Later, Dallas came by to take her to shower.
The camp was all men, so there was no need for separate showers. There were just five open stalls, crudely partitioned.
Dallas handed her clean clothes and toiletries. "These are mine. Make do. Jordanep your wounds dry."
"Thanks."
It was a special time with special circumstances—being able to shower at all was a blessing. Averi thanked him, took the clothes, and went in.
Dallas stayed by the door.
With her injuries on her feet, showering was difficult. Averi wet a towel to wipe herself down, roughly washed her hair, and changed into Dallas's clothes.
The weather was too hot, and she had used cold water, so the clothes felt warmer than her skin. There was a faint scent of laundry detergent, like being enveloped in a hug.
Averi pulled the collar up to take a sniff. It was different from how he smelled back home, but similar—simple, clean.
She pushed the door open and was slightly surprised to see he was still there.
Dallas had intended to explain that mercenaries came in all types, and these men hadn't seen a woman in a long time.
But the words circled on his tongue before he swallowed them. He didn't want her to know.
Averi was now dressed in a military green short-sleeve T-shirt and camouflage pants, paired with a simple pair of black rubber sandals. Dallas was taller than her, so naturally, the clothes were big. The shirt was long enough to cover her hips, so Averi tucked it into her waistband, rolling up the pant legs a few times to reveal her slender ankles.
The black slippers made her feet look especially pale, and even the wounds seemed like a kind of damaged beauty.
Not to mention, her toenails were painted—a tempting shade of crimson.
Averi's hair was still wet, a few drops of water trailing down the strands to her chest, darkening the fabric in a small patch. It didn't reveal anything underneath, but for men who had been starved of female company for months, it was enough.
A few soldiers eating nearby noticed her and, sure enough, took a few extra glances.
Dallas understood what those looks meant. He stepped in front of Averi, blocking her from view, and reached to pull her shirt out from her waistband.
The shirt turned into a dress, falling to mid-thigh, concealing all her waist and hip curves.
Averi quickly realized why he did it and sincerely said, "Thank you."
Dallas frowned, looking at her bare feet. "There aren't any shoes here in your size."
"It's fine, the slippers are okay."
Dallas turned to look at the men eating, his voice a bit cold. "There are female soldiers on the other side. I'll ask if they have any extra shoes."
Averi wanted to refuse, but seeing his serious expression, she changed her mind and nodded.
Dallas had made up his mind not to leave her alone in the "den of wolves." After giving Karter a heads-up, he took her with him to drive to the peacekeeping camp.
Once they arrived, Dallas left her in the car and got out to borrow shoes.
About half an hour later, he returned to the car with a bag, along with news about Jordan. "Jordan's surgery is done. The anesthesia hasn't worn off yet, so she's still unconscious."
Averi let out a long sigh of relief. "That's good."
She opened the bag. Inside were a pair of slippers, a pair of flat military boots, and a few pairs of socks. Averi tried on the slippers first—they fit perfectly. Thinking of something, she then checked the soles of the boots, and sure enough, they were her size too.
She turned her head to look at Dallas, seeing him staring straight ahead at the road, with no intention of talking to her.
Averi wisely kept quiet.
At bedtime, Dallas appeared in her metal barracks again. "Tonight, I'm sleeping here with you."
In the past, she would have raised an eyebrow and asked, "In what way?" But now, Averi just nodded in acceptance.
Her compliance made Dallas feel awkward, not wanting her to misunderstand, he stood rooted to the spot, trying to say, "Mercenaries recruit based solely on combat skills... the composition of personnel is quite complex."
He spoke so subtly that he wasn't sure if she would understand. But to be more straightforward...
How to say it, to express my concern that someone in the camp might lose control and break in at night to rape her?
He felt uncomfortable as the word flashed through his mind.
Averi's eyebrows relaxed, and she felt like laughing.
Does he think of her as an innocent flower of the motherland? What's there to be shy about, they've said so much during their intimate moments.
Thinking of the past, her mood suddenly changed.
They were no longer in that kind of relationship; she shouldn't joke around.
Her smile faded, Averi composed herself and spoke up to ease his discomfort, "I understand." She said earnestly, "Thank you."
Her red lips curved into a perfect arc, forming a smile that was both gentle and poised, yet carried the unmistakable air of professionalism.
Dallas had seen this smile on her face countless times. It was the one she put on for outsiders.
Her understanding did not bridge the gap between them. Instead, Dallas looked at her with even more distance, "I'll go get the sleeping bag."
Averi nodded. "Thanks."
The next morning, Leo knocked on her door.
"Ms. Forbes, your friend is fine. The medical conditions are better over there, so I left her there to recover. Don't worry, in a few months, she'll be back on her feet, walking around in high heels again." He learned from Jordan that her surname was Forbes, and that was all. Leo guessed that they had special identities but didn't want to ask more questions to avoid causing trouble.
"Thank you, Leo."
She caught a glimpse of Dallas in the room out of the corner of her eye, Leo's eyes widened in surprise. In the next second, he saw the sleeping bag on the ground that hadn't been put away yet, his eyes returned to normal size, and his gaze towards Averi carried a hint of guilt and sympathy. She was here, like a lamb thrown into a pack of wolves.
He patted her shoulder and said, "Ms. Forbes, not everyone here can be trusted, but if there's one person you can rely on, it's Dallas." He gave her a knowing wink. "You know, trustworthy in every way. Ever since we arrived in Lyria, he hasn't so much as looked at another woman—"
"Leo!" Dallas interrupted him with a dark expression, "David is waiting for you to change his bandages."
Leo saluted playfully, "Yes, sir."
Is he the captain?
Averi cast a surprised glance at Dallas.
Being the only Asian in the team, becoming the captain was no easy feat. It wasn't just about ability, but also the deep-seated racial discrimination of some people.
Dallas misinterpreted her surprise and blurted out, "Don't pay any attention to him."
As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he realized his mistake, and his expression turned awkward.
To call Leo's words nonsense would imply that he had touched women.
Averi couldn't help but hide her smile by looking down to check her shoes.
