I walk past him, refusing to flinch. He follows, slow and measured, every step a reminder of who is in control.
“It’s good we’re going to the lodge, my period started.” I state.
His eyebrows raise. “Is that so? You aren’t due for another week.”
I choke on my shock. “What did you just say?”
“You heard me.” He sighs. “No matter, you can choose to bounce on my cock to help your cramps, or bleed yourself into a little painful ball.”
“You’re fucked.”
“Meh.” He gestures to the couch. I sit, hands folded in my lap, and stare at the floor.
He sits across from me, elbows on his knees, gaze fixed on my face.
“You remember last night?” he asks.
“No,” I lie.
He smiles, the first real smile I’ve seen. It’s small, private, like a secret he doesn’t plan to share.
“I think you do.”
I meet his eyes, and something in me breaks. The chain is gone, but I’m more trapped than ever.
I look at my wrist. The mark is already fading, the skin pink and tender. I wonder how long it will take before the rest of me heals.
I wonder if I want it to.
“No, Knox, I think all the trauma you’ve forced on me has short-circuited my brain and now I’m basically a smooth brain.”
He chuckles, a loud, warm sound that makes me pause.Damn, I like that way too much.“You’re a funny girl, Gianna.”
We don’t talk for a long time. The fire cracks and pops. I listen to the sound of his breathing, slow and even, like he’s mastered the art of calm just to show me how badly I lack it.
Finally, he breaks the silence.
“You want to know how this started?” he asks.
I shrug. “Why not. We have all day, but just remember, I’m bleeding so if your aim is to stain this couch before we go to the lodge, you’re doing just fine.”
He leans back, stretching his legs until his foot brushes mine. He doesn’t pull away. I don’t either.
“My brother,” he says. “Well. Not my blood brother. But may as well be. Kairo is the one who started all this, commissioned Noah into letting us use his cabin.”
I roll my eyes. “What, like, hunting people for fun? That kind of game?”
He smirks, a slow, mean thing. “Not at first. At first, it was just talk. Fantasy. Stories around the fire.” He glances at the flames,and for a second I see something flicker behind his eyes. Not regret. Hunger. “But the stories weren’t enough. Not for Creed. Or Kairo. Or Slade.”
“Those real names? Stupid fucking names. Makes sense though,Knox.”
“Real enough.”
I rest my chin on my hand. “So, what? They picked up girls at bars and brought them out to the woods? Told them it was some rustic fuckfest and then let them run for their lives?”
His mouth curves. “The first time was just some chick who had the same kinks. I think it was Creed who found her. Over time it evolved into some kind of mission to find ‘the one’ and stayed that way. Out of all of us Creed was the worst. He went through women so often we never knew what the fuck was up. Slade is a close second, but he just enjoyed the hunt. Not so much the after, if you catch my drift. Kairo had held out. Found Harbor a few months ago and they’ve been happy ever since.”
“And you?”