He stopped moaning. Stuck in an awkward stretch, I continued to pet him on top of his head with only my fingertips. My nails ran through his hair, pushing back the black mess. His lips moved but now there were no words, just silent intonations.
Then he rolled over, his arm swinging across my body, and he clutched me tightly, as though I were a pillow or a stuffed animal from his childhood. His head rested on my shoulder, damp with sweat. His knee rested on my thigh. The weight of him was so real, so impossibly human.
Was he a monster? And was I a monster for caring for him? Even now, tied up to bedposts, I could not help but think that I was less of a prisoner than he was.
I tilted my head down and kissed him softly on the forehead. Hot skin, still moist with sweat.
“Sleep,” I whispered, and he obeyed.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Gav
The next morning I brought her breakfast in bed. Her eyes were bleary; she must not have slept well. Pity.
“Why don’t you untie me?” she asked, as I offered her a piece of buttered biscuit.
“I have to go,” I said. “I can’t leave you untied when I leave the house.”
“Where are you going?” She wasn’t eating; I was slightly irritated.
“Out.”
The shadow was back. It had come back in the night, after so many days of being chased away. I knew I had to find a new victim. Not to kill right away, but soon.
There had been a man I’d been researching. A politician, one who enjoyed whoring around and beating on his wife. He’d slept with his intern, too, a fourteen year old girl. She’d come out of the building once while I was there, her hair mussed, her eyes rimmed red with tears. I watched him as he spoke with her in the parking lot, threatening her, bending her against the hood of his Lexus. The thought made me shiver with dread.
Yes. That would do it. That would drive the shadow back. An indulgence, to kill twice in a month, but I deserved it for dealing with such a hassle. That’s all she was, my pet, a small hassle. I pushed the biscuit into her mouth and she chewed. Chewed, chewed and swallowed.
“What were you dreaming about last night?” she asked.
Her shoulders were relaxed, even tied up. Her lips were pink and tempting.
“I didn’t dream,” I said.
“You did. You were talking in your sleep.”
“I don’t remember.”
“Were they nightmares?”
My eyes snapped back to hers. Clever one, she thought she was. And she was clever, but not clever enough. I didn’t know what she’d heard last night. The screams of the man I’d been killing in my dream? The cries of my mother?
“No,” I said.
“What happened to your mother?”
It was a guess, nothing more. I could tell. She was pushing, trying to figure me out. There was nothing to figure out, little kitten. Push too far, and you’ll see the darkness. I tossed the last piece of biscuit back onto the plate.
“Goodbye,” I said, and stood up before I could get any angrier.
The shadow was already creeping up around, clawing its way back in.
Kat
Hours passed. I struggled to untie the knots at my wrists, but I only drew the rope tighter. Hunger made my stomach growl. I wished I’d eaten more for breakfast.
What if he was serious? What if he left to try to kill himself? What if I was stuck here by myself?
Fear ran through me, and I had no way to tamp it down. Normally I would pop a pill when I got too anxious, but there were no pill here. I couldn’t reach anything. The ropes tightened around my wrists and I began to breathe hard.
Calm down, Kat. Calm down. Don’t freak out. If you freak out— The door downstairs opened, and I heard his footsteps coming up the stairs. He was whistling. Strangely enough, I was relieved. He opened the bedroom door and walked in, a bounce in his step.
“I come bearing good news,” he said, hopping to my side and leaning over the bed. He was—oh God, he was untying me. First my feet, then my wrists. I rolled my wrist, getting the circulation back. He whistled as he undid the last knot. I’d never seen him so… upbeat. I wondered what the news was.
“Put on a dress for me, will you, kitten? Do this one thing for me today.” He went to the closet and threw down the remaining dresses that he’d brought for me. “Whichever you want.”
I picked up the first dress I saw and a set of lingerie and stood up.
“No! Not in the bathroom. Here. Dress in front of me. You know I can’t trust to you do anything without me, kitten.”
He watched me carefully as I dressed, his eyes touching me everywhere. I still felt dizzy from the wave of anxiety, but as I dressed I felt better. The one I chose was the red sheath, a shorter dress that hit me just above the knee. He looked me up and down appreciatively and then came over to where I stood.
“Gavriel?”
He kissed me briefly, like he was kissing his wife hello. I didn’t know if he was pretending to be happy, or if he actually was happy.