“Hmph.”
“Mainly because I don’t do that. And partly because I think you want me to. To absolve you, maybe, because you know you were a brute back there. Or maybe because you want, for some reason, to think that I’m just an emotional, silly little girl, and you can write me off.”
“Why would I want to do that?”
“You tell me. It’s something I’ve been wondering for years now. Why it isn’t okay to be a woman who isn’t silly, flighty, or all that feminine.” She shook her head, regretting what she’d just said. “Whatever. It doesn’t matter.”
He was silent, and it needled at her.
“Why did you insist on dragging me away?” she asked, some of the anger returning. “Am I not allowed to leave the compound? Can I not have a drink? What is it? What are your rules, Candyman, and I’ll be sure to follow them.”
More silence.
“Well, say something.”
He cleared his throat. “You’re very young.” When she started to retort, he pressed on. “You are. I’m your elder, I can say that, and I don’t mean it as an insult. It is what it is. You’re young, and something bad happened back home, and you’re all shook up about it. I watched my sister go through something bad.” His voice lowered, heavy with memory. “And she wasn’t much like herself anymore.
“You’re a little legend, Miss Michelle,” he continued. “What your daddy had you do hasn’t been done by anyone else in this club. You’re impressive as hell, whether I call you ‘baby doll’ or not. And I don’t want to see you lose your head and fuck around with idiots you’ll regret just because you’re sad, and everything’s upside down. I’ve got a lot of regrets in my life. No sense sitting back and watching somebody young start racking them up, when I could have said something.”
She blinked and…was stunned. Completely. “Did you make all of that up just now?”
“No comment.”
She sighed again, and massaged her aching forehead. “God. Everything is terrible,” she muttered. She had no idea what to make of the man in front of her now, but she knew she had no friends here, save Uncle Charlie, who didn’t count for much.
“You’re worse than my father,” she admitted. “Much worse. He would never have done that to me.”
“Well…you’re always more careful with other people’s property than you are with your own.”
“Oh, Jesus…” She put her back to him and walked away into the darkness. How lovely it would be to keep walking. Walk through rock formations and prickly scrub plants, walk until she hit the sunrise.
She got about ten strides before an arm banded like iron around her waist and she was hoisted up in the air.
“Ahh!”
“I wanted to do this earlier,” Candy said in her ear. “Thanks for the second chance.”
“Put me down!”
“There’s the scream.”
“This is not a scream, this is a forceful demand . What the bloody hell is wrong with you?”
“Lots of things,” he said, and carried her back to the bike. He set her back on her feet, but his large hands were locked on her arms. Michelle knew without trying that she wouldn’t be able to break away from him.
“Let go,” she said with as much dignity as she could muster.
“Not unless your promise not to go running off into the desert.”
“Mainly because I don’t do that. And partly because I think you want me to. To absolve you, maybe, because you know you were a brute back there. Or maybe because you want, for some reason, to think that I’m just an emotional, silly little girl, and you can write me off.”
“Why would I want to do that?”
“You tell me. It’s something I’ve been wondering for years now. Why it isn’t okay to be a woman who isn’t silly, flighty, or all that feminine.” She shook her head, regretting what she’d just said. “Whatever. It doesn’t matter.”
He was silent, and it needled at her.
“Why did you insist on dragging me away?” she asked, some of the anger returning. “Am I not allowed to leave the compound? Can I not have a drink? What is it? What are your rules, Candyman, and I’ll be sure to follow them.”
More silence.
“Well, say something.”
He cleared his throat. “You’re very young.” When she started to retort, he pressed on. “You are. I’m your elder, I can say that, and I don’t mean it as an insult. It is what it is. You’re young, and something bad happened back home, and you’re all shook up about it. I watched my sister go through something bad.” His voice lowered, heavy with memory. “And she wasn’t much like herself anymore.
“You’re a little legend, Miss Michelle,” he continued. “What your daddy had you do hasn’t been done by anyone else in this club. You’re impressive as hell, whether I call you ‘baby doll’ or not. And I don’t want to see you lose your head and fuck around with idiots you’ll regret just because you’re sad, and everything’s upside down. I’ve got a lot of regrets in my life. No sense sitting back and watching somebody young start racking them up, when I could have said something.”
She blinked and…was stunned. Completely. “Did you make all of that up just now?”
“No comment.”
She sighed again, and massaged her aching forehead. “God. Everything is terrible,” she muttered. She had no idea what to make of the man in front of her now, but she knew she had no friends here, save Uncle Charlie, who didn’t count for much.
“You’re worse than my father,” she admitted. “Much worse. He would never have done that to me.”
“Well…you’re always more careful with other people’s property than you are with your own.”
“Oh, Jesus…” She put her back to him and walked away into the darkness. How lovely it would be to keep walking. Walk through rock formations and prickly scrub plants, walk until she hit the sunrise.
She got about ten strides before an arm banded like iron around her waist and she was hoisted up in the air.
“Ahh!”
“I wanted to do this earlier,” Candy said in her ear. “Thanks for the second chance.”
“Put me down!”
“There’s the scream.”
“This is not a scream, this is a forceful demand . What the bloody hell is wrong with you?”
“Lots of things,” he said, and carried her back to the bike. He set her back on her feet, but his large hands were locked on her arms. Michelle knew without trying that she wouldn’t be able to break away from him.
“Let go,” she said with as much dignity as she could muster.
“Not unless your promise not to go running off into the desert.”
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