But no little blue flashlight. No pocket laser. No lantern with blue glass.
And thankfully, there were no signs that anyone had been tied up and kept hostage. No collection of clothes from previous victims. The image of that row of houses came to mind, but I sure as hell wouldn’t be searching those. Already, my fingers threatened to break off if I didn’t get back to that precious stove.
I was prepared to apologize as soon as I opened the door but decided to thaw out first. MacInnis was silent while I took my time removing my jacket, ski mask, and boots. I opened the stove door, flipped the log over, and left it open. Then I rubbed my hands so violently that I barely heard him mumbling.
“Sorry, what?”
“That pan. The deep one, sittin’ on the floor. Will ye bring it to me?”
I picked it up. It was the pan I’d filled with snow for melting.
“Why?”
“Because I’d rather not piss me own bed.”
I’d drunk water from that bucket. But it hadn’t been on the floor then. Surely, he didn’t usually… But then again, in the middle of the night, I certainly wouldn’t want to go out into the cold.
I groaned and considered barfing in it before I handed it over. Then I was distracted by the minor detail that he couldn’t very well pee in it by himself! And I certainly wouldn’t be…uh…holding anything for him!
“Miss Gaines?”
“Not Gaines,” I corrected. Then a gut check. “Not anymore. Just Matty.”
“Lass! The urgency grows, aye?”
“Fine!” I hurried to the opposite wall and took a small hatchet from its hook. Then I hustled to the head of the bed while he watched every step through the slit of his swollen black eyes. “Wha do ye intend to do w’ tha’?”
“Free your hands.”
“Nay, lass. Dinnae cut it. Rope is too precious.”
I set the hatchet on the floor and tugged at the knots. Judging from how tight they’d become, I knew he’d been trying to get free while I’d been outside.
“The belt, woman. Release the belt and I can see to m’ hands.”
I’d already decided he wasn’t some serial murderer, some spider luring victims to his web. Keeping him tied up was just mean, and I’d been mean enough already.
It took so little effort to free him from the headboard, that he seemed disgusted that he’d failed to escape on his own. Freeing his feet was just as quick.
He sat up and turned his attention to the knots at his wrists, but he couldn’t see well enough to pull them apart. “Fine. Use the hatchet. But dinnae make me bleed again, I beg ye.” He held his hands between his knees while I sawed at the little fibers, careful not to do so near his skin. “I give ye my word I’ll come straight back?—”
“It’s okay. I changed my mind. I don’t think you tricked me here. And I don’t think you’ll hurt me.”
The last of the fibers gave way and his hands came apart.
“Ye changed yer mind?” He jumped to his feet and rushed to the door but paused. “Just how long did ye intend to keep me lyin’ there, then?”
“Go!”
CHAPTER TWELVE
Cian hardly noticed the bite of the wind and ice against his skin, he was that grateful for relief. But once his bladder was empty, the throbbing in his face and head became unbearable. He scooped snow into his hands and pressed it to the bridge of his nose…
And howled.
He repeated the process until he couldn’t feel anything but the drips on his chin turning to ice. He blinked carefully, worried he might have frozen his very eyeballs, but they moved fine. The snow had stopped, as if it took pity on him, but the wind continued, nudging him back toward the house door and the fire within.
But what to do with the woman?
