I saved her. Not only today but since the first time I saw her in the Lost Highway. I deserve to take what I desire. Odessa wants to be punished, and I can be the man to hurt her the way she wants. I’ll give her what she craves, and she’ll provide what I need. We can make the same agreement she had with John.
I’m relieved the man is dead. I don’t want him walking around knowing how Odessa’s body feels. He needs to be dead, and she killed him, but I find myself wishing I could be the one to end him.
“What are you thinking about?” she asks, handing me another slice of peach.
My mind is on how she can relieve my painful erection. Except I refuse to give into this weakness.
The other Death Dealers haven’t disappeared simply because I feel lust. The wolves still hunt near the cabin. We aren’t safe, and I must remain on guard. Licking the juice from Odessa’s lips is a distraction I don’t need.
I’m startled from my thoughts by a loud popping sound. I realize I’ve crushed a ceramic cup in my hand. Looking at the jagged pieces, I hadn’t realized I was even holding anything.
I study my hand and then look to Odessa. She watches me with a soft gaze, and I think of how easily I could snap her neck. Without thinking, I could tear her apart just to have a few moments of pleasure and relief.
Despite knowing I’m too dangerous to allow my lust free, I can’t extinguish the hunger. For the first time, I understand the weakness inside others. I’ve never hated being human more.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Quill
The basement is the last place I normally want to be. I don’t like the nagging voices or the smell of bleach and blood. Now I view the brightly lit torture cell as my salvation. Walking down the stairs, I know Odessa will follow. She won’t let me out of her sight since we returned from the outpost. I’m her salvation.
I remove and fold my shirt before setting it on the work bench along with the key for the chains. Sitting on the ground, I wrap one of the metal cuffs around my left wrist. Odessa watches me, still standing on the stairs.
“Come latch my other wrist.”
Odessa hesitates before finally obeying. Once I’m chained, she steps back and wraps her arms around her body.
“You did this,” I tell her. “This is your fault, so you need to fix it.”
Confused, Odessa only watches me. Her inability to understand infuriates me, and I jerk against the chains.
“You wanted comfort. You did this to me, and now you need to fix it. I can’t think with this fire inside me. You need to make it stop.”
Odessa shuffles closer and leans forward, so her soft hair drapes my face. “Does it need to be this way, Quill?” she gently asks.
“I want to hurt you,” I growl. “The heat makes me want to tear apart the world.”
Resting her hands on my shoulders, Odessa lowers herself onto my lap. Her inner thighs nuzzle my hips while her hands slide from my shoulders to my chest.
“Make it stop,” I whisper.
Her mouth covers mine, sucking at my lips. I squirm at the feel of her tongue forcing its way into my mouth. The feel of her hips rolling against mine sends a blistering wave of rage and desire through me. I don’t know how to respond to such powerful sensations. I bite her bottom lip, but she only pulls away and kisses my forehead.
“Quill, do you remember when we first met? How you came out of the woods like a ghost and swept me off the ground as if I were a feather?”
Her words mean nothing in my mind saturated with hunger. I can’t think of anything besides I need her to fix what she broke. Despite my insanity, I understand how her tone promises relief. Her lips on my cheeks are rainfall against my overheated skin.
“You are so powerful. Nothing can hurt you,” she promises even though her very existence is destroying me.
I want to tell her how much I hate her for making me feel so out of control. Her lips cover mine before I can speak. Soon, her fingers linger on my chest before reaching for the button on my pants. Bucking, I want her off of me, but Odessa refuses to stop.
Once her fingers wrap around my scorching hard flesh, I’m blinded by pain and pleasure. After years in this place, I’m undeniably lost.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Odessa
Quill howls with relief when his body releases a lifetime of pent-up need. I stroke him as his body erupts, sending liquid heat over my fingers. My other hand presses against his chest, holding myself steady over his writhing body.
Tears burn my eyes when I see Quill this vulnerable. Unable to understand his body’s desires, he’s innocent in a way I can’t fathom. Death he knows, yet tenderness remains a mystery.