Page 67
“Have you been drinking?” It’s a needless question. I can smell it and taste the bitter alcohol on his tongue.
“Just enough to know that all roads lead to you. Now come with me.” Cain pulls his hoodie over his head, then helps me slip into it. “Mmm,” he rumbles as he leans in, his eyes moving over me. “Don’t you look good. I could just eat you up,” he says, running his hand up my thigh and making me shiver. “But that’s not why I’m here tonight…”
Grabbing my hand, Cain pulls me along, walking toe-heel to stay quiet as we maneuver through the campsite. When we reach the woods, he laces his fingers with mine.
“Is this area safe?” I practically hang onto Cain’s arm, staying as close to him as possible. It’s my second field emersion trip, but as medical personnel, I stay at the campsite. This area is just outside of the community closest to us, the community that Sir Lazeroff oversees. Cain must have gone to the town pub to get the alcohol.
“Yes, we cleared this area today. But you can cling to me like it’s not.” He flashes his brow and smiles.
I’ve seen what waits out here, and still, I place my life in Cain’s hands.
“What are we doing out here?” It’s so cold, my breath forms little clouds with my words.
“For this.” Cain lifts my hand to his lips and kisses it twice. “And for this.” He nods ahead, and I follow his gaze.
A beautiful and broken town emerges past the threshold of the woods. Cain points to a grand building with white pillars framing the entrance. A section on the second floor on the left side is completely blown away from a bomb from years ago.
“That’s the library. I thought we could be the first to go through the books.”
Hours going through books, hours resting between his legs while he reads to me.
When I dream of him, these are the moments that come to me. Cain might be a twisted artist who likes pain to go with his pleasure. But he always made me feel like my presence meant a lot to him. That is, when we were alone.
Around other people…
I am nothing.
“Violet… Violet, my darling, wake up.”
Cain, I’m not ready to go back.
“It’s Dean, Zvyozdochka.”
Fingers around my throat, a gentle squeeze.
This is familiar.
“I need you to wake up.”
This isn’t a dream.
I jolt awake, my eyes shooting open and my hands reaching to grab Dean’s arm.
“Shh,” he sooths, wrapping one arm around my waist and grabbing the nape of my neck with the other hand. I glance over his shoulder at the clock; it’s one AM.
“What’s going on?” I rest my head on his shoulder and take a deep breath. I’ve been living here for a couple of weeks now. And while I’ve woken him up a couple of times from my newfound nightmares, he’s always let me sleep.
“There’s a man at the door, he says they need you in the infirmary.”
“What?” I look up at Dean, my heart sinking and my stomach twisting. Electricity shoots through my limbs, and I jump from the bed. I grab my sweater from the desk chair and pull it over my nightgown while I run out the door.
“Lady Daily.” A broad man in uniform says as he stands in the doorway. I slip on my shoes and nod for him to go forward. He glances over me, and I shake my head.
“It is one in the morning. That means there’s an emergency and no time for frillies and chit chat.” I nod him forward again, and jog along behind him with Dean at my heels.
Once we’re outside, I sprint, setting the pace for the others to get to the infirmary. When I open the door, I meet Riah’s wide eyes, his hand tugging at the back of his neck. Looking over, I see my worst fear.
Cain lies on a bed in the middle of the room, blood coating his clothes, his right leg blown to pieces.
