Page 42 of Ruthless Scoundrel
Yes, she’s my bait, my bounty.
But what is thisfeeling?
Reina returns from the trees. A few feet are all that separate us. The dying firelight dances off her face, making mischief of her features. What is she thinking when she looks at me like that?
I hold the other manacle out to her, and she presents her arm. I reach out, holding her hand. My thumb skitters across the scarred flesh of her wrist, and she shivers.
“You’ll have to get used to this,” I say, teasing her flesh with the cold copper.
“Fine,” she says, breathlessly.
I snap the other manacle around her wrist, then look up at her face. Her cheeks are flushed, and her lips parted. Fuck, if I didn’t know better, I’d think she was…
No.
She’s not.
“Go,” I say, pointing to the entrance of our dwelling.
She crawls in and I follow after her, situating myself against the wood so she can lay her back against my stomach. She’s warm and smells floral, smoky, and salty like the sea. It smells like home.
Within moments, her breathing slows to a steady pace.
“Good night, Rei,” I whisper.
“G’night, Jasper.”
Chapter twelve
Reina
Iopen my eyes, disoriented and tired. It’s dark. Why am I awake?
Jasper groans behind me and shivers.
He’s burning up, and while his warmth is nice against the cool sand, I know he has a fever. Is he sick? I look over my shoulder at him. There’s a sheen of sweat on his forehead and his cheeks are tinged darker in the low light of our moons.
He’s sick, and we’re attached at the arm…
Not every sickness travels by air, but we learned more than enough about illness from Wolfsheim when they experienced their plague. Some can move right across the space between people and infect another.
Jasper moans again, his body shaking violently.
I have to get away from him.
No, more than that. I need to escape him.
I saw the look in his eyes when I asked how close we were. We’re closer than he was letting on. Maybe there’s somethingon this very island. With what he’s taught me so far, and my growing magic, I can make it on my own.
Probably.
Fish for food, coconuts for water. I can do this.
I snake my arm between us and reach for the band of his pants. Bastard keeps the key in an interior pocket because he thinks I won’t reach in there. Well, I’m not afraid to brush his penis to get my freedom. If it happens, it happens.
My fingers slip under his waistband, and I search for the key on the left side of his leg. It’s easy to find, so I pull it free—thankfully without touching anything I don’t want to.
Jasper’s breathing speeds up, each exhale ending in a whine. My stomach tightens and I pause, considering trying to heal him. But he’s in such a deep, distracted sleep, now might be my only chance. If he dies…
