“Ow,” muttered Reed, who’d been peering into the room behind Mia. He rubbed his nose.

“All right then,” said Imani dryly. “Rune? Be my roommate? I’ll let you have first shower.”

Rune took her extended hand. “That’s not a deal I can refuse.” She glanced over her shoulder at Cage. “Um. We should maybe talk or something. You know, later.”

“Later,” he agreed with a smile.

Reed sighed heavily. “I guess that means Mia’s not going to give me that first aid kit she found in the warehouse, huh?”

Cage gestured at the closed door. “Feel free to storm in there and demand it.”

“Yeah, no. I think I’ll go spend about three hours soaking in a tub.” Reed’s eyes twinkled. “Kenzie? What do you say? Roomies?”

Before I could answer, Cage gave him a shove in the direction of one of the rooms. “Get moving, smartass.” He glanced at me, his expression awkward as Reed chuckled and limped toward the door. “Um. That does leave the two of us, but I’m not saying we have to share. I can easily sleep on the couch.”

“Great,” I said brightly. “That means I get the shower to myself, right?”

He leveled a finger in my direction. “That you have to share.” Red suffused his cheeks as he realized what he’d said. “Wait. Not . . .”

I laughed in spite of myself, but quickly sobered as the awkwardness of being alone together settled in. We stared at each other. It wasn’t the first time we’d been alone since Sanctuary, but someone always lurked around the corner. Now, as we stood in a closed space with little threat of interruption, tension wrapped us in its grip. “You and Rune aren’t the only ones who need to talk,” I said quietly.

He closed his eyes as if in pain but nodded. “I know.”

“I think . . .” I shifted awkwardly. I’d been dodging the subject for weeks now. How did you ask someone if they were a murderer? Whether all the fears you’d held about them might be true? Especially when it was someone you cared about? “I think I need a shower,” I blurted out.

Great. Fan-bloody-tastic, as Mia liked to say. Way to step up and face the music. I gritted my teeth and forced myself to continue, “But we can share the room. We’ve been sleeping beside each other for weeks anyway. And we do need to talk. Just . . . can we do it later?”

Cage passed his hand over his face and nodded. “Yeah. I think we’ll both think more clearly once we’ve cleaned up and eaten. Why don’t you grab the shower first?”

I pivoted and ran for the bathroom, ignoring his chuckle. The dual opportunity of escaping this conversation and getting clean? I’d never wanted anything more in my entire life.

TEN