safe?”
“Yes, it was,” Matt grunted. “Damn it all, I know that’s the only way we can do this. I never really thought you were going to stay here, Tawny. It’s just...”
Her heart seemed to stop beating as she watched the words freeze on his tongue. “It’s just what?” she managed to insist, her voice cracking with every word. “What is it?”
Tawny suddenly found herself longing for nothing else except to hear Matt tell her what he was thinking that very instant. Her world bent and twisted, tying itself to that one moment in time that he would say what she desperately needed to hear.
“Nothing,” he grumbled, pushing himself to his feet.
A quiet pain tore at Tawny’s soul. She stared at him in despair, her heart crumbling slowly, solemnly, into small pieces. She watched him gather her clothes for her from where she had dropped them minutes earlier with giggling excitement. She clambered awkwardly from the stream, dressing as Matt turned the other way.
The walk back to the cabin was sullen and silent. Tawny didn’t dare talk; she could only watch the grief ripping him apart. She cursed at herself, at the vile perversions that haunted her and drove icy wedges between her and Matt. She covered her mouth to stifle a sob, realizing that in less than 24 hours it would all be done.
“I’ll get us something to eat,” Matt sighed as Tawny stepped up onto the porch. “I’ll try to get us something more appetizing than wild boar. Dinner should be something special tonight.”
“Matt?” Tawny called to him. He stopped, hesitating with his back to her. “Can I come with you?”
He grimaced, pain piercing through him. He shook his head with sullen resolve. “No,” he said simply. “No, you can’t. You never will.”
“Can’t we just stop and talk about this?” Tawny pleaded. “Maybe I was too hasty. I’m just really confused, Matt. I don’t know what the hell I’m doing here.”
Matt turned to her, his face glum but serene. “But you are right,” he said, managing only a hint of a reassuring smile. “That’s the thing, Tawny. You’re right and I know that. We’re too different.”
“But — are we really?” Tawny objected. “Are we really all that different that we can’t at least talk about the possibilities?”
“Yes,” Matt insisted sternly. He turned and plodded toward the trees. “Tomorrow we take you back to where you belong.”
Chapter 16
“That’s it!” Kyle spat. He covered his mouth with his hand, trying to force himself to keep quiet. Thomas knelt next to him in the dark soil, peering between the brush. “That’s the cabin.”
Kyle could see Tawny standing on the porch, leaning over the rail, her shoulders shaking as she sobbed bitterly.
“Oh my God, what has that animal done to her?” Kyle moaned.
“She’s alive, isn’t she?” Thomas rested a calming hand on Kyle’s shoulder. But his heart thudded painfully in his chest as the fear shredded him inside.
“I don’t see the beast,” Kyle said. “He’s not around.”
“He might be out hunting,” Gary suggested.
Kyle heard one of the men pull out a handgun and rack the slide to put a round in the chamber. The sound of it sent a chill down his spine.
“Maybe we should go get her now,” Kyle urged. “If the beast’s not here, isn’t this the best time to save her?”
Thomas patted Kyle calmly. “Stay cool, Kyle. He could come back at any time. We want to be the ones with the element of surprise here.”
“But if he’s out hunting he could be gone for hours,” Kyle insisted. “Damn it, Thomas, she’s right there! We’d be gone before he knew what was going on!”
Thomas shook his head. “That’s the last thing we want right now, trust me. We know what we’re doing here.”
Kyle grumbled and shifted his weight until he was almost comfortable perched on the damp ground. The
“Yes, it was,” Matt grunted. “Damn it all, I know that’s the only way we can do this. I never really thought you were going to stay here, Tawny. It’s just...”
Her heart seemed to stop beating as she watched the words freeze on his tongue. “It’s just what?” she managed to insist, her voice cracking with every word. “What is it?”
Tawny suddenly found herself longing for nothing else except to hear Matt tell her what he was thinking that very instant. Her world bent and twisted, tying itself to that one moment in time that he would say what she desperately needed to hear.
“Nothing,” he grumbled, pushing himself to his feet.
A quiet pain tore at Tawny’s soul. She stared at him in despair, her heart crumbling slowly, solemnly, into small pieces. She watched him gather her clothes for her from where she had dropped them minutes earlier with giggling excitement. She clambered awkwardly from the stream, dressing as Matt turned the other way.
The walk back to the cabin was sullen and silent. Tawny didn’t dare talk; she could only watch the grief ripping him apart. She cursed at herself, at the vile perversions that haunted her and drove icy wedges between her and Matt. She covered her mouth to stifle a sob, realizing that in less than 24 hours it would all be done.
“I’ll get us something to eat,” Matt sighed as Tawny stepped up onto the porch. “I’ll try to get us something more appetizing than wild boar. Dinner should be something special tonight.”
“Matt?” Tawny called to him. He stopped, hesitating with his back to her. “Can I come with you?”
He grimaced, pain piercing through him. He shook his head with sullen resolve. “No,” he said simply. “No, you can’t. You never will.”
“Can’t we just stop and talk about this?” Tawny pleaded. “Maybe I was too hasty. I’m just really confused, Matt. I don’t know what the hell I’m doing here.”
Matt turned to her, his face glum but serene. “But you are right,” he said, managing only a hint of a reassuring smile. “That’s the thing, Tawny. You’re right and I know that. We’re too different.”
“But — are we really?” Tawny objected. “Are we really all that different that we can’t at least talk about the possibilities?”
“Yes,” Matt insisted sternly. He turned and plodded toward the trees. “Tomorrow we take you back to where you belong.”
Chapter 16
“That’s it!” Kyle spat. He covered his mouth with his hand, trying to force himself to keep quiet. Thomas knelt next to him in the dark soil, peering between the brush. “That’s the cabin.”
Kyle could see Tawny standing on the porch, leaning over the rail, her shoulders shaking as she sobbed bitterly.
“Oh my God, what has that animal done to her?” Kyle moaned.
“She’s alive, isn’t she?” Thomas rested a calming hand on Kyle’s shoulder. But his heart thudded painfully in his chest as the fear shredded him inside.
“I don’t see the beast,” Kyle said. “He’s not around.”
“He might be out hunting,” Gary suggested.
Kyle heard one of the men pull out a handgun and rack the slide to put a round in the chamber. The sound of it sent a chill down his spine.
“Maybe we should go get her now,” Kyle urged. “If the beast’s not here, isn’t this the best time to save her?”
Thomas patted Kyle calmly. “Stay cool, Kyle. He could come back at any time. We want to be the ones with the element of surprise here.”
“But if he’s out hunting he could be gone for hours,” Kyle insisted. “Damn it, Thomas, she’s right there! We’d be gone before he knew what was going on!”
Thomas shook his head. “That’s the last thing we want right now, trust me. We know what we’re doing here.”
Kyle grumbled and shifted his weight until he was almost comfortable perched on the damp ground. The
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