I dropped my eyes, focusing on the ground in front of me instead of the man leading me forward—I refused toacknowledge the slight tingle that raced up my spine at my thoughts.
Just because I was addicted to danger didn’t mean I had to chase it when it tied me up and led me to fuck knew where.
“Where are we going?” I didn’t raise my eyes when I asked, and the sharp tug of his hand on my restraints let me know that he’d noticed. When he didn’t answer, I finally jerked my gaze up.
The smug look on his face should have told me I wasn’t going to like what I saw. When I looked past him, I realized why. I wasn’t sure where we were, but there were other people milling around in a little encampment ahead of us. I could tell it was temporary by the crudeness of it, and I could tell the man who held my restraints was their leader by the way they all stood at attention as soon as he rounded the corner.
The smell of cooking meat might have made my stomach rumble if something he’d said before hadn’t caught my attention.
You’re pretty and you’re bringing dinner.
I didn’t have to look for long to make out what was roasting over their fire—the broad shoulders belonged to a man.
Raidersandcannibals.
I suddenly wasn’t sure if I was here to be a prisoner, or if I was here to be the main course.
CHAPTER
SIX
PHOENIX
I could seethe apprehension tearing through his body the second Cutter called out to me, his arm throwing up to gesture at the food they managed to find while I was out bringing home a living, breathing prize.
Aubrey had been walking willingly until that point, even though he’d been doing his best to pretend he wasn’t being compliant. Now his eyes fixated on the evidence of exactly where I’d brought him.
I wasn’t going to apologize for it. I wasn’t going to make excuses.
We did what it took to survive.
“Did you bring dessert, Phoenix?” As usual, Cutter’s fingers were playing with the metal chain I’d put around his neck a year ago. We’d fucked enough times that I thought he’d earned it, and now he wore the collar like a badge of pride that made his hazel eyes sparkle every time he lookedat me. His dirty blond hair was sticking up at odd angles as he approached us.
I felt the body that had been willingly following behind me come to a complete standstill, tugging back against the hold I had on him.
“Nah, this little killer is mine.” I didn’t miss the way Cutter’s face fell. I’d fucked my fair share of people, and he was the only one who’d really been hung up on the fact that it wasn’t a permanent thing. He glanced over Aubrey, his brows coming together at the military jacket and tags.
“Recruiting Order strays now?” The accusation in his question was thick, and I took a few quick steps forward so I could wrap my fingers in Cutter’s collar. I twisted it, dragging him close enough that I could see the way his eyes widened in fear.
“Are you fucking questioning me?”
His lips worked like he wanted to answer, but the metal was cutting off his ability to speak. He finally shook his head back and forth in a desperate attempt to placate me, and I tossed him back with a low grunt.
“Shit, Phoenix,” Blythe came forward and pulled Cutter to his feet with a smirk. Her dark curls fell into her face as she tilted her head, eying Aubrey with the same scrutiny Cutter had. “You can’t blame him for asking. Looks like an Order dog to me.”
“I’m not Order.” Aubrey’s irritated answer surprised me, and he jerked roughly against my grip again. “And I’m not a dog. Just unlucky.”
Blythe snickered. “Feisty. I get it, Phoenix. You can’t resist a pretty puppy, can you?”
It was more than just how pretty Aubrey was—it was the cold look in his eyes when he’d killed that man, the way he’d been cutting through the city like he wanted to die.
It was the fact that he was defiant in the face of a group of raiders, even though he was obviously outgunned and outmatched.
Not to mention tied up.
“I need to get him settled. Got torn up by a rabid before I caught him.” I jerked my head in the direction of the makeshift tents we’d set up.
Blythe watched me go with a smile, though it was Cutter’s irritated expression that chased me as I dragged Aubrey into my tent and half threw, half shoved him onto my bed.
