Chapter 6
Chapter six
Winona Bishop
Who Are You — SVRCINA
The daunting sound of a snake hissing jolts me out of my sleep. I snap my eyes open. Cold sweat gathers on my forehead as the snake slithers a few inches from me, crossing the mud toward the tall blades of grass.
I kick my boots against the ground, throwing myself backward to get away from it. I scramble to my feet, my eyes stay fixed on him as I run in the opposite direction, but I lose my balance.
“Shit!” I whisper-shout as my body crashes between large arms. My head is pounding.
Pain pulses in my left side. The hard planes of his chest inflate against my face as he shields me by tucking me into his warmth.
His breathing stirs the tiny hairs on my neck, sending shivers down every cell in my body.
“It’s okay.” He touches me as if he owns me, as if he knows my body and what it could do for him. I’m sure he can hear the slight hitch in my breath, too. “It’s harmless,” he adds.
“Stop,” I demand, craning my neck up to meet Jason’s soft gaze.
“Or what…?” He looks down at me through dark lashes. “You’d lose your senses? I mean, you’re not going to have sex for a year, so I get where you’re coming from.” His soothing voice is so familiar and caressing. It messes with my head.
I shove him away from me. Whatever he injected me with hasn’t worn off yet. Still feeling dizzy, I scan the ground for my backpack. “I won’t use your dick even if my life depended on it.” I haven’t had sex since my husband died, so I’ll survive.
“Good to know.” He jerks forward, wrapping his arms around me and yanking me upward just as I stumble on a stone.
“Let go,” I snap, swallowing around the lump in my throat, and I cough like I smoked an entire pack of cigarettes. “I can do this myself. I don’t need your help.”
“I know,” he says, loosening his grip and stepping back.
I take deep breaths until the trees around me stop swaying. Birds chirp, and the forest buzzes. As my vision settles, my eyes roam down the length of Jason’s body, zooming in on his dark combat boots and the absurd way he ties his laces, threading them in the opposite direction.
“What are you supposed to be?” I peer up, unsure if he is another bodyguard my grandma sent or an annoying package I was given as part of this contract.
“Use your imagination.” He says playfully, and I can hear his smirk without seeing half his face.
“I shouldn’t.” I turn away from him to get a good look at this place.
Endless vegetation surrounds a gray concrete tower.
Lofty trees spread from left to right—some are overgrown with moss.
Gloomy skies peek between them. Further ahead, fiery red and gold leaves swirl down to the ground.
Mist settles around the crisp forest. I focus on the sound of flowing water nearby.
We seem to be on the edge of a cliff. And there’s a lookout tower perched on the opposite cliff, surrounded by the same forest.
“Is there a stream below?” I ask.
“Yeah. It’s called The Gap.”
“Sounds inviting.” I spin around to face him again, and he gives me a look. “You’re still Jason.”
He stretches his arms to the sides—every outline of muscle is visible through the black tactical gear he wears when he flexes like that. Without the gloves, I can see the prominent veins decorating his hands and tattoos.
“Funny enough, I’m not wearing a costume. That’s how I dress.”
I figured. “I’m still going to call you Jason, regardless.”
His blazing gaze pierces me before he scans the area. His eyes convey so much emotion, but do little. There’s a dangerous glint in them, yet they are equally tormented.
“This is your tower. It has three levels, so check them when you enter. You do not leave your tower for the next three hundred sixty-five days. It has everything listed in the contract. You can get down to the garden where we are now. But be careful and come with a rifle,” he quickly explains.
Isolation.
No reception.
Not a single soul to talk to.
If this is a test, it will surely determine if I can say goodbye to my husband and bury him far away once and for all.
“Got it,” I reply.
“This forest is dangerous, so don’t roam out there unless you want to get lost and die,” he shrugs, “or get ripped apart by a bear.”
“You’re so uplifting, it’s infectious.” I give him my unimpressed look and notice the immediate hint of amusement in his expression. “We can be best friends.”
“Who? You and me?”
“Sure, bestie, I meant me and the bear.”
He shakes his head. “You can leave your tower in case of an emergency. If you’re in danger, you can cross to the other side, where the second tower is. It contains the same supply and equipment.”
I glance over my shoulder at the second tower. A zipline stretches between their balconies, creating an escape route.
“The tower’s door automatically locks from the inside.
I attached your key to a necklace, so always wear it.
It’s inside your bag.” He points to the ground, where it rests beside me.
“I was surprised.” His voice drips with sarcasm.
“I assumed you brought the essentials, but sex toys and a book weren’t what I had in mind.
The sketch book was a nice touch, though. Your drawing skills are unparalleled.”
“Did you go through my stuff?” I seethe. That fucker has no boundaries.
“I had to.” He shrugs. “That’s protocol.” He flips his hand in dismissiveness.
“Ah, what protocol? I have firearms for free inside,” I retort with a resentful tone.
“You’re not going to win this game, so you can drop the attitude.” He scratches his forehead, and I scowl at him. “One last thing. Once I’m gone, you’ll be all alone.”
A wide grin spreads across my face when I hear those words. “Copy,” I answer.
“Hey...” he lowers his voice, inching closer. “The first night is always the hardest. Getting used to being alone, in a new place, try not to overthink it.”
It’s easier said than done. The more I chase answers, the further it seems to slip away.
“I’ll be fine. I’m not as fragile as I look.”
Nodding, he crosses his arms over his chest and sighs. “You have ten seconds to climb upstairs and wave to me from the balcony. Nine…”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” My nostrils flare when he shrugs his shoulders. “I should have tased your ass when I had the chance.”
“Eight.”
I glance around to ensure the snake is out of sight. “You’re insufferable,” I scoff.
“Seven.” He cocks his head to the side, comically, mockingly, and it sets all my nerves on fire. “Debatable.”
It’s good that it will be just me, this vast forest, and the bear. I will be able to focus on the present. “I hope I’ll never see you again.”
“Six.” He sighs, almost rolling his eyes, but instead, they bore into me. If that’s his intimidation tactic, it doesn’t work on me. “Five. You shouldn’t waste your wishes on dumb requests.”
“I will be locked in this tower for a year. Alone. With no one to talk to. Listening to my dumb requests is the least you can do.” I scoop up my backpack from the dirt and head to the tower while that fucker keeps counting.
“Four.”
“Three!” I shout, pissed and fucking starving. I have no idea how long I was out, and my stomach grumbles like a little monster.
“I’m desperate to know what you think of me.
” The disinterest in his tone echoes. “Two. This job will be much more interesting than I thought,” he murmurs, and I stop in my tracks.
It’s not just what he says that freezes me in place, but how he says it—so confidently, with a hint of smugness. Familiar and harmless.
I whip my head around. “What did you just say?” My lips stay parted as I swipe my eyes up and down, taking him all in.
“One.” His brows hike up. “Time’s up, get inside.”
I swallow the thickness in my throat and open the bag with rough movements. Fishing out the key, I head inside the steel door, letting it shut behind me as I grunt.
My eyes land on a peaceful window nook right in front of me.
I cross the gray marble floor to a cozy kitchenette on the left. The tower is rounded and spacious. A huge fluffy rug rests in the center. On the right is a library, a study desk with art supplies, and a gramophone. A stack of yoga equipment is piled in another spot.
I approach the crescent-shaped library, brushing each book on the shelf before me. I have always loved reading and drawing. Stories were my only escape, a portal to the outside world.
Glancing back at the door, I walk to the stairs beside it. As I descend to peek into the basement, my hand glides along the wall, searching for the light switch—bingo—I flick it up.
Cans of food and sealed packages of dried food are neatly stacked on the shelves. A large fridge sits in the far corner of the room. To my right, guns, rifles, and work tools decorate the walls. The boxes below are labeled ammunition, medicine, and an aid kit.
My lopsided grin expands.
I launch myself up the stairs to the top floor. The same fluffy rug is in the center of this room, too. There’s a large closet on the right and a king-sized bed on the left, and I swear it’s calling to me. I drop my backpack on top and sink into the soft mattress, tossing my head backward.
A long sigh escapes my lips.
I look to my right, where the bathroom door hangs wide open, and then to my left, at the floor-to-ceiling windows. I push to stand, slide the glass door aside, and step onto the spacious balcony. There’s a couch with blankets, a coffee table with binoculars, and a radio on top.
Why would I need a communication device if I’m supposed to be alone?
I brush the thought away and move closer to the railings that overlook the stunning greenery surrounding me. The ocean in the distance transforms into a small stream between the towers on either side. It stretches for miles to my right.
It’s stunning.
I’ve only seen places like this in pictures.