Kite007:Careful. I’m one push away from deletion and walking away from this. You’re the one who begged me to stay in contact. Remember?
Needle&Thread:You have a short temper.
Kind of like someone else I know.
Kite007:Want me to stay a fucking arsehole? Got it. Don’t ever say I never tried to help you.
My heart lurched.
If hewasKestrel, then he might be my only ally. I couldn’t afford to piss him off—not while I lived in a nest of reptiles. If I could befriend him—make him care—he might be my ticket to freedom.
What better way for a Weaver to escape than for a Hawk to open her cage?
Back in the dining room, Kes had been the only one who’d lookedat me with...compassion. He’d seen my struggle, and even though he’d treated me the same as all the rest, he’d been chivalrous in a strange, fucked-up way. Unlike his brother, who’d made me come—who’d stripped me of my rights and privacy and given me a gift I’d never been given before.
Bloody Jethro.
Needle&Thread:I’m sorry. I’ve been through a rather big change in the past few days. My temper is a little short.
Kite007:I’ve noticed. So...you going to tell me how you found a pair of balls?
Needle&Thread:No, I don’t think so. You wanted no personal details...remember?
I sat biting my lip, my fingers poised to cast my first web. How could I phrase a question to make him give away his identity: do you live in the country? Do you ride motorbikes? Did you happen to taste a woman yesterday along with twenty of your gang brothers?
Kite007:Shoot me down, then. See if I care. Enough talking. Let’s get back to a subject we both enjoy. Touch yourself. Tell me how wet you are at the thought of me spanking you. Because you deserve a spanking. A fucking hard one.
Needle&Thread:I don’t believe I’ve been anything but good. I don’t deserve anything of the sort, seeing as you whipped me last night.
Kite007:What’s with the whip fantasy? Why not my hand? I want to feel your skin burn while I punish you. I want equal pain in my palm as you scream and beg for my cock.
I stopped.
My heart switched from burning to frozen. What sort of response was that? Equal pain? Shared pain? Was that what pleasure-pain was all about? Equal measure of obedience and trust?
Kite007:You’ve gone quiet. Fine. You want a whip. I’m hitting you with a whip.
Needle&Thread:No. Actually...I would prefer your hand. I want to feel you touch me. I want to be stroked, caressed by you, all while you do whatever you want to me.
I swallowed the tiny thrill at the thought of Kes spanking me and quickly sent another message before he could reply.
Needle&Thread:Where are we while you hit me? Bedroom? Forest? Countryside? Across your motorcycle?
His response was instant.
Kite007:How the fuck do you know I have a motorcycle?
I threw my phone away as if it had electrocuted me.
I couldn’t breathe.
Oh, God. It had to be. The strange connection. The glint and secretive smirk on Kestrel’s face. Even the two words were similar.They’re both birds of prey.
I’m so stupid!
All this time, I thought Kite stood for the winged paper craft decorated with bows and string, when in reality it was another bird of prey.
Don’t believe it until you can prove it!
