Page 44 of How to Entice a Fiend

“I’d like to look at what you’re doing, but every time I do, I just see your dick.”

“It’s a good distraction, eh? Talk about some high-class entertainment. Maybe more people would go to the doctor if this was how their doctor dressed.”

“Absolutelyno onewould go to the doctor then.”

“Just me?” I tease as I awkwardly maneuver the sword to cut open the bullet hole.

“Fucking hell. You really fucking stabbed me!”

“I told you I was going to!”

“I didn’t think you were being serious. What are you doing? The bullet is out. You could have asked.”

“I know it’s out but I’m curious…”

“You’re cutting me open because you’recurious?”

“How do you think the first doctors learned about the layout of a human’s internal organs? They just cut people open to find out.”

“Dead people!”

“I forgot that first part,” I say as he tries to struggle beneath me, so I put a knee against his throat as well. His look of disbelief seems to calm down his struggling, though.

Trying my best to cup water with my wrists bound, I pour it over the wound to flush away the black blood so I can get a look at what’s happening inside. I’d never been permitted to examine any of the dead vampires who’d been killed by the ammunition and since there weren’t any vampires who lived through it—besides possibly true vampires who I doubt would allow me to dice into them—I’m thrilled to have my very own test subject.

Ender stares right at me, so he’s evidently going to survive looking my way with my dick out. “A part of my delirious brain was like ‘Hey, maybe he really can help,’ but your maniacal grin as you dig your fucking fingers… fuck… into my flesh makes me question if you’re just torturing me as payback.”

“If I were torturing you as payback, you’d know it.”

“How would it be any different?” he asks.

“Because I’d go, ‘Hey, I’m torturing you as payback.’ But I’m not. I’m torturing you for your own good. Honestly, out of the goodness of my heart, really.”

“I smell bullshit,” he grumbles. “Your maniacal smile reeks of bullshit.”

“Shhh. You’re in good hands. Honestly, it can’t get better than these hands. And I’m not smiling. This is my look of concentration.” I see something glistening and dig my fingers into it. It makes Ender glower at me, but when I pull it out and examine the small shard, I realize what I’m seeing.

“They’ve modified them. The ammunition must leave behind small pellets or shards.”

“But I pulled a bullet out. It wasn’t a shotgun shell that hit me.”

“I don’t know, I don’t make ammunition,” I say, realizing that just touching it is making my fingers burn. I flush the wound again and find three more small pellets that I pull out and toss into the water. “I’m not sure if that’s all, but let’s see if you begin healing before I start dicing some more.”

“You act like you weren’t loving every minute of it. You looked like Rylee when she was opening her birthday presents.”

I stop pinning him down to wash my hands off. “That was just because I was thrilled to be saving your life.”

“You were fascinated by whatever the fuck you were doing,” he says.

“Out of the kindness of my heart filled with love, I was saving your life. If I got some minor enjoyment out of checking out what was going on, you can’t blame me. Now in exchange, you will cuddle me and give me warmth.”

“I can go get that dead deer you can cover yourself with.”

I grimace, positive that I’ll just pretend he didn’t mention any of that before slowly sinking down into his arms. I do this by pinning his weakened arms with my body and curling up against him.

“Why are you touching me?”

“You nearlymurderedme. The least you can do is offer me a cuddle.”

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