“Explain good?” He moved the blanket completely off me.
Cool air smoothed against my legs.
He slipped his fingers along my leg, starting at the ankle and going up to my thigh. He wrenched up the shirt’s bottom.
My heartbeats increased. There was an erotic eagerness stirring up the fog of confusion within me. I wasn’t even sure if I didn’t want him to touch me or not.
He leaned his head to the side. “Phoenix, explain good?”
“I don’t know. I guess. . .I feel like. . .I’ve released something.”
“Pressure?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“In my chest. My legs. My head too maybe.”
“Interesting.” Then, he lifted the shirt up and looked at the bandage.
I checked the area too.
Slowly, he peeled up the white gauze and assessed the wound. “So far, it’s healing fast. No infection either.”
It surprised me that he’d taken the time to care for my wounds. Would an evil captor be concerned about infections and my healing?
Doesn’t matter. Don’t trust him.
He placed the bandage back and looked at me. “Do you remember our conversation?”
I thought about all the things I’d promised him in his soul coffin. “You gave me a choice.”
“And?”
“I chose to live.”
“You did.” He moved his hands to my other leg.
I moved to my back. “Why did you decide to give me a choice?”
He moved, touched the bandage on my other leg, and lifted it up. “I told you why.”
“Tell me again.”
He placed the bandage back down over the scar.
A wicked smile spread across his face. “I gave you a choice because it’s only fun if you agree to the pain. It’s not enjoyable when you don’t.”
“And you want to put me in more pain?”
“I do.” His gaze heated. “But was it truly painful last night?”
“A little bit. Well. . .not as much as I thought it would be. It’s just that now I wonder if that’s the level of pain or will it be worse.”
“That’s a fair question.” The wicked smirk remained. “Too bad you should have asked me before you decided to make a choice. There’s no chance to back out now.”
“I’m not trying to back out.”
“It wouldn’t matter if you did.”
I rolled my eyes.
He quirked his brows.
“I’m trying to prepare myself for whatever you have in store next.”
“There’s no preparing yourself for me.” He ran his gaze over my breasts. “Why did you decide to live?”
“I don’t know what happens after we die.”
“Death scares you?”
“Yes.” I blinked. “Does it scare you?”
“Not my death. I would welcome the peace.” He touched the top of my shoulder. “However, I’m scared for those I would leave behind. I don’t know if they would be safe in this cruel world.”
“Who would you leave behind?”
“That’s not important.” He caressed my skin with soft, feathery strokes.
At this point, I was used to his hands on me. I could feel that he wouldn’t hurt me too badly, especially in this moment. That gave me some comfort in this fucked up situation.
I’ll hold all my fear for when it’s time.
Cain pulled the shirt’s big collar away and exposed my collarbone. “Do you remember the rules?”
“Yes.”
He gently lifted the bandage. “What’s the first rule?”
I gave him a sad smile. “The first rule. . .is that I can come and go as I please and even get the keys to your truck and cruise back to town.”
He looked away from the bandage and glared at me.
My bottom lip quivered. “Just. . .joking.”
No humor covered his face. “You don’t try to escape.”
“I won’t.”
He put the bandage back and moved the shirt up.
Then, he curved his lips into a smile. “That was a little funny.”
The room lightened, more from the oncoming of day than the lamp next to his bed. The birds chirping rose. Wind rustled. Sticks clicked. Trotting sounded off in the distance, then Noah appeared.
I scanned the space. “So. . .you called this a chapel?”
“That’s what it was.”
“Is this place yours?”
He spoke through clenched teeth, “Now it is.”
That wasn’t exactly much of an answer. Did he buy the place? Or did he kill the people who lived here and took it over?
I swallowed. “When you bought it, was it already a renovated home?”
“Why?”
“I’m. . .interested.”
“I made the chapel into a home. It took a year with my brothers’ help.”
“The other guys from last night are your brothers?”
He scowled. “It doesn’t matter what they are.”
I looked at the white wall where I knew hid that torture room. “And. . .your soul coffin wasn’t in the chapel before? You put that there?”
“It was already a room of horror. I just brought balance to it.”
What the fuck does that mean? Oh well. He’s talking. That has to count for something.
I raised my eyebrows. “You said that people will come here?”
“Did I?”
“Yes. You said that if someone comes, then you will put me in the soul coffin.”
“I will.”
“Who would come?”
He leaned his head to the side. “Why?”