Page 23 of Bleed with Me

Nina

Staring at Dorian’s calm face, I didn’t know if he was asleep or unconscious. No one ever complained about my blow-job skills, but this was an unexpected reaction. In my experience, his orgasm should have been much more intense after the edging, but knocked out? That was a first.

A satisfied grin stretched across my face, and I risked removing my mask. I cleaned up the mess he made and erased every piece of evidence of our little adventure. Everything was in perfect order.

Leaning closer, I felt Dorian’s warm breath against my cheek. Relief loosened the knot in my chest. His breathing was steady. He’d be fine.

I placed a gentle kiss on his forehead and exited the bed, thinking about how to arrange his restraints so he wasn’t in such an unnatural position. Lucas would probably be away until the morning, and I felt sorry if my sweetheart suffered.

Playing with the keys from the locks holding him down, I mustered up some courage and approached the headboard. The chain was wrapped around the metal column, and the cuff was attached to his wrist. Guilt twisted my stomach when I noticed the dark bruise spreading beneath the cuff. Redness flared across his skin, a reminder of everything I’d done to keep him here.

From the bag in the corner, I took out bandages and sat beside Dorian on the bed, hoping he wouldn’t wake up while I treated the injuries.

Exhaling deeply, I covered my sweaty, itchy face with a mask and unlocked his right hand. His left arm stayed attached to the bed so even if he woke up, he wouldn’t be able to escape. But I wanted to avoid that situation at all costs. The gun burned on my hip; still, using it on Dorian was the last thing on my mind.

As quickly as I could, I spread lotion on a dark bruise and bandaged it, then placed a tight cuff over it. My heart beat somewhere in my throat when the clicking sound echoed in the quiet room. Still, there wasn’t much I could do. If I freed him now, he’d rip my head off. One blowjob wasn’t enough to make him forget I kidnapped him, but it was a start. Once he married me, he wouldn’t be able to escape my love.

The thought made me smile as I swiftly bandaged his other hand. He didn’t even move. I covered him with a blanket, adjusted the cushion under his head, and let him sleep.

For the next three hours, I rehearsed every version of the negotiation in my head, trying to find the best way to present my offer to Dorian. I had little to offer except his freedom, but he didn’t know I would never deliberately hurt him, and that was my biggest advantage. I also knew the Carlile family was involved in the scheme to get his brother out of prison. And then there were the drugs. They would force Dorian to cooperate and marry me, but only if everything else failed. As ridiculous as it was after chaining him to a bed, a part of me still hoped he’d agree willingly.

Checking the supplies Lucas had brought, now sitting in the old fridge, I wondered what I could put together. My options were limited, but even if they hadn’t been, cooking wasn’t my thing. My stomach rumbled, though the knot of nerves kept me from eating. Dorian, however, would need something to fill his belly.

With a resigned sigh, I inspected the ancient stove and oven before settling for the easiest option, heating one of the frozen ready-made meals.

While something that should have been lasagna stayed in the oven, I hid my bow and arrows in the car, then returned to the kitchen and paced back and forth. Lucas texted me that the papers were taking more time than he expected, time we didn’t have.

The loud ding of the oven made me flinch, and I exhaled an exasperated breath. The smell made my stomach growl, and when I removed the aluminum foil, the thick layer of cheese made my mouth water. I dug my fork in and carefully tasted the sauce. It was surprisingly good, but before I could try more, another text from Lucas came.

Lucas: We have to speed it up, Nina. Zyon put a reward on our heads.

Nina: Does he know it’s us?

My mouth filled with more saliva, and my stomach clenched painfully.

Lucas: Not yet, but it’s a matter of a few hours. We have to do it now or abandon the idea.

Nina: We won’t be abandoning anything. Get back ASAP.

He sent me a thumbs-up emoji, and I threw my phone on the wooden desk as if it were its fault that Dorian’s brothers were closer than we thought. My hands shook, and panic squeezed my chest, but the rational part of me knew that if I wanted to get things done, I couldn’t freak out. This was what my grandpa had prepared me for over the years. Under immense pressure and hunted by the predators, I couldn’t fold. I would rise to meet it.

Gathering my strength and fixing the mask on my face, I took a plate with lasagna and a glass of water upstairs. Dorian slept soundly; his face was calm and so gorgeous I almost didn’t believe it was real. His hair fell across his forehead and into his closed eyes; one corner of his lips lifted, and his long eyelashes fluttered against his cheeks with every exhale. Waking him was a deadly sin, but the circumstances demanded it. The sooner I got him to agree with my proposal, the better.

“Dorian,” I whispered, shaking his shoulder. “Wake up, sleepy head.”

A groan slipped from his lips, and he smiled dreamily. The butterflies in my stomach instantly went into a frenzy. I wanted nothing else, just to snuggle with him and fall asleep on his broad chest. But instead, I tried again.

“Dorian.” I gently slapped his cheek, my palm tingling the second I touched him. “Open your eyes.”

He didn’t react. His head turned to the side, leaning into my hand, but nothing more. He was dead asleep.

“I don’t have time for this,” I mumbled, removing my hand from under his head. I grabbed the glass of water from the nightstand and splashed it on his face. His eyes snapped open, his arms instinctively tugged at the restraints, and he looked completely disoriented.

“What the…” he gasped, staring at me as if I had fallen from the sky. “What’s happening?”

“Good morning,” I chirped, smiling at his confused expression. “It’s night, actually, but you just woke up, so, you know.” I wiped the water from his face, almost laughing at his bafflement. He looked adorable, eyes wide and mouth hanging open. “I brought you food, and we need to talk.”

“What about water?” he asked, licking his lips from the drops as he zoomed in on the plate. His nose scrunched, and he slightly pulled away. “I feel like throwing up.” He cast me a pleading glance that almost melted my heart. “Take it away, please.”