Page 85 of Red Rabbit
Maybe when I woke up this would all be some sick lucid dream. But Kraven pushed it away from me and his hand brushed across the back of my neck.
“Alcohol isn’t the answer, love,” Kraven said quietly.
He was so close I couldn’t breathe. His hands traveled into my hair, slowly pulling bobby pins and casting them aside. My hair started to fall down my back and when the pins were all out, his fingers slid up the back of my head under my hair andhe massaged my scalp. I couldn’t stop the shudder that raced through my body. I tilted my head back into his hands.
“Are you going to rape me?” I asked, finally looking at him.
His hand continued to massage my head and I wanted to purr it felt so good. His other hand covered my trembling one on the counter. My blood was smeared across it but he raised it to his lips and kissed my knuckles. His eyes darkened as they met mine.
“Well that depends,” he murmured, his breath caressed my skin and he kissed my hand again. He must have seen the terror that crossed my face and his fingers tightened briefly in my hair. I opened my mouth to speak, couldn’t and had to try again.
“Don’t hurt me,” I choked, my chest heaving as I fought for control. I hated how weak I sounded but all of this was threatening to undo all of my hard work the last six months. My other hand went to my mouth and I started shaking. He looked angry but not at me. He took his hand from my hair and pushed a curl away from my face, his fingers tracing a trail down my cheek and neck.
“Shh—” he said.
He slipped his hands down my arms and stepped slightly behind me. He bent down and brought his lips to my neck and his touch was feather light on my skin.
“Do you remember why I hurt you?” One hand pushed the hair away from my neck and his lips kissed me below my ear. I shivered. His hands rested on my arms, not gripping tightly but I knew they would tighten if I tried to move away.
“You—when I didn’t listen,” I said, my voice weak.
“And the rest of the time?”
One of his hands came around my stomach and he gently pressed himself against my back. My hips pushed against the counter and I tensed up so badly I felt him freeze.
“What about the rest of the time, Kaelin? Did I hurt you?”
I shook my head in jerky movements.
No, he hadn’t hurt me the rest of the time. In fact, he made me feel unbelievable pleasure. I suddenly needed space.
“I—I need to pee,” I said.
I couldn’t see him but I felt him hesitate and then his hands were gone and his suffocating presence stepped away. I took a massive gulp of air and took a few steps towards the bathroom.
“When you come out, I want you only in those heels,” Kraven said to me. I froze but didn’t turn around. “Remember what I said, darlin’.”
It took me a minute to move again but I continued to the bathroom in my room and once I shut the door I collapsed against the counter shaking. Silent tears slid down my face and I looked in the mirror at the cut Cooper made. There was a small one on my neck too from the knife.
My hands shook as I turned the water on, washing my hands and then washing the blood away from my face. It wasn’t deep but I took my time cleaning it and then I did actually have to pee. Once the toilet flushed, I knew I needed to make a move. Kraven wouldn’t leave. This was going to happen whether or not I wanted it to. I could either make it traumatizing or healing. I realized that choice was as much power as I was going to get and I might as well use it to my advantage.
I slowly brought my hand up to the zipper in the back of my dress and dragged it down. I didn’t want to look at myself but as the dress fell to the floor, I couldn’t avoid my reflection. My body had filled out with the self-defense classes but the scars were still angry and red. They hadn’t faded yet and it was all I could see. The two on my hip were still the worst and they stood out vividly, along with the ones along my lower abdomen and chest. I caught my eye in the mirror and the look there was haunted and hollow. I kept my heels on like he said and with a shaky breath slowly opened the door.
Kraven was on my bed, lounging against the headboard like it was the most natural place for him to be. He had removed his jacket and I saw the blood was gone from his hands and face.
“Good girl,” he murmured, seeing I obeyed his instructions. His eyes swept me from head to toe and back again and I saw his gaze land on every single one of my scars. A muscle in his jaw ticked and the dangerous look in his eyes scared me even though I knew it wasn’t for me.
“Come here,” he said, his jaw clenched.
I crawled up onto the bed and lay beside him. He propped himself up and his gaze traveled over me again, catching on the scars on my hip. His gaze was murderous as his hand came up and traced them. They were still sensitive even after all this time and I inhaled sharply and shivered.
“Is he dead?” He rumbled dangerously. I nodded my head and my lip trembled.
“Yes,” I whispered.
“Pity. He deserves worse for this,” he growled. He moved down so he could kiss a trail down one scar and a small sob escaped me.
“I would carve him into pieces—” he kissed up the other scar. “And when I finally allowed him to die—” He peppered kisses along my hip, passing the scar to hit the spot he knew I was weakest. “—I’d drag him back from hell so I could do it all again.”
