But when he slips off his pants and boxers, my eyes deceive me, drawn back to him, catching his firm ass and legs which are also scarred. He’s clearly not shy, maybe a little too brazen actually, despite the fact that he could be a virgin.
He pulls on clean gray sweatpants, leaving his torso bare before he moves to set up what looks like a makeshift bed onthe floor. Once he’s finished, he strides over to me, and I quickly drop my gaze, hoping he doesn’t catch the mess of feelings he’s building inside of me.
He crouches, his intense stare fixed on my pale face as he unlocks one of the handcuffs and before I can even register the relief, he snaps it around his own wrist, locking us together. My eyes fly to his, but his expression is blank. Without a word, he stands, pulling me up with a swift tug that leaves me stumbling behind him as he crosses the room.
He drops onto the blankets and pillows spread by the fire, yanking me down with him, and I awkwardly land on top of him. Quickly, I roll off in panic, settling beside him, keeping my head down. He stays on his back, but I can feel his eyes on me, studying me carefully, our arms bound together above us. He reaches down, tossing a blanket over my body, easing some of the cold that’s seeped into my bones.
Midnight makes her way over with casual confidence, climbing across me to curl into a ball between us. I pull my arm from beneath the blanket to stroke her, feeling her silky fur brush through my fingertips as she drifts into sleep.
She may have betrayed me tonight, but she’s stillmylittle traitor.
For some time, we just lie there, the fire crackling and filling the silence. Eventually, I glance up at Ty, watching him stare up into the darkness, his other arm resting behind his head, making his muscles appear even more sharp.
“What is this place, Ty?” I ask softly, breaking the quiet, hoping to slip past whatever walls he’s built around himself.
He doesn’t respond, doesn’t even blink, just stares upward, his only reaction a subtle clench of his jaw. The slight agitation fuels my curiosity, and I find my eyes wandering over him nowthat he’s so close. I trace the scars covering his skin, each one a secret that draws me in deeper.
Slowly, I lift my hand away from Midnight, feeling a slight tremor in my fingers as I reach over, wanting to touch one of those marks.
He suddenly looks down at me, a harsh warning flashing in his dark eyes. I recoil slightly, my heart stumbling, my hand frozen midair. But instead of backing down from him, I find myself pushing him further, testing his boundaries.
Warily, I reach out again, my fingers hovering just above his flesh, feeling the heat radiating from him. Until, finally, I lower it onto his abs. Instantly, they tighten beneath my touch, his teeth clenching before he pointedly shifts his gaze back to the ceiling, allowing me this small victory, even if he’s clearly pissed off about it for some reason.
My fingers tremble as I trace one of the more deeper scars on his skin, the ridges hard, and my mind becomes tangled with questions about the history etched into him.
“Did this happen at SHA?” I murmur, barely clear, hoping he’ll speak to me about it, but also needing to keep the question away from his childhood, just in case.
At first, he doesn’t answer, as if deciding whether he’ll let me in. His eyes flicker all over the shadowed ceiling until finally, he speaks, his tone flat and distant.
“I fell through a greenhouse roof when I was a kid after climbing it. It shredded me to pieces.”
That would explain why it was never in his notes. There wouldn’t have been a reason for it to be if it was an accident and it happened before he killed his parents. But I start wondering why not his face? It’s flawless, but I don’t press any further. For now.
My gaze trails slowly until it lands on a bloodied mark, hardly visible between the curves of his abs. I lift my head slightly, taking in the wound—the one I inflicted on him last night with that knife. A sigh escapes me, tired and heavy, as the reality of it all smashes down on me. So much has happened since I set foot in this small, creepy town. I can feel everything spiraling further out of my control, slipping through my grasp like sand.
“You left that eyeball on my pillow, Ty,” I say, pulling my hand away from his abs, feeling the weight of each word.
“I know,” he replies, not offering the slightest hint of explanation, so I press on.
“The police came to ask about Mike. He was in serious condition in the hospital…”
“And?” His tone is cold, indifferent, his eyes still fixed on the ceiling as if none of this concerns him.
I swallow, feeling a surge of frustration at his relaxed dismissal. “Then his girlfriend came by later that evening to tell me he’s dead.”
“Good,” he says flatly, as if it’s the most natural thing in the world. “That’s what happens to cunts who fuck around, Raven. They find out.”
I bite back a sassy comeback, rolling my eyes at his lack of regret. But before I can respond, he turns his body toward me, shifting until his head rests on my pillow, his face inches from mine. Our noses almost touch, and I feel my breath stop as his gaze drops from my eyes to my lips, his attention unwavering.
“Did you tell them it was me, Kitten?” he whispers, his smoky breath kissing my lips.
I hesitate, memories flashing through my mind of last night and his antics. I didn’t tell them of course. I’d lied, covering for him yet again. And he knows it.
“I plan to when I get the chance. You took my phone.” I reply, tilting my chin defiantly, challenging him.
His lips jerk, a spark of laughter dancing in his intense dark eyes, glinting in the firelight.
“Of course you do, beautiful girl. What is this? The third or fourth time?”
