“You have so many handcuffs.”
“I always need them.” I put the keys in my pocket.
“W-why are you putting them on me?”
“I need insurance that you won’t run from me.”
“Are we going into your. . .soul coffin?”
“We’re going outside.”
Her face brightened.
“Calm down. I know your mind is spinning with possibilities of escape. It won’t happen.”
She frowned.
“Give me your wrists.”
Worry crossed her face. “Where are we going?”
I latched one cuff onto her wrist, closed, and locked it. “Outside.”
“The medicine is out there?”
“It is.” I placed the other cuff on my wrist, making sure she would remain bound to me.
Her face brightened more. “But. . .we are going outside?”
“You’re too excited about that.” I scowled at her. “You think you’re going to escape?”
She frowned. “No.”
“Push escape out of your mind, Phoenix.”
While she straightened her expression. Determination blazed in her eyes. “It’s gone.”
But is it really?
At this point in her life, she was a professional runaway. I imagined she raced from many people, many problems.
I let my gaze run down her sexy body. By now, I could have grabbed clothes from my sister Erin’s room. She would have been up. I could have entered the back of the house, quietly slipped upstairs, and took one of her tops and pants.
But I loved the image of Phoenix wearing my shirt.
It turned me on.
You better not run.
I checked the area by the door where Noah lay on his back, snoring.
I let out our special whistle, letting him know it was time to go outside.
Noah snapped up, rolling fast onto his big stomach and yawning. The whole time that tail wagged crazy. He stretched his legs and then jumped up, rushing over to us quickly.
“Let’s go.” I guided her off and led us down the hall.
Chapter 18
Grounding
Cain
M
y nerves flared.
I didn’t like the idea of her getting a chance to escape me. I couldn’t fight the feeling that she just might belong to me. The first sparks of that sensation came into my head last night, but I shut it away.
I wasn’t ready to deal with it.
For the rest of the night, I fell into my work. I bleached and scrubbed my soul coffin. I sanitized my tools, sharpened the knife, and put everything back in its proper spot.
Then, I shut it all away, pressing the button and watching the wall slide shut.
Usually, the moments that happened in the soul coffin, remained there. I didn’t allow myself to think of them anymore.
But visions of Phoenix covered in blood played over and over in my head while I showered.
By the time I lay next to her, strange sensations spilled over me. I longed to hold her. I yearned to press her warm body as close to me as possible. I inhaled her scent. I smiled at the steady rhythm of her breathing.
And I hadn’t figured out the emotions that were coming over me. In fact, I did my best last night to shove all the sensations and feelings away. I turned over in the bed, put my back to her, and slammed them against the mental walls in my head.
I locked them in the dark room of my mind where I kept most things.
And as soon as I woke up, the emotions broke through the door.
Now my heart was dealing with new impressions.
She can’t leave. I don’t like the idea of her being too far from me.
I led her into Noah’s room.
He trotted right next to us.
I went to his room’s wall where the backdoor stood. “Time for your morning exploration.”
Noah barked and jumped around.
That brought a smile to Phoenix’s face. “He’s excited.”
Noah went to Phoenix and licked her fingers.
She rubbed his head.
I pressed in the code. “Did you have a dog?”
She patted his head. “No, but I always used to dream about having one.”
“Then I’ll share Noah with you.”
An odd expression hit her face. “So. . .”
I grabbed the doorknob, but didn’t twist it. “Yes?”
“Who’s dog is this? Is it that reverend’s dog?”
“No way.” I looked down at Noah who was now jumping around, barking, and getting out of control.
He noticed me watching him, whimpered, and calmed down.
I turned back to Phoenix. “I bought Noah a week after. . .the incident. He was a little puppy being sold on the side of the road. The man had a whole box full of him and his siblings. I thought a puppy could. . .”
My heart ached.
“What?”
“I thought maybe bringing the puppy to my younger siblings could. . .umm. . .be helpful.”
Noah wagged his tail and whimpered.
I opened the door.
Like a maniac, Noah burst from the house and raced outside.
Phoenix chuckled. “Did your brothers and sisters like him?”
I didn’t move and stared off into a blurry distance. “It must’ve been too soon.”
She looked at me. “Too soon for what?”
“Too soon to go to them. I held little Noah in my hands. He was so tiny. Later I realized, he’d been sold way too young. But still, with his little furry cuteness. . .my brothers and sisters saw me. . .and ran away, crying in horror.”