She was sitting in a barely lit room on a full sized bed with rope wrapped around her wrists. There was an almost crushing feeling of relief that coursed through my chest merely from seeing her again. I felt like I’d just found something I didn’t know I’d lost.
Her reaction was delayed. I knew then that she was different.
I wasn’t surprised by that—nor did we have time to sing a sad song about it, but damn did it fuck with my chest a little bit.
She studied me as if she wasn’t sure I was real. I did my damndest to make sure my eyes didn’t stray from her face. Whatever the fuck she had on left little to the imagination.
I focused on her eyes that reminded me too much of sunlight and spoke a vocabulary that was all their own. I didn’t dwell on the fact that I understood the language because it was mine. I didn’t dwell on what the darkest part of my sub-conscious mind already knew. That whatever just fucking happened between us when I kicked in the door was the magnifying of a spark that would soon be an inferno.
Instead, I told her to get the fuck up and that we needed to go.
Chapter Six
I was leaving the bathroom as he was entering the bedroom.
He had what looked twine partially bunched up in his hands, and one of his cronies standing in the hall behind him.
My face gave away exactly what I was thinkin: wrapping that damn rope around his neck and cutting off every ounce of oxygen flowing to his brain.
I could watch him gasp for air, and when he thought it was over, I’d give him breath just so I could swiftly take it away again.
I spotted the prod in this new man’s hand. I was the first to speak, surprising both of us, “He supposed to be your protection?” My voice sounded so hollow I tried to pinpoint when the last time I’d used it was.
“After this morning’s incident, I thought it would be best.”
Course he did. It was all fun and games until I was launching bowls of steaming oatmeal at his face. But I thought that had happened days ago.
“I need to leave, and timing is kind of urgent, so if you could just…” He twirled his finger in the air, signaling for me to turn around.
I wasn’t willingly giving him my back. Crossing my arms tightly over my chest, I slightly widened my stance, as if I were a bull preparing to charge. “Why is it urgent?”
“I don’t have time for this. Turn around, or I’ll have him give you a zap.”
He took a step closer, instantly retracing it when I did the same.
Why had I never realized he was afraid of me? Vitus had done the same thing. I was just a girl, after all. I wondered where he was goin that had a light sheen of perspiration on his sullen skin. How much had I missed happening around me?
I silently held my wrists out in front of me and gave him a blank stare. If I was gonna be tied up, I preferred my arms to be in front of me. With no further demands, he quickly secured the rope, pulling so tightly I let out a small grunt as the brittle rope dug into my skin.
“I’ll unbind you when I return. This is just a precaution.”
I could’ve pointed out that I was locked behind a door in a house full of men…there wasn’t much to be cautious of on my end, but I had nothing to say to him.
He turned and wordlessly left me alone with what almost looked like concern on his face.
I took my usual position back up, studying the rope to see if I could possibly escape.
I was still doing that when the first pop spilled through the ventilation system. Unlike the last time, I knew it wasn’t a rat. Voices from below and rapid footfalls made me think it was just men rough-housing.
Someone came up the stairs, but didn’t come into the room, and then I heard it again. It was much closer this time around, and followed by something—someone—falling down the steps.
When the door flew open, I didn’t even jump. Staring at the massive hooded figure, I thought I’d either officially lost my mind or that I wasn’t awake. He shifted only slightly, making himself appear even taller, and looked me straight in the eye.
I knew those eyes. I saw the beard. Saw the inverted cross I’d always wanted to touch.
I even remembered the scent of citrus sweet and spicy wood that was naturally his. The hairs rose on the back of my neck as we simply stared at one another.
I couldn’t tell ya what it was that happened right then, only that I suddenly felt more awake then I had in days. Yet I still wasn’t fathoming what was going on. Leave it to Grimm to open his mouth and give me some swift clarification while skipping over all casualties.