Anything else wouldn’t do any real damage to Blaine, and it certainly wouldn’t slow him down. If I stood any chance getting out of here, I needed to make my move. Only, I couldn’t reach for it. Not with my hands still cuffed to the bar.
And that glimmer of hope immediately drowned beneath the suffocating upsurge of horror that flooded every inch of me as I realized what I had to do.
One deep inhale, and I let all the tension drain from my limbs as I leaned into him.
His breath suddenly caught, clearly taken aback. Blaine continued working his hands along my waist, and I knew he was testing me, testing to see if I really was game. Fending off every instinct to writhe away, I ground my hips against his. He had to know. Surely, he must have known I didn’t want this...
I couldn’t do it.
If anything, I was going to vomit. Just as I started to turn away, Blaine’s fingers dug into my hips, and he drew me back against him. His lips suddenly claimed mine, and a fire set ablaze in my mind. Startled and horrified, the scream nestled in my lungs threatened to burst right out of my chest, forcing my mouth open. But just as my lips separated, he dove in further, deepening the kiss. Blaine’s hands followed down the form of my figure, admiring every dip and curve until he gripped the back of my thighs. As if I weighed nothing, he picked me up, having my legs straddle him on each side.
“You’re so beautiful,” he breathed. Blaine pressed my back against the wall, and every inch of us became flush. I could feel his heart hammering in his chest. For a guy supposedly incapable of emotions, he surely seemed to be feeling…an awful lot. His kisses became more and more hungry, sending an electric charge between us I hadn’t expected.
My legs tightened around his hips, pressing him even closer. This earned him a surprised moan, and my teeth bit down on his bottom lip just enough to break the skin. The pain didn’t leave him unaffected.
No.
It incited the mania all the more. His lips feverishly kissed down my neck, nuzzling back into my nape as his opposing hand cupped my face. My eyes caught sight of the mirror across the way, and I could see the sheath exposed beneath my hiked pant leg, the blade still peeking out of the top. I was in the perfect position. All I needed was—
An unmistakable metallic grind ignited above me as my wrists were set free.
I gasped, instinctively wrapping my arms around Blaine’s neck as my weight suddenly dropped. He fastened his hold around me, cupping my backside to assure I wouldn’t fall an inch. I could feel the hum of a rune vibrating against my thigh. He had set me free. A bright, playful smile immediately lit up his face. A genuine, affectionate smile I had once grown accustomed to. A smile that shouldn’t have been possible. Not from a heartless, demonic overlord.
No.
I crushed my mouth against his. It was the only thing I could do to rid myself of the sight, feeling the fury of contradicting emotions suddenly pulling at me from every direction. He was a monster. A monster who had killed me. Any doubt I had was obliterated. I had a job to do, and I was going to do it. I was so close.
But he was attuned to every inch of me. Everywhere I touched. It wasn’t just about getting to the knife. I needed enough time and the element of surprise to successfully stab him. If his reflexes were even half as good as Reese’s, he’d be able to stop me well before the blade came anywhere near his skin. And I only had one chance. The moment I struck, the ruse would all be over. No chance of regaining his trust and getting the hell out of Dodge. One shot.
My fingers ran through his hair, surprised by how soft it was. Given the harsh dye he must have used to bleach it, I figured it would have felt like straw. Instead, my hands combed through it without objection, each strand as silky as a raven’s feather. I slowly eased my free hand down his neck, careful not to move too quickly. He still shuddered, his breathing quick and anxious, as my fingers grazed his shoulder.
I gasped at the vibration that simultaneously incited between his left hand and my own. A blue light ignited on the top of my hand, the same rune that had ignited when Reese and I were on the couch. Lust.
Given my unknowing run-in with Blaine outside Rockabilly Bob’s, I already knew that my runes reacted to his, and he had just triggered mine by way of his own. Overwrought heat spread through every inch of me, and the very thought sent an equally chilling shiver down my spine. He clearly misconstrued the tremble that raked my body, because Blaine’s hold on me tightened, drawing me closer. My nails clawed into the taut muscles encasing his shoulder blades, only encouraging him more. His mouth quickly reclaimed my own.
My hand was far enough down Blaine’s back. All I had to do was bring my foot up, and I could grab the knife.