6. Chapter 6
Chapter 6
Amewling sound shook me from my sleep. I rolled to all fours, dazed, confused, and aching like fuck.
I glanced around, not knowing where I was because my brain hadn’t woken up yet. The concrete hurt my knees as I searched for the noise, praying it wasn’t the animal I loved.
And then I saw Feebee, and I realized where I was.
I wasn’t in my bed or asleep on my sofa with a ginger furball resting at my feet. I was still in this fucking cell.
My gaze stretched across to her.
Her petite body hunched over itself, splashes of red dropping to the floor, her blunt haircut not showing me where or how she was bleeding. I edged forward in a crawl, closing the gap between us. Carefully, I touched her arm, guiding her to me.
And there it was. A heart carved into her chest. An angry red design so much deeper than mine would have been.
It shouldn’t have happened.
I’d said no.
What the fuck?
Mercer’s touch was gentle, but the look in his eyes was filled with venom. I barely saw it, my own too full of tears. I had gone too deep, not enough to kill me, but enough for the pain to cripple me and the blood to frighten me.
I woke up a little while ago to the sound of the door clicking shut. I didn’t move, too afraid to see shadows moving around the room. But no further sound came. I pulled my courage from my belly and rolled away from Mercer. I saw the knife near the door, a note with strict instructions wrapped around the handle.
He failed. If you fail, too, he’ll be punished again. If you don’t, you’ll be rewarded.
I glanced back at Mercer, watching his lungs strain, rising and falling through the hurdles of pain. He couldn’t suffer again, which was my reason for seeing this through.
But he didn’t understand, his eyes narrowing in question as he examined the depth of my wound like he was some kind of doctor. His head shook with fury.
“I’m hurt. It’s kinda deep.” My head nodded, the rush of movement vibrating through me, causing more red to stain my shirt.
He nodded, turning for the rags we had used to wash his wounds. He was quicker getting them than I was, returning in a second. I straightened, breathing in through the pain as the rinsed cloth touched my skin.
The water was cold now. A drop rolled between my breasts, bringing a chill to my body and making my nipples pebble beneath the thin material covering them. Mercer’s pretty blues dropped for a second, and he visually swallowed. Professionalism returned a second later. He patted my chest gently, reminding me to breathe back out.
The bleeding eased a short while later. The cloth, with our combined essences, was discarded in the silver bowl. The water again looked appealing, but it was stolen from my view as I crashed into Mercer’s naked chest. His big hands held me tight as he walked us to our corner.
He scowled at the camera, angry and hate-filled, and I could feel all his tension as my fingers clutched his body. My grip turned to a massage, bringing his attention back to me. My fingers kept moving as our eyes locked on each other’s faces. Eyes. Mouth. Eyes...mouth.
I leaned in, my breath tickling his lips. My courage had worn off since my new injury. The bleeding broken heart on my chest matched the one inside. The one I felt guilty for having. Guilty that the freak holding us captive was in so much pain because of me, he’d do these things.
I attempted to reel back, but Mercer’s hand weaved through my hair, protecting me from the wall...then leading me close again. His breath was tickling me now. His slightly parted lips hovered over mine. He kissed me again, and his tongue moved over mine in a way that would have my toes curl, if that was possible.
I moaned into him and felt him smile. We broke apart, him moving away. I followed, kissing him again, and he not only let me, he reciprocated, sucking my lip into his hot mouth. This kiss wasn’t to help the dryness in my mouth. No, it was all about desire, hunger, and lust.
I was dazed when we broke apart again. I didn’t feel empty this time. I felt safe, even here, as he shielded me against the wall, one arm around my waist, the other barricading me from the camera he glared at.
And with that minimal privacy, I let my body relax into him and waited for sleep.