Page 27 of Us Defiant Few

“You’re all done for the day. We’ll pick this back up tomorrow.” Brock stormed off, and Serene grinned, knowing she’d gotten under his skin. A place she thrived in.

Khalani returned to her tiny bedroom, which was more like a mini storage closet, but compared to the cells she’d lived in previously, it might as well have been a mansion. After finding the spare towel and toothbrush in her room, she zoomed over to the showers Jack had shown them earlier. The water covered her ears, overloading her senses, and for a few blissful moments, Khalani pretended that nearly every inch of her life wasn’t a waking nightmare.

But try as she might, problems couldn’t be drowned underwater. After lathering her body with soap, drying off, and brushing her teeth, she changed into gray sweatpants and a plain white T-shirt that reached her butt.

But on the way back to her bedroom, she heard voices.

Peeking down the hall, she caught a glimpse of Jack speaking with Jericho, who was still standing guard in front of Takeshi’s room.

Khalani rapidly tapped her fingers against her thighs, zeroing in on the door that called to her like water in a desert. Unable to resist, she threw the towel on the bed and ventured down the hall.

They both turned at her approach.

She gulped, wishing for the power of invisibility so she could squeeze right past them. But with the way their eyes carefully tracked her, that wasn’t going to happen.

“Hi.” She cleared her throat, rubbing her hands together.

Jack eyed her wet hair. “I’m glad to see you washed up. Lord knows we needed it after the camp.” His expression grew distant, and she nearly forgot that he’d been stuck in the prison camp for months.

“Are the Dealers still looking for us?”

“Undoubtedly,” he stated. “But my men have laid false trails in other sections of the city, and they’re beginning to bite. My advice is to continue gathering your strength over the next couple of days, because we could be moving out any moment.”

Jack’s voice grew stronger, and Jericho straightened beside him. She admired the way everyone respected Jack and hung onto his every word. Even after escaping from a prison camp, he immediately thrust himself back into the leadership role like he was born for it.

“Thank you, Jack.” Khalani gazed up at him earnestly. “You’re a good leader.”

His lips twisted, like a part of him didn’t fully believe that, but he nodded. She glanced at the door again, her heart racing faster. “Is it okay if I talk to him?”

“Last I recall, he tried to kill you.”

“I…I know. But it’ll be worse if he thinks he’s all alone here. Takeshi needs to know that he still has people that care about him, even if he doesn’t remember. It will just be a few minutes.” She dug her nails into her palms, nearly losing her thin layer of control.

Jack considered her words, studying her long and hard. She waited with bated breath, already planning for him to say no. If so, she’d find another way to sneak past Jericho.

Khalani was certain Serene would help her.

She didn’t know what type of desperation Jack recognized in her expression, because he finally said, “You have five minutes and five minutes only. And Jericho will stay inside with you.”

“But—”

“That’s nonnegotiable.” Jack lowered his head. “Be certain of your decision, Khalani, because if he tries anything, he’ll suffer for it.”

8

I looked the monster dead in its eyes.

And it smiled back at me.

Khalani held her breath as she crossed the threshold into Takeshi’s room. They no longer held him in a cell. The gray, muted space was roughly the size of her bedroom, maybe even smaller.

Jericho shut the door and stood firmly in front of it. She stepped forward, but Takeshi wasn’t lying on the bed. Her mouth fell slightly open when she found him sitting on the floor, staring at the stone wall.

His legs were pulled up, elbows resting casually on his knees.

But he was anything but calm.

His shoulders were rigid, and his forearms bulged as he gripped his hands in a viselike hold, as if he was barely holding himself together.