Page 20 of Outbreak

The problem is… I’m wearing a mask, and my girl can’t be unleashed in public just yet. We’re in the Bible Belt. I might as well come riding in with the devil.

Fuck it.I’m hungry, and the bible-thumping rednecks can eat a dick.

Rue sits up in her seat, putting her feet back where they belong when I pull into the parking lot. Food has always been her comfort. She told me once it’s because hunger was all she knew for a long time. I hated that I knew exactly what she meant. I still hate it.

Luckily, there aren’t many people dining in at this time. Only a few cars sit in the parking lot surrounding the old-school retro diner. The old red neon sign hanging outside flickers in the bright sunlight.

Mama’s Place.

“Are we… going in there?” She asks tentatively, chewing at the black paint flaking off her long nails. I mentally high-five myself for grabbing her polish from her dorm when I packed her stuff. It will be a nice reward if she behaves.

“Can you behave if we do?” I ask, raising an eyebrow beneath my mask.

“I’m fucking starving, dude. I’ll crawl in there naked and bark at them if you will justfucking feed me!”

“That won’t be necessary,” I say, pulling in front near the door and throwing the truck into park. “You’ll walk in with your head held high, proudly wearing your leash.”

CHAPTER 17

Rue

I’m working on my third bag of gummy worms, my second energy drink, and feening for my vape that’s nowhere to be seen. My ‘hanger’ alone could take us both out at this point. I was only slightly kidding when I said I could crawl naked in there. The leash doesn’t even bother me at this point.

I’ll never tell him, but I kind of enjoy it. I know it’s certifiably insane, and whatever therapist gets the short end of the stick with me would probably lock me away and throw away the key. I’m aware of all of that, but… it makes me feel safe. The collar around my throat isn’t restrictive, but it makes me feel like I belong to someone—and cherished. I blame childhood abandonment, an ass-load of trauma, and deep-seated daddy issues.

These people are about to look at us like we are batshit crazy, but I don’t think I care. At least it’s spooky season, and masked men are currently making a comeback.A hot-as-fuck comeback.I don’t argue with him when he gets out of the truck and walks to my door. I don’t protest or remark when he clips the leash to the link on my collar. I stare directly into his green eyes that glint with something that feels a lot like desire as he holds eye contact with me.

He shuts the door once the leash is attached and tugs on it, pulling me one step closer, invading his space, and making my head swim. He’s too close. And smells too good. I’d almost let him turn me around and fuck me over the truck seat if I wasn’t so goddamn hungry. But I can also smell the delicious scents of grilled burgers and onions from the parking lot.

“Keep looking at me that way, and I’ll have an all you can eat buffet of your pussy right here in the parking lot for everyone to see.”

“Yeah, yeah. You’re a big, scary masked man, I get it. Can we go inside now? I’m fucking starving.” I try to push past him to walk ahead, but he wraps my hair around his fist and brings his mouth to my ear.

“That mouth is going to get you in trouble. I think you’ll find it hard to eat through a muzzle.” I roll my eyes at his threat. He puts more force into his hold on my hair and cranes my neck back to look up at him. “Let’s set some ground rules. No talking to strangers. No signaling for help. I have no problem killing every?—”

“I said I get it; are you dumb?” I snap. “Just fucking feed me, asshole. I’ll be the best little captive you’ve ever taken to lunch on a leash.”

I swear to God I’m going to kick him in the balls if he doesn't stop talking. I didn’t even give him lip about his ‘stranger’ comment, and that should be enough to show him I’m trying here.

“Well, let’s go then,” he says after releasing my hair and smoothing it down. He places his hand on the small of my back and guides me to the door. I try to focus on the red neon rope lights outlining the glass windows and the retro red and white vinyl booths that sit on black and white checkered floors, all to help me ignore the heat of his hand searing into my skin through my thin tank top.

There aren’t many people in here as I take a quick survey of the space, and I’m thankful he nudges me into the first booth right inside the door. He slides in next to me. I try to keep my eyes lowered, avoiding any judgy stares from other patrons eating their lunch, but it doesn’t look like anyone has noticed a masked man walking a girl in on a leash yet. However, it doesn’t take long for a young, pretty girl to shuffle over to our table, her eyes trained on the notepad in her hand. She can’t be more than nineteen at most.

“What can I get y’all started with to—” She pauses, then flips her blonde ponytail over her shoulder and pops her hip out. “I’m sorry. What can I get for you,sir?”

The southern sultry twang she suddenly has now has me seeing red. Someone’s clearly been watching too many thirst traps on the internet! Bitch can’t even see me sitting here, attached to this motherfucker's leash!? “I’llhave a lemonade,” I snap, peeling the menu off the sticky tabletop and ignoring her and addressing Mr. Thirst Trap himself. “What would you like,sir?”

I can feel his eyes boring into the side of my face, never once even looking in her direction as he addresses her. “I’ll have the same as my girl.”

My girl?

Why the fuck do those words send a horde of butterflies straight into my stomach?

Neither of us look at her as she lingers for a moment, clearly not used to the dismissal she just got before she shuffles to the back. I scan the menu, not really taking in or caring what they have to offer here with the jealousy coming out of nowhere and taking up residence in my gut. I have no reason to be jealous. I don’t even know him. He kidnapped me. Why the fuck does it matter if some blonde bitch flirts with him? It doesn’t make me want to stab her in the fucking eye any less.

“Green looks good on you,” he leans in and whispers. Maybe I’ll stab him in the eye too. Fix both problems at the same time.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I lie.

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