honest. He reminded himself that she didn’t know that he wouldn’t lie. Not since he was no longer under the curse of the devil for...
“If you insist. I have what it takes to make traps here.” She chewed on her lower lip, thinking. “I can teach him how to make one, it can be a great learning experience.”
Ruin fought the need to study her and fury took him at recalling that same need with Isadore. Had the entire thing been part of his genetic make-up? Judging by the way he was behaving with Sam, yes, it must’ve been.
“What? No?”
Ruin realized he was shaking his head. “Nothing. That’s fine.” He didn’t want to do anything but think. And figure out a way to not link so damn hard to Sam, the way he did with Isadore. There had to be a way to control it. If he just paid attention to what he was feeling. Reign it in. Control it. How fucking hard could that be?
In no time at all, he found that out. With all his attempts at self-control, Ruin found himself circling Sam like a prey while she obliviously instructed the fascinated Sam on the importance of animal safety with this particular trap.
“Hey, I did it,” the boy whispered. “I did it Mr. Ruin,” he said louder.
“I heard.” The barked words made him cringe. He really needed to try and work on his relationship with the kid, none of this was his fault and he’d suffered a lot already. “You’re doing…great. Good job.”
Sam glanced back at him and smiled, knocking Ruin right on his ass in the control department.
“Miss Sam, a snake!” the boy cried.
“Move,” Sam yelled, sending Ruin running to her. “God damn I think it got me!” Sam gasped, moving Luke back. Ruin made it to her side and turned her. She pulled up her pant leg and two red marks lit up her ankle, already swelling. “Ahhh, Jesus, it hurts!” she whispered.
Ruin couldn’t believe it. “You’re a fucking survivalist!” he exclaimed. “How could you let that happen?” Ruin lifted her and hurried back to the safe house. “What kind of snake was it?” he demanded.
“Put me down,” she ordered, “I can walk!” She fought to glance back. “Luke.”
“Luke, you behind me?” Ruin called.
“I’m here Mr. Ruin,” he gasped. “What do I do?”
“Just stay close. What kind of snake was it?”
“It…was a water moccasin…I think it was a dry bite.”
“Dry?”
“Meaning no venom, shit it hurts!”
“You’re cursing,” Ruin said, “that’s not good. Tell me about the snake. What do I do?”
“I just need to get where I can look at it, if you put me down, I could!”
“I’m not putting you down. What has to be done? Tell me.”
“I just need to look at it.”
“And then what?” Ruin half ran with her, going through the knowledge he had with reptiles. About zero, really, there were too many species.
“If it isn’t dry, I may need anti-venom.”
“Where do we get that?”
“I have some,” she said.
“You have anti-venom. Of course you do.”
“God it hurts like a beeotch.”
Ruin felt her pain in his body. He needed to get her where he could focus and figure out what to do.
At the safe house, he made his way to the bathroom and sat her on the edge of the tub. She swatted his hand away while she raised her pant leg. “Ah damn,” she whispered.
“What? Is it dry? What are the symptoms we need to worry about?”
“Uh, breathing difficulty, um, low blood pressure.” She grabbed her leg above her ankle. “Nausea and vomiting, numbness and tingling, fucking pain!” she gasped.
Ruin scooped her up.
“What are you doing? Stop carrying me like an invalid.”
He took her to her room and kicked the door shut, laying her on her bed. “Be still,” he said, sitting and holding her leg.
“What are you doing?”
“Let me try to do something, but I need to focus.”
She sat up, watching as he held her leg in his lap. He shut his eyes and focused on her body and she gasped, gripping his shoulder, her finger nails
“If you insist. I have what it takes to make traps here.” She chewed on her lower lip, thinking. “I can teach him how to make one, it can be a great learning experience.”
Ruin fought the need to study her and fury took him at recalling that same need with Isadore. Had the entire thing been part of his genetic make-up? Judging by the way he was behaving with Sam, yes, it must’ve been.
“What? No?”
Ruin realized he was shaking his head. “Nothing. That’s fine.” He didn’t want to do anything but think. And figure out a way to not link so damn hard to Sam, the way he did with Isadore. There had to be a way to control it. If he just paid attention to what he was feeling. Reign it in. Control it. How fucking hard could that be?
In no time at all, he found that out. With all his attempts at self-control, Ruin found himself circling Sam like a prey while she obliviously instructed the fascinated Sam on the importance of animal safety with this particular trap.
“Hey, I did it,” the boy whispered. “I did it Mr. Ruin,” he said louder.
“I heard.” The barked words made him cringe. He really needed to try and work on his relationship with the kid, none of this was his fault and he’d suffered a lot already. “You’re doing…great. Good job.”
Sam glanced back at him and smiled, knocking Ruin right on his ass in the control department.
“Miss Sam, a snake!” the boy cried.
“Move,” Sam yelled, sending Ruin running to her. “God damn I think it got me!” Sam gasped, moving Luke back. Ruin made it to her side and turned her. She pulled up her pant leg and two red marks lit up her ankle, already swelling. “Ahhh, Jesus, it hurts!” she whispered.
Ruin couldn’t believe it. “You’re a fucking survivalist!” he exclaimed. “How could you let that happen?” Ruin lifted her and hurried back to the safe house. “What kind of snake was it?” he demanded.
“Put me down,” she ordered, “I can walk!” She fought to glance back. “Luke.”
“Luke, you behind me?” Ruin called.
“I’m here Mr. Ruin,” he gasped. “What do I do?”
“Just stay close. What kind of snake was it?”
“It…was a water moccasin…I think it was a dry bite.”
“Dry?”
“Meaning no venom, shit it hurts!”
“You’re cursing,” Ruin said, “that’s not good. Tell me about the snake. What do I do?”
“I just need to get where I can look at it, if you put me down, I could!”
“I’m not putting you down. What has to be done? Tell me.”
“I just need to look at it.”
“And then what?” Ruin half ran with her, going through the knowledge he had with reptiles. About zero, really, there were too many species.
“If it isn’t dry, I may need anti-venom.”
“Where do we get that?”
“I have some,” she said.
“You have anti-venom. Of course you do.”
“God it hurts like a beeotch.”
Ruin felt her pain in his body. He needed to get her where he could focus and figure out what to do.
At the safe house, he made his way to the bathroom and sat her on the edge of the tub. She swatted his hand away while she raised her pant leg. “Ah damn,” she whispered.
“What? Is it dry? What are the symptoms we need to worry about?”
“Uh, breathing difficulty, um, low blood pressure.” She grabbed her leg above her ankle. “Nausea and vomiting, numbness and tingling, fucking pain!” she gasped.
Ruin scooped her up.
“What are you doing? Stop carrying me like an invalid.”
He took her to her room and kicked the door shut, laying her on her bed. “Be still,” he said, sitting and holding her leg.
“What are you doing?”
“Let me try to do something, but I need to focus.”
She sat up, watching as he held her leg in his lap. He shut his eyes and focused on her body and she gasped, gripping his shoulder, her finger nails
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