Cruel Intoxication (Underground Kings 4)

I climb down the riverbank and into the cold water. I expect her to wake up from the freezing temperature, but she doesn’t move. She’s filthy too, like she hasn’t bathed in weeks. I can’t scrub her down because then I’d be touching her, and I’m not about to touch anyone without their permission.

So I do the only thing I can, I dip her hair in the water and get all of the twigs and leaves out of it. The water turns murky as the dirt leaves her scalp. I stare at her face, waiting for her eyes to open, and I’m astounded by her. She has the kind of beauty I haven’t seen in a very long time. She has a heart-shaped face and thick lips that are pale and chapped, but I bet when she’s healthy, they are tempting. Her jawline is smooth, angular, and her nose is small, reminding me of a button.

“What happened to you, huh? What’s a girl like you doing out here, naked? I know you aren’t camping like I am. I’m nude for a different reason.” Great. I’m talking to someone who is unconscious and can’t hear me. “Well, that’s as good as your hair is getting, girl,” I say and carry her to the other side of the river. “You need to wake up. I have food, and you need it.” The first thing I do is dry her off and then cover her in the clothes I picked out for myself. Black t-shirt and gray sweatpants.

I don’t have anything for her hair. Don’t women do something to it when it’s wet? Whatever, I’m not a fucking hairstylist. Jesus, what am I thinking? “Alright. I’ll get you settled, and then I’ll get some clothes on.” The last thing I need is to scare her because of my dick swinging in the air. I lay her down on the blanket next to the fire and pull her hair away so it’s a safe distance from the flames.

“Get some rest and don’t fucking die, okay? One woman dying in my life is enough; I don’t need the guilt of another, got it? Good. Now, I’ll be back. Don’t go anywhere.” I pause mid-step and wince. “You know what I mean.”

I need my head examined for talking to this girl. I go back to the bunker and slide on a pair of sweatpants and yank a shirt over my head. For the hell of it, I grab a tent Jaxon insisted on me having. I like to sleep on the ground or on a bed of sticks. I’m a simple man, but she might not be a simple girl. I grab a few more blankets and head out, closing the door to the bunker.

I’ll never tell Jaxon this, but I’m warming up to it. I might even pul

l the cot out for her. After I eat. “Shit! The deer!” I can’t believe I almost forgot about it. I hope it isn’t burnt. I turn it again and slap my knee in joy when it’s cooked perfectly. “Fuck yeah, man of the motherfucking woods, right here. You’re lucky I found you, you know,” I tell her, pulling the deer off the flames before it overcooks. “I’m the damn Betty Crocker in these lands.” I frown at the references I give myself, lean down and whisper in her ear, “If you could forget I ever said that, that would be great.” I pinch the bridge of my nose, and sigh, berating myself for once again talking to a woman who can’t understand me.

It’s been so long since I’ve talked to a lady who isn’t Quinn, Gabriella, and Finley. Other than that, I keep to myself. Would this girl even want me talking to her? Am I saying the right things? I haven’t said anything hurtful or insulting, so I’m in the clear.

I’ll get this girl fed, call the cops, and she can go back to where she came from. That’ll be my Good Samaritan act for the year.

Cracking my neck to the side and groaning with relief, I set the deer on another bed of sticks to let it rest and get a skillet out, cut up some onions and mushrooms and make a quick gravy. It smells delicious.

As the gravy thickens, I stand up from the log and walk over to the girl. I flip her to her back and stare at her frozen, sleep-induced face. What’s her story? Where did she come from? Why is she here? What happened to her? “I bet you’re tired of fighting, aren’t you?” I ask her, wondering how someone could hurt someone like this. “Looks like you fought like hell to get here, and I don’t know if you can hear me or not, but you’re safe. I promise you. I know it doesn’t mean much, but my promises are gold.” I think to the promise I made to Annabeth and regret the words that just came out of my mouth. “Well, all of them except one, but that’s no one’s business but mine,” I state, sucking my tongue across my teeth.

I have a real bone to pick with people who hurt others for the hell of it. I never got my hands on the motherfucker who killed my family, and I probably never will, no matter what Jaxon promised. My enemy has been underground ever since my wife died. When I confessed to killing her, which I didn’t, the company I worked for let me go. I tried to investigate all of the deaths that were linked to the company while I was in prison, but there were thousands. So many that the company had to eventually go bankrupt in order to pay off all of the lawsuits.

“You’re going to be okay, you know,” I inform her as I place my hand on my thighs and stand. I walk over to my log again, sit down, and take the skillet off the fire. I snatch a knife from my bag and begin to cut thick pieces of meat off the deer. “I know it doesn’t seem like it. Your life is complete shit right now. You’re scared. You’re with someone you don’t know. I don’t know where you’ve been, but keep fighting, and your life will eventually get better.” The words are dead to me as I speak them because I don't believe what I’m saying.

Has life gotten better? I’m just as depressed now as I was in prison. I still mourn my family. I haven’t moved on.

I don’t know how.

My new guest groans and moves her legs as she rolls to her side. Good. I wasn’t sure how injured she was. I’m glad to see she has use of her legs. She pushes herself up by placing one hand on the ground and stretching her arm out. She sits that way for a few seconds, her sleepy eyes taking in her surroundings. Her head is turned away from me, so she hasn’t noticed me yet. She scratches the back of her head with her free hand and then she gets a whiff of the food and snaps her neck to the right. Her eyes land on the fire, and that’s when I see what a brilliant blue they are. They shine like aquamarines even in her exhaustion. They are the lightest blue I’ve ever seen, and the shock of them has me holding my breath.

I can’t react this way to someone like her. She’s a victim. I’m going to hell. She has a long journey ahead of her. She doesn’t need some stranger oogling her.

Her eyes finally land on me, and they widen in terror as she scoots away as fast as she can. The leaves crunch under her hands and knees, and she hides behind a nearby tree, peeking her head around the trunk.

“Don’t scream,” I say gentle and slow. I lay the knife down near our dinner and hold my hands up in the air to show I’m not going to hurt her. “I know you’re scared. You have every reason to be. That isn’t going to be fixed with me saying a few kind words. I found you across the river. I gave you clothes. You’re safe here. I’m not going to hurt you. Do you want food?”

She stares at me for a few more seconds, probably wondering if she wants to take a chance on me.

“It’s good food. Got some deer meat, some gravy, whiskey too if you want. It’s my personal stash for a personal reason, but you look like you need a shot or two.” She looks like she needs an entire goddamn bottle, but I’m not going to tell her that, and I’m not going to give her the bottle. The poor girl is skin and bone and probably can’t handle a drop.

Slowly, I sit down on the log and decide to go on with my meal. If she’s hungry enough, she’ll come out.

I place a few squares of meat on my plate and then pile it full of gravy. With my fingers, because fuck utensils, I slosh the meat in the gravy. I shove a piece in my mouth and groan when the flavors burst across my taste buds. I point to my plate just as a drip of juice leaves the corner of my mouth. “This is so good,” I mumble around my mouthful of food. “You’re missing out.” I plop another piece in my mouth and hear a crunch of leaves again.

Come on. I ain’t going to bite. You’re safe.

I keep my eyes on my plate, not wanting to look at her just yet because I don’t want to scare her away.

I hear another crunch of leaves as I chew.

And another.

Until she’s sitting on the blanket I provided for her. I’m relieved. Something inside her trusts me. Maybe it’s just because she’s hungry, I don’t know, but I’ll stay clear. I’ll give her distance. She’s licking her lips, staring at the meat.

“Would you like a plate?”