Page 40 of Revenant

They’re the same nightmares that I see every time I close my eyes.

I can’t sleep for more than an hour or two before I wake up, sweating from the horrors.

“Ahhh, you’re awake.” The doctor doesn’t even bother to look up as he finishes filling the last vial. It’s only when he snaps off the rubber strap around her arm and closes the specimen case that I relax infinitesimally.

“I should thank you for your interference.” The doctor discards the needle as an afterthought before he bothers to look up. The complete lack of humanity in his expression is like a fist to the chest. We are not people to him, which means he won’t hesitate to do whatever he wants to get answers, if that wasn’t already blatantly clear.

Any hope to appeal to his humanity would be futile.

“If it weren’t for you and your men foolishly trying to rescue Miss Rue, my studies might have been delayed for weeks, if not months. So, you might say that I owe you a thanks.” The smug tone of his voice clashes with the cold calculation in his eyes.

The bindings around me flex as I battle the impulse to throw myself at the smug fucker and erase his existence from the planet. Ellis created this nifty little chemical solution that has the ability to melt a person into sludge. Even their bones liquefy after a few hours. Only I want this psychopath alive when I dissolve him bit by bit, the need to extend his death for as long as possible a primal urge.

Picking up his specimen case, the doctor pauses by Rue’s chair, and my chest bursts with pride when she sits without flinching, as regal as a queen. Pride morphs into fury when helingers a little too close, his expression a little too pleased with himself, and I struggle in earnest against my bindings.

“Remember our bargain,” he murmurs, malicious glee darkening his eyes.

Not to be intimidated, Rue lifts her chin, staring the bastard down without batting a lash. “Rememberyourpromise, and we won’t have a problem.”

“Yes, of course. We will begin tomorrow. That should allow you enough time to acquaint your gentlemen friends with the rules of our agreement,” he counters without missing a beat, dipping his head imperiously before striding toward the door. He pauses a moment, looking back at my family, then his gaze lands on me. “If you cross me, Rue will suffer for your foolishness.”

My gut churns when he flashes a mocking smile in my direction, and it doesn’t take a genius to figure out the asshole is lying through his fucking teeth. He has no intention of ever letting us go, he’s just using us as bargaining chips to force Rue to do his bidding. Helplessness threatens to overwhelm me, and I’m breathing hard, rocking back and forth as I try to break the straps and snap his fucking scrawny neck.

One blow, and the old man would crumble.

I can almost taste his pain.

The door barely shuts behind him before I wrench my head back to glare at Rue. “Untie me.”

I wince when my demand comes out harsher than I intended, and her eyes narrow dangerously. Rue rises to her feet, never once taking her eyes away from mine as she closes the distance between us.

I mentally wince at my autocratic attitude, knowing that I’m being an ass, but I can’t seem to help myself when I’m around her. Whenever she’s near, I regress to a caveman thumping hischest. While I want to gather her into my arms and beg for forgiveness for the way I treated her, I keep screwing things up.

When Rue pauses next to my bed, I suddenly feel exposed, and not just because I’m strapped to the bed, unable to lift more than a finger. I feel stripped bare under her gaze, the little minx doing nothing to obey me. As much as I try to fight it, my body reacts to her nearness. My skin aches to feel the touch of her fingers, and my cock hardens, begging for her attention.

I’ve handcuffed a few women in my time, I love being in control of their pleasure, but I’ve never understood the appeal of being at the mercy of another person. The mere thought sends my stomach recoiling.

With her so close, my whole body is hyperaware of everything about her, and anticipation is heavy in the air. As I wiggle against the restraints, desperate to draw her closer, I can almost understand the allure of being bound.

I grip the edge of the gurney, almost glad to be restrained, suddenly certain I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from stripping her bare so I could inspect every inch of her for injury. I’ve fucked up so much with her that I need to earn her forgiveness before I’m allowed that privilege, but it goes against my every protective instinct.

When she doesn’t release me immediately, my heart clenches at the trepidation in her gaze, like she’s afraid of what I might do to her if she releases me. The realization hits with a force similar to Gunner kicking me full in the chest.

I’m not sure how to claw myself out of the hole I dug. I sag against the gurney, my head thumping against the hard surface, the tension that’s been holding me hostage leaving me in a rush now that she is back after so long.

“I missed you,” I say gruffly, then wince when she shoots me a dubious look. Yeah, I deserve that. I want to close my eyes and hide from her very justified recriminations, but I’m not acoward. The way I hurt her was unforgivable, and I deserve every bit of her ire. That doesn’t mean I’m willing to let her go.

For the first time in my life, I found a woman who is worth the effort, and I’m determined not to fuck up my courtship any worse. She’s mine, and I will win her over, even if I have to lie, cheat, and kill to do it.

To avoid my gaze, she focuses on loosening the strap across my chest, and I use the time to study her. What I see has worry gnawing at my insides, much like a starving wolf.

Rue has always been pale, but her skin is like porcelain now. She’s lost weight, her curves less defined, her muscles sleeker.

And she is still the most gorgeous creature I have ever seen.

“I fucked up,” I admit, doing my best not to squirm at the unfamiliar sensation of apologizing. “I don’t want you to absolve me of my wrongdoing, I’ll earn your forgiveness for my sins later, but we need to escape first. The only way that is going to happen is if we work together. Agreed?”

I’m barely aware that I stopped breathing as I await her verdict. She fumbles with the buckle, the strap releasing, and she throws it off my chest before working on the restraints pinning my wrists. She studiously avoids looking at me, and it’s driving me fucking nuts.

---