Bad Seed

Kara didn't say a word, but she stared at the cabin as well. She bit her lower lip, straining to see over the seat.

“I guess this is home for the next few days,” I said, running a hand through my beard.

“Not my home,” she muttered.

I shrugged. She had a point. It wasn't home. Not even my home. Something felt off about the place. About everything. It was entirely too quiet, as if the wind didn't even dare blow out here. I could hear no birds, no nothing. It was like the whole world around us had drawn in a breath and was holding it. I opened the car door and climbed out. I considered checking the place out before getting Kara out of the car, but I wasn't sure I should leave her alone. I wasn't convinced she wouldn't try to run away. The back doors might not open from the inside, but the front ones did. If she tried running, well, she probably wouldn't get very far, but she could end up hurt or worse in these woods. I was tasked with keeping an eye on her, while keeping her safe, which meant I couldn't take anything for granted and had to keep her by my side.

I grabbed the back door handle and pulled it open. Since I couldn't see in, I wasn't prepared for her. Kara had braced her legs against the door, so when it opened, she pistoned them forward, driving her feet straight into my groin. I hunched over, cursing under my breath as the pain radiated through my crotch.

Of all the places she could have kicked me, she knew where to aim alright to inflict maximum pain. She kept kicking and screaming, flailing as she climbed from the car. She expected to get past me, but I'd experienced enough pain in fights over the course of my career to not let my guard down. As she started to go by me, I reached out and grabbed her by her shoulders.

“Let me go!” she screamed.

Her hands were still tied, but that didn't stop her from squirming and using the rest of her body as a weapon. I kept hold of her while she kicked at me bit at me, and narrowly dodged a

few more well-placed feet that would have been driven straight into my balls if I'd been any slower.

“Kara, listen to me,” I said, keeping my voice calm. “I'm not going to hurt you.”

She spat in my face and continued to fight me. I pulled her in closer to me, to get a better grip. With my hands clamped down firmly, her tight little body was pressed against mine , my cock responded to the feel of her, but if she felt or realized it, she ignored it. I held her in a bear hug, crushing her to me until she was unable to squirm or flail anymore.

“Kara, stop it. I'm actually trying to help you,” I whispered. “I'm not the bad guy here.”

“You kidnapped me, how dare you say you're not the bad guy,” she hissed.

Her eyes were filled with rage, even though she could no longer fight against me. I had no doubts though, that if she'd had a gun in her hand in that moment, I'd already be dead with half a dozen bullets in me.

“I didn't have a choice,” I said. “Now listen, Killian said there are others after you. Or rather, after your father, which means they'll be after you by default since he skipped down. And since I know I'm not a killer, I'm going to keep you here. I'm going to protect you and keep you safe. Just until they find your father, okay?”

“You'll never find him,” she said. Her voice was soft and sad. “He's long gone. He's not coming back for me.”

“Then we'll figure something else out. Just bear with me, Kara,” I said. “Everything is going to be okay. I promise you that I'm not a monster.”

“No, you're only related to them, huh?” she said, her voice filled with sarcasm.

“I am,” I said. “I can't deny that. And I can't really do anything about it, either.”

She relaxed in my arms just a bit and eyed me skeptically. Although we were practically nose-to-nose, she still managed to look me up and down, her gaze judging me. It was as if she was taking my measure. Sizing me up.

“You really aren't like them, are you?” she asked slowly, her voice soft.

“I'm not. I got roped into this mess, and I will see it through, but of all the people to watch you, I'm your best chance at getting out of here alive,” I said earnestly. “Got it?”

She hesitated, but then nodded. I could still see the fear in her eyes though. She didn't entirely trust me. Which was understandable.

“Does that mean you're not going to fight me if I let you go?”

She nodded again.

I relaxed my grip on her, and she didn't fight me. Instead, she relaxed too. I let go of her and she stood there, still standing right against me. I stared into those deep, brown eyes for far too long, finding myself getting lost in them. God, she was a beautiful woman. Her long, brown hair was a knotted mess around her face and shoulders, but even still, she was stunning.

If the situation had been any different, I'd have totally been down for hooking up with her right then and there. But, considering the circumstances, I didn't see that being a very likely option between us. I had a hard time believing she'd be able to put aside all of her fear and anger long enough, to have some great sex with me.

“Alright, let's go inside,” I said, tearing my eyes away from hers. “I promise you, this won't be a prison. It'll be a shelter. I'll keep you safe.”

“Why?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

“Why what?” I asked, genuinely curious about her question. “Why would I go along with this?”