Page 58 of Reclaimed

I set my water glass down, gnawing on the inside of my cheek as I slowly draw closer like a moth to a flame. There’s no way of knowing what’s out there, but the opportunity to find out is within my grasp– and entirely too tempting to pass up.

23

TALON

She’s awake.

I’ve been watching her from the closed-circuit cameras in my office, keeping my distance as she comes back into herself.

She was drugged out of her fucking mind when I found her. After I chased her down, I had every intention of finishing what I started in that cell– rutting into her tight cunt right there in the dirt, restoring the imbalance between us and carving the itch straight out of my DNA. But when I saw her eyes, I knew the real her wasn’t behind them.

So, I scooped her up, and despite how light she is, something heavy twisted in my gut all the way back to the truck. Slade studied me with rapt attention as I placed her on the back seat, pulling my shirt off and putting it over her small frame. Then we started arguing over what the hell to do with her.

Repossessing an Asset without proper clearance is strictly forbidden. Slade listed out every consequence and all the ways this could go wrong or get us both killed, the warning clawing and thrashing to get inside the hollow cavity in my chest. And I don’t know what came over me, but I just fucking snapped. It was like I was five all over again, being scolded and threatened because I took something that didn’t belong to me.

Except she does.

She’s fucking mine.

He doesn’t have to understand. No one does. But I see it every time we collide– in the subtle way her features soften, in the way the fire in her eyes burns brighter as fury warps to lust. Whatever demons she has, they were born to dance with mine.

Slade finally gave in, but only under the condition that he could check her for any Guardian control tech. Lo and behold, she’d been chipped like a goddamn dog, but in a way far less humane. The collar she was wearing had rubbed the spot raw and it was already starting to look infected.

I’ve never wanted to euthanize every arrogant prick in this city more than I did right then.

The chip had to be removed, so I used my knife. The sight of bright red blood trailing down her creamy skin should’ve made my pulse race, but rather than a surge of adrenaline, all I felt was rage.

Slade had me drop him off on the outskirts of the city, telling me he didn’t even wanna know where I was headed– plausible deniability or some shit– but said if I needed something, he’d have my back. Though a notification alerting me that the motion sensitivity on my security sensors at the cabin had been turned up pretty much confirmed he knew where I’d be taking her.

It’s the one place that’s just mine, outside of the greedy grip of The Registry. I’ve been building the place for years, fortifying it as a spot where I planned to retire someday when I finally had enough of all the bullshit.

Nobody else knows its exact location. Any workers I’ve had out here for installs beyond my skills have been from other places, and I escorted them onto the property. When they finished, I sent them on their way with a wad of cash and a graphic description of exactly how I’d disembowel them and shove their remains down their family’s throats if they ever breathed a word about our business. Nothing encourages selective memory quite like the threat of death and dismemberment.

On the screen in front of me, Jersey slowly looks around before sitting up in bed, tugging up the hem of her shirt to see the bandage I placed on her abdomen. Seeing the way Harris tried to claim her, carving his fucking initial into her flesh, unleashed a red-hot murderous rage that surged through my system. It fueled an impulsive decision to carve into her myself, changing that H into an R before raising the blade to my mouth and licking off every drop.

I’ll deal with Harris’ psychopathic ass another day. Right now, I’m fully preoccupied with my little stray.

She slides out of bed, the hem of my t-shirt brushing her thighs and swallowing her petite frame. I get this smug sense of satisfaction at seeing her in my clothes– like some part of me is still touching her, protecting her from all the other cruel assholes she’s crossed paths with.

She moves cautiously from the bedroom, and I promptly switch to the other feed, watching her wander out into the main space of the cabin. Her brows crease as she scans the room, looking at every last detail I chose. Slade can give me all the shit he wants for taking so long to build this place, but the delays had purpose. Every last log for its construction was ethically sourced, and the cabin runs off of solar power and has its own septic and water filtration systems, making it an off-grid sanctuary. Hell, I’ve got enough supplies here to disappear for as long as I want.

She pours herself a glass of water, then another. She’s been out for half a day, so her throat must be parched. She sips it as she moves from the kitchen and scans her surroundings again, eyes locking on the exterior door.

I sit up straighter.

She hesitates for a beat, fingers drumming nervously on the glass as she cocks her head to the side. Then her expression shifts as she discards the glass on the console table, and I know that fucking look. It instantly sets my teeth on edge.

She’s going to run.

I’m not sure whether it’s the possessive thirst to keep her here or the visceral urge to chase her down that has me on my feet in an instant, hustling out to intercept her.

She’s halfway to the door when I enter the living room, whipping around at the sound of my footsteps, hazel eyes widening.

“You,” she breathes.

I don’t respond, instead giving her a long once-over and deciding that she should exclusively wear my t-shirts from now on.

“Why am I here?” she asks with a trace of false bravado. “I didn’t ask you to come save me.”