Trapped (The Condemned Series #1) - Alison Aimes Page 0,32

throat.

They crashed into one of the boulders and then another. Fists flying. Grunts and curses exploding from both men. Her scream of warning strangling in her throat as Convict ducked a vicious swing before popping up to deliver a lightning-fast blow to the giant’s jaw. Then she blinked, and her attacker fell backwards against a sharp rock, Convict’s fists plowing into the man’s face and gut in rapid fire. His strength, his quickness, astonishing.

But Convict’s opponent was no weakling either. With a roar, he launched himself forward, his arms swingy wildly.

She pushed off the rock, her movements clumsy as she jerked up her pants. She needed to find her spear. She needed to help.

But even as her plan formed, slow and sluggish in her mind, Convict sidestepped the man easily, using his momentum to ensure the attacker stumbled past. Then, as quick as a tigos, Convict’s powerful arms locked round the man’s neck.

Her gaze fused with Convict’s.

They were as black and unreadable as ever.

His arms twisted. There was a faint crack. Her attacker’s body twitched.

Her mouth opened on a silent scream.

Convict dropped his arms.

Her attacker crumpled to the ground, his narrow grey eyes open and empty.

Convict had killed for her.

Chapter Ten

Bella stared at the dead man.

“You okay?” Convict stepped over the body, his chest heaving. “Did he hurt you?”

At the reminder, she clutched her sore throat, her gaze shifting between him and the dead guy.

Convict stepped in front, blocking her view, corralling her backwards down the path away from the dead man. “Don’t waste a minute on 015. He tortured and killed eleven women before being sent to Dragath25. Someone should have killed him long ago.”

Another shudder swept through her.

“Bella?” He raised his hands. She blinked stupidly. He’d used her name. Her real name. She wasn’t even sure he knew it.

“Yes?” Did he mean to hold her? God she hoped so; she could really use his strength right now. But in the next moment, his hands dropped back to his sides, curling into fists.

“You sure you’re okay?”

The gentleness in his voice had her blinking back tears. Or maybe it was the disappointment that she was still standing on her own.

“I’m okay.” Her words were a whispered croak. Worse, the strange lassitude that had seized hold of her moments ago was drifting away to leave behind a pounding headache, twisting stomach, and shaking legs. Still, it could have been far worse. “You got there in time. You saved me.”

She wrapped her arms around herself, her trembling growing stronger with every second. “How about you? Are you okay?”

He looked down at his hands as if thinking about it for the first time. Blood and scratches covered his knuckles. “I’m fine.” His gaze found hers. There was challenge in his stare. “He deserved what he got.”

“And I couldn’t be more grateful you were there to dispense justice.” If he thought she was going to be berate him for killing a monster intent on torturing and killing her, he was wrong.

He nodded absently. Plowed a hand through his hair. Even from an arm’s length away, she could feel his keyed up energy, the darkness still roiling through him.

“Where did he come from?” It seemed the logical thing to ask, and yet the words felt strange coming out of her mouth. Like she should be screaming instead. Or falling apart.

“He was a tracker for 225. He and a few others must have been following your soldiers’ tracks from the crash site.”

A fresh surge of panic whipped through her. “A few others?”

“They won’t be bothering you.”

It took her a second to understand. Convict had killed them, too.

He could have easily walked away, but he hadn’t. Instead, he’d gone on the hunt and taken them out before they could hurt anyone else.

Another wave of gratitude—and something more primitive—flowed through her. He’d warned her there was no humanity and no selflessness on Dragath25, but he’d lied. “Thank you.”

His expression turned wary. “Don’t think this is the end. 225 will send more men to investigate. Especially when these don’t return. He doesn’t like any challenge to his authority.”

“We’ve got to warn the others.”

“Not tonight.”

“But—”

“Not tonight. It will take at least a couple of days for 225 and his pack to sense something is wrong. That gives us plenty of time to cover our tracks and come up with a plan to convince them any survivors are now dead.”

She almost wept; she was so relieved. The thought of retracing their steps and handling another ugly confrontation with Pogue and Dr.