Trapped (The Condemned Series #1) - Alison Aimes Page 0,20

croak cut into their conversation. “What’s going on?”

Bella sank back on her heels. Their commanding officer was alive and awake. “Don’t try and get up.” Ignoring protocol once again, she pressed gently down on his chest as he tried to rise. “There was a crash. You were hurt.” She didn’t know how much he remembered of the last day and a half. Winthrop scanned their faces, his eyes groggy, his handsome face tight with pain and weariness, his skin so pale the dark Council designation on his neck stood out even more than usual. “Are you both okay?”

“My leg’s a little banged up, but I’m fine,” answered Ava.

“I’m fine, too.” Bella felt a surge of guilt. Beyond a few scrapes and a sore shoulder that only really hurt when something heavy bore down on it, she was remarkably unscathed while so many of their colleagues had died. She dreaded having to tell Winthrop that.

“Thank God.” Winthrop’s hand gripped hers. “The others?”

“Pogue and a few other soldiers also made it out alive.” Her gaze slid from his. “The rest didn’t.”

“Shit.” Lines of grief tightened his usually cheerful face. “Where is Pogue now? I—I remember somebody carrying me.” He struggled to sit up fully. “I need to thank him.”

She and Ava exchanged a look. “It wasn’t Pogue. He and his crew deserted us.”

“What?” Winthrop’s protest started as a roar, but ended on a pained hiss, his hand clutching his chest. “Christ, that hurts.” He shook off their attempt to check his bandage. “Deserted us? The Council will have Pogue’s job for this. His freedom, too. His sole objective is to keep us alive.”

“He was afraid for his life.” Bella wasn’t defending, simply explaining. She’d detested Pogue since the first time he ‘accidentally’ brushed up against her ass during a training session. His actions since the shuttle wreck had only confirmed her initial assumption of his character. “Our crash drew the attention of the Dragath25 prisoners.”

“Are they after us?” Winthrop tried to heave himself up. Instead, he slipped on his elbow and crashed back down with a grunt.

“We’re safe. Stop thrashing around.” Ava added her weight to Bella’s, holding the man down. Clearly, Bella wasn’t the only one emboldened by being temporarily beyond Council rule. Still, her colleague’s wary gaze flickered to Bella before shifting back to Winthrop. “Bella found us help.”

“Help?” Winthrop’s eyes slid shut. Even that simple effort had exhausted him. “Thank God. I think I need a little more time before I can make a run for it.”

It was the kind of self-deprecating joke he always had at the ready. It had Bella smiling, her eyes prickling with the sting of salt, relief that he was alive, that they were all alive, winding through her.

Ava’s eyes were wet, too, as she smiled down at the man. “Let me get you some water.” She sprung up, hurrying toward the hollow gourd Convict had left behind.

“Bella, I’m so glad you’re okay.” Winthrop pressed her hand against the curve of his face, surprising her. “I knew the second I saw you, you were extraordinary. So beautiful. So determined.” He turned and kissed her palm; his mouth a warm, unwelcome imprint against her skin. “I shouldn’t have let Council biases deter me. I—I’ve wanted to tell you for so long. I…I care for you. And I’m not going to let protocol stand in my way anymore. I want us to be far more than colleagues. And my position affords enough influence to weather any damage our union might cause.” His grip tightened. “Thank you for finding a way to save us so I could come to my senses.”

He was in shock. Likely not thinking clearly. And, boy oh boy, the presumption. The unbelievable arrogance. Still…he was her superior. She shifted uncomfortably, her face growing hot, her mind struggling for the right thing to say.

Especially since she doubted he’d be thanking her so fervently if he knew the truth of what she’d done to save them.

“Well, isn’t this cozy.”

Bella looked up.

Convict loomed above, his gaze locked on Winthrop’s hand atop hers. “I see he finally woke up.”

Winthrop’s hold tightened. “Who’s this?”

The air vibrated with menace.

Bella struggled to her knees. “Convict, this is Dr. Winthrop, Senior Council Officer of our mission. Dr. Winthrop, this is Convict. The man who’s saved our lives countless times already.” As subtly as possible, she tried to withdraw her hand from Winthrop. He didn’t let go.

Convict’s nostrils flared.

Ava returned with the water, her nervous gaze flickering between the two men. “I—I