Page 30 of Slay Ride

I haven’t forgottenthat, either.

“No,kitten. Now drink your broth like a good little girl. If you finish all of it, I might even make something for you to eat.”

“Shorty...” I say, remembering my beloved pet when he calls me kitten. “I have to feed him. His bowl has probably been empty for hours, and his blood sugar could drop.”

“I’ve seen your cat. He can stand to step away from the table tonight.”

“He’s fluffy.”

Bennett’s eyebrows rise. “If you say so.”

“This. This is why we can’t get along. You don’t have a feeling bone in your body.”

He scoffs and heads behind the couch again. “Says the woman whose life I saved. Twice.”

I’m about to close my mouth and admit defeat when I remember that we wouldn’t be in this predicament to begin with if it weren’t for him.

“I’m not the one who decided to play Alaska Chainsaw Massacre,” I quip, though I’m not sure if he heard me. My voice sounds like I gave sloppy toppy to a fucking Dalek. “You’re the villain in this story, not me.”

Something clangs behind me. “No, please don’t cast me in my favorite role,” he pleads.

I roll my eyes and tip the mug to my lips. If I want to get out of here, I’ll need my strength, drugs and demon seed be damned.

When I lower the mug, that’s when I notice the red fabric lying on the floor beside the couch. I reach down to pick it up, and the cotton is enough to make my fingers ache. I let out a yelp and drop the scrap of fabric before I can figure out what it is.

“The frostnip on your hands was pretty bad,” Bennett says as he sits beside me. “Buy better gloves next year. And scoot over. You’ve hogged the couch for hours.”

I set the mug on the coffee table in front of the couch. More of that red fabric lies scattered around the floor, and it looks so familiar. I just can’t?—

“Bennett! You ripped off my fuckingclothes? My sweaters? Everything?” I wrap the scratchy quilt tighter against my skin and wish I sounded more threatening. No one takes you seriously when you sound like Bobcat Goldthwait.

“No, I only cut the ugly long johns, but even if I had destroyed your precious sweaters, you were soaking wet! Would you have preferred that I let you freeze to death? I was busy saving you, remember?”

“Wait, you didn’t save us. I did!”

He tips his head back and laughs. “Ha! Like hell you did. You just lay there and moaned. That’s probably how you are in the sack, too. A fucking dead-fish lay.”

“If the women you fuck aren’t very enthusiastic, look inward, jackass. And yes, I saved us. You walked by the trail to the cabin three times. I only spoke up because I was trying to help you.”

“And then you collapsed immediately after and made me carry you through the woods. Yeah, such abigfucking help.”

I’ve had about all I can stand. On shaking legs, I get to my feet and look for a place to go, but this appears to be the only room.

The kitchen area takes up the cabin’s back wall. The fireplace, dwindling firewood, and stacks of green Army cots take up the front wall. To the right is the exit, and to the left, there are two doors. One appears to lead outside, and I can only hope the other leads to a bathroom.

“Nowhere to run to this time,” Bennett says. “Better settle in and accept your fate.”

Our clothes lie on the hearth. If I can at least cover my breasts and stubbly pussy, I’ll feel a little better. I didn’t shave this morning because I didn’t think anyone would be looking between my legs today. Let this be a lesson in preparedness.

“I’m getting dressed and going for the snowmobile in the morning,” Bennett says. “You should relax for right now. There’s nothing to be done.”

I snatch up my bra and panties and put on some armor before I turn to face him. “Why wait until morning? The sun won’t be up until after ten, and I won’t survive until then.”

“I’ll chop some more firewood so we won’t freeze.”

“I wasn’t worried about freezing.” I snatch up my sweater and groan when I think about going back into that cold.

Bennett stands up and joins me in front of the fireplace. He grabs his pants in a huff and begins putting them on. “Fine. If you must be a naggingbitchabout it, I’ll go right now.”

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