Page 15 of Redemption in the Dark (The Righteous 5)
“I’ll get you some water in a minute.”
He patted the horse on the neck and closed the gate on the paddock before carrying Maeve up the wooden stairs to the front door. He knocked on the door just to make sure, but there was no sound inside, and he tried the door handle. As luck would have it, he wouldn’t have to break any windows because the door was unlocked.
The place had definitely stood empty for some time. There was a stale and moldy scent in the air, and everything was covered in a thick layer of dust. He hit the light switch and wasn’t surprised when it didn’t turn on.
“Great, let’s hope the generator works,” he mumbled as he sat Maeve down on one of the kitchenette chairs.
He made sure she was propped up, so she wouldn’t fall over. He pulled the small flashlight out of the holster on his belt and shined it around the space as he wandered through. There was a separate bedroom in the back with a bathroom, but it wouldn’t work until he got some power going.
He could worry about that later. Instead, he lit a couple of the old oil lamps on the counter and smiled as they easily flared to life. There was something to be said about the old way of doing things. It never failed.
Wolf wandered into the back room and over to the bed. The sheets were pressed and covered the bed as smooth as the day they were left, but he peeled them off to check for insects or mice. To be safe, he took all the blankets outside to shake off the dust. No one wanted to sleep in that. Maeve was still quietly sleeping when he came back inside and quickly remade the bed.
He was heading into the main room just as Maeve made a murmuring sound. She slowly came around. She moaned again and then tried to move. The terror in her eyes made his heart ache for her as her brain realized she was trapped.
“Don’t worry, it’s just the blanket,” he said as he leaned against the door frame to the bedroom. He tried for casual and crossed his arms over his chest.
“For the love of God, please just leave me alone or shoot me in the head. Either way, I’m happy,” she said, looking away from his eyes.
“I can’t do either of those things.”
“When are you taking me in, or is backup already on its way,” she asked, her voice soft and sad.
He pushed away from the door frame, his boots loud on the wood floor as he approached her. He didn’t trust turning his back on her again so soon. She was wilier than he’d given her credit for.
“I haven’t decided what I’m going to do with you yet,” he said honestly as he grabbed the second chair and straddled it.
Her eyes that reminded him of melted caramel finally found his. “What exactly does that mean?”
“It means that against my sore jaw, bruised ego, and better judgment, I’m inclined to believe you when you say you didn’t kill that man. You’ve had two opportunities to kill me, and you haven’t taken either one of them. In fact, I’d be willing to bet the most you’ve killed in your life is an insect.”
“Rabbit,” she muttered, and he laughed.
“Okay fine, a rabbit. That’s my point. I’ve stared into the eyes of enough hardened criminals to know that you may have skills, but you’re no murderer.”
“Oh yeah? What makes you so certain I’m not just hiding it well,” she asked as if the compliment he’d given her was an insult.
“Because I am a killer,” he let the sentence hang between them, and he watched her swallow as the gears in her brain turned. “It might have been for work, but I have had to kill more men and women than I care to remember, so trust me when I tell you, you’re no seasoned killer, even if you did get the upper hand twice now.” He held out his hands. “This should be a good thing. You should be happy that I believe you.”
She rolled her eyes at him, which made him chuckle. “I’m happy, but it doesn’t answer my earlier question. What are you planning on doing with me?”
He shrugged.
“I haven’t figured that out yet. First, I’m going to check your wounds and see if there are any clothes in this place for you to put on before I go on a food-finding mission. Then I’m gonna get the generator going as well as get Viho some much-deserved water.”
Maeve started to nod and then stopped.
“What do you mean clothes to put on?” She pushed her hands away from her body, opening the top of the blanket. “Why am I naked?”
“Really? You’re worried about your modesty after the display I saw in Vegas?”
Her cheeks flamed red, and her eyes glared at him as he stood. “That was my choice, and this is my body to do what I want with.”
He held up his hands.
“I’m not judging, just saying that having to strip you down, so you didn’t freeze to death was a lot nicer reason to get you naked than what those other men wanted to do to you. Now, can I trust you to remain in the cabin while I find us something to eat, or are you going to be annoying and try to run again? If so, tell me now, and I’ll save us both the time and effort and just handcuff you to the bed again.”
Maeve narrowed her eyes like she was going to say something sarcastic but simply shook her head. “I won’t run, at least not yet.”
