Horton sucked in a short burst of air, then gulped. Shit! She’d just acquired a taste for him, literally.
Before he could decide what to do next, she grabbed the knife and straightened up, bringing the tip of the blade to the center of his chest. There was pressure, but it didn’t break the skin.
“Please. Don’t do this. I’m a friend. I can help you.”
She blinked, but that was her only response.
“Like I said, I’m not going to hurt you. In fact, if you help me, I’ll help you. With food, clothes, shelter—whatever.”
She never moved, only staring at him like a hawk, no longer the frightened chipmunk. Even her eyes had stopped blinking like machine guns.
“I swear. I’ll help with whatever you need. You have my word.”
She pulled the knife back after a long second.
Horton took that to mean she understood and agreed. But then again, it was just a guess. A hopeful, desperate guess. “Now go behind me and cut the wires around my hands.”
She craned her head back and held it for a beat, then hunched and turned at an angle, her eyes darting from one side to the other.
Her new position gave him a slanted look at her back. It was covered in scars, much like her front, only these looked like whip marks. Hundreds of them.
A moment later, she shuffled her feet to the left, then repeated the same hold, hunch, and spin maneuver.
Horton turned his head in the same direction as her. “Someone out there?”
She whipped her head around and grunted twice, sending him an intense look.
Horton took that gesture to mean shut the hell up!
She scurried to the other side of him, checking the area with her multi-step process. A minute went by before she moved again, this time turning to face him.
“Are they gone?”
She grunted once, then moved behind him.
He felt the cold metal blade pressing against his wrists as she started to pry at the bailing wire. She applied heavy force, sending a jolt of pain into his hands just before the wire snapped free.
Horton brought his arms around to the front and rubbed his wrists to dispel the pain. There was an indentation in the skin, but he didn’t see any blood.
She came around in front, taking a stance two feet away.
He held his hand out. “Can you give me the knife?”
She didn’t move.
“I won’t hurt you. I promise. I just need to cut the wire from my feet, then I’ll give it back to you.”
She huffed, sounding more like a dog than a girl.
He repeated his words.
She paused, then gave him the knife.
He bent down and made quick work of the wire, freeing his feet. He fell to the ground, tumbling forward on his knees, surprised by his lack of energy.
She took a step back, keeping the distance between them the same.
He flipped the knife around in his hand to grip the blade, then held the handle up, closer to her. “Here, this is yours.”
She took it but kept the weapon down at her side, not in a defensive posture.
Horton got the impression she was confused. Or needed confirmation. “Like I said, I’m a man of my word. You helped me and now I will help you. That’s how I roll.”
His kneeling position gave him a different view of the scars on her belly. They were thick like the others, but directly under them were stretch marks. Lots of them. Stretch marks meant only one thing—she’d had a baby. Maybe more than one.
She turned to the side and waved at him to follow.
The pain in his ankle from the dog bite was intense, but he was able to stand, peering at the path ahead.
He took the windbreaker from the ground and held it out for her. “You need to wear this. It’s too cold out here.”
She tilted her head again, but didn’t grunt this time. He took it to mean she was studying him.
He shook the coat. “It’s okay. Trust me. It’ll keep you warm.”
She put out an arm.
Horton slipped the covering on her, then helped her wrap the garment around her back and shoulders.
She grunted twice, looking thankful.
“You’re welcome,” he said, holding out an arm, pointing at the path ahead. “Lead the way, my friend.”
He walked behind the girl, admiring her ability to instantly trust him. One minute he thought he was dead. Now he had an ally. At least it appeared so.
Perhaps living in the wild had heightened her senses, including the ability to sense friend versus foe. She’d obviously been through hell but still found a way to make a connection with a total stranger.
He wasn’t sure he would have done the same if the roles had been reversed. Either way, he couldn’t believe his good fortune at the end of a very long day. Albeit an odd twist of fate.
He’d been beaten, eaten, and needed medical attention.
She’d been whipped, stabbed, and needed more clothes.
And a bath.
So did he.
A match made in heaven.
CHAPTER 23
“Good, you’re still up,” Krista said, walking into Edison’s office.
The old man was at his desk, shuffling through some paperwork. He looked up. “Yes, but I wish it wasn’t the case. Hard to sleep with that meet tomorrow.”
“And all the Summer crap.”
“That too.”
“Which is why I’m here, Professor. Got a minute?”
“Sure. Shoot,” he said, putting the paperwork down on his desk, then sitting back in his chair.
Krista planted her weary ass in one of the empty seats in front of his desk, feeling the need to backstep a bit. It was imperative for the founder to be on her side. She knew from experience that offering an apology to start was a great way to accomplish that goal. Plus, it was the right thing to do. “About before—I’m sorry I got so upset. Sometimes my temper gets the better of me. Been on edge lately.”
“We all are, my dear. It happens. Don’t worry about it. You’re just trying to do your job. I know your heart is in the right place.”
“Thanks, Professor. Appreciate that. And that business with Wicks . . . that never should’ve happened. That was my fault. I know he has a tendency to take things a bit too far. I should’ve never put him in that position.”
“Still, he must take responsibility for his actions. Those were his choices, not yours. Assaulting a woman is never an option.”
“No, it’s not. That’s why I put him on lockdown, per your orders. I’m sure The Council will take it from there, like they always do. Rules are rules.”
“So what’s this about?”
“I have an idea I want to pitch to you. It has to do with Summer and her missions.”
“What kind of idea?”
“One that will help all of us, including her.”
“I’m all ears.”
“It’s become clear to me that riding her all the time has had the opposite effect.”
“Which is typical with a young person.”
“Especially one who’s independent.”
Edison flared an eyebrow. “She is that. And a free-thinker.”
“Summer pushes back every time I try to get her to do something.”
“Again, typical.”
“I think it’s time to switch gears and deploy a completely different tactic. One that will not only help keep her safe, but allow us to keep a better eye on her. For everyone’s sake.”
“How do you suggest we do that?”
“We start a new Seeker Training Program.”
“Okay, you’ve got my attention.”
“If we find a young person, like her, and assign him to her, he can keep an eye on her and provide backup in case she gets into trouble.”
“What about The Council’s mandate?”
“If we spin this as only a temporary program, one designed to help bolster our Seeker staff, they just might go for it. Plus it will only apply to her, not to our other Seekers. Let’s face it, we’re going to need more Seekers anyway with the increase in numbers around here. Zimmer told me we’re getting low on supplies. Critically low.”