We both took deep breaths to recover.
I was all too aware of his body against mine. It made my skin crawl. Everything inside me revolted against his touch, whether it was life or death, or not.
What was he even doing here?Following me at worst. Waiting for me at best.
Otherwise, he’d been long gone three times over. He had more than enough time to get out and get help. He chose not to.
And now I owed him my life.Wonder what he’ll demand in return.
Before my breathing recovered, I went to step around the tree, but Gale’s hold tightened around me. His arms ran over myarm sensually before locking around my wrist like a handcuff. I couldn’t even pull away without plummeting over the edge.
“We’re leaving.” His voice came out with a rough, threatening edge, daring me to try something. A loud roar echoed in the distance, closer than last time.
He climbed carefully around the tree, sliding out from behind me, and I followed him. By the time I turned the tree, he had that gun pointed at me again.
“Let’s go.” He used the gun to point me forward.
I complied, but this wasn’t happening. I didn’t work to get here to be back in his hands. I’d go along with him for a while, since it suited my purpose, but the second I saw my chance, I was taking it.
This motherfucker didn’t own me anymore.
A storm of emotions flickered through me. They were big and explosive. Rage. Loneliness. Terror. Agony. Desire. Confusion. Before one could really settle another emotion took over.
Rot was going through it. I almost felt bad, but there obviously wasn’t enough space for me in him, so I didn’t have space for him in me.
He’d come after me sooner rather than later, and I’d deal with him when he did.One problem at a time, Talia.
I walked in the general direction of the road ahead of Gale. I had to get out of here. The sooner, the better.
“Quit moving so fast.” The click of the safety turning off snicked behind me. I halted my steps, putting my hands up.
His calm tone, like it was another day in class, made me realize how clinical and cold this man was. It made me realize how much I preferred Rot’s snap, impulsive reactions. At least I didn’t have to dissect whether he was truly calm or not.
“If you run, I will shoot you.” As if he hadn’t already made that perfectly clear already.
“The monster will be after me.” I rolled my eyes. Slowing us down wouldn’t accomplish what he thought it would. Every second in the swamp, the higher the chances of his brutal murder was. “We need to move.”
“Don’t worry about that, sweetheart.”
“Don’t worry, sweetheart,” was whispered in my ear as I ignored the hands touching me.
I froze as my brain short-circuited and my breathing stalled. The voice was exactly the same.
My stomach shrank, and the blade that lived in my chest twisted.
Same tone. Same lie.
Tears pricked my eyes.
It was him.
Chapter 28:
Mylungsburned,beggingfor oxygen, but I couldn’t figure out how to make them work again. It was like my system rebooted, and I wasn’t in control anymore.
Memories of his face come into clear-cut focus. He had laugh lines around his eyes now. He wore sweats in my memories, instead of slacks or cargo pants. He was almost a different man. The scruffy beard stayed clean shaved now. His voice was deeper. His body was stronger.
But it was him.
