was.
He was moving the device.
That did it. She jumped up from the bed, unconsciously smoothing out her disarranged shirt. “Going on the hunt?” she asked cheerily, when Cain’s head jerked up to stare at her.
He’d moved the machine over to the door of the cell.
Swallowing over the lump of fear in her throat, she continued, “I’ll come too.”
Cain shook his head, a tight, unreadable expression on his face. “No. Why don’t you stay here this afternoon?”
Riana’s hands fisted at her sides. “I don’t want to stay here. I always get to go with you. Why can’t I go today?”
“I’ve got something to do,” he bit out. “You can’t come.” He turned his back to her, as if his words had settled the question.
A wave of terror and rage slammed into Riana and she acted on instinct and panic rather than any sane reason or sense. She strode over and grabbed him by the arm, holding on as hard as she could. “I’m going to come. I’m not going to stay here!”
Cain turned back around and stared at her. But he didn’t look as astonished by her intensity as torn. He pulled his arm away from her grip and reached out to hold her by the upper arms. “You have to stay here. There’s no argument here.”
His tone was even and filled with absolute authority.
All of it was only assuring Riana that he was about to leave her. That he was going to make his escape. Without her.
86
Hold
She struggled in his grip, trying to pull away so she could hit him, pound on his chest, somehow express the panic, rage and betrayal she was feeling.
“Riana,” Cain gritted out, his hands like iron, utterly unbreakable. “Stop it. What’s gotten into you?”
“Don’t do it,” she choked, the one thread of her mind that could still think rationally telling her to keep her voice down so no one else could hear. “Don’t leave me, Cain. You know I’ll die here without you. You can’t just leave me behind!”
Something tightened on his handsome, stoic face. “What?”
“I know you’re done. I’m not stupid. I know you’re taking it to do whatever it does.” She nodded helplessly down at the device. She was practically sobbing now, but without tears. She was far too horrified to cry. “And now you’re leaving without me.
After everything, how can you—”
“Riana!” The one word was as sharp as the bite of a blade. He shook her a little to get her attention.
She fell silent, his face blurring in front of her eyes.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” He sounded furious. Impatient. Almost disgusted. And for some reason the very human tone from him comforted her. “I’m not going to leave you behind.”
Her mouth dropped open and she stared at him, too dazed to take it all in.
If possible, Cain looked even angrier. “Stop looking like you can’t believe it. What the fuck kind of monster do you think I am? I’m not going to leave you here.”
“You’re not?” She sounded like an idiot—even to her own ears.
“Of course not.” He shook her a little more, although not nearly hard enough to hurt. “Of course, you’re coming too.”
The knot of panic was finally relaxing inside her—leaving an overwhelming flood of warmth and relief. “Oh.”
87
Zannie Adams
Still looking annoyed with her, Cain explained in a low voice, “I am finished with it. I think it will work. But I need to take it to where it can…it can do its job.”
Riana frowned as her hazy mind tried to keep up. “But—”
“Unfortunately, it’s not a spaceship to fly us out of here.” His voice was dry and sharp now, and she understood why. Obviously, it wasn’t a spaceship. The jumbled parts barely looked like a working machine. “I’ve got to get it in place. And I can’t carry it and avoid everyone else if I have to worry about keeping you safe.”
“Oh.” She squirmed with sudden embarrassment. “Sorry. I guess I was stupid.”
His eyes narrowed. “Indeed.”
“Well, you don’t need to be snotty.
He was moving the device.
That did it. She jumped up from the bed, unconsciously smoothing out her disarranged shirt. “Going on the hunt?” she asked cheerily, when Cain’s head jerked up to stare at her.
He’d moved the machine over to the door of the cell.
Swallowing over the lump of fear in her throat, she continued, “I’ll come too.”
Cain shook his head, a tight, unreadable expression on his face. “No. Why don’t you stay here this afternoon?”
Riana’s hands fisted at her sides. “I don’t want to stay here. I always get to go with you. Why can’t I go today?”
“I’ve got something to do,” he bit out. “You can’t come.” He turned his back to her, as if his words had settled the question.
A wave of terror and rage slammed into Riana and she acted on instinct and panic rather than any sane reason or sense. She strode over and grabbed him by the arm, holding on as hard as she could. “I’m going to come. I’m not going to stay here!”
Cain turned back around and stared at her. But he didn’t look as astonished by her intensity as torn. He pulled his arm away from her grip and reached out to hold her by the upper arms. “You have to stay here. There’s no argument here.”
His tone was even and filled with absolute authority.
All of it was only assuring Riana that he was about to leave her. That he was going to make his escape. Without her.
86
Hold
She struggled in his grip, trying to pull away so she could hit him, pound on his chest, somehow express the panic, rage and betrayal she was feeling.
“Riana,” Cain gritted out, his hands like iron, utterly unbreakable. “Stop it. What’s gotten into you?”
“Don’t do it,” she choked, the one thread of her mind that could still think rationally telling her to keep her voice down so no one else could hear. “Don’t leave me, Cain. You know I’ll die here without you. You can’t just leave me behind!”
Something tightened on his handsome, stoic face. “What?”
“I know you’re done. I’m not stupid. I know you’re taking it to do whatever it does.” She nodded helplessly down at the device. She was practically sobbing now, but without tears. She was far too horrified to cry. “And now you’re leaving without me.
After everything, how can you—”
“Riana!” The one word was as sharp as the bite of a blade. He shook her a little to get her attention.
She fell silent, his face blurring in front of her eyes.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” He sounded furious. Impatient. Almost disgusted. And for some reason the very human tone from him comforted her. “I’m not going to leave you behind.”
Her mouth dropped open and she stared at him, too dazed to take it all in.
If possible, Cain looked even angrier. “Stop looking like you can’t believe it. What the fuck kind of monster do you think I am? I’m not going to leave you here.”
“You’re not?” She sounded like an idiot—even to her own ears.
“Of course not.” He shook her a little more, although not nearly hard enough to hurt. “Of course, you’re coming too.”
The knot of panic was finally relaxing inside her—leaving an overwhelming flood of warmth and relief. “Oh.”
87
Zannie Adams
Still looking annoyed with her, Cain explained in a low voice, “I am finished with it. I think it will work. But I need to take it to where it can…it can do its job.”
Riana frowned as her hazy mind tried to keep up. “But—”
“Unfortunately, it’s not a spaceship to fly us out of here.” His voice was dry and sharp now, and she understood why. Obviously, it wasn’t a spaceship. The jumbled parts barely looked like a working machine. “I’ve got to get it in place. And I can’t carry it and avoid everyone else if I have to worry about keeping you safe.”
“Oh.” She squirmed with sudden embarrassment. “Sorry. I guess I was stupid.”
His eyes narrowed. “Indeed.”
“Well, you don’t need to be snotty.
Similar Books
