Page 19 of Black Bay Defender
He’d seen his Beasts heal. Had witnessed the miracle of what they were capable of, but this… seemed impossible. She’d been shot twice in the head. The two wounds, currently covered with a stark white bandage, were close together on the side of her forehead near her hairline.
A choked sound came from his throat, and his usual surefootedness abandoned him as he stumbled to the side of the bed. He collapsed into the chair and swiped a hand over his face. He shouldn’t have favorites, he knew that, but Lark… Lark had always held a special place in his heart.
He remembered the first time he’d seen her when he and his team had raided that lab to free those kids. She’d been in the final cell they’d breached. That bright, eye-catching hair and those scales that had framed her face. Fourteen years old, she’d been tall and gangly back then, all knees and elbows, but so fucking smart it had taken his breath away.
They’d disabled the locks on her cell and he’d marched inside. She’d immediately snagged his gaze with her eyes. Mesmerized him. “You messed up,” she’d said to him. “The doctors always make me put on the hood before they come inside.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m dangerous.”
He hadn’t been able to look away or even step back as she opened her mouth with a hiss and showed him her fangs. Definitely dangerous.
“We’re here to free you,” he told her.
Her mouth snapped shut as a confused frown furrowed her brow. “Truly?”
“Truly,” he repeated. “No more cells, no more hoods. I’m taking you – all of you – out of here. No one will ever hurt you again.”
Her chin had quivered for a moment before she blinked, releasing the hold she had on him. He’d reached out a hand and after a brief hesitation, she’d taken it. Hand in hand, they’d walked through the facility toward the elevators that would bring them out of the subterranean levels, and the entire time, she’d peppered him with questions. Like a commanding officer demanding a report from one of her troops.
“You were able to free the others without issue?”
As soon as he’d confirmed that, she’d asked, “And were you able to secure the files from the database? You’ll want those.”
He’d shot her a look. “Are you telling me how to do my job, little miss?”
“I am not little,” she’d returned. “However, I am proficient with computers and can assist you should you require it.”
He’d wanted to laugh. He found the suggestion adorable coming from someone so young, but somehow, he managed to bite it back, unsure if she’d appreciate his humor after speaking to him so gravely. His tone was equally solemn when he returned, “Thank you for the offer. If we run into any problems I’ll let you know.”
She’d nodded sharply, accepting the terms, and they’d carried on.
Pulling free of one of his most cherished memories, the General swiped at his hot eyes and reached out to take Lark’s hand. Unlike when he’d held her hand all those years ago to lead her into freedom, her skin now was too cool. He’d promised her that no one would ever hurt her. His eyes flicked once again to that bandage. He’d failed her.
Leaning forward, he braced his elbows on the side of her bed and brought her limp fingers to his mouth for a kiss. “You need to come back to me, little miss. You know I can’t do this without you.”
His eyes lifted to the silent monitor and the little blips on that line that were too far apart, too slow in coming. The numbers in red down one side flashed repeatedly in a warning. His vision blurred as tears welled in his eyes and he blinked rapidly to clear them.
With a harsh expletive, he kissed her fingers again. Clearing his throat, gruffly, he demanded, “You wake up, Lark. Do you hear me? That’s an order. You are not relieved of duty, soldier.”
With one last squeeze of her limp fingers, he stood and left the room. They needed to prepare for a siege.
Chapter Eleven
They’dmovedLarktoher apartment in the residential area. While she was still hooked up to an IV and would be manually monitored by the medical staff, they’d disconnected her from any electronic monitoring equipment.
“Those machines aren’t calibrated for the Beasts and their unique abilities,” Paige had told Grady when he’d shown up at the infirmary and she informed him of the move. “She kept setting off the alarms. Better to do things the old-fashioned way. Besides, she’ll be more comfortable in her own bed.”
With a nod, he’d turned to leave, anxious to get to Lark’s side, but Paige had placed a staying hand on his arm. “You’re free to roam?” she asked. Looking behind him, she tacked on, “I don’t see your security detail shadowing you.”
The General hadn’t said anything about it, and while it was probable that the man had temporarily forgotten, considering all the shit that was going on, Grady sure as hell wasn’t going to remind him. “I guess I am.”
Paige shot him a speaking glance. “Don’t do anything to change that.”
“I won’t.” Right now, his desire to kill Doctor Dietrich – the reason why he’d been assigned the security detail – was extremely low on his list of priorities.
He moved to leave, but again, Paige forestalled him. “Lark’s recuperation could take a while,” she warned. “Perrin told me that she’d seen one of their own shot in the head before.” Swallowing hard, she added, “When they were being experimented on.”
