freeing my hands.
After tucking the knife away, he crosses his defined arms in front of him and grabs the hem of his shirt. His muscles bunch and flex as he tears the material over his head. My eyes trail over his tanned skinned, over his thick frame, his toned stomach and chest. Tattoos are scattered over his arms, mostly tribal, but one stands out: a raven on a knotted branch. Surely they stand for something? Max balls the shirt up and nods at me before tossing it at me. “It’s all I’ve got, but I’ll get you some more clothes. I didn’t exactly think that through.”
I narrow my gaze. “What? Think what through?” I just want to keep him in here. I don’t want to be alone.
“The bath. I just…” He drops his chin to his chest and rakes his fingers through his dark hair. “I felt bad for you, you know? You were fucking filthy, and I don’t trust Earl to not touch you or anything, so—I just didn’t think about having clean clothes for you.” He won’t look at me, and to be honest, I don’t want him to. He’s too real to me right now. Too normal. Too human to be the monster he must be.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
I drop the towel and slip the shirt over my head before sitting on the mattress and pulling the blanket over my lap. “Can you please find me something to put on my lower half before Earl comes back?” Max glances up and sighs as he heads to the door. He doesn’t say anything, just leaves, and I hear the lock slide into place. “Please,” I say again, loud enough I know he can hear me.
I sit in silence for several minutes, surrounded by the smell of the cologne on his shirt before the door opens again and he steps into the room. He tosses a pair of gray sweatpants to me.
“Thank you.” I force a smile.
“Welcome.”
And then he leaves again.
I slip the sweats on, securing the drawstring as tightly as I can, and lie back on the lumpy mattress, closing my eyes and somehow drifting off to sleep.
9
Max
E arl’s passed out in his recliner with both dogs sleeping beneath the leg rest. Bubba comes barging in through the front door, a crumpled paper grocery sack in hand. The sudden noise causes Bear to startle. He jumps out from under the chair, ears back, teeth bared, and growling.
“Aw, shut up now, Bear,” he says, pointing at the dog.
Earl grumbles from the chair. Bubba looks at me. “We gotta take that girl for drop off. Just got the money from the man.” He tosses the grocery sack down on the couch.
That gets Earl’s attention. He hops up, nearly tripping over Bear as he stumbles toward the couch and grabs the bag. His lips spread into a wide grin when he opens the top and peers inside. He inhales. “Nothing like the smell of money,” he says.
I push away from the wall and head to the cellar. When I open the door to Lucy’s room, she smiles and jumps up from the bed. “I missed you.” She reaches for my face, but I turn away from her touch.
“It’s time for you to go now.” I take her hand, but when I go to walk toward the door she remains still. I glance over my shoulder and arch a brow. “Come on, Lucy. I said it’s time to go.”
Her eyes water, her lip trembles. “You’re going to kill me, aren’t you?”
“No. I’m giving you a new life.” I smile and tug on her arm, but she still won’t budge. Turning around, I gently take her by the shoulders. “Lucy, do you trust me?”
Her eyes lock with mine as she nods her head.
“Then trust that I am doing what is best for you.”
And with that she gives, following me out of the room without another question because when you have been stripped of everything except some manufactured love, you too easily give into things you shouldn’t. She will believe most anything I tell her.
Bubba is standing by the table when we step into the kitchen. Lucy’s grip on my hand tightens, and I give her a reassuring squeeze back. Because it will be okay. She will know no better, and really, her life,
After tucking the knife away, he crosses his defined arms in front of him and grabs the hem of his shirt. His muscles bunch and flex as he tears the material over his head. My eyes trail over his tanned skinned, over his thick frame, his toned stomach and chest. Tattoos are scattered over his arms, mostly tribal, but one stands out: a raven on a knotted branch. Surely they stand for something? Max balls the shirt up and nods at me before tossing it at me. “It’s all I’ve got, but I’ll get you some more clothes. I didn’t exactly think that through.”
I narrow my gaze. “What? Think what through?” I just want to keep him in here. I don’t want to be alone.
“The bath. I just…” He drops his chin to his chest and rakes his fingers through his dark hair. “I felt bad for you, you know? You were fucking filthy, and I don’t trust Earl to not touch you or anything, so—I just didn’t think about having clean clothes for you.” He won’t look at me, and to be honest, I don’t want him to. He’s too real to me right now. Too normal. Too human to be the monster he must be.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
I drop the towel and slip the shirt over my head before sitting on the mattress and pulling the blanket over my lap. “Can you please find me something to put on my lower half before Earl comes back?” Max glances up and sighs as he heads to the door. He doesn’t say anything, just leaves, and I hear the lock slide into place. “Please,” I say again, loud enough I know he can hear me.
I sit in silence for several minutes, surrounded by the smell of the cologne on his shirt before the door opens again and he steps into the room. He tosses a pair of gray sweatpants to me.
“Thank you.” I force a smile.
“Welcome.”
And then he leaves again.
I slip the sweats on, securing the drawstring as tightly as I can, and lie back on the lumpy mattress, closing my eyes and somehow drifting off to sleep.
9
Max
E arl’s passed out in his recliner with both dogs sleeping beneath the leg rest. Bubba comes barging in through the front door, a crumpled paper grocery sack in hand. The sudden noise causes Bear to startle. He jumps out from under the chair, ears back, teeth bared, and growling.
“Aw, shut up now, Bear,” he says, pointing at the dog.
Earl grumbles from the chair. Bubba looks at me. “We gotta take that girl for drop off. Just got the money from the man.” He tosses the grocery sack down on the couch.
That gets Earl’s attention. He hops up, nearly tripping over Bear as he stumbles toward the couch and grabs the bag. His lips spread into a wide grin when he opens the top and peers inside. He inhales. “Nothing like the smell of money,” he says.
I push away from the wall and head to the cellar. When I open the door to Lucy’s room, she smiles and jumps up from the bed. “I missed you.” She reaches for my face, but I turn away from her touch.
“It’s time for you to go now.” I take her hand, but when I go to walk toward the door she remains still. I glance over my shoulder and arch a brow. “Come on, Lucy. I said it’s time to go.”
Her eyes water, her lip trembles. “You’re going to kill me, aren’t you?”
“No. I’m giving you a new life.” I smile and tug on her arm, but she still won’t budge. Turning around, I gently take her by the shoulders. “Lucy, do you trust me?”
Her eyes lock with mine as she nods her head.
“Then trust that I am doing what is best for you.”
And with that she gives, following me out of the room without another question because when you have been stripped of everything except some manufactured love, you too easily give into things you shouldn’t. She will believe most anything I tell her.
Bubba is standing by the table when we step into the kitchen. Lucy’s grip on my hand tightens, and I give her a reassuring squeeze back. Because it will be okay. She will know no better, and really, her life,
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