“Hawkvale wants to see you.”
Yup. He’d had a feeling that was thecase.
His guards pushed the two captives to theirknees before Fallon. The younger man’s face was a mass of bruisesthat were already beginning to swell. His lip had been busted opena few times. Blood and snot trailed down his chin to stain hisshirt.
The other man was older, with a face madeleathery from the elements and a hardened look in his eyes. He hada light bruise on one cheek but otherwise was unharmed.
He didn’t look afraid. He looked slightlyannoyed as if he had better things to do and wanted this overwith.
Fallon was grimly amused at this. Man hadballs. He’d give him that.
“Where are the other four?” Darius asked.“And I thought I told you I wanted them unharmed.”
His man shrugged. “They were trying to run.This one resisted; we showed him that was a mistake. We were ableto capture these two, but the others escaped. We’ve got mensearching for them now.”
“What is it with these people?” Darius asked,pinching the bridge of his nose. “They’re nearly as bad as sheis.”
“I know you,” Fallon said, watching Wittintently.
Witt stared back impassively.
“You were there in Edgecomb.” Fallon tiltedhis head. “With Shea and one other.”
The slightly labored breathing of the beatenman was the only response. Darius jerked his head at the guard.
The man slapped the back of Witt’s head.“Answer.”
The other guard kneed Paul in the back
“I don’t know anything,” Paul whined. Hehunched in on himself and held his arms up over his head,protecting it.
Witt didn’t respond. Even his expressionremained pleasantly bored. Fallon observed the man. Assessing him,weighing weaknesses. Not much seemed to scare the man. He had thelook of someone who had it all and wasn’t impressed by much. Itwould take a lot to get him to spill his secrets.
“You friend has escaped,” Fallon toldthem.
Witt closed his eyes briefly, his bodysagging minutely with relief. He tensed up almost as soon as herelaxed.
Fallon’s attention sharpened on the smallmovement. Ah, the older man felt something for her. Loyalty,perhaps?
The younger man with the swollen facesputtered as he fought to rise.
“Shut it, Paul.” Witt’s eyes were flinty asthey locked on Fallon.
Fallon’s gaze went between the two. The olderman was stubborn. The way he locked his jaw said he wasn’t going togive up any information easily. The younger man, on the other hand,would share every scrap of information he had and some he didn’t ifit meant he wouldn’t be hurt.
This Paul would talk.
Fallon sat back and rubbed his chin with onehand.
“We wouldn’t be in this mess if it wasn’t forthat lazy slut,” Paul snapped back.
Witt’s body locked tight, but he refused tolook over at Paul.
“You heard them. They all know her. Let’sjust tell them what they want to know.”
“Not another word.”
“What do you want to know? If we tell you,will you let us go?” Paul asked Fallon desperately, lispingslightly as he spoke through a swelling lip.
