Page 74 of Reckless
“Don’t,” I cut in quietly. “Don’t say my name.”
Hurt flashes in his eyes; there one blink and gone the next. “It was the only way,” he repeats quietly.
“Your mission needs a bath,” I say flatly. “And a bed.”
He stares at me, seeming to search for something in my eyes. “Okay.”
I stand to my feet and walk on shaky legs until the chain grows taught. It tugs at my ankle, already tempting to tear skin. I strain to take another step, yanking at his leg.
I turn around, pulling on a mask of my own to smother my anger and hurt. “Try to keep up, Prince.”
CHAPTER 28Kai
“Are you planning to ever speak again?”
We’ve been walking awkwardly through the city’s back streets for nearly an hour now, and she hasn’t uttered a single word. The chain drags between us, skipping over cracked cobblestone as a constant reminder of what I’ve done.
I’m not proud of it. Not proud of what I did to get that shackle on her ankle. I can only imagine what she aches to scream at me, what thoughts are echoing in her skull. I know how she thinks, so I know that she assumes it was all a ploy. Every touch, every word, every kiss.
And I wish it was. I wish I didn’t have feelings clouding my focus, my judgment. Wish I didn’t need her like I need to complete this mission. It’s exhausting, fighting every impulse telling me to explain why I did this. Why I have to do this.
My life is not my own. And, for that reason, she can never be mine.
As if it would matter. I’ve broken any and all trust that was built between us. And now I’m nothing more than what I had been before– her enemy.
She silently led me to where her pack was still hidden beneath the rubble of a crumbling building, and swiftly pulled a scarf from within it to wrap around her identifiable hair. I pulled a damp bandanna from my pocket to tie around the lower half of my face, reminding her that we’re both in danger if one of us is recognized.
She didn’t deign to respond to that veiled threat, and simply swung the pack onto her back and gestured for me to lead her toward a bath and bed. And that’s exactly what I’ve been doing for the past hour.
Thankfully, most of what we were swimming with in the sewer was the freezing water used to flush the tunnel out, but we are in desperate need of a bath and fresh clothes. Both of which will prove difficult with this chain shackling us together. But first, we find somewhere with a tub.
“I can’t imagine you lasting much longer without saying anything.” I sigh. The chain drags between us, scraping the ground to fill the silence.
She doesn’t bother looking at me. Her eyes are on the bare street before us, sparkling blue in the final rays of sunlight. I suppose I deserve her silence. Although, to her credit, I didn’t think it would last this long.
I turn us down a busier street, feeling the shackle bite into my ankle with the tension. Merchants are packing up their carts for the night, unashamedly running over the toes of anyone in their way. I head for the main market, feeling the chain tighten as I pull Paedyn, forcing her to pick up the pace.
The chain.
I stop abruptly, feeling her palms meet my back before her nose can. Turning to face her, she seems to be looking anywhere but at me. By now I’ve lost my patience, as per usual. My hand finds her jaw, gently turning her face toward mine. She smothers me with a starethat I do my best to ignore. “You’re going to need to steal a skirt.”
Her brows rise, the first sign of emotion I’ve seen from her since we left the grate.
“Don’t worry,” I say dryly, “I’m not asking you to talk. Just steal a damn scrap of fabric at the very least.”
“I’d like to see you try, actually.” She tugs my hand away from her jaw, seemingly surprising by the sound of her voice.
I crack a smile. “She speaks.”
Ignoring me, she throws her hands up in mock innocence. “I’ve put my thieving days behind me.”
I shake my head before glancing over my shoulder at the dying street. “Yes, you’re a saint. Now, unless you want to end up in a prison again, I suggest stealing something to cover up the chain that will draw plenty of attention to us.”
“And whose fault is that?” she asks, crossing her arms.
“You are,” I say, taking a breath before continuing, “an unbelievably difficult creature.”
She laughs harshly. “Maybe you should have considered that before chaining yourself to me.”
