Page 26 of Russian Roulette
I lean in close to Vulcan’s ear, my hair touching his cheek, and shout over the roar of the motorcycle engine, “Where are we?”
“Kit’s place,” he answers, climbing off the bike. “Hop off. I’ll go wake him up. It’s still early.”
“You think?” I rub my gritty, tired eyes, filled with dust and dirt. “Is it even six o’clock yet? The sun is barely up. Why didn’t we sleep a little longer?”
“Kit said to bring you this morning,” he replies. “I’m just following orders.”
I swing my leg over the motorcycle to stand beside him. My butt and upper thighs are sore from riding on the motorcycle. “Let me get this straight. Kit owns a huge ranch. Seven lives in a high-rise penthouse, and you sleep on the ground,” I say to him.
“Different strokes for different folks,” he answers. “I didn’t hear any complaining from you last night when you were curled up against my body in the sleeping bag. Not one word of complaint did I hear out of your mouth.”
“That’s because I was freezing my ass off. Your body was like a furnace, and I needed the heat.”
“You needed something. I’ll agree with you on that.” He chuckles at the memory and I want to kick him. “Tell yourself whatever makes you happy. Last night was a freebie. Next time will end very differently.”
“There won’t be a next time.”
“Oh, I can promise you there will be, sweetheart. I’m not done with you yet. I’ll let you know when I am.”
His comment catches me off guard. Instead of being angry at him, the thought of hanging around a little longer gives me a thrill of excitement. “You sound pretty sure of yourself. Why would I want to stay around?”
“Did I say you have a choice?”
We begin walking together toward the glass front door when he suddenly grabs my upper arm. “Shit! Don’t move a muscle,” he whispers out of the side of his mouth. “Stay perfectly still.”
“Why? What’s wrong?”
“Don’t move,” he warns, dropping his voice lower. “I mean it. Don’t even breathe. There’s a tiger watching us from the far corner of the house.”
“Sure, there is,” I say sarcastically, thinking he’s screwing with me. “Oh wow! There’s a pink unicorn behind the bush, too.”
“I’m not joking.” He tightens his hand on my arm in a death grip. “Lower your voice. Don’t turn your head and whatever you do, don’t turn your back on her or run if she comes closer. Just cut your eyes over to check her out yourself.”
I play along with his stupid game and glance over to the far side of the house. “Fuck!” I whisper. A tiger’s huge white head is sticking around the corner of the ranch-style house. The sheer size of her takes my breath away. Her big blue eyes are watching us intently. “Why the hell is a tiger roaming around Kit’s property? Is she dangerous?”
“Hell yeah, she’s dangerous,” he replies. “Aren’t they all? That’s why I told you not to move. Next time, listen to me.”
The tiger takes two steps forward on her huge, fluffy paws and her full, enormous body comes into view, her muscles rippling under her thick fur. Her piercing gaze is unwavering as she fixes her eyes on us. She’s tugging Kit behind her, who struggles to keep control of the leather leash.
“Puffin, hold up!” he says to her in a voice someone might use to speak to a toy poodle instead of a five-hundred-pound tiger. “Stop pulling me.”
She immediately stops moving, but doesn’t take her eyes off us for a second. I’m afraid to breathe. Next time Vulcan tells me something outlandish, I’ll believe him right off the bat without questioning. My first opinion of these guys was dead on accurate. They’re all fucking psychos, not just Vulcan.
“What are you doing here so damn early?” Kit yells from the corner of the house, and I’m relieved he’s not coming closer. “I wasn’t expecting you yet. It’s barely daylight. What did you do? Leave your place at midnight to get here?”
“I’ve got things to do this morning,” Vulcan yells back. “Is this a bad time? Too bad if it is.”
“It’s not a great time, as you can probably tell,” Kit says. “I’m in the process of moving Puffin to another enclosure so she can get some exercise. You should’ve called me first to tell me you were on your way. It’s not safe to show up unexpectedly. Puffin doesn’t take kindly to strangers.”
“Why didn’t you warn me before now?” I whisper to Vulcan.
“Go on into the house,” Kit says, tilting his head toward the front door. “Make yourself at home. I’ll be back in a few minutes after I get Puffin squared away.”
“Are there anymore tigers we should watch out for?” Vulcan asks. “Or other animals roaming around inside the house? Bears, lions, angry peacocks?”
“No, you’re safe,” Kit assures. “Don’t worry about Puffin. I’ve got her. Go on in.”
Vulcan doesn’t turn loose of my arm and tugs me into Kit’s house. We walk along a long corridor and into a big, comfortable living area. The house is homey, with floor-to-ceiling glass windows to let in the natural sunlight. The room is decorated simply with clean lines and a neutral color palette.
