around his torso and held on. She had to land on top of him or he’d have the scant few seconds he needed to weasel his way out.
His wrists jerked over his head. One of his shoulders popped as he continued to fall backward, the rope around his neck constricting, swinging his body to the right.
She unhooked her belt and the rope fell away, dropping him nearly toward the destination she’d chosen for him. He fell like a ton of bricks, his wrists held aloft but pulling dangerously at her setup.
The knots continued to constrict, though, cutting off his circulation and causing pain.
Not like that would help with someone like him, but every bit counted.
She rode him to the ground like a spider monkey, his size helping her hang on and balance—she had a lot of real estate with which to work. At the last moment she pulled her legs up from around him; the right one banged painfully against the wood of the porch and the other kneed him in the stomach, safe from what he’d fallen on.
The knife was released from the center of her bra in a flash, her shirt loose and low cut to accommodate the weapon. The point waited at his eyeball by the time he settled to the ground.
From beginning to end, the whole situation had taken less than thirty seconds. Now he lay there, struggling to breathe through the rope still around his neck.
“Hello, Natasha,” he said with a grunt, his eyes rooted to hers. “What did I fall on?”
“Nails. I hammered them up through the boards.”
“Very clever. They hurt.”
“Good.” She pressed the blade into the skin right below his eye. “You can heal the holes from those nails, but you won’t be able to grow another eye, so it would be best if you cooperated, don’t you think?”
“It seems so, yes. The others are still looking for you. They’re worried about you.”
“Not you, though.”
His eyes traced her face slowly, like glowing embers in the deep night. “I wasn’t worried about you, no,” he said softly. “I knew you’d find me. Nice setup you’ve got here. I feel honored you went through the trouble. Do you travel with pulleys and parachute cord?”
“Parachute cord, yes. You never know when you’ll need it.”
“Very true. And the pulleys?”
“Hardware store at the edge of town. They have all kinds of neat stuff in that store. There might be a large BDSM undercurrent here, considering how many options they have in stock.”
“Or just a bunch of handy people.”
“Or that, I guess.” She leaned into him a bit, rocking her weight from his stomach to his chest, pushing his back harder into those nails. “What is your game here, Tristan? Why are you trying to cut me out of this team? Are you holding a grudge for some reason, or have you gone back to thinking I’m some sort of sprite who wants to cut out your heart?”
“Not a sprite. A beautiful deathwatch angel with hidden talents she is oblivious of.” A devious smile curled his lips. “I like this side of you, little monster. It’s a pity, what with your dreams of fluffy clouds and tire swings, that you can’t see how beautiful it is. But make no mistake, you will cut out my heart. Or rip it out…and keep it as your own. And I will let you do it gladly, at your leisure.”
She showed him her teeth. “You didn’t answer my question.” With one hand on his shoulder, she shook him a little. “Why are you trying to cut me out of this team?”
The glimmer left his eyes, seriousness taking over. He studied her for a long time, his expression patient, his eyes open all the way down to his soul. Something inside her tightened up before a blast of fear shuttered the feeling.
She leaned toward him a little more. “Answer me,” she ground out.
“I’m not. I’m getting my hands dirty so that yours can stay clean.”
She frowned at him, surprised by his answer. “What are you talking about?”
“I see your pain, Natasha,” he murmured, pulling at the ropes a little, straining his hands to get closer to her. “I see your scars. I can’t fix your past, or erase it, but I can smooth out your future so that you have time to heal yourself. I can do for you what you’re trying to do for Brochan. I can take over the darkness in your life so you can walk in the light. I’ll be the monster of nightmares so you can step out of the shadows. So you can finally pursue the perfect life you seek. It is within my power to give that to you, and it is my pleasure to be of service.”
She shook her head, her knife hand starting to shake. “I don’t understand. We’re all in this mess.