“I—I don’t?”
“No, not at all,” I pressed. “A Theo is cool. A Theo is badass. But you?” I laughed even harder. “You’re just some computer nerd, who hunted down a helpless woman.”
Colson stepped over to me, and despite my bravado his presence was intimidating. It wasn’t just the muscles that sprouted from every inch of his six-and-a-half foot frame, or that begrudgingly handsome perma-scowl. No, it was his aura, his very presence. It was the way he glared down at me with those cold, penetrating eyes.
“You’re far from helpless,” he said, icily. “Just ask Ripley.”
He jerked a thumb toward his friend with the scrotum problem.
“Ripley can fuck off,” I snapped. I shifted my eyes his way. “I hope that thing swells up to the size of a volleyball, by the way.”
The tattooed monster who’d lorded over me at the dock stared back impassively. He lifted one big hand, which was also tattooed, and flipped me off.
I shifted into a sitting position, and used both hands to rub at my throbbing head. At least they’d zip-tied my wrists in front, and not behind my back. That part was good. I could feel things tugging at my skin though, beneath my clothing. They were all over my arms and legs.
That mystery was solved a moment later. I looked to my left, where a small mountain of alcohol swabs and Band-aid wrappers were scattered everywhere.
“Who patched me up?”
“I did,” volunteered Theo. “You’re all scratched up. Running into the woods… well, that was just…”
“Stupid?”
“Yeah. That.”
“Didn’t you hear? I’m doing stupid things today. Besides, you didn’t give me much of a choice, back there,” I sighed. “Either I run through the woods like some low-budget horror movie, or you drag me back to Nantucket to marry a monster.”
I shrugged, still trying to seem as helpless as humanly possible. All the while, my eyes shifted around the room, searching for my next avenue of escape.
None of the men said anything, however.
“Marry a monster it is then,” I sighed, resignedly. “Fine. When do we leave?”
Again, the men said nothing. In the uncomfortable silence, a grim realization dawned slowly over me.
“We’re not going back, are we?” I asked, trepidatiously. “Not anymore.”
Colson and Theo just looked at each other. Unable to stare at him any longer, Theo’s gaze dropped to the floor.
“Ah, fuck.”
