Cara was so angry she wanted to yell at him and storm out of the cabin, but she knew it was unrealistic. It was dark and late. She had never been stupid and didn’t see any reason to start now, and that meant letting Jericho know she was no pushover.
“Just give me a ride into town in the morning. I’ll find a place to stay. I don’t need your help.”
“Now you’re just being plain silly. You’re letting your hurt pride get the better of you.”
“Don’t speak to me as if I’m a child. I’ll have you know that I am quite a bit older than you.”
“How much older?”
Cara had boxed herself in on that one, but she had every intention of being honest... kind of. “That would be hard to describe as time passes differently for immortals.”
“Cut the bullshit.”
Cara tried one more time to hold on to her temper, but his coldness was making it hard. He had stopped, gave her the choice and had made not one promise. The whole time they’d had sex, Jericho had never lost control. Even when he had climaxed, his facial expression never changed. It was her who had wanted and expected more from him. It was not Jericho’s fault, but she was still pissed. Her body was still achy as if she had missed something.
“Run away, Jericho. I haven’t asked one thing from you, other than maybe a repeat performance and even that was too much for you.” She stood, glaring at his arrogant face.
A cruel laugh left his lips. “Like all women, if you don’t want to answer a question, you strike out. You think my not wanting you again means you frighten me? In fact, you don’t scare me at all, baby, whatever your real age. You simply don’t interest me. I was horny and you were better than a hand job.”
“You’re crude.”
He continued as if she hadn’t spoken. “I’m tired and I am finished with this conversation. If you mean what you say, then you need to get to bed. I prefer you leave early in the morning.” Jericho left without another word.
Cara swallowed around the lump lodged in her throat. She didn’t want him to hear her crying. Instead, she went to her room and took off her clothes then cried in the shower where the running water prevented him from hearing her.
She was angry she had pushed him, but had been unable to stop herself. She had wanted him again and instead of tempting him, she had pushed him away. She had seen his past through Grimm’s eyes and knew she must pull back, however she had never been one to run from a challenge.
How many arguments had she and Grimm had over souls? Each of those times that they had both been called, she had fought for the soul to have a second chance while Grimm disagreed. The soul would look at them in fear, knowing who they wanted to win, but more often than not, Grimm had won. That did not keep her from trying, though. If she could stand up to Grimm, she certainly could stand up to Jericho. However, for some reason, something inside Cara told her Jericho was the more dangerous adversary.
After Cara showered, she stood in her room. She wasn’t tired. Seeing a television in the corner, she walked over to it and played with it until it turned on. Finding a control similar to the one Jericho had, she lay on the bed and fiddled with it until she successfully changed the channels. She was looking for another comedy, she needed a good laugh. She flipped another channel and a scene appeared on the screen.
Cara’s mouth dropped open. Jericho had not shown her a movie like this earlier, thank goodness. Her face turned a bright red. The man and woman twisted around the bed. The woman was groaning in excitement, holding the man close, gripping his hips between impossibly long legs. It wasn’t the woman who had Cara’s attention, though, it was the man.
He wasn’t as good looking as Jericho and his body definitely didn’t compare, but what drew her attention were his movements. This man’s face was tense with a sheen of sweat that covered his body and he trembled as much as the ecstatic woman. This man exhibited no control, just complete enjoyment in the woman he was thrusting within.
Jericho had never, at any time, looked like this while they’d had sex. Just the opposite, he never lost control once. Even when he had come inside her, she would never have known by his facial expression if she hadn’t felt him stiffening beneath her. She meant no more to him than any other woman he had sex with.
Disheartened, Cara was about to turn the television off when the woman took control and really gave Cara an education in how to turn a man into a trembling mess. Cara grinned and made herself more comfortable on the bed. After all, a little education never hurt anyone.
***
Destiny stood gaping at her sister. “I can’t believe you just did that.”
Fate shrugged. “It’s not as if I put the program on, I just gave her a nudge to turn the channel.”
Destiny’s eyes rounded even more as she watched Cara’s movements before turning back to her sister.
“Oh, close your mouth Destiny. I just realized I may have protected Cara a little too much for her own good.”
“So you put on porn for her.” Her strangled voice was filled with laughter.
“Not porn, erotica, and I didn’t put it on. As I said, it was already on.”
Destiny nodded dumbly at her sister, “Yes, I can see the difference.”
Fate gave a sinister smile. “I bet the next time he touches her, he won’t walk away so easily.”
Shocked, Destiny could only stare at Fate, realizing that even after all these centuries, her sister could still do the unexpected.
“If he’s able to walk at all.” Destiny burst out laughing, and for the first time since her daughter’s disappearances, Fate smiled. She didn’t laugh, but she came close.
Chapter Nine
Cara dressed as soon as the sun rose in the morning. It had been a long night and Cara had tossed and turned for most of it. When she heard Jericho leave his room, she opened her door and met him in the hallway.
He turned towards her, noticing that she looked like she hadn’t slept. Jericho hardened himself against her. Obviously, he had made the right choice not to take her up on her offer of a second go around when she had trouble dealing with the first. Her feelings were hurt and he saw no reason to prolong her pain.
“Give me a couple of minutes to get my boots on. I’ll meet you at the truck.”
Cara nodded. Without a word and with her nose stuck in the air, she brushed passed him in the small hallway, put her coat on and went outside into the cool morning. The door clicked softly behind her with a click that said a thousand words.
Jericho gritted his teeth. He wanted to shake her silly. He was getting fed up with the injured, innocent act. She was damn lucky she hadn’t provoked the side of him that she was tempting or she would have trouble sitting for a couple of days. The sooner he got rid of Cara, the better.
Cara walked over to the truck to wait, wishing she had thought to ask for the keys because she was beginning to shiver in the early morning air. Her body still hadn’t acclimated to the change in environment. Out of the corner of her eye, Cara noticed a movement at the tree line surrounding the house. Curious, she turned, thinking it was her imagination, when she spotted a huge wolf running straight for her. Frightened, Cara turned to run, however the wolf was faster. Cara had the breath knocked from her when the wolf took a running jump at her and connected with her back.
The wolf lay on top of her as Cara heard loud explosions and glass shattering. When it moved to stand next to her, she rolled over on her back only to see the wolf running to the tree line, turning to growl back at her. Confused, Cara couldn’t understand what was going on and sat up.
When she then turned toward the cabin, trying to get her shaky legs underneath her, Jericho flung the door open. He had obviously heard the commotion outside. Before he could move from the doorway, the wood frame next to his head shattered into pieces as a bullet struck it, which was when it finally dawned on Cara’s dumbfounded mind that they were being shot at. She looked around to find the best cover she could and realized she was out in the open.
> She scrambled to her feet and started to run towards Jericho, but when another shot burst out his front window, she realized she was only endangering him. Another growl let Cara know that the wolf had remained nearby, next to the trees. Instinct had her turning toward the animal as the shots now turned on her. The bullets shot dirt up as she ran for the trees.