Romy stared straight ahead at his chest, determined that he would not see her cry. Even if her knot had been standing at gunpoint right then, she didn’t think she’d be able to meet his gaze. Romy's reply was wooden. She was surprised when her voice didn’t betray her panic. “Our knot is here on a research trip.”

He gripped her upper arm in a vice-like grip. She yelped in pain.

“Officer Cayne?” came a questioning call.

Romy’s eyes filled with shameful, humiliated tears. But they wouldn’t fall. Not in front of him.

The grip on her arm disappeared and she whimpered as blood rushed back into the limb.

Lucas strode to the door, gun swinging over his shoulder. He smiled at her demeaned state. “That was your last warning. Next time, I’ll follow through on my promise.”

Romy twisted away as soon as he disappeared from view. She pressed a fist against her mouth, squeezing her eyes shut. No sobbing. Not until he was gone. Rising on tip-toes, she watched the three soldiers march away. Tears tracked down her face as she finally let out her terror. Dry gasps shook her body in torrents.

Wave after wave passed. And she felt filthy. As though she should wash for days. It took her ten attempts to do up the button of her shorts with fumbling hands.

She just sat there. Sat there until the last bell chimed. And Romy felt calm.

Calm and empty.

Lucas was right about one thing: she hadn’t known what sexual assault really was.

The thought of what that man might do to her made Romy sick to her stomach. She looked around the room and stood on shaking legs. Romy was less of a fool than she’d been this morning. Lucas had no qualms about breaking the law.

She sighed. She couldn’t stay in this room by herself. It wasn’t safe. The matter had gone past the point Romy could deal with. Self-preservation had kicked in.

Lucas would think he’d scared her off with his physical advances. And he had. He was also arrogant enough that he wouldn’t expect her to tell anyone.

And she wasn’t going to because she suspected his orders came from the top.

But she wasn’t going to stick around for him to hurt her, either.

CHAPTER TWENTY

“Are you sure there’s nothing I can do here?” Romy asked. The question took on a whining quality. If Houston had no work for her to pretend to do, she didn’t know where else to go.

Houston looked between her and Thrym with a baffled expression. “I’m sure,” he said slowly. A frown lingered on his brow.

“Is there a problem?”

Romy whirled to find Atlas in the doorway. Did he have some kind of damned Romy radar?