He tossed her aside.
She hit the ground hard, her knees slamming into the packed earth. Pain shot up her legs, sharp and immediate, stealing her breath for a second. Grit worked its way through the fabric of her pants, biting into skin.
“You are such a dick,” she growled, shoving herself upright just as he backhanded her. She didn’t see it coming. It came out of the darkness, sudden and brutal. Her head snapped sideways, and she flew into the sidewall. Her hands hit first, palms scraping against slate. The skin split in thin lines, hot and stinging. Her shoulder followed, knocking the breath out of her again.
“You’d better learn to watch yourself,” Bulwark said calmly. “I have no problem beating the crap out of you.”
Her vision swam. Stars burst behind her eyes. If she’d had a weapon, she would’ve used it without hesitation. She pressed a hand to her face, jaw throbbing, cheek already swelling.
Caidrik already wanted this guy dead. That thought cut through the pain with startling clarity. While she and Caidrik were by no means a sure thing, she knew one thing with absolute certainty. He would not take kindly to anyone hitting a woman.
“I see why your brother hates you,” she muttered.
Bulwark threw his head back and laughed, the sound bouncing strangely off the stone. “That’s not why he hates me.” He stepped closer, his headlamp flaring directly into her eyes, blinding her for a moment. “He hates me because I stole his girlfriend.”
“Yeah. Right.”
He smiled thinly. “Her name was Carrie. She was exactly his type. Six feet tall. Long black hair. Light-colored eyes.” His tone turned casual, almost bored. “We grew up together. All three of us. I think he thought he owned her.” He leaned back against the wall. “Turns out I did.”
Her stomach twisted. “You mean you?—”
“Well, no,” he said lazily. “I fucked the shit out of her a few times. She got knocked up. Wanted to get married. Wanted to get mated. I wasn’t ready.” He shrugged one shoulder.
Nadia’s jaw dropped. “That’s… terrible. What happened to her?”
Bulwark looked away briefly, then back. “Apparently, she had mental problems. She killed herself.”
The words landed heavy in the stale air.
He turned, sweeping his light across the stone until it caught on two openings in the rock ahead. Both tunnels were narrow. Both vanished into black. “Which way?” he asked. “Left or right?”
“That’s it?” Nadia snapped. “You talk about a woman you both cared about killing herself, and you want to know which way to go?”
Bulwark’s expression hardened. “Like I said, she made her choice.”
“Man,” Nadia said, her voice shaking with fury now, “I hope he kills you.”
Bulwark snorted. “He has that in him, that’s for sure.” He stepped toward the right-hand tunnel. “You think I’m a killer?” he went on. “That guy was a mercenary for decades. Decades. He kills easily, but I’m better. He won’t get to me.”
Caidrik killed easily? She didn’t believe that. “I bet he never knifed anybody in the back.”
“I wouldn’t be too sure,” Bulwark muttered. He moved decisively toward the right-hand passage. “We’re going this way.”
Nadia hesitated, casting one last look over her shoulder at the tunnel they’d come from. It felt farther away than it should’ve been, the darkness already swallowing the path behind them.
She turned and followed.
For the first time since this nightmare started, she was glad this fight was to the death.
Because Bulwark McGregor really needed to die.
She comforted herself with the thought just as he turned and started to drill, taking several samples and studying them.
Finally, he stood. “Got it.” He handed a long sample to her. “Put that in your backpack, and I’ll bring the others.”
“Good.” She turned and shoved it into her pack. Taking a deep breath, ready to get away from Bulwark, she pivoted and headed back toward the way they’d come, just as a loud pop echoed throughout the entire tunnel. The earth started to rumble. Her legs shook. “What?—”
The ceiling dropped in massive sheets of slate. Yelping, she ducked, covering her head with her arms.
