Page 117 of Ramshackle
I pop my mouth open to drag in more oxygen.
Aiden’s stare pierces mine. “Is this what you wanted?” he purrs. “I thought I’d worn you out.” The washcloth runs along the hollow of my thigh.
I grip the edge of the bathtub on either side to keep myself from grabbing and directing his arm. “If I’m going to go out, then I choose death by orgasm.”
His head drops, and I catch his shoulders shaking for a second.
“What? Do you have something better?”
The washcloth and his hand disappear. I almost make a noise of disappointment, but I really do think another one might kill me, so I let it go. Aiden pulls back and moves to sit on a step stool behind me. “Lean your head back. I’m going to wash your hair.”
I realize he never answered my question, but take his non-answer for one.
There isn’t anything better.
I bend far enough to dip my hair underwater; then he has to help me back upright before he starts the wonderful task of scrubbing shampoo into my hair.
I’m feeling good.
Even though I know what upset me earlier is still lingering in the back of my thoughts, I’m unwilling to give it any room to breathe right now. I’m practically glowing with the way Aiden made me feel, and being pampered right after is the cherry on top.
I won’t let that be ruined.
And because I’m feeling so good, I choose to talk. Aiden’s behind me, so I can almost pretend I’m just purging all the bad things from my mind during a bath without any consequence behind it. At this point, he knows the worst there is already. This is all just…filler.
“After you knocked me out on the island, my roommate Tara found me. She got others to help bring me into a boat, and we left.”
His fingers slow when the story flows out of me, and I know I have his attention. But he doesn’t interrupt, and I’m able to continue as I feel comfortable.
“Everyone split once we made it back to the States. I only had Grams to look for, but I didn’t know anything about how the world worked. I was homeless and stole food to survive. I stole acouple of wallets and purses, too, to get enough money for a bus to bring me North. It landed me in a big city, and I tried to find a job to earn money to get to Alaska.”
I pull my knees up and fold my arms over them, resting my chin on top as Aiden pulls the soap through the ends of my hair.
“A guy found me on the streets and offered me a place to stay. Long story short, he became my boyfriend and my boss. I worked his bar for him as anything he wanted. I can see now that I leaned on him for too much. I believed everything he said. He just used me for free work and sex. I’d forgotten what my purpose was or if I even had one. I was just…lost…for a long time.”
Clearing my throat and swallowing the lump there, I continue, “I was with him for almost two years when he brought his buddies over one night. They cornered me in the shower and raped me.”
His fingers freeze in my hair. “What was his name?”
“James. But it doesn’t matter.”
“It—”
“He’s dead. I killed him and his friends that night using my gift. I hadn’t used it up until then. I’d been afraid of it since leaving the island. And using it reminded me of GE and what I was running from. I was tired of running. I found my new purpose in taking them down. I started hunting them after that. And once they knew I was alive and out there, they began looking for me, too.”
I breathe in deep and exhale. “Anything else you want to know?”
He proceeds to rinse the soap from my hair in silence, but I know he’s considering my offer seriously. I almost fall back asleep in the quiet as he tugs my hair and massages my scalp before he finally speaks.
“What happened this last time that Gordon had you?”
“Training, mostly. Would not recommend his method,” I add with a slight giggle. I think I’m becoming overtired because things are just feeling silly now when I know they shouldn’t be. “Five out of ten. And it’s only that high because he did get results. I’m stronger. I can control it better. It doesn’t hurt anymore. So, joke’s on him.” I chuckle again at the irony.
“Did he touch you?”
“No, thank fuck. Not like that. My progress and mind control meant more to him this time, I guess. Even put me in a crazy water tank to fuck with my head. Used a little girl against me.” The next thoughts sober my mood. “I killed people again.”
“No. He killed people. I’m sure if you weren’t there, he would have found someone else to kill them for him.” Aiden kneels by the side of the bathtub, where I can see him. His eyes search my half-lidded ones, and I think he was going to say something else, but he reaches behind him for a towel instead. “Come on. Let’s get you to bed.”
