Page 46 of Ruthless Keeper
“Let’s get you to bed,” I say, gently pulling the sheets off Scarlett’s legs and offering her my hand.
“She shouldn’t be walking yet,” Max says.
While I appreciate that he did his job looking after Scarlett… it almost seems like he didtoogood of a job. I gaze at him for several beats, trying to figure out whether I’m overthinking or there might actually be a problem here.
Either way, now’s not the time to address it. I need to cool down, and for that, I need Scarlett tucked away safely in my bed.
I gently wind one arm behind her back and the other beneath her legs. Before I can lift her up, Lucifer swipes out with his claws again; Max lets out a dog whistle. “Luci,no.Come here.” The cat lets out a growl that sounds almost irritated, but abandons Scarlett’s lap and leaps onto the floor, regally padding his way over to Max. He stops in the doorway, rubs against Max’s leg, then turns to glare at me.
I pick Scarlett up, cradling her close to my chest. Protectiveness is riding me hard right now, making me desperate to get her back to my territory, where I can look after her and take care of her. Max moves out of the doorway to give us room, his gaze fixed firmly on Scarlett. As we pass him, Scarlettreaches out to put her hand on his shoulder.I go still and stiff, watching both of them closely.
“Thank you,” she tells Max softly. “I don’t think I’d have made it out of the field if…. If you weren’t there.”
Max gives her hand a brief squeeze. “Anytime, Scar.”
Scar. He’s calling her a fucking nickname, and she’s touching him. There’s an energy in the air between them; not romantic, but there’s a connection. Possibly stemming from their shared near-death experience.
And that’s when I know… I have a big fucking problem on my hands.
I try to cut the interaction between Scarlett and Max out of my thoughts, but I can’t stop thinking about it. Shetouchedhim of her own volition… and she’s only done that to me once. On the day she poisoned and nearly killed me, I remember waking up to her climbing on top of me. I had a pretty severe reaction that nearly scared her off… but she overcame her fear and ended up riding me while running her hands all over my body. It was the first and only time that we had sexandconnected.
That was the moment I knew, without a doubt, that she owned every piece of me that remains. I knew I belonged to her wholly and completely… and while I’ve claimed her with a thoroughness that can’t be denied, my ownership of her is circumstantial at best and entirely forced. She owned me when she poisoned me, and I’ve spent every moment we were apart belonging to her.
Butsheisn’tmine—not really. I might have her body, but I don’t have access to the parts of her that count. I hadn’t previously evenconsideredthat the disconnect between us might make room for someone else to worm their way past her defenses. Now, it looks like Max has the potential to really get to her… if he hasn’t already. Which means I should separate them, but that could present its own problem.
It would be good for Scarlett to have a friend, a support system outside of me. I won’t always be at the compound to protect her, and during the times when I need to leave, it’d be nice to know that there’s someone with her who’s invested in her wellbeing. That said, if Max istooinvested in her wellbeing…
Fuck.He needs to get himself a woman—he needs to be next in the lineup for the ritual, the choosing. That’s the only way I could ensure he’d be too distracted to becometoointerested inmyScarlett.
Scarlett sits in my bed, buried beneath the covers, with only her injured arm and head sticking out. It’s warm in here, but she’s shivering despite the duvet and two blankets cloaking her. I think the adrenaline crash is messing with her, not to mention the burn on her arm and the concussion.
Idespisethat I wasn’t with her in that field, protecting her. She’smineto protect and no one else’s. I’ve already failed her in so many ways, and today, I failed her again.
She’s facing away from me on the bed, so I round it and take a seat beside her. When I see that her eyes are red-rimmed and there are tear tracks on her cheeks, my heart sinks straight into my stomach. I stroke a few strands of her hair back from her face and cup her cheek. She exhales a shuddering breath, eyes fluttering closed, andleans into my touch. My heart skips a beat.
I know I shouldn’t read into it. Right now, Scarlett’s so in need of comfort she’ll accept it from anyone, even me. But as her warmth sinks into my skin and burrows into my soul, I know I won’t be forgetting this moment any time soon. If her need for comfort gives me a way in, I’ll fucking take it.
“How’s your arm?” I ask.
“Hurts,” she murmurs, leaning further into my hand. “This helps. I need a distraction.”
Another breath shudders from my chest. “Do you want me to leave?”
She considers it for several beats, blinking open her eyes to stare at me. Finally, she shakes her head. The gesture is slow, almost sorrowful.As if she wishes she would be her normal self, letting me know just how much she despises me, but she can’t quite manage it. “No. Stay.”
“Alright.”
I slip into bed beside her, swallowing as I gaze at her. For the first time since I got her back, I feel… hesitant. Her usual strength is stripped away, leaving behind nothing but her vulnerable core. I’m used to her combative, witty personality, used to constant resistance. When she’s her normal self, I simply stick to a schedule and make sure she obeys. But right now, she’s something else, and I don’t know how to handle her.
I carefully lay my hand on her shoulder, above the bandages covering her burns. She stiffens a little but doesn’t move away. I give her a moment to get used to my touch, then slide my hand to her waist and wrap it around her. I burrow close, spooning her, and her soft, feminine curves mold so perfectly to my body, it’s a marvel. She’s so small, absolutely tiny in my hold. I could probably span her waist with both hands.
“I hope you know, I do hate you,” she murmurs, her shivering slowing down. “But right now, I need someone. I can’t always do everything alone, but God, I wish I could.”
I guess whatever injection the doc gave her isreallyloosening her tongue. I’m tempted to take advantage of it.
“Why do you feel like you have to resist me?” I ask her quietly. “I know what I did to you was…unfortunate, but I’ve proven that I won’t hurt you again. I’ll do a lot to you, Scarlett. I’ll sometimes treat you like my toy. I’ll play with your body in whatever way I like—and I’ll make sure you get a fair bit of enjoyment while I do so. I’ll punish you harshly, but I won’t hurt you. I fuckingadoreyou.”
“How could I give into you?” she asks quietly. “You remind me too much of my father. Sometimes, when I look at you, I seehim.”
