Page 30 of Tribute
“What do you mean, thesecondtime?”
“One year, none of our potential trainees graduated into stage two.” He shrugged. “There was some kind of virus that took them all out. Someone had to go as Tribute. Kai and I volunteered.”
She covered her mouth. “Oh my God.”
“I survived that, and Palk.” He turned away, found a towel hanging on the bars, and used it to wipe himself down. “I’ll survive you too.” He nodded. “I’m going to take a shower.”
She rose to her feet. “I’ll start dinner.”
He stared at her as though she’d announced she was having sextuplets.
“You’ll cook?”
“Sure. It’s the least I can do. You saved me from Palk.”
She went back up the stairs, tears streaming down her face. And for the first time in a long while, they weren’t even for her.
Hours later, after they’d eaten in near silence and watched some kind of sport on the screen, she’d pleaded exhaustion and gone to bed. But she couldn’t sleep. All she could think of was Akran’s matter-of-fact explanation about surviving theUngrichtwice, and then having Palk fuck with him both mentally and physically.
Sure, she’d hated him for what he put her through, but she’d never sensed his actions were personal, just that he was doing his job. That had terrified and infuriated her at the time,that detachment—but she got it now. She could even almost understand it.
He was a survivor.
Like her.
Grabbing her robe, she put it on and made her way back into the living area. His bedroom was on the other side of the space and occupied the prime position, with a view out over the city. She’d peeped in there one day when he was in the shower, but there was little to see. The furnishings were as dull as those in her room, with no sense of his personality at all.
She opened his door very carefully, but knew almost at once that he wasn’t there. Holding her breath, she turned around and padded across to the kitchen. A light shone under the door that led down to the gym, so she followed her instincts and tiptoed down the stairs.
“Lee.” He was sitting on one of the workout benches, head bowed and muscles gleaming with exertion, his expression careful. “You having nightmares?”
She shook her head and took off her dressing gown, which left her in just her panties. It felt strange being naked in front of him now, almost as if it were their first time. He straightened as she approached him, a muscle flexing in his jaw and his hands fisting at his sides.
“What do you want, Lee?”
“Maybe Palk was right about something.”
“That I didn’t want you to see him fucking me? Damn straight.”
“That wasn’t what I meant.” She cupped his chin and he flinched. “Maybe you should’ve done what he did.”
His hand came up and gently grasped her wrist. “Don’t play these games. Don’t fuck with me.”
She smiled into his wary eyes. “Well, if you won’t fuck with me, will you fight me?”
“Lee—”
“I need to feel something. I needsomethingapart from the crazy world in my head full of . . .them.”
He nodded once and rose to his feet. She followed him to the mat in the corner.
He held up his hands. “Fight me, then.”
She was shaking so hard she wanted to scream. Instead she drew back her fist and punched him hard in the chest. He rocked back on the balls of his feet, but he didn’t budge an inch. With an incoherent scream of rage she ran at him, climbed him, and started hitting any bit of him she could reach, scratching and biting. She yelled until her throat was raw with it.
He stood as implacable as a rock. “This isn’t fighting, Lee. It’s girlie slapping. You know better than that.”
She screamed again. Her knee almost connected with his balls and he took a hasty step back and tripped, sending them both down onto the mat, her on top of him.
