Page 30 of Hollow Trace

Bright fluorescent lights stung his eyes, the strong scent of antiseptic wash and bleach assaulting his senses. Scout took the table next to him, shivering despite the way she clenched her fists and firmed her jaw, the accumulated chill from earlier in the evening obviously still taking a toll.

He studied her for a moment, taking in the long sleek line of her neck, the way she snagged her bottom lip between her teeth, worrying it for a few moments before catching his gaze, steeling her resolve. Wynn appeared at her side a moment later, helping her remove the layers of clothing, baring the heavy cost of her blowing those regulators.

A patchwork of purple and blue bruises covered her torso, one spot on her ribs raw from where the impact had broken the skin. She closed her eyes as Wynn examined the sites, wincing whenever her teammate pressed on her side.

Quinn cursed under his breath, wishing he could have a redo, only this time, he’d insist on having her back. “Christ, Scout. You look like those men used you as a piñata.”

She glanced over at him, arching a brow as he removed his shirt. “Says the man who’s bruised as fuck. At least I didn’t try to drive a forklift through a blast door after shielding me from a grenade.”

“Both worked.”

She laughed, swearing as she grabbed her ribs. “Don’t make me laugh.” Her grimace faded into a soft smile, her gaze sliding over him as Darwin pushed and prodded, shaking his head the entire time.

Grunting, Darwin walked over to one of the cabinets and removed some skin adhesive. “Fortunately, none of the lacerations are that deep. Some glue and bandages should be enough. Just try to keep them clean and dry, and for god’s sake, don’t get hit again until these heal or you might end up puncturing a lung.” Darwin looked over his shoulder at Scout. “That goes for you, too, Scout, because your bruises look even deeper.”

Scout sighed. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“I swear, if Gus had warned me how stubborn you all are…”

“You still would have asked us to stay.”

“That’s up for debate.” Darwin tugged off his gloves and tossed them in the bin. “Coulter and Neve are bringing you some new clothes. Try not to ruin those in record time, too.”

Quinn waited until Darwin left before sliding off the table and ambling over to Scout’s side.

He moved between her legs, admiring the way her hair fell across her shoulders in gentle waves since she’d taken it down. Or how a hint of red crept into her skin as he stopped a breath away, his bare chest nearly colliding with hers. “I gotta say, for a mad scientist, he’s extremely sane.”

Scout sighed. “If it weren’t for Darwin, we’d all be dead a few times over. He’s the only reason Kane’s been able to walk again.”

“Which is your subtle way of telling me, I need to stop looking at him as a suspected fugitive and see the man beneath the accusations.”

“It wasn’t subtle.”

“Wouldn’t have expected it to be. And he’s right about one thing…” He tucked some of that silky mass behind one ear. “Your bruises are definitely worse than mine.”

Scout palmed his chest, avoiding the swath of purple across his skin. “That sounds like a challenge.”

“More of a statement, but if you want to wrestle later…” He closed his eyes, resting his forehead on hers.

Scout slid her hands up his chest and around his neck, threading them through his hair as she held his head tight to hers. “She’s going to be okay. We’ll find her, and we’ll bring her back.”

He swallowed, hoping he didn’t choke. “Just don’t trade your life for hers, because that would kill me.”

She lowered her hands to his face, palming his cheeks. “You’re not getting rid of me that easily.”

“Nothing with you has ever been easy.”

“Oh, sounds like another challenge.”

He grinned, brushing his mouth over hers, wanting nothing more than to lose himself in the heat of her touch, the way her skin moved beneath his hands, when Neve called Scout’s name.

He dropped a chaste kiss on her lips, glancing over his shoulder for a moment. “Your teammates have impeccable timing.”

Neve rolled her eyes. “Like you were gonna do anything other than kiss her in the med bay.” She stopped beside Quinn, her next breath hissing out. “You two look like shit.”

Quinn placed his hand on his chest. “That’s hurtful. And why the hell isn’t Coulter on one of the tables. He took some shrapnel too.”

Coulter grinned as he handed Quinn some clothes. “Because I’ve been here long enough to know to change out of the bloody evidence before Darwin catches the scent. The guy’s like a damn shark. Can smell a drop of blood from fifty paces.”