Chapter 33
“Hey, wake up.”
Something jabs into my breast bone.
Incessantly.
Like a finger that wants to be broken.
“Wake up, red.”
Fuck.
“Go away, Brad,” I rasp.
“Shit, I thought you were dead. Are you okay?”
“Yeah, fucking peachy,” I reply, not managing to muster the strength to open my eyes, much less lift my head from where it lolls against my up-stretched arm. “Why are you here?”
“Why did you save me?” he asks.
Is he serious right now? “I don’t know, I just jumped in.”
“I only have a cracked rib, thanks to you. I could have been missing a torso.”
“Well, you’re welcome, I guess.”
An uncomfortable silence hangs between us as a cough works its way up my scratchy throat.
His energy gets closer, heat emitting enough that I regretfully move toward it. “I know you’re lying,” he whispers. “And you’ll hang here until you tell me the truth.”
“I didn’t expect to be going anywhere soon.” The snarky retort unleashes the hacking cough I was trying to ignore. Brad backs away, taking his warmth with him, while he waits patiently for me to catch my breath.
“If you weren’t so banged up, I’d fuck the truth out of you.”
Sicko.
I clear my throat. “Guess it’s a good thing Richmond was here first then.” I force a snicker, saturating my words in the last bit of venom I have left.
“Possibly,” he says, as his hands cup my cheeks. “I probably wouldn’t have left you in such a put together state.”
A chill sweeps through me. I jerk my face from his hold, opening my eyes to slits. “Are you here for a reason?” I rasp. My throat aches for water, but Brad’s hands are empty and he’s not worth my ever diminishing energy.
“I was. But it seems you’re unwilling to assist.” He turns away from me, freeing up my line of vision to view the mess I’ve become in the reflection before me.
My eyes slide shut once more, the sight disappearing for now.
The door hinges squeal as Brad pulls it open. “Guess I’ll have to go pay your gorgeous sister a visit then. Since you’re so unwilling.”
Before I even register his words, the door slams, lock firmly engaging. The metallic sound reverberates around me, mixing with my screams of objection.