10
Reaper foughtthrough the haze of pain, trying to focus on the ceiling above him. His normally sharp senses were cold and it was all he could do to keep his eyes open long enough to assess the situation.
Moonlight crept through the windows across the way, and he managed to turn his head to focus on the figure huddled on the floor beside him. The details of Caroline’s body came into sharp focus and he realized she must’ve fallen asleep. The darkness outside signaled it had been for more than a couple of hours.
“Caroline,” he rasped out, attempting to reach for her, but pain shot through his arm and it fell useless to the floor.
Her head shot up and she stared at him through bleary, reddened eyes. “You’re awake?”
“How long have I been out?”
“I don’t know, too long. I thought . . . It doesn’t matter. Thank God you’re awake.” She scrambled across the floor on her hands and knees until she was right beside him. She looked down at him. “Can you move?”
He shifted a single foot, then moved on to larger parts of his body. His legs he could handle, no problem, his left arm too, but his right arm was about as useful as a severed body part.
At least the bleeding had slowed down, now there was just a huge dark stain caked on his shoulder.
His body flushed hot, cold, and then hot again, sending painful chills racing across the skin. Infection was setting in. He had to get treatment now.
No matter how enhanced or strong he was, he was still susceptible to death.
“I tried to get you out of here, but I wasn’t strong enough.” Caroline’s broken voice sliced through his self-assessment. She had lifted her head from her knees and was staring straight ahead, tiny tremors working down her equally tiny frame. Captured in that cute pose, she looked even smaller and more vulnerable.
Reaper concentrated on getting his lips to move, but everything was tingling and his body was finding it hard to concentrate. “No way you could move me. I’m twice your size.”
“The men came.”
Reaper took a second to digest that intel. He’d left her alone in that situation. He’d bottomed out at the worst time possible. “Did they hurt you?” he managed to ask.
Another hard shudder worked down her body, and still she refused to meet his gaze. “No. I hid us from them.”
“Where? How?”
This time Caroline didn’t speak at all. She pointed straight ahead. Reaper’s gaze fell on the pile of bodies. “Clever girl.”
Caroline’s head jerked in his direction. “Clever? I was desperate. I couldn’t let them find you.”
“Or you,” Reaper growled.
She continued like he hadn’t spoken, “You passed out over there, on the wall next to them. Soldiers were trying to kick down the door. I probably injured your shoulder more when I shoved you underneath there, but I didn’t have another choice.”
Her resourcefulness and determination amazed him. He’d seen some pretty heavy shit in his days, but a human dump was still atrocious to him, which meant it had to be absolutely shocking to someone as delicate as Caroline.
But she hadn’t broken under the pressure. She’d sucked it up and saved his life. Reaper frowned; he didn’t like owing anyone anything. Especially her. He couldn’t afford to feel any loyalty toward her. As soon as he got her stateside, he would need to take her blood and find someone to make a new batch of serum.
Reaper hadn’t liked seeing her hooked up to all those IVs back at the lab, and he’d liked her obvious terror even less. And that was before he had owed her anything, much less his life.
But then another thought struck. Technically he’d saved her from the lab. She’d saved him while he was unconscious. They were even.
Satisfied with his conclusion, Reaper let himself relax on the ground as he tried to puzzle out what to do next. “We can’t stay in here. Darkness has fallen, so it’s time to make our move. I need med supplies. Pronto.”
“Didn’t you hear me? I shoved you into that pile of dead bodies. Doesn’t that bother you?”
He would’ve shrugged if he could have. Instead he planted his good hand on the ground and began the arduous task of trying to sit.
“You did what had to be done. Any soldier would’ve done the same thing.Iwould’ve done the same thing.”
Caroline stared at him with her mouth open and her eyes wide. Had she expected him to be pissed off that she’d used her brain instead of panicking? “Now, I need your assistance to get to my feet.”
