she’d gone through to escape Randolph Parnell, after barely avoiding being gang-raped, he was going to do the deed. He was no better than the rest of them.
He turned away, which yanked her arm forward and, as he crouched to sit with his back to her, she almost ended up with her face plastered against his backside. Something in her snapped and she shoved him. He did a face plant in the dirt, the cuffs linking them dragging her forward, too. She landed on top of his back, fisted her hands and punched his head and shoulders, kicking him as hard as she could.
With a swift, powerful roll he pinned her beneath him, his palm once again covering her mouth. She struggled. One of her hands ended up between them, but she punched and pushed at him with the other until with a curse he released her mouth and squished her other hand between their bodies, too.
He glared down at her, speaking through clamped teeth. “Have I hurt you?”
“Yes! You’re hurting me now.”
“Before you attacked me, have I ever hurt you?”
Her mouth opened to scream yes, but his expression shifted, his eyes narrowing. She shook her head.
Griffin got up, dragging her with him. “Sit.” He motioned toward the rocks she’d huddled against earlier.
She did as he said, shaking so hard she wasn’t sure how she’d have the strength to fight him again. He wasn’t like the Parnells. He was larger and more muscular than even Randolph. And he wasn’t like that pack of ruffians, either—he was controlled, calm.
He sat on his haunches next to her. “Spread your legs.”
She gasped. “What?”
With a loud sigh, he grabbed her knees, thrust her legs apart and lay between them. Before she got past her shock enough to fight, he pressed his shoulders between her thighs and rested the back of his head on one. He held his hand up with some kind of tool in it. “Wire cutters.”
She looked down at him and he smiled—grimaced really—and she gasped again. His teeth were bloody and thin barbed wires crisscrossed over and between them.
“Okay?”
Okay? No, it wasn’t okay. No wonder he didn’t speak during the trial, he probably couldn’t. “You—” She shook her head. “You want me to cut them out?”
He nodded.
“I don’t know what to do.”
Griffin reached up and undid the cuff from her wrist. She almost sighed in relief, but before she could, he had the cuff around her ankle, instead.
She glared.
He showed her the keys before tossing them several feet away. “Don’t. Hurt. Me.”
Prudence snatched the wire cutters. “I’m strong. I could drag your dead body that far.”
The corner of his mouth tilted up and he shook his head. “Weak.”
She bristled at the insult. The man could hardly speak, every word must be excruciating, yet he thought it was important enough to let her know he thought her weak. “And you’re stupidly brave to goad me when I could cause you unspeakable pain.”
His gaze shifted away and his throat rippled as he swallowed. Hard.
Master Chief Griffin Jude Payne was scared. Of her. That was a bit of a revelation. True, he appeared to be in a vulnerable position. But was he? She’d seen the way he moved, all coiled power behind easy movements until he chose to strike. Then he was quick as hell and twice as deadly. Back on the ship he’d taken down three Blue Helmets in less than a minute. He might not like being in this position, but she wasn’t stupid enough to assume him vulnerable.
Still, he hadn’t hurt her, not really, even though she must have caused him pain when she punched his face. “But I won’t.” She waited until his sea-green eyes searched hers. “Because I’m a better person than that.”
He spread his lips and she used her thumb to help push his full lower lip out of the way. The wires pulled tight against his teeth, the little barbs pointed out to do the maximum damage to inner lips and cheeks. She snipped the first wire, and groaned as the cutters slipped and gouged his gums. A
He turned away, which yanked her arm forward and, as he crouched to sit with his back to her, she almost ended up with her face plastered against his backside. Something in her snapped and she shoved him. He did a face plant in the dirt, the cuffs linking them dragging her forward, too. She landed on top of his back, fisted her hands and punched his head and shoulders, kicking him as hard as she could.
With a swift, powerful roll he pinned her beneath him, his palm once again covering her mouth. She struggled. One of her hands ended up between them, but she punched and pushed at him with the other until with a curse he released her mouth and squished her other hand between their bodies, too.
He glared down at her, speaking through clamped teeth. “Have I hurt you?”
“Yes! You’re hurting me now.”
“Before you attacked me, have I ever hurt you?”
Her mouth opened to scream yes, but his expression shifted, his eyes narrowing. She shook her head.
Griffin got up, dragging her with him. “Sit.” He motioned toward the rocks she’d huddled against earlier.
She did as he said, shaking so hard she wasn’t sure how she’d have the strength to fight him again. He wasn’t like the Parnells. He was larger and more muscular than even Randolph. And he wasn’t like that pack of ruffians, either—he was controlled, calm.
He sat on his haunches next to her. “Spread your legs.”
She gasped. “What?”
With a loud sigh, he grabbed her knees, thrust her legs apart and lay between them. Before she got past her shock enough to fight, he pressed his shoulders between her thighs and rested the back of his head on one. He held his hand up with some kind of tool in it. “Wire cutters.”
She looked down at him and he smiled—grimaced really—and she gasped again. His teeth were bloody and thin barbed wires crisscrossed over and between them.
“Okay?”
Okay? No, it wasn’t okay. No wonder he didn’t speak during the trial, he probably couldn’t. “You—” She shook her head. “You want me to cut them out?”
He nodded.
“I don’t know what to do.”
Griffin reached up and undid the cuff from her wrist. She almost sighed in relief, but before she could, he had the cuff around her ankle, instead.
She glared.
He showed her the keys before tossing them several feet away. “Don’t. Hurt. Me.”
Prudence snatched the wire cutters. “I’m strong. I could drag your dead body that far.”
The corner of his mouth tilted up and he shook his head. “Weak.”
She bristled at the insult. The man could hardly speak, every word must be excruciating, yet he thought it was important enough to let her know he thought her weak. “And you’re stupidly brave to goad me when I could cause you unspeakable pain.”
His gaze shifted away and his throat rippled as he swallowed. Hard.
Master Chief Griffin Jude Payne was scared. Of her. That was a bit of a revelation. True, he appeared to be in a vulnerable position. But was he? She’d seen the way he moved, all coiled power behind easy movements until he chose to strike. Then he was quick as hell and twice as deadly. Back on the ship he’d taken down three Blue Helmets in less than a minute. He might not like being in this position, but she wasn’t stupid enough to assume him vulnerable.
Still, he hadn’t hurt her, not really, even though she must have caused him pain when she punched his face. “But I won’t.” She waited until his sea-green eyes searched hers. “Because I’m a better person than that.”
He spread his lips and she used her thumb to help push his full lower lip out of the way. The wires pulled tight against his teeth, the little barbs pointed out to do the maximum damage to inner lips and cheeks. She snipped the first wire, and groaned as the cutters slipped and gouged his gums. A
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