbed her already raw nerves,Shea didn’t disappoint and trailed behind as he led her back toFallon’s tent and then past it to a smaller one at the end of thelane.
Shea looked around curiously once inside,noting the sacks of clothing threatening to overtake the smallspace. She had never seen so many shirts and pants in oneplace.
“Meynard,” Caden said loudly.
He took up a position next to the screendivider on the far side of the room where he could watch Shea andthe exit.
“Meynard,” Caden called loudly. “Get your assout here, man. I don’t have all day.”
“Must you yell every time you’re here,” avoice said crabbily from the divider. A weathered hand pushed thescreen aside, and a white haired man with sagging jowls and aslightly crooked back stepped into the room. “You’re the mostimpatient Daisy I’ve ever met.”
Daisy wasn’t exactly a term she would assignto the scarily capable Caden.
The old man looked up, his slightly cloudyblue eyes, coming to rest on Shea. His head tilted and he shuffledforward a few steps.
“This her, then?”
Caden grunted.
“Hm,” the old man said.
He stuck his face close to hers and cranedhis neck like a giant, white feathered bird. Shea leaned away,disconcerted at the close scrutiny.
