Brain(20)

The Russian Mafia hadn’t gotten information from me because I didn’t have it to give them. Other than that bit, though, he was right, but it bothered me he could see into me so easily. “You sound so sure.”

“Am I wrong?”

Instead of answering him, I asked, “Are you saying you’d be interested in me if I wasn’t your enemy?”

“I’m hoping you can eventually become a friend of the club. It’ll take a while to build trust, but I’d rather have you on our side than our enemy’s, in the future.”

He hadn’t answered my question. I was quiet a few moments, trying to come up with a different strategy for moving to my side of the bed, when he said, “I don’t date much. I mean, I fuck a lot, but it’s been ages since I had a relationship. Five minutes of talking and I want to either put a ball gag in her mouth, or toss her out on her ass. You? I could talk to for hours. You aren’t just a genius — you have good common sense, too. But, you aren’t all mental, and you keep yourself in shape because you respect your body as much as your mind. Not many people could evade me for a day, much less a week. So, yeah, I’ll beat off while imagining what you’re like in bed, but it doesn’t mean I’m gonna take what isn’t offered. Now, stop trying to figure out how to get away from me and go the fuck to sleep.”

I had no idea if he was telling the truth or feeding me a line to make me trust him. For whatever reason, I trusted I was safe from him as far as sex went, and I had to admit how good it felt to be nestled against him, safe for the moment, at least. So, I let myself drift back off to sleep.





Chapter Eleven




Brain



Brain jumped out of bed as if something woke him out of the blue, and I jerked awake in time to see him sliding into his jeans. I panicked for a moment, worried something had happened.

“Duke’ll be here in a few minutes. Is it safe for me to let you use your toothbrush, or is there a knife hidden in the handle?”

I breathed easier, and rolled my eyes at him as I said, “Like I’d tell you if I’d turned it into a weapon.”

He sighed. “Just answer the question, Grace. Is your toothbrush a weapon?”

I shook my head no, and started to ask if he had a built-in lie detector, but didn’t want to bring up the whole nonsensical werewolf thing I’d read in the Atlanta gang unit’s notes. Of course, I also had to wonder how he knew Duke would be here soon, but surely there was a logical explanation.

He opened a closet, rummaged through my backpack, and produced my toothbrush. “I have a comb you can use. Come on, let’s brush our teeth — may as well do it together.”

Brain closed the bathroom door, locked it, and said, “I’ve gotta pee. Go ahead and get started with your teeth and hair.” He looked over my toothbrush before handing it over, and my stomach dropped to my knees as I was reminded once again how smart my captor was. I didn’t have any escape tools hidden on or in it, but if I had, he’d have figured it out.

Apparently, he wasn’t the least bit bashful, because he whipped his cock out and peed with no hesitation. Of course, his back was to me, and I didn’t turn around to see if I could get a peek of his ass. I turned the water on and started brushing my teeth. I hated the way my eye looked without a contact to cover it, so I didn’t look at myself in the mirror.

Brain and I shared the sink as he brushed his teeth, and then I combed my hair, tousled it in the right general direction, and handed him his comb. He kept his back turned as I peed, and I wondered if they planned to make me wait until I started my period to give me the panties Bash had supposedly bought. It was too humiliating to ask for them, though, so I didn’t.

I’d heard the motorcycle arrive as I combed my hair, and now I heard Bash talking to someone, so I assumed Duke was here.

Before we left the bathroom, Brain’s eyes were dark as he told me, “I’m not in charge anymore. Duke’ll take my advice into consideration, but he’s calling the shots now that he’s here.” He’d left the water on, and put his mouth to my ear to talk, and once again the whole werewolf thing came into my mind.

Ridiculous, really, how it’d only taken the hint of a suggestion to get my imagination running rampant. Werewolves didn’t exist, and if they did, they weren’t holding me captive in a remote mountain cabin.

Duke looked pretty much the way I expected, though I was surprised to see him in his RTMC vest. Seeing the President patch reminded me who he was, though, and I smiled and looked down, unsure how to address him.

“Duke, meet Grace. I haven’t had a shower because I didn’t want to leave her alone with Bash again. I’ll let the two of you get to know each other while I clean up.”