She looked at me again, her entire body tightening like she knew she’d said the wrong thing. Her eyes shifted back and forth quickly as she looked into mine.
I turned to the door.
“Fender?”
I shut the door and locked it.
Her voice came through the door. “Fender, wait…”
I ignored her and left.
Seven
Blizzard's Whispers
Melanie
I’d never met a man who could be so furious without raising his voice.
Without saying a single word.
It was something I’d said. Was it my refusal to leave with him? That was the most obvious explanation, but it seemed like my comment about having siblings triggered him more.
I would never know.
When I worked in the clearing the next morning, I expected Fender to walk by on his departure, but he never did. He was supposed to leave tomorrow, but maybe he would just leave now. It seemed like he’d gone a different route—just to avoid me. My eyes were down on my work, lost in the memories of the two of us together, hot and sweaty, saturating my sheets with the scent of sex.
A part of me felt dirty for what I’d done.
How could I sleep with the man who ran this camp?
But more importantly—how could I like it?
A cloud of guilt rose up inside me. I looked across the clearing at my sister, her voice in my head. Melanie, what the hell are you thinking? How could you sleep with him? What the fuck is wrong with you? I knew exactly how that conversation would go without even having it.
But when he returned, I knew it would happen again.
And again.
Whenever we were together, it was easy to forget the context of the situation. Maybe he was just a phenomenal lover, maybe Frenchmen fucked like they were making love, and made love like they fucked. But it felt like more than that, at least to me. I’d never gotten so lost in a man that I forgot reality. I’d never been so satisfied and desperate for more at the same time. In the breaks in between, I wanted to curl up and sit right inside that expansive chest, like it was the safest place in the world. His strong body looked bulletproof. If someone shot him with a machine gun, the bullets would ricochet right off him.
“One of you has stolen from us.” The executioner’s booming voice echoed in the clearing.
I dropped the bag of coke I was holding. It hit the table and tipped over, powder spilling out.
The executioner looked right at Raven. “If anyone knows anything about this, come forward. You’ll be rewarded.”
My eyes shifted to Raven, seeing the same stoic expression she always wore, her poker face. But I saw what others couldn’t see from a lifetime of experience. Raven…what have you done?
The executioner walked forward. “Every cabin will be searched. When we find what belongs to us, you’ll hang.” He departed the clearing, but no one got back to work right away. The girls all looked at one another, like the accomplice was right beside them.
My eyes stayed on Raven.
Then she looked at me.
That look told me everything I needed to know.
Raven was still at the clearing throughout the day, and the executioner didn’t mention the stolen items.
I had no idea how she managed to pull it off—but she did.
That told me our escape was imminent. Any moment, it could happen.
Fender didn’t come to me again, even if he was still in the camp, and that told me he was truly pissed off by what I had said.
Was it over?
For good?
There was a twinge of pain in my chest, and that made me hate myself more.
The lock clicked, and then the door opened.
Fender stepped inside in his typical attire, and his expression was as hard as ice frozen solid. His jawline was covered in thick facial hair like he’d stopped shaving the last time he saw me. It gave him a wilder look, like he was part grizzly. The clothes didn’t come off, he didn’t take a seat, and he seemed to have no intention of staying. “I’m leaving.”
“But it’s dark outside—”
“Change your mind.” With an unblinking gaze, he stared me down like an enemy rather than a lover.
My heart was split in two because of my conflict. Raven was about to run for it, and let’s be real, I wouldn’t be able to help her odds. If she died, I’d die too. I may as well take Fender’s offer. He promised me a beautiful life, but that wasn’t the only reason I wanted to go.
He was the reason I wanted to go.
All I did was give a subtle shake of my head.
His eyes hardened deeper than they ever had.
Even though we’d probably die out there, I’d rather die with her than leave her behind. “How long will you—”
He left. The door locked, and his footsteps faded.