“Should I be worried then about the proliferation of both in this cabin?” She’s determined to be a smart-ass, and my lip twitches as I try not to smile.
“If I wanted you dead, you’d be dead,” I state plainly. She should know that by now.
She rolls her eyes and turns her attention to the window.
“Such a tough guy,” she mutters.
“Not tough. Practical. I could have killed you in the abbey. On the plane. When I first brought you out here with Rowan’s help. Left you in the woods to die. Let Jack and the others track you down like prey. There are plenty of options where I would have had help to dispose of your body. Bringing you in here to kill you slowly with poison, and I’ve got to deal with body disposal on my own? Doesn’t make much sense.” I talk through the logic thatshould make her feel better, but when I glance up in the silence that follows, she has a horrified look on her face.
“You’re kind of terrifying. Is this the trust building you had in mind?”
“I thought you wanted honesty?” I counter.
She tilts her head back and forth, mumbling something under her breath, but she doesn’t argue again while I finish prepping dinner. Her surreptitious glances don’t go unnoticed, and I’m not sure if she’s surprised I can cook or still suspicious I’m slipping rat poison into the mix.
Once I’ve put it in the oven, I clean up the table, set a timer, and walk over to undo the lock on her wrist. She’s adjusting the melting ice pack on her ankle, and she’s surprised when she sees me freeing her.
“I’m free already?”
“Temporarily. Getting you cleaned up. You’re a bit of a mess.” I pick her up again, not wanting to test her ankle walking, and carry her toward the outdoor shower on the back side of the cabin. She lets out a little gasp of indignation that I’ve pointed out the obvious but lets me carry her without much fight to the shower. I’m guessing she’s also ready to be free of the grime of the last couple of days.
“You’re not looking so hot yourself,” she complains, and I don’t doubt that for a second. I need a shower as much as she does.
“Yeah, well, let’s hope there’s enough hot water for two,” I reply as I cuff her to the shower pipe before I check the small gas water tank.
I’d started it up while I waited for Jack to return her, hoping that’d give it enough time to make a solid tank of hot water for us both. It’s still warm enough to shower out here, even though the temps are starting to drop at night, but I wouldn’t want to do it without some piping hot water in the mix.
“How am I supposed to shower like this?” She points to the way she’s chained to the pipe.
“Told you. Can’t trust you not to run if I’m not watching, so I'm afraid you’re gonna have to make it work.” I close the distance between us across the shower.
I motion to the dowdy skirt and blouse she’s still wearing, the one that’s tattered and torn and smeared with mud and stains. I shouldn’t offer to help. I should leave her to figure it out herself, but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit I want another glimpse of what she looks like when she’s not drowning in layers of fabric. “You want help getting this off?”
THIRTEEN
Zephyrine
The words “Yes, please,”nearly leave my lips before I can stop them. This man is temptation incarnate. As much as I don’t trust him, he’s hard not to like, and even harder not to find attractive. I feel a lot less guilty admitting that to myself now than I did when I thought he was a priest. It was bad enough that I was betraying my conscience, but it was worse if I made him betray his vows in the process.
Now that I know he’s some sort of unhinged vigilante cowboy? The guilt is fading, and the curiosity I’ve been trying to quell is rising. I can’t give in to my thoughts though. I might be thousands of miles away from the convent, but it doesn’t change the fact that I plan to take my final vows as soon as I can find a way to obtain the annulment from my husband.
I want to be back at the abbey, safe with my friends and far out of sight for anyone who wants to use me as a means to their end. Even if some of them are funny and kind of sweet in an offbeat sort of way. I’ll never be able to return home if I betray my promises to the nuns and myself. Running away from mymarriage to hide was a thing the other sisters understood. This? Whatever this is with Levi, I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t be so forgiving.
“I’ve got it,” I insist, knowing full well I don’t. But my hand goes to the buttons on my shirt anyway, trying to work down them one-handed.
He turns his back, giving me privacy without me having to ask for it. At least I’m allowed to have a little dignity in this cage. I could appreciate that.
“You can hand me your clothes when you’ve got them off.” He holds his hand out behind his back, and I rush to go faster.
I don’t want to keep him waiting, and I don’t know what he’ll do if I can’t get them off on my own. I doubt he’ll unlock me from the pipe, and I’m not sure I can take him cutting my clothes off in what’s starting to become a humiliating ritual.
“This would go faster if I wasn’t chained to the pipe,” I mumble as I continue to struggle with the second button, bending over to try to make use of the chained hand.
“I can close my eyes, and you can take them off while chained to the pipe, or I can unchain you and watch you get undressed. I assumed you'd prefer the former, but we can make the latter happen if you want.” He gives me my options matter-of-factly.
“No, thank you,” I answer him primly.
The thought of him seeing me naked has the flush on my cheeks chasing its way down my neck and chest. I’m disgustingly filthy and sweaty just like he said. I feel like a gremlin. I wouldn’t want a nurse to see me in this condition, let alone this man.
