Page 46 of Retrograde

“And you’re not?”

Shaking with searing-white fury, I ball my fists. I’m grinding my teeth so hard they might crack.

“If you hate her and if she’s just a traitor bitch to you, then why the fuck is she on a road trip with you? Why isn’t she in a cell? Why isn’t she a tableau yet?”

My rage finally ignites like fuel ready to explode, burning at the edges of my vision and making me see red. Scavenger or not, I’ll fucking have her for her words. I can see it in her eyes that she knows she’s pushed me too far. I can see her recoiling from me in alarm.

But before I can do anything, I hear a sound that floods my veins with acid.

“Help! Aron, help me!”

I jump up and follow Riley’s pained voice, heading into the shrubs behind the ruins, branches snapping underneath my boots and my mind racing through possibilities. Raiders? Wild animals? Snakes? Don’t let it be a fucking snakebite. Let it be something I can kill, something I can rip apart and drown in its own blood for daring to touch her. I have plans for her! She’s mine to hurt, mine and no one else’s.

Gripping my flashlight like I want to break it in half, I move it from side to side, the shaky circle of light sliding over brambles and undergrowth.

I can’t see her anywhere. Fuck. If someone took her—if someone dared take my fucking prisoner—I will skin them alive. Literally. It’s hard work, but well worth it if the circumstances call for it.

“Riley!” I yell.

“Here! I’m here.”

My heart speeding up, I follow her voice to the right, navigating a maze of bushes and pushing branches out of the way. If someone had kidnapped her, they would have likely gagged her. That leaves injury and wildlife. Fuck.

“Here! Aron, right here!”

I whip around, and she squeezes her eyes shut as my light finally lands on her face. She’s tangled in a thorny bramble. She doesn’t seem hurt, bar shallow scratches all over her body. I groan, my heart rate stabilising.

“I fell,” she explains unnecessarily.

“What the fuck did you come all the way here for?”

“I didn’t! At first. I got lost on my way back,” she hiccups. “Oooow.” She shifts very slightly but groans with pain as the thorns dig deeper into her skin.

My throat constricts, but at the same time, my dick twitches in my pants. She is essentially bound, helpless at my mercy, and the kind of pain she is in can’t cause her any serious damage. Crouching down, I tug at one of the bramble branches, and it coils a little tighter around her. She only hisses at first, wincing, but then lets out another ‘ow’ in that sweet voice of hers.

“Help me, please?” she begs me, her eyes large.

I pull at another coil, drawing more intoxicating noises out of her. “And why on earth would I help you, Hotshot?” I drawl.

I am now rock hard, electric warmth racing through my body.

“It hurts,” she complains, slurring her words.

“I know,” I assure her. “Did you forget, Hotshot? I love your pain.”

I yank the next thorny shoot a bit harder, and she closes her eyes and scrunches her face in reaction. I imagine her expression wouldn’t be all too different the first time I’d push my cock into her.

“Not fair!” she protests when I give her a respite from the torment. “I was only rushing back because you said you’d punish me if I took too long. That’s why I got lost.”

“Trying to be a good girl for me, were you?” I drone, holding one of the thin branches between my fingers, threatening more pain without causing it, getting drunk on the look of anticipation in her face.

Riley’s eyes darken when she finally detects the charged undercurrent to my words.

“Do you like being a good girl, Hotshot?” I taunt her. “Do you like to be praised and rewarded?”

She frowns, blushing. “I don’t know.”

“You’d better guess then,” I tell her. “Because I want to know. And if you can’t tell me, then there’s only one other way to find out ...”