Page 79 of Leave Me Behind
. . .
Nell
Bradshaw kneelsbeside me as we scrub our uniforms free of the excess blood and mud. Normally I wouldn’t care too much about the dirty gear, but with the rain and stickiness of the blood, the material is too stiff to perform well in.
We’ve been sorting out ideas all afternoon, ranging from trying to regroup with the squad so Bradshaw can explain things to Eren so he doesn’t want me dead, to proceeding as planned with the mission and hopefully running into Malum there.
“That’s stupid,” I retort, drawing my jacket from the water and shaking it out. I hang it on the clothesline we crafted from the rope Bradshaw used to bind my wrists.
“He’ll listen to me, Bunny,” he barks back. He sounds much more like himself today. He got his fight and banter back with rest. So have I.
Will he? Clearly Eren brought me here for a reason.
“I’m not so sure he will.”
Bradshaw stops midway as he lifts his shirt over the clothesline and shoots me a glare. “We can’t take the enemy fortress alone.”
The exasperated breath I blow out has his jaw muscles feathering. “Can’t we? I’m going to find out who’s trying to kill you and finish the mission. Once they’re dead, I don’t care what happens to me. With or without the Malum Squad.”
He shakes his head. “Stop talking like that.”
“Why? Your brother won’t let me live and I’m not even close to getting my cards—” I lower my head and stare at the bright tiles of the bathroom. The fluorescent lights flicker above.
Bradshaw moves to stand in front of me. “And?” His voice is back to being cruel and it makes me smile.
“So even if I come back from this mission, it’s not like I can stay with you. They’ll set you free while I remain a dark forces weapon.”
Fury flashes across his eyes and he tips my chin up so I meet his gaze. “You think I’d let them keep you here without me?” I hold his stare. Steady and unmoving.
“I don’t see what choice you have.” I shove him back playfully and he doesn’t waste a second before he’s backing me into the mirror wall. My skin burns with its icy sting.
Bradshaw’s eyes search mine desperately, a mix of emotions tangling inside him. “You almost sound like you want me to go without you.” He presses his palms against the mirror on either side of my head.
I tilt my lips to his. “What if I do?”
His brow arches and he guides me away from the mirror by a few inches before he smashes his fist into it.
The mirror shatters and glass shards crash to the floor. When I stare into Bradshaw’s eyes, only obsession burns there. He pushes his forehead against mine and pins my wrist to thewall. I don’t fight him—I only stare back with the same lust and confusion eating my sanity away.
He presses his knee between my thighs.
“Are you trying to scare me? It’s not working,” I whisper against his temple.
“Trust me. If I wanted to scare you, you’d be scared. I’m only getting you excited,” he murmurs back, his warm breath on my lips.
Then he kisses me. It’s violent and passionate all at once. The pressure on my wrists increases and draws a mewl from my lips. Bradshaw quickly devours the sound with his own deep groan. He coaxes my mouth open and our tongues quickly tangle together fervently.
“Fuck,” he moans into my mouth as he presses his groin to my core. His bulge sends an excited thrum through my entire body. He loosens his hold on my wrists and pulls me to the bench on the opposite wall.
“Wait.” I gasp as he pushes me down on the bench and spreads my legs. I’m in nothing but the white oversized T-shirt and my undies. My hands come down over the shirt in a feeble attempt to cover my center. Partly because I’m embarrassed by how wet I already am and because we don’t have time for this. We should be devising a plan to infiltrate the hostile base, not fighting and fucking and… whatever it is we’re doing.
He looks up at me, dark strands of hair falling over his forehead, making my heart patter faster. “Wait for what? Don’t tell me you’re shy now. Does that mean you care about me, Bun?” His lip turns up and I shake my head.
“No. I mean—we don’t have time,” I babble, trying to find the words.
He laughs as he pries my hands away from my shirt and sets them on the edge of the bench. “Baby, who cares? We have all the time we need.”
I shudder as he slips my underwear to the side and strokes a finger through my wet slit. My thighs instantly try to close, but he catches my knee.
