Page 24 of The General’s Captive (The Rift #1)

T he moment Riley started to help me up, I couldn’t help but cry out in pain, worry and anger flashing across his face.

“Shit, what’s wrong? Did the General hurt you?” The question instantly had me going back to that moment asking myself why he hadn’t? He’d had every opportunity to kill me, to hurt me or to capture me yet he hadn’t done any of those things.

But why?

Why had he let me go and for what seemed like the third time?

My conversation I’d had with Riley in his truck all that time ago now coming back to me.

He had told me that hiding from the General would have been pointless, that he always knew if people hid from him as many had tried and failed.

Riley had gone on to say that he would have known I was in that cupboard no matter how quiet I had been.

And as soon as he said this, I had thought back to the General’s reactions realising that he had been right.

The way he had looked over his shoulder in my direction like he had wanted me to hear him and to see him whereas others hadn’t had such a chance.

As if he had been silently daring me to show myself.

But then he had let me go just like he had done that day at the cabin, just like he had done last night.

None of it made any sense and before I could stop myself I admitted,

“No, he didn’t hurt me…in fact…he let me go.” At this Riley jerked back visibly shaken by the admission.

“But why?” I shrugged my shoulders before telling him,

“I don’t know.” However, something in my face must have told him how close to the edge I was as his gaze softened before he bent his knees and picked me up.

This time my cry was one of surprise as he carried me to the truck, I reached out and opened the passenger side door to make it easier for him so as he could place me inside.

Then I watched as he walked around the truck before taking his place behind the wheel. He was then quick to get going turning around so he could make his way back to the Train Yard. It was like after hearing this he wanted to put as much distance between us and the town of Jerome.

“Do you want to talk about it?” He asked after a few moments of silence had passed between us.

“Not really.” He nodded once as his jaw set tight most likely dying to know but letting it go regardless. My hand went to my empty satchel one I still hadn’t taken off yet, despite it being useless now.

“He took my journal.” I told him needing to break the tension. At this he looked at me in surprise, the long empty road ahead not needing much of his attention so he gave it to me instead.

“How?” He asked now looking down at my empty bag that I was rarely seen without.

“It must have fallen from my bag when I escaped him. I was running across the yard when I saw him stop to pick it up.” I admitted, prompting Riley to take my hand and give it a squeeze.

“I’m sorry Alex.” He offered and I nodded in acceptance as he knew how much that book meant to me.

Because it was more than just a field guide or bible on how to navigate this new world.

As honestly, I knew every single word of it anyway.

But it was no longer about that, no longer something to aid me in fighting them.

No, in the end it had been more about what it had represented.

My survival.

Proof of my strength, a security blanket I couldn’t be without, a piece of therapy I could carry everywhere with me until the point that I hadn’t felt whole without it but now I had no choice.

Because the General had stolen it from me and now it felt like he had stolen a piece of me right along with it.

“I’m sorry you were left behind.” Riley said, this time the pain in his eyes was bred solely from guilt.

“I understand there was no other way, you had to leave.” I told him trying to comfort him when he started shaking his head his eyes full of shock.

“I didn’t leave you!”

“But everyone was gone.” I argued making him sigh,

“That fucking creature! The Gryphon that knocked me back when I tried to get past, I hit my head on the ground and was out cold according to Volkov. They dragged my ass out of there after thinking that you were a goner the second the General grabbed you.” I frowned at this.

“You mean you didn’t know?” I asked as realisation dawned on me.

“No, my ass woke up just before sunrise and I was fucking pissed! I jumped in my truck and drove back here.” He said with that tick in his jaw back as if recalling how angry he had been at realising he was forced to leave me.

“I didn’t know.” I said softly now reaching for his hand and giving it a squeeze.

“I would never leave, you should know that.” I felt the lump forming in the back of my throat as his words penetrated deep, I nodded feeling the tears build.

“You came back for me.” I said for no reason other than to verbalise how much this meant to me as if saying it aloud made it more real. But Riley wasn’t done expressing this to me,

“I will always find you Alex, if there is even a slim chance of saving you I will do everything I can, I want you to remember that.” I nodded before telling him,

“And I promise to do the same.” He gave me a small grin and held back arguing on why I shouldn’t because no matter how strong I had become Riley had always felt like it was his duty to protect me.

It was why I stopped going with them on supply runs as he was always too distracted worrying about me.

Even in the fight, I knew that was why he had made it back to me as soon as he knew the harpies had shown up.

Which reminded me,

“Taylor died.” At this he gritted his teeth and replied,

“I know.” Because what more could we say on the matter, neither of us had wanted a single death to befall the base but it felt wrong talking about a person we both didn’t like. We wouldn’t mourn her but that didn’t mean she deserved to die.

“Did many escape?” he looked at me then his hazel eyes soft and full of emotion,

“Yeah, we managed to save a lot of people.” The relief hearing this made me sink back into the seat.

“You must have walked for hours.” He said after we passed a sign I missed.

“Why, how far are we?”

“You made it about halfway I would say.” He replied before nodding down to my leg seeing the dried blood and asking,

“Is it my turn to play doctor this time?” I laughed at that and said,

“Tis but a scratch.” In a British accent as he loved Monty Python making him chuckle. But then he pulled over and I frowned,

“What are you doing?” he didn’t answer me, instead he got out of the truck and walked around the back.

I looked over my shoulder when I heard him reaching in the trunk for what looked like a first aid kit.

Then he walked back to me opened my door and handed me a lifeline.

The bottle of water was one I could have kissed him for… That was if I wasn’t all gross.

“Never leave home without it.” He said giving the small kit a shake and making me smile.

He often teased me calling me the vet, where I would usually bark at him, reminding him of what he thought the first time I told him that.

Sometimes I would pat him on the top of the head and tell him he was a good boy.

“Right, come on then cute girl, time to take your pants off.” At this my mouth dropped as I sucked back a breath before wheezing out,

“What?” to which he smirked at me and tapped my chin in a playful way,

“You should see your face. Damn your cute. Now stop fucking around and slide your pants off so I can get to that cut on your leg. We don’t want it getting infected.” I scoffed at this and said,

“I’m sure it’s fine.”

“Is that what you would say to me?” he countered making me roll my eyes before admitting,

“No.”

“Exactly, now come on times a’ tickin’ babe.

” He said making me sigh before reaching for my belt.

Then I gave him a pointed look to which he folded his arms and nodded down at my lap telling me he was waiting.

I rolled my eyes again and tugged my waistband down, the flash of my panties something he didn’t miss as his gaze heated at the sight.

But then they lowered to my cut, making me hiss as the material had stuck to it.

“Well good news is you’re not gonna die.” He said just after I had finished downing two thirds of the bottle needing something to do to cool me down.

“Ha, ha. Yes, I gathered that on account of not bleeding to death.” I retorted.

“Well now thanks to you, I know what to do should I ever be in that position again.”

“Why, you gonna try start a new sport of wrestling with Myths in your spare time?” I asked, as he opened the bag and pulled out some gauze now chuckling at my comment.

“Well, I was on the high school wrestling team.” I rolled my eyes at this and muttered,

“Of course you were.” He grinned at that before tipping some of my water on the pad and using it to clean away the dried blood.

“Oh come, I bet you were a cheerleader.” I snorted a laugh at this and said,

“Erh, try the science club.” He scoffed and said,

“But of course, you were one of the nerds.” To which I flicked at his muscles and said,

“You wanna talk about stereotypes, Mr Jock?” his grin said it all. But then he tossed away the gauze and tore open an antiseptic wipe, wiping the wound gently as I gritted my teeth. But then his gaze wandered to my bare legs.

“I’m assuming that’s the reason your limping?” he asked nodding down at my thigh. I looked to find the fresh bruise there, the deep red tone from the oxygen-rich blood pooling under my skin. I shrugged my shoulders and said,

“Occupational hazard.” He chuckled at that and held up his arms showing me his Harpy scars saying,

“Yeah, don’t I know it.” Then he went back to placing a large bandage on my leg using his thumbs to gently flatten the sides of the square.

“How’d I do doc?” he asked making me smirk,

“I mean I wouldn’t quit this amazing day job you have but it’s not bad.” I joked.

“Oh, I would never give up this job, what will all the amazing perks, like risking your life every day just to eat and getting to sleep in an actual bed…nah, it’s the stuff of dreams.” He teased prompting me to say,

“Don’t forget the free medical.” I laughed as he winked at me before nodding down at my near naked legs,

“I think that should do for now not much I can do about that bruise, but I have some pills in the kit…I would say knock yourself out but you may take it literally.” I gave him a wry look which made him laugh.

I then quickly wiggled my butt back in my pants, leaning back slightly so as I could buckle my belt.

Then once I was done he crowded in closer stealing my breath as he palmed the back of my neck.

My legs opening as if my body had a mind of its own and wanted to welcome him in, an offer he took me up on as he stepped closer still.

Then his lips lowered to mine as he kissed me and I couldn’t help but breathe out a sigh of relief.

An emotion he tasted as my whole body melted into him.

Because I had feared I would never get this again.

Get to know this feeling that I’d only just had the barest taste of and like the hint of an addiction, I quickly wanted more as kissing him was the best drug of all.

He pulled back but only enough to place his forehead to mine as he let out a heavy sigh.

“I was so fucking worried about you.” He admitted and my breath caught again after the confession. So, I raised my hand to his cheek and told him on a whisper,

“I am right here Riley.” He pulled back and nodded once, then he was about to step away when he remembered something. Now coming back to me and this time caging me in with one hand to the roof and the other to the doorframe, he lowered his face and told me,

“Oh, and FYI, the next time I ask you to remove your pants it won’t be for an injury and it won’t be on the side of the fucking road in my truck… got it?” he said, making me swallow hard at the sexual picture he painted, making me squeak out a very uncool…

“Good to know.”