Page 104 of Rugger: The Huntress

Egg rolls.

Shrimp and broccoli.

Garlic noodles.

Sushi.

Crab rangoon.

More rice.

Orange chicken.

Teriyaki chicken.

My stomach roared at the sight of endless options. Just as Sonnie laid the remote on the couch behind us, I broke my chopsticks in half. He chose one of the forks he’d gotten from the kitchen. There were only two and they were both in front of us.

“Man on Fire?”

Pleased with his decision, I nodded in satisfaction.

“A classic,” he responded, “Denzel and Dakota–”

“What are you going to do–” I quoted Pita’s mother, Lisa.

“What I do best,” he replied, impersonating Denzel perfectly. “I’m going to kill ‘em. Anybody who was involved. Anybody who profited from it. Anybody who opens their eyes at me.”

“You kill ‘em all,” I whispered with a nod.

Silence preceded unfiltered, unrestricted laughter that burned my cheeks and reddened Sonnie’s skin. My hand fell onto his lap and my body naturally gravitated closer to his. I desperately needed to be near him, feeling him against my fingertips.

Over Chinese and Creasy, we communed. By the time our bellies were full, my head was against Psalm’s chest and his hands were massaging my scalp, luring me into a deep, peaceful slumber.

NINE

“One step at a time, Gazelle.”

Inwardly, I found her struggle amusing.

“Well, I could actually walk a lot better if you’d remove the fabric from my eyes.”

“Then it wouldn’t be a surprise, would it?”

After weeks in the web Rugger had spun, I was still pinching myself. Everything about our union felt surreal. Since our first date, we’d prioritized time with one another, even though it was against both of our better judgment.

While our arrangement wasn’t completely forbidden, it was unreasonable. But so was the idea of not actively pursuing the woman of my wildest dreams.

“Surprises,” she sighed.

Rugger had made it clear that surprises weren’t her favorite, but I could hardly help myself. Almost every day, there was a new one. I was beginning to think she’d accepted her fate and was adjusting to the nature of them. But only time would tell.

Click.

Clack.

Her heels thudded against the concrete floor once we finally settled on the main level. Poised and confidently, she strutted through the emptiness as if her vision wasn’t restricted.

She’s trained well.

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