Page 40 of Savage Escape

She laughed again, this time more wheezy and pained than before.

“I’ll have you know I am alady. Ladies don’t pick wedgies. Stop making me laugh. I might pass out.”

Then she smiled. A real, soft-eyed smile that had Nathan swaying where he sat. Maybe it was the blood loss. But hell, she smiled, and he about fainted.

“Want me to pop your arm back in?” It took him longer than it should have to find his voice again and change the subject, but he finally got himself under control.

“You up to it?” She motioned to his shot-up shoulder and sat up when he nodded.

Nathan had dislocated his shoulder before. He knew how incredibly painful it was to do and how much more painful it wasto push back in. On top of the fact that she may have broken it as well just made it that much worse.

She clenched her jaw when he picked up her hand and pulled it up until it was straight out. All the good humor in her face was gone now. She braced herself, teeth clenched, lips pursed.

“You ready?” He rested her arm on his chest and stretched his good arm until it was even with her shoulder.

“Just do it.” It was a snarl.

Making sure her arm was perfectly straight, he drew his hand back, watched as she squished her eyes closed, and slapped her shoulder. He could hear the crack of the bone snapping back into the socket and feel it under his palm. The merc went completely white, eyes wide open now. They rolled in her head and she slumped where she sat.

“Caden.” Nathan knew she had passed out, but that didn’t stop a cold finger of panic from crawling up his spine.

He found a pulse and made himself calm the fuck down because her pulse was there and it was steady, if a bit fast. Taking a deep, calming breath, he resettled her on her back, figuring her ribs were causing more pain than the lashes on her.

He needed to get his shit together. He needed to make phone calls and get them the hell out of dodge. They couldn’t survive another capture. Well, Caden most likely could because she could survive anything, but he wouldn’t last. Not with two bullet holes and no medical attention.

All the things he should have been doing were second to the thoughts of Caden Quinn and just exactly how he was going to pursue a relationship with the notorious thief. Nathan wasn’t a ‘wham-bam thank ya ma’am’ kinda guy. Fucking went hand in hand with relationship-ing.

If she didn’t want him. Well, that would suck something fierce. She’d kissed him but, Nathan figured, it was mostly because she was about to dive headfirst into mortal combat andwhy the hell not just kiss him? He’d cross that bridge when he came to it, though, no use borrowing trouble. Either way, he’d still have to bring her home to his parents. Ellen and Bobby Savage had a way about them that could heal all wounds.

He just didn’t know how it was going to work. It helped that there wasn’t a whole hell of a lot known about the woman, but still. He was an ex-soldier, ex-government man, just exactly everything that did not mix well with a thief. His family was all pretty much the same, law-abiding citizens and all that. Actually, it was worse because the family business was specifically targeted at the lawbreakers.

The hair on his nape stood.

Fuck.

There was no telling noise that made his senses go on alert.

Shit.

The house was quiet. No betraying creek or cloth on cloth shifting.

Damn it.

There was someone in the house. He could feel it.

Silently, the ex-soldier threw a blanket over the unconscious mercenary, stuffed the Beretta in his pants, and palmed the Colt. He hadn’t had time to pick escape routes, and it wasn’t like he could throw Caden over his shoulder and run away. Ignoring the searing pain ripping his muscles apart, he positioned himself at the foot of the bed and waited for the invisible enemy to show themselves.

One second, the doorway was empty and then it wasn’t. His finger tightened on the trigger before recognition sparked. Nathan chucked down his gun and sagged in relief.

“Jackson.” Nathan should have been surprised to see his brother sweeping the room with his barrel, but he really couldn’t muster up the energy to do so.

It was Jackson. The goddamn, surly, marvelous son of a bitch. Which meant a Savage Security team was in company as well. Hell, maybe all four teams.

“Clear,” Jackson barked into his headset and turned his attention back to Nathan.

Reid and Holden were tailing him. Which meant Dax, Maddox, and Kade were coming in from the rear.

“You asshole,” was all Nathan could muster at that particular moment. Relief and elation were smothering every other emotion.