have saved us both … a
headache later on.”
Admiring her tenacity, he chuckled in response to her broken
words. “It’s a good sign that your sparkling personality has returned. Means we
can get back to business sooner rather than later.”
Her head still pounded with each beat of her heart and her
muscles tightened when she felt him sit against the wall next to her. “I hope
you don’t mind, but you’re not talking very loudly and it’s easier to understand
you from down here.” The side of his body brushed up against her. She pulled at
the shackles on the belt and groaned when she realized they wouldn’t budge.
“We need to give your shoulder time to heal, but can’t leave
you free to roam about either. Luckily, we have all sorts of useful toys with
which we can keep you restrained.” His words dripped with humor, but Hope wasn’t
amused.
Allowing her head to fall back against the wall, the sharp
crack of pain against her skull helped dull the irritation she had with Xander’s
company.
“Do you want to try and drink something again?”
She nodded. She fucking despised him, but she couldn’t allow
herself to weaken any further. She didn’t have to be in perfect condition to
escape, but she couldn’t allow herself to become crippled either.
He brought the glass to her lips, placing his hand at the
back of her head to steady it on her shoulders. When she’d finished the glass
he took it away.
After sitting quietly on the floor for several moments, she
could blink open her eyes. Her vision was still hazy, but she saw that sunlight
now flooded the room from the glass ceiling. Her heart sank to see it — to
know that her sister had spent another night with those men. The only thing
Hope could do was pray that Honor was still alive.
She didn’t want to acknowledge him, but she needed to know
how long it had been since her capture. “What time is it?”
“One in the afternoon. You’ve slept a long time since we
performed the surgery. I was starting to worry we gone overboard with the
drugs.”
It grew quiet again, the silence settling between them; nothing
more than the sounds of their breathing could be heard and Hope struggled to
regain complete consciousness. The glass clinked against the stone when Xander
grabbed it and moved to stand up.
“Give me some information, Hope. Let me make this easier on
you.” She heard the sound of the glass being placed on the table. “I can’t
express just how pathetic a woman like you looks bound and on the floor. Well
— pathetic for an assassin, not as pathetic for a woman. That image is
actually quite endearing.”
“Fuck you.” She forced the words out. Whatever they’d given
her must have been strong because the residual effects were almost crippling.
He was beside her suddenly, his hand rubbing along her cheek
and jawline until his thumb rested against her parted lips. He brought his
mouth down so that it brushed against her ear. His voice was a breathy whisper
when he admitted, “Have it your way; but you should know, I’m not exactly
opposed to the idea of fucking you any
longer.”
She didn’t react because, inside, Hope was already crushed. The
frustration of restraint started to affect her while images of her sister
chained and sitting at that bastard’s feet replayed in her head. Fury settled
along her spine, her heart rate picking up, her muscles tensing and flexing
— her mind regaining clarity and shedding the fog of whatever they’d
forced inside her body. She considered telling him, but knew he’d kill her and would
end up killing her sister as well when attacking the people who’d turned
against him in that house. Tears burned at the back of her eyes to realize that
even if she could escape, and even if Honor were still alive, she’d have to
kill every single person in that fucking house to save her, or to avenge her. Given
the number of men she’d seen, the odds were next to impossible. She realized
that her situation
headache later on.”
Admiring her tenacity, he chuckled in response to her broken
words. “It’s a good sign that your sparkling personality has returned. Means we
can get back to business sooner rather than later.”
Her head still pounded with each beat of her heart and her
muscles tightened when she felt him sit against the wall next to her. “I hope
you don’t mind, but you’re not talking very loudly and it’s easier to understand
you from down here.” The side of his body brushed up against her. She pulled at
the shackles on the belt and groaned when she realized they wouldn’t budge.
“We need to give your shoulder time to heal, but can’t leave
you free to roam about either. Luckily, we have all sorts of useful toys with
which we can keep you restrained.” His words dripped with humor, but Hope wasn’t
amused.
Allowing her head to fall back against the wall, the sharp
crack of pain against her skull helped dull the irritation she had with Xander’s
company.
“Do you want to try and drink something again?”
She nodded. She fucking despised him, but she couldn’t allow
herself to weaken any further. She didn’t have to be in perfect condition to
escape, but she couldn’t allow herself to become crippled either.
He brought the glass to her lips, placing his hand at the
back of her head to steady it on her shoulders. When she’d finished the glass
he took it away.
After sitting quietly on the floor for several moments, she
could blink open her eyes. Her vision was still hazy, but she saw that sunlight
now flooded the room from the glass ceiling. Her heart sank to see it — to
know that her sister had spent another night with those men. The only thing
Hope could do was pray that Honor was still alive.
She didn’t want to acknowledge him, but she needed to know
how long it had been since her capture. “What time is it?”
“One in the afternoon. You’ve slept a long time since we
performed the surgery. I was starting to worry we gone overboard with the
drugs.”
It grew quiet again, the silence settling between them; nothing
more than the sounds of their breathing could be heard and Hope struggled to
regain complete consciousness. The glass clinked against the stone when Xander
grabbed it and moved to stand up.
“Give me some information, Hope. Let me make this easier on
you.” She heard the sound of the glass being placed on the table. “I can’t
express just how pathetic a woman like you looks bound and on the floor. Well
— pathetic for an assassin, not as pathetic for a woman. That image is
actually quite endearing.”
“Fuck you.” She forced the words out. Whatever they’d given
her must have been strong because the residual effects were almost crippling.
He was beside her suddenly, his hand rubbing along her cheek
and jawline until his thumb rested against her parted lips. He brought his
mouth down so that it brushed against her ear. His voice was a breathy whisper
when he admitted, “Have it your way; but you should know, I’m not exactly
opposed to the idea of fucking you any
longer.”
She didn’t react because, inside, Hope was already crushed. The
frustration of restraint started to affect her while images of her sister
chained and sitting at that bastard’s feet replayed in her head. Fury settled
along her spine, her heart rate picking up, her muscles tensing and flexing
— her mind regaining clarity and shedding the fog of whatever they’d
forced inside her body. She considered telling him, but knew he’d kill her and would
end up killing her sister as well when attacking the people who’d turned
against him in that house. Tears burned at the back of her eyes to realize that
even if she could escape, and even if Honor were still alive, she’d have to
kill every single person in that fucking house to save her, or to avenge her. Given
the number of men she’d seen, the odds were next to impossible. She realized
that her situation
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