rise in her chest, making her own breathing difficult. She might as
well be alone, and that was the one thing she absolutely couldn't bear.
"Where are you from?"
He heaved a sigh. " Georgia ."
That explained his drawl. She swallowed,
trying to ease the constriction of her dry throat. If she could just keep him
talking, then she wouldn't feel so alone. She'd know he was there.
"What part of Georgia ?"
"South. Ever
hear of the Okefenokee ?"
"Yes. It's a swamp."
"I grew up in it. My folks own a farm
just on the edge of it." It had been a normal boyhood, except for the
skills he'd learned automatically in the swamp, those skills, which had
eventually changed his life by shaping him into something not quite human. He
willed the memories away, pulling a mental shade down over them, isolating
himself. There was no use in thinking about what had been.
"Are you an only child?"
"Why all the questions?" he snapped,
edgy at revealing any information about himself.
"I'm just interested, that's all."
He paused, suddenly alert. There was something
in her voice, a tone that he couldn't quite place. It was dark, so he couldn't
see her face; he had to go entirely by what his ears told him. If he kept her
talking, he might be able to figure it out.
"I've got a sister," he finally said
reluctantly.
"I'll bet she's younger. You're so bossy, you must be an older brother." He let the dig
pass and said only, "She's four years younger."
"I'm an only child," she
volunteered.
"I know."
She searched frantically for something else to
say, but the darkness was making her panic. She felt herself move to grab for
him, then remembered what he'd said about startling him, and about not making
offers she didn't mean. She ground her teeth together and stilled her reaching
hands, the effort so intense that tears actually welled in her eyes. She
blinked them away. "Grant," she said in a shaking voice.
"What?" he growled.
"I don't want you to think I'm throwing
myself at you again because I'm really not, but would you mind very much if I…
just held your hand?" she whispered. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid of
the dark, and it helps if I know I'm not alone."
He was still for a moment; then she heard his
clothing rustle as he rolled onto his side. "You're really that afraid of
the dark?"
Jane tried for a laugh, but the sound was so
shaky that it was close to a sob. "The word'terrified '
only begins to describe how afraid I am. I can't sleep in the dark. All the
time I was at that wretched plantation I was awake all night long, never
sleeping until dawn. But at least I could use that time to watch the guards and
figure out their routine. Besides, it wasn't as totally dark there as it is
here."
"If you're so all-fired scared of the
dark, why were you getting ready to hit the jungle on your own?" A dark,
handsome, incredibly cruel face swam before her mind's eye. "Because even
dying in the jungle would be better than Turego ,"
she said quietly.
Grant grunted. He could understand that
choice, but the fact that she had so correctly summed up the situation
illustrated once again that she was more than what she seemed. Then again,
perhaps she already had reason to know just how vile Turego could be. Had Turego raped her, or would it have been
rape?
With this woman, who knew? "Did you have
sex with him?"
The blunt question made her shudder.
well be alone, and that was the one thing she absolutely couldn't bear.
"Where are you from?"
He heaved a sigh. " Georgia ."
That explained his drawl. She swallowed,
trying to ease the constriction of her dry throat. If she could just keep him
talking, then she wouldn't feel so alone. She'd know he was there.
"What part of Georgia ?"
"South. Ever
hear of the Okefenokee ?"
"Yes. It's a swamp."
"I grew up in it. My folks own a farm
just on the edge of it." It had been a normal boyhood, except for the
skills he'd learned automatically in the swamp, those skills, which had
eventually changed his life by shaping him into something not quite human. He
willed the memories away, pulling a mental shade down over them, isolating
himself. There was no use in thinking about what had been.
"Are you an only child?"
"Why all the questions?" he snapped,
edgy at revealing any information about himself.
"I'm just interested, that's all."
He paused, suddenly alert. There was something
in her voice, a tone that he couldn't quite place. It was dark, so he couldn't
see her face; he had to go entirely by what his ears told him. If he kept her
talking, he might be able to figure it out.
"I've got a sister," he finally said
reluctantly.
"I'll bet she's younger. You're so bossy, you must be an older brother." He let the dig
pass and said only, "She's four years younger."
"I'm an only child," she
volunteered.
"I know."
She searched frantically for something else to
say, but the darkness was making her panic. She felt herself move to grab for
him, then remembered what he'd said about startling him, and about not making
offers she didn't mean. She ground her teeth together and stilled her reaching
hands, the effort so intense that tears actually welled in her eyes. She
blinked them away. "Grant," she said in a shaking voice.
"What?" he growled.
"I don't want you to think I'm throwing
myself at you again because I'm really not, but would you mind very much if I…
just held your hand?" she whispered. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid of
the dark, and it helps if I know I'm not alone."
He was still for a moment; then she heard his
clothing rustle as he rolled onto his side. "You're really that afraid of
the dark?"
Jane tried for a laugh, but the sound was so
shaky that it was close to a sob. "The word'terrified '
only begins to describe how afraid I am. I can't sleep in the dark. All the
time I was at that wretched plantation I was awake all night long, never
sleeping until dawn. But at least I could use that time to watch the guards and
figure out their routine. Besides, it wasn't as totally dark there as it is
here."
"If you're so all-fired scared of the
dark, why were you getting ready to hit the jungle on your own?" A dark,
handsome, incredibly cruel face swam before her mind's eye. "Because even
dying in the jungle would be better than Turego ,"
she said quietly.
Grant grunted. He could understand that
choice, but the fact that she had so correctly summed up the situation
illustrated once again that she was more than what she seemed. Then again,
perhaps she already had reason to know just how vile Turego could be. Had Turego raped her, or would it have been
rape?
With this woman, who knew? "Did you have
sex with him?"
The blunt question made her shudder.
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