“Take it in your hands,” he rasps, softly in my ear and I shiver. “Hold the base firmly but gently, you don’t want to hurt yourself.”
Swallowing, I nod, doing as he says, clutching the base and my pulse hammers when he places his warm, callused hands over mine.
“Pull it over your head, then hit the log right in the middle. But don’t start crying if you fail.” His voice lowers, making me frisson. “Only very good girls manage on their first try.”
Steadying myself, to make sure my balance is okay, I hit it right in the middle and to my shock it splits, causing me to let out a yelp and I drop the axe. Whoa, I did it! I throw my arms in the air, feeling like jumping up and down.
“I did it! Did you see that? Did you see that, Da...” My words falter in my throat and I slap a hand over my mouth as terror fills me and my eyes flare. Oh hell, I did not almost just say that...
Dom’s eyes flare too but not with terror. With possession. And suddenly the wind seems so slow and scheming, like it’s creeping in on us and Dom’s rigid body brims with power and hunger when he rasps,
“What’s that? What were you going to call me?”
“Dom,” I say quickly, too quickly but I feel lightheaded and like everything is spinning. “I was going to call you Dom. D.O.M.Dom.” I try to scoff. “What else would I call you? O...other than Slade of course. Or Dominic? I suppose I could call you that or maybe even just Nic.”
I let out an embarrassingly nervous laughter, “Does anyone call you Nic?”
I’m yammering and he doesn’t buy it, looking intent on going to the bottom of this. I blame him for what I was about to say. The way he held me, the way his thick stubble bristled against my cheek and the way he smelled of virility and manliness and goodness. It made me lower my guard, made me cave.
“You were about to say something that begins with a D and an A,” Dom says calculatingly to my dread. “What were the other three words?”
How does he know it was three more words? I want to cry at him to stop pressuring me because I’m mortified. I can’t believe I almost called Dom something I shouldn’t call him. Something I have a deep need to call to him, just like I have a deep need to hear him call me sweetheart.
“Can we drop it?” I say in soft voice and I’m prepared to barge out of here if he uses this to make me feel even more embarrassed.
He reluctantly nods but his mouth is still firm and he gestures for me to walk back to him, so that we can continue with the logs but I shake my head, glancing at the forest. Dom saved my life and I feel like I owe him but that doesn’t mean I can give up on my sister.
“Slade, I need you to do something for me,” I say, clearing my throat and he puts the axe on his shoulder, leaning back.
“Name it.”
“You’re not going to like it, but I want you to take me back to the city.”
At that he laughs, then sneers with eyes as harmless as thunder, “Forget it. Ask me for anything else but that and it’ll be yours.”
I flare out with my hands. “But that’s all I want. I just need you to take me back.”
“No.” His eyes narrow. “Do you understand me, sweetheart or do I need to repeat myself?”
My heart starts bouncing. He really doesn’t want to let me go. Crossing my arms, I say, “I understand but that doesn’t mean I have to do as you say.”
“You won’t survive out here if you don’t do as I say,” he warns but I shrug.
“Since you don’t want to compromise, you don’t give me much of a choice.”
Dom drops the axe. “Meadow, you are not going back there. I will never let you see your family ever again.”
My breath hitches in my throat. “That is not your decisions to make.”
“Fuck yeah, it’s my decision,” he curses, kicking up some dirt with his boot and I take a step back. “Don’t challenge it and don’t challenge me.”
How can I not challenge his decision, when it entails never being with my sister again? I get a lump in my throat when I realize what I have to do. Good thing it’s not dark out yet and good thing I have my sneakers on. I might get a little bit cold but the shirt I’m wearing is long and it covers my arms so the worst thing that can happen is probably me getting a runny nose.
Besides, it can’t be that far to the small town nearby that Dom was talking about. I should be able to manage. Only problem is that I’m going to have to leave Persy but I will come back for her. And I will come back to Dom too once he calms down and realizes that he can’t keep me here, just like that.
Just because he says so.
“I’ve thought about something,” I start and there’s an unnerving edge to Dom’s eyes.