27. Cain
Erica squints at the oak’s trunk, bracing herself on her knees.
“Calamity Cain?” She bites her lip, trying not to laugh while she runs a finger over the jagged letters carved into the bark.
I put my hands on my hips.
“Go on. Laugh at a lil boy’s dream of being a wild west hero. I blame my dad for watching westerns every Sunday night after dinner.”
“No, it’s adorable.” Her eyes glitter as they shift to me.
She smirks.
“But I’m calling absolute bullshit on the hero bit. You definitely wanted to be the villain.”
“Being a hero is overrated, darlin’. The good guy always sacrifices everyone he loves to save a world full of ungrateful cretins. How predictable and lame. But the villain…” I grab her wrist and she squirms playfully as my other arm winds around her waist.
“The villain takes what he wants and he protects what’s his, no matter the cost.” I kiss her and she laughs into my mouth, her fists softly battering my chest.
“You’re a villain alright,” she says, too much gentleness in her voice to make the insult sting.
“And you wouldn’t have it any other way.”
She rolls her eyes, but she’s still smiling.
“Sure. Whatever helps you sleep at night.”
I let go and take the hunting knife from my belt.
“I think it’s high time to update this carving. Don’t look. It’ll be a surprise.”
Erica crosses her arms and turns around, watching the horses tied to a tree down the hill.
“That’s a gorgeous knife, by the way. It looks special.”
My heart twists as I put the blade to work.
“It was a gift from my dad for my tenth birthday. I think his dad gave it to him when he was around the same age.”
“Must be nice to have something to remember your parents by,” Erica says quietly, and before I can answer, she speaks up again.
Louder now, in a cheery tone.
A little too cheery.
“The view from up here is spectacular. I think I’ve fallen in love with Texas.”
I wish she’d fallen in love with me instead.
An affirmative hum in my throat, I continue carving.
Birds chirp through a small break in our conversation.
“Spring has been nice so far, but the summer heat scares me,” she chatters, tightening the hair tie at the end of her braid.
“You get used to it.” I pause.
“So, what about your dreams?”
She makes a confused noise.
“Well, we talked about the ranch, and I got to wondering… what did lil Erica wanna be when she grew up?”
“Normal,” she whispers.
“I wanted a quiet, normal life. A tiny sliver of happiness to call my own, nothing more. I never dreamed of big things.”
A sharp pain lances through my chest.
I know about the past she tries so hard to hide and leave behind.
I did my research.
It must be a painful topic for her, but bringing it up serves a purpose, and I hope she understands when I continue talking.
“What if you can do so much better than normal? What if you can have everything you never dared to dream of and more?”
I want her to know she has options.
That she can have happiness and not just a sliver, but heaps of it.
That she can have dreams and hopes as big as the fuckin’ universe.
Erica scoffs, but it’s a defeated sound.
Sad instead of angry.
“ You want to give the world to me?”
“I know you don’t believe me, but in time, I’ll prove myself to you. For now, all you gotta do is wait and see and let things happen.” I put the knife back at my belt and grasp her shoulders, twisting her around.
“What do you think of the carving, little dove?”
She scowls before her expression softens and a flush lights up her face.
“Emerald Erica and Calamity Cain with a heart around it?” She jabs her elbow into my ribs.
“You’re secretly such a romantic! But why Emerald Erica?”
“Your beautiful eyes. Their mesmerizing green reminds me of jewels.”
“Oh my God, shut up, curly!” She laughs again, and I want to kiss her.
“You know you don’t have to flatter me to make me stay? I don’t have a choice. I’m literally your captive.”
“Exactly. That’s why you never gotta worry about me lying. You’ll always know I mean every compliment from the bottom of my heart.”
Electric silence drifts between us as she looks up at me.
Questions lay heavy on my tongue.
One in particular I’ve mulled over more times than I’d care to admit.
Why hasn’t she tried to escape?
I’m confident I’ll always catch her eventually, but I gave her enough opportunities.
The concert.
The shopping trip with Mandy.
Even during the horse ride.
Every day I let her roam the house and terrace freely.
She could leave her phone behind if she’s worried about being tracked.
Before I fucked her with my revolver, I accused her of staying because of the incredible sex.
But we both know that ain’t a good enough reason.
I was just teasing her.
The time she ran into the wilds doesn’t count.
That was a knee-jerk reaction, spurred on by the perceived rejection she felt when she saw me with my sister and thought Mandy was my girlfriend.
I still can’t figure out why it bothered her so much, anyway.
The only explanation I can come up with is jealousy.
But to be jealous, she’d have to have feelings for me, which is impossible, ain’t it?
Erica takes her phone out of her pocket and snaps a picture of the carving.
She smiles as she shows it to me, smugness oozing out of her every pore.
“There. Evidence of cruel Dr. Cain Morrow’s sappy, romantic side, preserved for posterity.”
I smirk, but my heart pinches when I remember going through her gallery.
There were so few pictures of her and none at all with friends, except for the one with that scumbag ex of hers.
He’ll get what he deserves.
Very soon.
“Give me that,” I say, pointing at her phone.
“Sure.”
I take the device from Erica.
My free arm coils around her, tucking her back against my chest, and I crouch, aiming the front camera at us.
“Smile, darlin’.”
She grins, tipping her head to the side, and I press the button.
When I swipe up to look at the picture, Erica gasps.
“Oh my God, we’re smoking hot together!” she bursts out, flinching when she catches herself.
“I mean it’s uh, a nice picture.”
And she’s damn right.
I know she feels like she belongs in my arms, but she looks the part, too.
Her smile is as radiant as the afternoon sun, eyes shimmering in the light.
She doesn’t seem tense or forced, but genuinely relaxed, like we’re a proper couple, not a kidnapper and his hostage.
Like she’s comfortable in my embrace and not even a little scared.
“Yeah, it’s a great one,” I choke out and give the phone back to her.
She tucks it into her pocket.
“Alright then, Calamity Cain,” she says.
“Let’s ride back home. Emerald Erica is getting hungry.”
I nod, and she marches ahead down the hill.
Before I’ve gone too far after her, I turn, stealing one last glance at the heart I carved around our names.
Erica thinks I have the upper hand, but the churning in my gut doesn’t lie.
This woman who was supposed to be a quick fuck and an anonymous kill has turned me inside out.
She doesn’t know that I lost control long ago.
Erica cradles my fragile heart in her hands, and I wonder if she’d shatter it if she realized what power she holds over me.
She’s the only one who can break me.