Page 7 of Born to Bleed

She swore he laughed, but she couldn’t tell from her position. “This is cooperating?”

“Yes!” She could’ve been fighting much harder. She could’ve used her knife to kill him, or at least hurt him really badly. Instead, she spared him and tried to run. And this was her thanks?

He cuffed the other hand, then lifted her up so she was standing. Dirt covered her front, some still in her mouth, and she spit toward the ground in an attempt to get it out.

He reached down and picked up the canteen, which must have fallen off of her when she’d fallen to the ground. He twisted off the cap and held it up to her lips. She took a big swig, swirling it around to get all the dirt out, and then spit it in his face.

Just like when she’d punched him, he barely flinched.

Before she could think of something snarky to say, he’d grabbed her waist and flung her onto his shoulder. The pressure in her gut combined with the lingering taste of dirt nearly made her hurl, but she managed to keep the contents of her stomach where they belonged… for now.

He began walking, each step making her bounce on his shoulder as the anger continued to course through her. She needed something to hold onto, dammit; why would he cuff her and carry her?

“I can walk.”

His hand tightened over her thigh as it rose dangerously close to her ass, holding her in place, and then he bent, nearly sending her flying. He picked up the backpack she’d stuffed the communication device into, and then they were walking again.

“I’m serious. I’ll walk. I promise. I won’t run again.” She couldn’t. The cuffs on her wrists ensured that.

“I don’t trust you.”

She groaned and kicked, but he just used both hands to hold down her legs. “Keep wiggling around up there and I’ll drop you.”

It should’ve been a warning, but it sounded an awful lot like a threat.

“Well can you at least move your hand?” It was… way too close for comfort. And though she’d never admit it, it might’ve been turning her on just a bit. Maybe. Damn body, betraying her yet again.

“What, this hand?” He pushed it even higher, squeezing her ass before giving it a slap and returning to her thigh.

“Fuck you.”

That time, she knew that he’d laughed, because it shook her when he did, even if he didn’t make a sound. The bastard was enjoying this far too much.

All the while, a vicious storm raged in her mind. A downpour of anger and fury, powerful gusts of emotion flying by so fast she couldn’t differentiate one from the other, a flood of urgency telling her she was wasting time and needed to move, now, or risk everything. Risk drowning in the guilt and the pain.

That was nothing new, though. The inside of Anna’s mind had been a dangerous place for a long, long time. So, she did what she did best. She shoved it aside and pretended not to give a shit. Present problem only.

Besides, she’d escaped once. She’d do it again.

For now, she’d just focus on not puking or falling. Yes, that definitely seemed like a good plan.

? ♥ ?

Hayden could still feel the heat of Anna’s small form on his body, the softness of her thigh in his palm. That… might be a problem. For later.

For now, he needed to talk with his brothers. She was locked up in his small living space, cuffed to the piping that ran down the wall. It was secure, he’d made sure of that. But just in case, he also threw some rope into the mix. Just to make sure she wouldn’t be moving.

Having Anna tied up in his bedroom should’ve been a more enticing thought. This time, however, it simply inconvenienced him.

When he found Sawyer’s office, he gave a quick knock.

“Come on in,” his brother’s muffled voice called out.

He walked in to find Sawyer seated on the couch, a rosy-cheeked Kayla beside him. “Brother,” he greeted. “Kayla.”

“What the fuck happened to you?” Sawyer stood, stalking toward him. “You’re bleeding.”

He lifted his arm, spotting the bleeding wound on his bicep. He’d almost forgotten that Anna had used her knife on him. “It’s nothing.” Barely a scratch. Hayden knew full well that if Anna had wanted to hurt him, she could have. He wasn’t quite sure what to make of the fact that she’d held herself back, ran instead.

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