Page 22 of Wraith

Chapter Twenty-One

She is a little testy today.I want to tell her that I didn’t stock any tampons or Midol, but I decide against it. Keeping the blood in my body instead of bleeding out all over the cabin floor sounds like a better decision than antagonizing herfurther.

She gets up and goes to check on the pot of snow, which should be boiling soon if it isn’t already. I watch quietly as she glances down at her wrist where the GPS watch I took off her is back in place. She presses a button, most likely starting a timer then she is rifling through the empty water jugs under the countertop. I have three large blue jugs with spouts on each one. I was on my last jug before I went hunting so it is more than likely empty bynow.

Doing as she instructed I don’t tell her how to do things as she places the pot aside then tries to pour the hot liquid inside the jug. I let the water cool before pouring it in. She isn’t and it just annoys the fuck out of me but still I keep quiet because I need her to go outside one moretime.

As soon as she goes out to fill up the pot again I spring into action. Underneath the bed I have my stash of weapons along with some other gadgets. She hasn’t seen it because of the rug I have over the trap door. I let out a relieved breath she didn’t notice the rug was moved and pull it back once again, struggling with my hands behind my back. The pain in my side is dull and if I move too quickly I can feel the pinch of the stitches pull, so I try to keep my movements slow andcalculated.

With the small door in sight, I get the end of it up and push my hands underneath to search for a blade. I quickly feel the cool steel against my fingers. What fucking luck. I scoot away and let the door fall shut with the rug landing back into place right when the door flies open again. Her scowl is firmly on her face but not fixed on me this time. I keep my mouth- with great effort- shut and wait for the refilled pot to boil for the allotted ten minutes to kill off any bacteria that may be in the snow. Finally when it is done she pisses me off again by pouring the hot liquid into the drinking jugs. Still I keep my jaw clenched shut, until she is completely out the door. That is when I start cutting away at my binds. It only takes seconds with the sharp blade and I’m free. Before she comes back I stash my knife underneath me and then arrange the cut binds over my legs as if to show I am still under her control and put my hands behind my back once again. The girl is shrewd, I will give her that, but she can’t best me. No onecan.

As she walks through the door once again, hands filled with the snow packed pot, I watch her. Waiting for my chance to take back the power I had to give away to save myself from bleeding out. Yesterday when she woke up and knocked my ass out, I knew I fucked up. My intent was to take back control of the hostage situation I was forced to create but I found myself entranced by her. Remembering how it felt to be beside her just a few nights ago. How soft her sweet little body felt against mine. Her face soft with only the slightest tinge of purple-ish yellow underneath her eyes from our first meeting still healing. Her dark eyelashes fanning out along her cheeks opened up, revealing a pair of blazing brown orbs that promptly widened at me looming over her. Instantly her position changed and before I could even take my next breath her bare foot was connecting with my temple. Quick like a tiger. But now I have the upper hand as she busies herself at the kitchencounter.

“Any chance there is a can of peaches left on the shelf?” I know there is I’m just wanting to see if she will feed me, maybe if I get her closeenough—

“No.” Her answer clipped, no nonsense. Getting this girl to talk is harder than shooting fish in abarrel.

“I know thereis.”

“Then why ask,” she states rather than questions. She just ignores me further and walks back out the door to refill the pot again. I’m up and standing behind the door ready for her to walk through, my knife in hand. It seems to take forever before her small footfalls sound outside the door. Just as it swings open I’m on her, the cold steel pressed against herthroat.

“Drop it,” I growl above her, leaning down to press my mouth to her ear as I hold the knifesnug.

“Fuck.” Her word only a whisper but I hear it, can feel the heat flowing through her body, anger radiating off her in waves. The pot clatters to the floor causing the snow to scatter around ourfeet.

“Going to need you to get back on the bed,” I state, swinging my foot out to shut the door as I maneuver the two of us closer to thebed.

“No.” Pressing the knife further in to her soft flesh I know the moment it spits the skin because she lets out a small hiss. “Kill me. Or don’t kill me. It doesn’t matter because he is out there and believe me when I say hewillget you,” she threatens making a slow smile grow on myface.

“I didn’t think you knew who it was out there.” Clucking my tongue, I let out a small chuckle. “You must tell me about your friend, little girl. After you get on the bed of course,” I demand steering her toward the bed. She isn’t going to give up though. Not that I would expect her to, she did go one on one with me when she was in the process of hypothermia. I would lose respect for the little thing if she didn’t take every opportunity to fightback.

She takes her chance, elbow shooting out to jab my injured side while her hands fly to my hand holding the knife. The pain sears through me, allowing her to take control of the knife enough to pull it away and turn to face me. She swipes my feet from under me, causing me to drop to my ass.Son of a bitch.My back hits the floor hard nearly knocking the wind out of me but she doesn’t let up. She is on me, straddling me and holding the knife right at my windpipe, the tip of the steel pressing in justenough.

“The quickest way to kill someone.” Her breaths are labored, much like my own. “You can slit someone’s throat, but if you jab them right here.” She pushes in a little more for effect. “The kill is easier, less to slicethrough.”

“It is. Question now though, is why haven’t you done it yet?” I pant through clenched teeth trying to steady my breaths. Between the jab to my side and the fall to the floor, I find myself lacking things,like air. What I don’t find myself lacking is the blood that rushes right to my cock. Christ, the girl wants to make me bleed out and all I’m finding myself wanting to do is fuck her while she doesit.

“I should.” Her voice the most unsure I have heard it since she woke on my bed. “I could.” She drops an octave, barely even noticeable it’s soquiet.

“Then do it, baby. Shove that blade right into my throat, just do me one thing before you do…” Her brow cocks, thin sculpted dark brown, matching her hair. The pressure she is putting on the blade falters just slightly but still holdsfirm.

“What?” The muscles visibly flex in her throat as she swallows. She is contemplating answering my unasked question. She isn’t ready for me to die just yet.Interesting.

“You have a grudge. That much is obvious. You came here for me. I think I deserve to know the reason why.” Something cloudy flashes in her eyes when I make my declaration. Clouds I have seen before. “Who are you?” I narrow my gaze on her, lifting up as if to get a better look at her face but the bite of the blade on my windpipe has me halting mymovement.

“Someone you wronged,” she says tossing herself in with a million other people in theworld.

“Hardly gives me an answer. That list islong.”

“I have no doubt about that.” She lets out a dry laugh.So she does knowsarcasm.

“I’m still waiting, tiger, and you seem to have me at a disadvantage.” The deep chocolate pools of her eyes darken as her brows sink into ascowl.

“Why would you even remember? I was just a piece of expendable trash for you to discard when you got bored.” I swear I catch a tremble in her lip as she speaks, but I’m too enamored at who she thinks we are to one another. I’ve done some bad shit in my life there is no question, but if I have slighted this girl I have no knowledge. “I was a child!” she yells in my face, letting up on the blade. I remain still as her shaking arms drop to her sides and the knife clangs on the floor at our side. I find myself placing my hands along her thighs, still sitting astride me. She doesn’t flinch so I continue on until I’m holding her hips in place, my thumbs absently make circles on the bare skin where her shirt has ridden up herstomach.

“Going to have to help me out here. I need more detail.” Like a bucket of ice cold water has been dumped all over her head she snaps out of her slight sobs and locks her gaze on me, now frostedover.

“You want details? I’ll give you fucking details,” she growls as her hand shoots out and grips a log from the pile before slamming it to the side of my head, knocking meout.

---