I stomped back outside to where Pat sat on the porch, grabbing a handful of his shirt and hauling him to his knees.“Think very,verycarefully about your next words. I like you. But you will not disrespect her like that. Am I clear?”
He nodded, a small squeak leaving his mouth.
I put him back down on the stairs. “Glad we understand each other. Now, did you see her?”
“No. No one like her left.” He rubbed his shoulder. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize she was your woman.”
“She’s—” I paused. She wasn’t mine. She never was, and never would be. But for all intents and purposes, it would be easier if she was. And I liked the way the word sparked something in my chest.Mine. “Don’t worry about it.”
I slammed the door shut behind me. She hadn’t left. Which meant she was in the house somewhere. I just hoped she was alone.
Sticking my head into my bedroom, I made sure it was empty. No sounds came from the shower, either.
The living room was eerily quiet, the destroyed sofa and smashed tv looking more like something out of an apocalypse movie now that it sat empty. I snuck into the kitchen, a pile of dishes waiting in the sink. One of the plates held a meal I couldn’t even begin to define. It might’ve been cheese. Then again, it might have been a piece of cake.
I wrinkled my nose. There was nowhere to hide in the small kitchen, so Blaire must have been upstairs.
Something cool and sharp pressed against my throat, pinching the skin. My blood turned cold, my fight or flight response flipping on.
“Don’t fucking move or I’ll slit your fucking throat.” I would know that voice anywhere.Blaire.
My heart sank. Maybe she did remember after all. “Blaire. Let’s talk about this.”
“You think I won’t? You don’t scare me,” she scoffed. “That’s the funny thing about men. They always underestimate me, until they’re bleeding out at my feet.”
Her memories were coming back. I wasn’t sure if I was grateful or disappointed.
“No, I believe you. I’m just saying let’s talk about it before you do.” I slipped my hands up, ready to disarm her if the moment presented itself. She had to be on the fucking tips of her toes to reach my neck with the knife.
“What is there to talk about? You really thought you got away with it and I wouldn’t come back for you?” She grabbed my shoulder, pulling me around. “Look at me. Keep your hands where I can see them. I’m going to give you a chance to confess your sins before I kill you.”
I spun in place, her knife following my neck as I turned. It scraped the skin, and a bead of blood trickled down my shirt collar. I couldn’t bring myself to meet her eyes.
“I said,look at me,” she snapped.
It was then I realized how truly fucked up I was because there was something so fucking sexy about Blaire taking control, pressing a knife to my neck, demanding things, even if she wanted to kill me. My gaze rose from the floor, meeting her eyes. I almost collapsed in relief.
It wasn’t Blaire. Well, it was. But she wasn’t there. Her eyes were distant, seeing something that wasn’t there. It wasn’t me she wanted to kill. I still had time.
“Blaire,” I soothed. “Blaire, baby, I think you’re sleepwalking again.”
She glared, the endearment slipping off my tongue ignored, and pressed the blade harder against me. “How stupid do you think I am? You kill him, and leave me for dead, and think I’m going to fall for your sweet talk? You’re dirtier than I ever thought.”
What?“I promise you, I’ve done some fucked up shit, but I’ve never left you for dead. You’ve got me mixed up with someone else. If you want to take out some of your anger on me, I’m fine with that, but I’m not sure we need to go as far as killing.” If I could move an inch closer, I could get the knife out of her hands, but I wasn’t sure I could do it without breaking her wrist. My best bet was talking her out of it, somehow. She seemed pretty set on killing me.
Blaire curled her lip. “Don’t play me for a fool, Lukas. Just own up to it, and you can die a free man.”
Lukas. That was my out. “Blaire, my name isn’t Lukas. Listen to me. Listen closely. My name is Winder. Winder, remember? You slept in my bed last night. You were mad I left. I told you the story of how I got my name.”
“Wi…Winder?” Something clicked behind her eyes, and the pressure on the knife lifted slightly. “How do I know you’re telling the truth?”
I smiled. “You don’t. Remember? Don’t trust anything with a tongue that can lie. That being said, I’ve made a really stupid decision getting this snake tattooed on my body if my nameisn’tWinder.”
“Winder.” The fogginess left her gaze. Her wide eyes snapped to the weapon she held at my throat. “Oh my God,” she cried, dropping the knife with a clatter. She jumped away from it like it was contagious, like she hadn’t just been threatening my life a moment earlier.
“Hey. Hey.” I reached out for her, but she pulled away from me, curling into herself. “It’s okay. You were sleepwalking.”
Blaire shook her head violently. “It’s not okay. It’s not fucking okay, Winder. I would’ve killed you, do you realize that? I would’ve killed you, and you would’ve just been another one of my nightmares.”
