Page 62 of Ruthless Keeper
Monster gazes at me, hesitance and mild curiosity filling his gaze. “Mine are usually about Sam,” he says after a few beats. “I got them every time I closed my eyes formonthsafter he died. They only really subsided when you came into the picture.”
I don’t touch that mine-field, because the first month of my…relationship? Captivity?With Monster consisted of near-constant torture, initially physical and then psychological.
“Mine are usually about my father,” I offer. “Cain gets the occasional cameo, too.” A faint shudder works its way down my spine, and Luci climbs back into my lap, nudging my chest with his head.
“What was he like?” Greyson asks. “Your dad, I mean. You’ve told me some stuff, but not the day-to-day.”
I start stroking Luci’s fur. “The best way to describe it is that I was forced to live in survival mode for years. I got so used to beatings that I would never fully recover from them—not psychologically, anyways. I just learned to dress my wounds and prepare for the next one.” I swallow. “I’d still be there if it wasn’t for my brother. Or, more likely, I’d be married to a man as bad as my father.”
Monster’s silent for several long moments, digesting this. “Sam and I didn’t have a very clean upbringing, either. Our parents died when we were toddlers, and we grew up in foster care. We were all each other ever had—we protected each other at all costs.” He swallows. “I fell into a bad crowd at high school, got involved with gang shit. Sam pulled me out and nearly lost his life doing so. A few years later, I pulled him out of some shit. It was a constant game of playing savior for us, until Cain recruited us to the Nighthawks a few years ago. We found our place here—we were extremely good at our jobs, and we worked best together.”
My eyebrows lift as Luci crawls out of my lap. Slowly, hesitantly, he approaches Monster, closing the distance one small step at a time. When Monster shifts a little, Luci hisses and recoils. Monster freezes; Luci watches him for several beats. A full minute passes before Luci resumes his trek, and carefully curls up right against Monster’s arm. Monster stares at him with pure shock; Luci releases a hiss, but itseems like a cursory “watch yourself and don’t test me” rather than a full-blown threat.
“I think I might be warming up to this little menace,” Monster murmurs.
“He’s the best,” I say with a nod. “Here.” I pick up Monster’s hand in my own, pausing when a jolt of…somethingpasses through me at the contact. I push down the strange sensation and carefully set Monster’s hand down on Luci’s fur, guiding him through petting Luci a few times. After a couple of strokes, Luci relaxes and begins purring; he even nestles closer to Monster. I release Monster’s hand and let the two of them bond. If I’m here for the long haul, I might as well let Luci and Monster become friends so they don’t tear each other apart.
“Cute little fucker,” Monster murmurs. “Is this how you helped your mommy when she was hurt? Did you cuddle up with her and act adorable?” His voice climbs in pitch as he talks to my cat, and Luci eats it right up, purring loudly.
“I don’t show up in your nightmares?” Monster asks after a few moments, still gazing at Luci. Almost as if he’s too afraid to hear what I say.
“Not really,” I say, because the dreams he shows up in sometimesstartas nightmares before transforming into something else. Something… sensual. That used to feel like a nightmare, but not anymore. Now, I don’t know what it feels like.
“You haven’t been to the greenhouse in a while,” Monster comments, switching topics. “Don’t you want to check on your plants?”
I clear my throat. “When Max stopped by, I passed on instructions. Hopefully, he’s watching over them in my stead. Once you’re…better, I’d like to go back.”
“Why are you staying for me?” Monster asks. “Why are you stayingwithme? You hate me, Scarlett.”
“I don’t hate you,” I murmur. It’s a startling realization even weeks after I’ve come to terms with it.
“Then… what?” Monster asks. I can feel him staring at me now, but I don’t look at him. I don’t have the strength to.
“I don’t know,” I whisper. “I don’t hate you, though. I know that much. I can’t hate you after what you did. After you proved that your words about not hurting me were more than just meaningless words.”
“Thank you,” Monster says quietly.
I swallow. “For what?”
“For giving me hope. It’s been…” he trails off, shaking his head. “A long fucking time since anyone did.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Greyson
Amonth after Cain whips me half to death, I finally get cleared to hit the gym again, which is a fucking relief. Taking a break from working out isn’t a major deal for most people, but when you’re an assassin, your body is both your shield and weapon. Muscle is the only thing standing between a knife or bullet and my vital organs—I need to be strong to survive.
I’ve grown attached to having Scarlett nearby over the last weeks, so I ask her to come with me. After a few contemplative moments, she agrees. I have Tobias clear the gym in advance to make sure nobody will bother us for an hour, and take her downstairs. I remove her necklace for her workout, but promise to put it on right after.
Scarlett goes straight to a treadmill and starts jogging. I select the nearest weights machine—a leg press—and watch her ass bounce as she runs while fiddling with the weights. One of the doctors says my thigh wound is all but healed—the drugs he’s been giving me, pills that apparently expedite tissue repair and got him banned from practicing medicine in any official capacity—have certainly helped. I still start at a much lower weight than I’m used to, testing the water.
I go around multiple machines for the next hour, and cool down with a jog on a treadmill. “You look sexy when you sprint,” I tell Scarlett once we’ve both shut off our treadmills.
She gives me a look that’s slightly hesitant, slightly intrigued.
“You look hot when you’re on the weights machines.” She bites her bottom lip. “I like the way your muscles bulge…”
A smile steals over my lips. “You like my muscles, Flower? You a biceps kind of girl?”
