Page 56 of Poisoned Vows

“What would you tell me that I don’t already know?” I narrow my eyes at him. “What could possibly make a difference?”

“You could ask.” He shrugs, and I poke at my food again.

“What are we doing today?” I ask instead, trying to keep my voice as casual as possible. “You said hunting. What does thatmean? Is there something—specific that you like to hunt?”

“We’ll head out, do a short hike, and see what shows up.” He shrugs. “We might not get anything. It doesn’t matter; it’s more about the activity. Deer are pretty common this time of year. Smaller things come around sometimes. It’s more about being outside and the fun of it.” He winks at me, and I feel vaguely sick.This is fun for him.

“Hiking in the cold?”

“You won’t be cold for long. And if you are, I can warm you up.” He smirks at me, and I roll my eyes at him.

“Do you ever think about anything else?”

Nikolai smirks. He stands up, leaving his food as he circles around to me, leaning down to brush my hair away from my neck, his touch sending a tingle down my spine that makes me furious that I feel it at all. “I gave you a break this morning,” he murmurs, his fingers lightly stroking the back of my neck. “But I woke up hard. I wanted to fuck you,krolik. I wanted to slip my cock into you and feel you come on it. You feel so fucking good when you come for me.”

“It’s never for you.” I twist away from him. “It’s because I can’t help it.”

“So you’re admitting you came.” I canfeelhis smirk burning into the back of my head.

I twist away from him, feeling my face flush. “Fuck off.”

“You keep saying that.” He leans in, brushing his lips against my ear. “I can take you upstairs, and we can discuss the merits of different types of fucking, if you like.”

I push away from him, getting up and putting space between us. “Let’s go, if we’re doing this.”

Nikolai smirks at me. “Alright, then. Let’s go on a hike.”

He takes me to what looks like a guest house, but turns out to be the nicest shed I’ve ever imagined. He takes two rifles out of a cabinet, and I instantly feel my stomach clench with fear.This is really happening.I feel crazy all over again for imagining something so outlandish—but maybe that’s what rich peopledowhen they run out of ways to be entertained. But then he hands me one of them, and I can feel my forehead furrow with confusion.Why is he arming me if he’s hunting me? Is it part of the game to see if I can fight back? Why the fuck would he do that?

I don’t understand anything that’s happening here.

“I’m going to show you how to use this,” he says, “and you need to listen to me. This is not a toy.”

“I know.” I narrow my eyes at him, my fear momentarily pushed aside by his continuous ability to irritate the shit out of me. “I’m not a child.”

“I just want to emphasize it.” He steps away from me, showing me how to hold it as he demonstrates with his.

“Do I have to have a gun? What if I just…go with you?” I blurt the words out before I can really think about them. I don’t like how it feels in my hands or the idea of being responsible for it. I think some small part of me hopes that if I just go along with his ‘hiking and hunting’ plan, he’ll lose whatever predatory urge he’s having.

Are you stupid? If you have a gun, you can defend yourself.But I don’t have the first idea of how to actually use it. I’m more worried about doing his job for him and accidentally shooting myself with it.

Nikolai frowns. “Is that what you want?”

Do I say yes? Do I tell him I don’t want to be responsible for a gun? Or do I take it and maybe play into exactly what he wants? I take a breath, still not entirely sure of what I’m going to say—then suddenly, an idea starts to form in my mind.

If what he really wants is to hunt me, I don’t think he’s going to be dissuaded just because I don’t take his offer of a weapon. But maybe, if I’m careful and don’t set him off too soon, I can do more than just defend myself if he attacks first.

Maybe I can actually get out of here.

“No, I’ll try. It’ll be something for you to show me.” I flash him my best attempt at a smile, trying to be convincing. “You wanted us to get closer on our ‘honeymoon,’ right?”

Nikolai raises an eyebrow, and for a moment, I think he might have picked up on what I’m thinking. But then he nods and comes to stand behind me, helping me adjust to how to hold the rifle.

He’s standing very close. I hate myself for the leap of my pulse in my throat, the way it feels when his hands touch mine. I should hate every time he touches me, now more than ever. The rabbit isn’t supposed to want the wolf to eat her. But my breath catches the moment I can feel him brush against me, the heat of his body sinking into mine.

I don’t want him,I repeat over and over in my head, but something low in my belly tightens as he murmurs near my ear the instructions that I know I’m supposed to remember.

I’m going to have to do my best.

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