Page 16 of Filthy and Dirty with my Captors

“Research. I do a lot of research with my books. You’d be surprised at all the weird shit that comes up when you’re writing.” He lifts me up into his arms, cradling me against his chest before he turns down the mountain.

“You really don’t have to carry me. I can walk.” Also, I have no idea how this man is lifting me so effortlessly.

Thighs this thick usually have to walk themselves.

“I’d rather carry you.” He pauses for a moment and looks at me long and hard, like he’s studying my face, almost as though he’s feeling the same strange connection that I’m feeling. “I gotta say, I don’t understand why you’d do something like this.”

“Like what?”

“The virgin auction. You’re gorgeous and you seem sweet. A little mouthy,” he laughs, “but sweet. Why are you throwing all that away?”

“Clearly, it was all a quest to get into your psyche. It looks like it’s working.” I laugh and play it off as nothing. “Truthfully, my personality traits are like an everything bagel. If any of those seasonings were genuinely good, they’d highlight it on its own bagel.”

He chuckles. “Add funny to that mix.”

“It’s not a joke. I’ve literally been living with my best friend for like two years and evenhehas no interest. He hasn’t even made one move.”

“Does he know you like him?”

I drag in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I mean, he has to, right? We do everything together. I think the truth of it is, he’s just not into me.”

A cool breeze blows across the field as we step out of the protective walls of the forest. He hasn’t put my blindfold on, but I’m not correcting him again. I make note of the placement of the house versus the big barn in the distance, and how the little pasture is fenced off beside it. There’s a chicken coop to the left… and a big, giant man with no mask storming toward us.

Shit!

His beard is long and his eyes flare with a darkness that I can’t well describe. He’s a beast. A beautiful, big, strong, glorious beast that looks like he could rip everyone in this place limb from limb if he wanted to. I need to see him closer. I need to study his face.

“Fuck,” Hawk groans, “you’re not wearing the mask. Moose is gonna lose it.”

“Where is it? I’ll throw it on quick.”

He sets me down in the grass carefully, leaning me against his side shoulder as he searches his pockets for the blindfold, but Moose is closing in on us, and he’s already seen me.

“The fucking mask,” he growls.“She’s not wearing her fucking mask!”He stares at me, narrowing his dark, shadowed eyes. “I guess you do whatever the fuck you want now?”

I open my mouth to speak, but I close it again, watching the lines in his face wrinkle and relax.

“It’s my fault.” I swallow hard as I speak, choking a little. “I lost mine and then I ripped his off. That’s how I hurt myself.” I guess by the arm cross, eye roll combo that he knows I’m full of shit, but Hawk corrects the situation anyway.

“No, it’s my bad. She fell and got hurt. Everything got a little crazy from there.” He lifts me from the ground again, taking pressure off my knee. “I need to get her inside.”

Moose groans under his breath and turns away. I’m not sure what he said, or what his role is in all of this, but judging by the silence as we stomp toward the house, I gather we’re all in trouble.

Chapter Six

Rosie

I’m laid flat on the bed with my leg propped up on three small throw pillows while Hawk and Zee stand over me.

“Jesus.” Zee peels the T-shirt off my leg and stares down at the cut. “How the hell did you let this happen? She’s not supposed to get hurt!” He meets me at the head of the bed, the ghost mask still in place, but this time he wears a pair of gray slacks and a work shirt that’s covered in stains. He smells like motor oil and gasoline. The smell reminds me of Owen when he comes home from work, and though most would find the combination of scents revolting, I sort of like it.

I close my eyes for a moment and imagine it’s Owen’s hand on my head, his voice in my ear, his body next to mine. God, I miss him. I wonder what he’s thinking right now, where he’s looking, if he’s gone to the police. I’m sure my mother and Jen have. They probably went after the first missed call.

“I’m okay. It’s not his fault,” I say, ignoring the pain shooting through my leg. “I wasn’t watching where I was going, and I tripped. That’s all.”

“We need Moose. He can fix this.” Hawk stalks toward the door. “I saw him a minute ago, but he was pissed. I’m gonna go find him.”

“How the hell can Moose fix this?” Zee turns back and snarls toward Hawk.

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