Page 10 of Twisted Ties

I grin. “Her other half. She’ll know.”

A little nervously, the nurse pinches the ring from my palm and scuttles backwards.

“Hey Richard,” I say, reading the name on his badge, the letters leaping about like jumping beans. “Don’t let me down now, will you?” I smile at him, spinning the knife so quickly it flashes in the security light.

He nods again and races away.

I watch the knife spin some more.

She wanted it back but I’m glad I have it. Glad it’s mine now.

I gaze back at the window.

Funny, I’m not sure I want to kill her anymore. My little rabbit, slipping from the fox’s jaw.

No, I want to own her.

Own her like this knife.

5

Rhi

I wakethe next morning to a kerfuffle outside the door.

My eyes flick open and I meet the eyes of my mate, before both our gazes dash to the door.

“What’s going on?” I ask. Is that grunting I can hear?

Azlan shakes his head and lumbers to his feet, striding to the door. I notice the way his clothes are all creased, his hair a tangled mess and dark circles ring his eyes. It’s not surprising. He’s been sleeping on the tiny plastic clinic chair for the past two nights. He’s had no opportunity to wash or shower. I almost feel sorry for the dude. Except I don’t. Not one bit.

He opens the door and steps outside and immediately that pain splinters through my gut. It’s not as painful as that very first time, but, goddamn it, it’s still agony.

I swing my legs off the bed and, with an intake of breath,test my weight on my feet. To my relief, the pain remains in my gut, no shooting spasms in my calf or my thigh. In fact, as I wiggle my toes, I have to admit that the doctor seems to have done a pretty good job.

However, my leg may be working but it doesn’t stop me swaying on my feet and gripping the mattress. I haven’t eaten a decent meal in several days. When the dizziness subsides, I hobble carefully towards the door, determined to discover what the hell is going on.

There’ve been enough secrets. If this is anything to do with me, I want to know.

Out in the corridor, I find Winnie and Pip arguing with the doctor, two nurses and the man in black.

“Winnie!” I cry barging through the small crowd and wrapping my arms right around my friend’s neck.

“Rhi!” she says, squeezing me tight as Pip bumps his snout against my bare ankles.

“Animals are not permitted in the hospital,” the doctor says, the look on her face reminding me of the snooty girls at school. “He needs to leave immediately.”

If Pip understands, he doesn’t care, licking my leg and squealing for attention. I release Winnie, and bend down, ignoring the man in black’s intake of breath as I wobble slightly on my feet. I open my arms and Pip launches himself at me, licking my face and burying his snout under my chin.

“This is unhygienic and – it’s licking her mouth! Azlan, I can’t permit this. I’ve already bent rules for you, but this! She’s not even meant to have human visitors, let alone farmyard ones.”

I scoop Pip up in one arm, take Winnie’s wrist in the other hand, and lead them both through to my room, slamming the door behind us.

“Were they stopping you from coming in?” I ask angrily.

“Yep.”

“And I suppose the man in black was trying to help them?”