Page 5 of Blade

He turned onto a narrow dirt road, barely visible among the trees. The truck bumped along for another half mile before a cabin came into view. It was larger than it appeared at first glance, built of solid logs with a wide porch wrapping around the front. His property line backed onto Valhalla. They were grateful to have an ally living next door. It also meant they were safe. The only way to his house was either through Valhalla or the roadthey just drove down. A road with multiple cameras and motion sensors.

Blade pulled up to the cabin and cut the engine. "We're here."

Lily peered through the windshield. "This is your place?"

"Home sweet home," he drawled. "Isolated. Defensible. And no one outside the inner circle knows about it."

He got out and came around to her side, opening the door for her. She hesitated, then slid out, wincing as her feet hit the ground.

"What's wrong?" he asked, noticing her discomfort.

"Nothing," she said quickly. Too quickly.

He crouched down, tugging up her jean leg before she could protest. Her ankle was swollen, angry red lines crisscrossing the skin.

"What the fuck happened?" he demanded.

She tried to pull away. "It's nothing. I fell."

"Bullshit. Don’t lie to me, little girl."

Their eyes locked, another battle of wills. This time, he wasn't backing down.

"Fine," she huffed. "I tried to run when they first caught me. One of them... one of them used a wire to tie me up. It got infected. It's healing now."

Rage, white-hot and blinding, surged through him. Someone had bound this woman with wire, tight enough to cut into her flesh, then left it to fester.

"Who?" he asked, his voice deadly quiet.

She shook her head. "Doesn't matter."

"It matters to me," he growled.

She shivered but she lifted her chin defiantly. "Why? So you can add it to your list of reasons to pity me? No thanks."

He stood slowly, towering over her once more. "I don't pity you, Lily. Respect, yes. Pity, no."

That seemed to throw her. She blinked up at him, confusion written across her features.

"Come on," he said, softening his tone slightly. "Let's get you inside. I need to look at that ankle."

Without warning, he bent and scooped her into his arms.

"Put me down!" she squeaked, wriggling in his hold.

"Be still," he commanded. "Or you'll find out exactly how I deal with disobedience."

She froze at that, her eyes growing wide. "You wouldn't."

"I would," he assured her, carrying her up the porch steps. "Push me, and you'll find yourself over my knee faster than you can blink."

A flush crept up her neck, spreading to her cheeks.

"You can't do that," she protested weakly. "You're not my... you're not..."

"Your Daddy?" he finished for her, watching her reaction carefully.

The blush deepened, and she looked away. "That's not what I was going to say."

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