6
Audra hadto choke back the bile rising up her throat. It was just like Jeremy, and although Audra didn’t know the details yet, she knew his commander had turned on him. He had killed Jeremy. And now Reaper was ready to do the same to Diggs for rescuing an innocent animal. It was toomuch.
The entire room fell silent, and even though she’d thought the men had been standing immobile before, it seemed as though they were frozen in place now. Even Reaper wasunmoving.
They were all staring at her like she’d just spoken the greatest blasphemy in the world. But she didn’t care. She couldn’t stop the words from pouring out any more than she could stop the constant aching void in her chest. “All you do is take and take from everyone. You don’t care who gets hurt in your path of destruction as long as you’re followingorders.”
Diggs’ hands tightened on her shoulders and she flinched instinctively, but he didn’t pull away. He turned her around to face him, his deep brown eyes filled with compassion, not disgust or anger. “Audra, take a deep breath. No one’s hurting anyonetoday.”
“He is.” She pointed at Reaper. “He wants to punish you. He’s the one who needs to be punished. If it weren’t for you Trigger would be dead, and why we’re even having this conversation is beyond mycomprehension.”
His gaze held her steady and his eyes seemed to be bottomless, full of calm strength. If she wasn’t so upset, she could focus on that and rein in heremotions.
“He’s my commander, and he’s right. I did disobey his direct order. But he’s not going to hurt me because of it. We don’t dothat.”
“Look at him! Of course, he would hurt you. They all would if it served their purpose.” Audra threw an arm out uncaring that the men were hearing every word. There was a sick satisfaction in knowing she was flinging their disgrace in their faces. And she was so beyond the point of caring about her ownsafety.
“No.” Diggs spoke just as calmly as he had before, and she got the feeling he was trying to probe inside her mind and help bring her down. “These men would give up their lives for me, and I would give up mine for theirs. He’s angry because I did possibly put them indanger.”
“To save a dog from being beaten todeath.”
He nodded in agreement, taking a little bit of her fury away. “You’re right too. I did what I did, and I would do itagain.”
Audra sucked in a breath, finding it hard to believe her own ears. “Youwould?”
Before Diggs could respond, Reaper’s grating voice filled the room, “Enough. We have to figure out what we’re going to do. Diggs, go to the war room.Now.”
His tone left no room for disobedience, but Audra pointedly kept her back turned to him and stared at Diggs, willing him to stay with her. Maybe she could persuade him to leave with her. Diggs didn’t seem as bad as the rest. He really did care. He’d done nothing but put his life on the line for Trigger. He didn’t belong with thesepeople.
Yet, he snapped his feet together and saluted his commander. “Yes, sir.” And with that, Diggs stalked from theroom.
Audra felt the fear come crashing down, pummeling her senses. Reaper was now staring at her, his expressionless mask firmly in place. “You will stay here with your dog until I determine what we will do after speaking with Diggs. You are not to leave this room. Is thatunderstood?”
Audra threw her chin up in the air and stared at him defiantly, praying he couldn’t see the terror insideher.
One of the men behind him finally broke rank, leaning close to his commander to say in a low tone that was still loud enough to carry across the room, “I’m not sure she heard you, Top.” Then the guy winked at her, stepped back in line, his expression falling flat so fast she thought she must’ve imagined hiswink.
“She heard me,” Reaper said, “and if she’s smart, she’ll do what I toldher.”
As if she would leave Trigger’s side for a second. These madmen would throw him out back like trash, she knew it. But she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of responding like one of his mindless men, following orders withoutquestion.
“Dr. Averton, can you check on my fiancee? She didn’t feel well this morning. She’s lying in bed now, but only because I madeher.”
Audra had completely forgotten Melissa was standing behind her. She was too stunned by hearing the monster had a fiancee, but not the least bit shocked that he forced her to stay in bed. The man seemed to think the entire world needed to do as hesaid.
“Already on my schedule. I peeked in on her a little while ago, but she was asleep. I’ll check on her as soon as I finishhere.”
Then Reaper lifted his finger in the air and made a circular motion. “With me.” He turned and walked from the room, the three men behind him filing out, the one who’d winked at her casually strolling as if he didn’t have a care in theworld.
As soon as they were gone, Audra rounded on Melissa. “Can I move Trigger without hurtinghim?”
“With the amount of sedatives I gave him, he won’t wake up for at least a few hours, but I think it would be a risk. If he was moved improperly, his fractured ribs could break and puncture his lungs,” she said matter-of-factly.
Audra felt some of the hope drain from her. She wanted to take him right now and run from this place, before Reaper came back and threatened their safety and before Diggs came back and threatened herresolve.
He made her want to stay here with him and never leave, even though his military connections couldn’t be denied. But no matter how sexy he was, she couldn’t stay here, not if she wanted to live. Jeremy’s commander would find her, she knew that for a fact. If Reaper and his team found out who she was they’d report her and takeTrigger.
She didn’t trust Reaper in theleast.
