Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 87193 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87193 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
“Sounds good,” she said. She immediately tripped on a loose rock and barely caught herself, throwing a hand out to brace against the wall. The slate felt colder there, slick under her glove. At least the tunnel was tall enough that Bulwark didn’t have to duck yet.
He took a sharp right, and she stayed closer, not trusting the way the darkness swallowed distance.
“Do you know how to use a diamond drill?” she asked.
“Sure,” he muttered. “How hard can it be?”
“All right,” she said. “Fair enough.”
When he decided to stop and drill, she’d move out of the way. She didn’t know much about mining, but messing with the earth deep underground felt like a great way to cause a cave-in.
The walls grew darker as they went, the stone taking on a denser color. Blue-gray shifted to charcoal, then nearly black where moisture had soaked deep into the layers. She reached out again, fingertips brushing the surface. It wasn’t smooth anymore. Subtle lines ran through it, clean and tight, like pages pressed together.
“Wow,” she whispered.
An old timber support came into view, cracked and bowed, its base half-buried in rubble. They were definitely deeper now.
“Are you sure this isn’t a good place?” she asked.
“Not yet,” Bulwark said. He ducked his head and stepped down into a small round chamber. Nadia followed, nerves jangling, and stopped short. The space opened up just enough to feel intentional. Smooth rocks. Scuffed floor. Old marks where carts or crates might’ve rested.
“Oh,” she said. “This must’ve been a staging place.”
Bulwark nodded and straightened, stretching his back. “Yeah. Maybe now’s a good time for you and me to get some things straight.”
Her shoulders tightened. She planted her hands on her hips as he turned to face her.
“I want you to lose the attitude,” he said. “I’m done with that.”
She blinked. “Are you joking? So much for an apology. You tried to kill me.”
“Yeah, but if I really cared whether you lived or died, you’d be dead,” he muttered.
Her chest tightened. “You stabbed me in the back. What kind of guy does that?”
He shrugged. “Someone under orders. I was hired and promised that once I helped Raya take over Jackson’s pack, she’d help me take over this one. Simple.”
Nadia’s jaw clenched. “Raya is dead.”
“I know.” His gaze didn’t waver. “She turned on Jackson and tried to kill several people. She died as a result. I don’t work for her anymore. Now I’m going to lead this pack.” He moved toward her.
She backed up. “What are you doing?”
“Just seeing if we’re compatible.”
Before she could react, he grabbed her arms and lifted her, too easily, pinning her against the smooth slate wall. Cold stone pressed into her spine.
“Hey,” she snapped, kicking at him. “Knock it off.”
He crushed his mouth to hers.
She bit his lip hard.
“Whoa.” He jerked back, shock flashing across his face. “Do that again,” he said darkly, “and I’ll smack you.”
The mine felt very small all of a sudden.
“You’re responsible for my safety,” Nadia spat, struggling as she tried to wrench herself free. “Remember that?”
“I am getting you out of here safely,” Bulwark snapped back. “They didn’t say anything about what condition you’d be in.”
He tossed her aside.
She hit the ground hard, her knees slamming into the packed earth. Pain shot up her legs, sharp and immediate, stealing her breath for a second. Grit worked its way through the fabric of her pants, biting into skin.
“You are such a dick,” she growled, shoving herself upright just as he backhanded her. She didn’t see it coming. It came out of the darkness, sudden and brutal. Her head snapped sideways, and she flew into the sidewall. Her hands hit first, palms scraping against slate. The skin split in thin lines, hot and stinging. Her shoulder followed, knocking the breath out of her again.
“You’d better learn to watch yourself,” Bulwark said calmly. “I have no problem beating the crap out of you.”
Her vision swam. Stars burst behind her eyes. If she’d had a weapon, she would’ve used it without hesitation. She pressed a hand to her face, jaw throbbing, cheek already swelling.
Caidrik already wanted this guy dead. That thought cut through the pain with startling clarity. While she and Caidrik were by no means a sure thing, she knew one thing with absolute certainty. He would not take kindly to anyone hitting a woman.
“I see why your brother hates you,” she muttered.
Bulwark threw his head back and laughed, the sound bouncing strangely off the stone. “That’s not why he hates me.” He stepped closer, his headlamp flaring directly into her eyes, blinding her for a moment. “He hates me because I stole his girlfriend.”
“Yeah. Right.”
He smiled thinly. “Her name was Carrie. She was exactly his type. Six feet tall. Long black hair. Light-colored eyes.” His tone turned casual, almost bored. “We grew up together. All three of us. I think he thought he owned her.” He leaned back against the wall. “Turns out I did.”