Page 22 of Russian Roulette
The truth is, I’m exhausted, cold and too tired to fight anymore tonight.
That’s what I tell myself, anyway.
When we reach the RV, Vulcan opens the door and shoves me inside. “Don’t you dare run off while I go into the bathroom and check out my leg,” he says, his voice stern. “I won’t warn you again. If you run away, I’ll tie you up next time. Got it?”
“I’m too cold to run away again tonight,” I reply, my teeth chattering from the cold as I plop on the tiny bed. The mattress is granite hard, with a thin blanket that offers little warmth. “I can’t make any promises for tomorrow.”
Vulcan gives a harsh chuckle as he steps into the bathroom. “I don’t give a shit about tomorrow because you’ll be someone else’s problem,” he says, the jangle of his belt buckle echoing through the small space as he undoes it. The sound of his pants dropping to the floor fills the silence.
“Count your blessings. You’re a lucky girl,” he calls out after a moment.
I wrap my arms around my chest, trying to ward off the chill. “Why am I lucky?”
“You’re lucky because the knife barely grazed my leg,” he explains, stepping out of the bathroom with his pants pulled back up. “Sometimes I don’t register pain the same as other people do, so I can’t always tell when I’m injured. I would’ve been pissed if you’d sliced my thigh open.”
I glance at his pants leg, noticing the tear in the denim. “Why can’t you feel pain? Are you making that up? I’ve never heard of such a weird condition.”
He shrugs, his face emotionless. “My brain blocks out the pain. Not always though, just enough that I can’t always trust myself to recognize when I’m hurt. If you need to use the bathroom, go now, because we’re heading back outside. There’s no need to waste time getting all comfy on the bed. You’re sleeping outside with me and that’s final.”
“Come on!” I argue, my voice rising with frustration. “That’s ridiculous. I promise not to escape again because I’m exhausted and cold. Please, just let me sleep in here by myself.”
He’s unmoved by my plea. “I gave you a chance to be a good girl, and you blew it.” He grasps my upper arm and lifts me from the bed. “Let’s go.”
“At least let me take an extra blanket,” I plead, turning to grab the blanket to drag outside with us.
“Leave it,” he snaps, his eyes cold and unyielding. “You’ll be plenty warm enough with me once we crawl inside the sleeping bag.”
We step outside the RV and the bitter wind cuts straight through my clothes. The sky is now dark and starless, and the only light comes from the dimly lit RV. The fire has died out and left a lingering smell of smoke.
Damn! How did I end up in this mess?
He points to his sleeping bag beside the fire. “Take your shoes off, get in and try to warm up,” he orders. “I’ll get the fire going again and then I’ll join you.”
I sense the weight of his gaze on me as I kneel on the sleeping bag and slip off my shoes. The ground is hard and unyielding. I crawl into the sleeping bag, pull my knees to my chest, and try to curl into a ball to get warm. I’m absolutely miserable.
I can’t believe this is something Vulcan chooses to do every night. He’s a fucking psycho, which proves that my first impression of him was correct. My teeth chatter loudly in the silence when I can’t help shivering uncontrollably.
Vulcan throws several more logs on the fire and stokes the glowing embers. Without speaking one word, he moves toward me, pulls off his black leather boots, and takes off his shirt. He lifts the upper layer of the sleeping bag and slides in beside me. The heat of his body is a welcome warmth against my back. My first instinct is to move away from him to keep our bodies from touching, but his muscular, warm body feels so delicious and inviting that I melt back into him. It would be even better if I wasn’t wearing two shirts, but I’m sure as hell not taking mine off.
He wraps his arms around me from behind, pulling me closer and folding me into the frame of his body. The sleeping bag is cramped, but we make it work, our bodies snuggling to stay warm. His strong heartbeat beats steadily against me, and my own is beating just as fast.
Within mere seconds, the rise and fall of his breathing syncs with mine, and my heart slows to match his rhythm. My discomfort slowly dissipates, replaced by a deep sense of comfort and security.
I’m safe here with Vulcan.
11
JADE
The sensation of a warm hand settled on my stomach invades my brain, breaking through the deep fog of sleep. I open my eyes and blink. It’s pitch dark and eerily quiet. The woodsy scent of pine and smoke mixed with the musky scent of Vulcan’s skin fills my nostrils.
Where am I?
The shirtless body snuggled close behind me is warm and hard. The only thing I want is to close my eyes and sink back into sleep. Just for a few more blissful minutes. Suddenly, the memories of last night flood back in a rush.
Oh,damn.
I discover Vulcan’s arms wrapped across my breasts, holding me tight. His body is radiating heat like a furnace, with his chest pressed close against my back while his warm breath stirs the hair on my neck.