My Assassin Lover

by My Assassin Lover [Whispers] (mobi)

  Wolf thought hard while Casey wept. It suddenly occurred to him he knew of a place. A safe place he could send her if they were rescued, an old debt. Though the circumstances were different, he knew the debt would be honored. He could then seek out David and figure out a way to stop him. Wolf pondered his motive. What if he needed the debt repaid at a later date with someone else?

  Feeling Casey trembling against him while her tears dropped to moisten his shirt, he decided that he would use the oath now. She should never have been placed in this position. She was an innocent, after all. Wolf dismissed all thoughts that nagged. Perhaps he was more than just fond of her. He cuddled her closer, still pondering.

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  Chapter Eight

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  Casey felt tired and sluggish. They had again spent another long day tediously tending a signal fire as the days continued to pass slowly. Again, they were dismayed by the lack of planes and boats. The work was exhausting in the heat, surrounded by huge, engulfing flames. She ran a sweaty forearm across her brow and strolled towards the inviting, cool, blue-green waves of the enticing ocean, intending on cooling herself off.

  “Go to the falls,” Wolf commanded sharply, approaching her, seeing Casey's intent. Casey stopped short in confusion. Wolf was dripping water; he had just recently exited the ocean, needing the same thing.

  “Why? There's water right there,” she asked, surprised.

  “There's also a stingray right there,” Wolf told her, and pointed.

  Casey shivered when she saw the huge dark shadow move slowly about, gliding, then turning effortlessly only a few feet away from her. It was a remarkable sight to behold. It moved as a bird would through air. Casey looked off into the foliage. It was early evening. The sun would not set for a little while; still she was hesitant to venture off alone. Feeling somewhat embarrassed, she could not shake the memory of the wild boar.

  Straightening her shoulders, Casey sighed, resigned. She would not tell Wolf she was afraid or he would ask her sarcastically if she would like him to babysit her as he had done that morning, when she had hesitantly ventured off alone for food. At times, Wolf had seemed to open up to her, telling her fantastic, funny stories, and other times he became annoyed with himself when he appeared not to want her gone from his sight.

  They had made love numerous times and, while he gripped her in his sexual frenzy, he was always gentle, sweet, a man who had needs, a man who seemed to need her. Casey was right; the man was an enigma, a somewhat annoying, large enigma. She wondered if even he knew or understood what he wanted.

  Casey approached their camp cautiously, watching for more wild animals. Relieved there were none, she cupped her hands to drink in a generous amount of water. She resolved to take Wolf back a cupful. The day was decidedly too hot; the breezy steam from the waterfall beckoned.

  Stepping into the small pool, she ducked her head under the cool, swiftly gushing stream, letting it slide across her back and shoulders. Lifting her face upwards, she allowed the water to flow into her mouth and down her throat. After a long moment she stepped back, feeling refreshed. She lifted her hands to squeeze out the length of her hair. She did the same with her drenched shirt, while her shorts clung to her body like a second skin.

  “Damn, I thought I saw smoke from a fire, and, baby, don't you look hot,” Casey heard from behind her. Spinning abruptly, she stumbled, and would have fallen if the large, blond man had not captured her snugly to his chest, supporting her. He gazed hungrily at her breasts, which she now realized were well defined by the soaked t-shirt. “Here I thought I was all alone.”

  Casey struggled as the blond man kissed her, hard; she felt his demanding tongue invade her mouth, trying to capture her own. Before long, he stilled his assault upon her lips to kiss at her cheek, her throat. His hot breath made her gag, and she lifted a hand to still his roaming. He held her within his grasp easily and chuckled.

  “Please don't hurt me,” she begged. She pushed against his hard chest, but was unable to dislodge him.

  “Easy, baby, I'm not going to hurt you, I just haven't seen anyone for days, or has it been weeks now? You could be a little bit friendlier,” the large man cajoled. He ran his hands over her body, grasping at intimate places. His hand cupped her behind, pressing her against his growing erection, rubbing himself up alongside her in a grinding motion.

  At the look of rapture on the man's face, Casey could see he expected her to be a whole lot friendlier. Her eyes darted about, searching for a way to escape. Wolf was bad enough, but Casey wondered if this man would even take the time to seduce her first. Not wanting to find out, she reached round behind her, desperately searching, and as the large man once more sought her lips, she grabbed up a fist-sized rock and cracked it into the side of his head.

  The man yelped, releasing her, and stumbling, backed off. Casey gave a hard shove to his midriff, sending him under the weight of the falls flow, where he floundered and gurgled when he inhaled a substantial amount of water.

  Casey was running, her bare feet pounding along the sand. It was not long before she heard the man panting after her, telling her how much trouble she was in, and what he would do when he got his hands on her.

  “Wolf!” Casey screamed as she reached the clearing and raced to his side.

  Coming to a skid and cowering behind him, she clutched at one of his arms, using him as a shield, pressing herself tightly against him, seeking his protection.

  Stunned, Wolf watched as the blond man from the boat barreled into the clearing, dripping wet. The blond man stopped, stunned. Casey realized it must have sounded as though she were calling out to a wolf, and he must be awaiting the unlikely appearance of wolves in the tropics.

  But she knew of one wolf. He was large, dark-haired, dark-eyed, and seemingly enraged. Wolf moved in on the other man, fists balled, disengaging Casey from himself, keeping her well back behind him.

  “Well, now, wait just a minute, that girl just bashed me in the head with a rock!” the blond man exclaimed in his defense, holding out a hand. To his credit, there was fine trail of blood mixing with the water on his sopping wet hair, trickling from a gash on his forehead.

  “Welcome to the club,” Wolf snarled sarcastically. “What did he do to you, Casey?” Wolf asked, never taking his eyes off the disheveled man.

  “He wanted me to be friendly,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest, glowering.

  Wolf stopped suddenly. “Friendly?” He tossed Casey a confused look.

  “Your kind of friendly, only I doubt he would have been as nice when he was being as friendly as you,” Casey said in her defense.

  She could see understanding dawn, and once more, Wolf's eyes narrowed dangerously. “This one is mine. Find your own. If you have a problem with that I would be happy to discuss it with you in great detail,” Wolf threatened, his balled fists ready for battle.

  Casey was now smiling smugly at the blond man from a safe distance behind Wolf, feeling secure.

  “He never touched you on the yacht, did he? You made it all up,” the blond man suddenly said, incredulous.

  “Now you wait just a minute, Wolf was going to...” Casey yelled, now enraged. The man was accusing her of being a liar; the look of open disgust on his face had her cheeks heat up with offended embarrassment.

  “I was going to propose again, but she got cold feet and panicked,” Wolf interrupted, cutting her off quickly.

  Wolf turned and strode over to Casey, giving her a menacing look, his piercing glare no doubt intended to render her immobile. The predator had returned. She shied back at his intense look, immediately realizing her mistake, wanting to flee, but he must have sensed her intention and reached her quickly, gripping her to him firmly.

  Wolf pulled her almost viciously against himself, grabbing at her, entangling a hand in her hair and he whispered into her ear, “You said no one was to die because of you. If you tell him who or what I am, I will be f
orced to kill him. I will then wonder about you and how well you will keep your word once we leave here,” he threatened with menace.

  Casey swallowed with some difficulty. She understood Wolf's meaning. After spending so much time alone with him in his heated embrace, hearing his kind words, getting to know him, she had almost forgotten what had brought them here. She looked up at him now with anxiety.

  “I won't tell.” She found herself weeping once again as her body began to shake. Oh God, how could she have forgotten? She clutched at him, begging him to believe her. “I'm sorry, Wolf, please don't. It was a mistake. I'm so sorry, I won't forget again, I swear. Oh, please. I didn't think.”

  Gripping her arm tightly, viciously, Wolf left the clearing, dragging her whimpering form behind him, back towards the waterfall. With each step his hold intensified, causing her greater pain. She cried out for him to loosen his grip. She stumbled, trying to keep pace with his long stride.

  With each step, Casey felt her fear mount until her anxiety turned to terror. Wolf was hurting her; he had never hurt her before. His malicious threats from before stormed her mind. She had almost told, she had almost revealed his secret when she had sworn not to. Oh God, what would he do to her, what was he about to do to them both?

  The blond man followed cautiously behind as they came to a small clearing. Once they arrived, Wolf callously tossed Casey to the ground before their small fire; she landed heavily. Wolf stalked off to get a drink. The blond man settled down opposite her.

  “He's a bit rough,” the man commented with some concern.

  “You should talk,” Casey snapped irritably while rubbing her arm, placing some of the blame directly onto him. Wolf's fingerprints peppered her upper arm, their impressions already beginning to darken. Her knee now also ached from the rough landing.

  Reddening, the man smiled at her sheepishly. “I just hadn't seen anyone for a while, it's awful to be alone out here.”

  “Perhaps it wouldn't be so terribly awful,” Casey commented under her breath as Wolf approached her. Though his face remained inexpressive, Casey became terrified at his intent. His hands were clenched into fists; his normally easy countenance was stiff. The fine hairs at the back of her neck rose, sensing extreme danger.

  Wolf dropped easily to the ground beside Casey and wrapped a snug arm around her as she tried to shy away. She winced when his hand clutched tightly on the red marks on her arm—which he had caused. She twisted in his grasp to remove his firm hold, but he only dropped it lower, still clutching her. A small dot of blood had appeared at her knee, spreading rapidly. Wolf took notice of both.

  “Sorry, sweetheart, you know how possessive I am; I guess I got carried away,” Wolf said easily.

  “Yes,” she mumbled, keeping her head lowered. She clamped her teeth together to keep them from chattering.

  She was thinking of what to do. The blond man was right before them, watching every move she made; she could see the conflict on his face, perhaps wondering if he should interfere. She successfully staunched the small flow of blood on her knee. His interference would only lead to his destruction; he had no idea the skills Wolf possessed. Every day she had witnessed more and more of his powerful moves and the swiftness at which he could dispense them. His alertness and cunning showed each time he demonstrated a move with a simple stick he casually retrieved from the ground, and the velocity at which he could strike.

  Her mind was reeling. How could she beg Wolf not to harm them while the blond-haired man was watching their exchange? She could not raise further suspicions. What could she do? She needed to try something. She knew Wolf was enraged; never before had he actually physically harmed her.

  Casey then rested her head against Wolf's chest, knowing he was seeking her submissive gesture. She remained compliant and completely complaisant against him. Her body trembled uncontrollably. Once more Wolf was extremely dangerous. The blond man's life was in her hands, she was certain. Casey's mind was assaulted with awful images of the man before her, dead and bloody. She knew she would be scarred for life if she witnessed cold-blooded murder, if Wolf even allowed her to live.

  “Wolf,” she whimpered, clutching at him. She pulled herself more closely into his arms, running her soft hands over him, trying to placate him. She knew if she was completely submissive, he might just listen.

  “It's fine, sweetheart, it's fine,” Wolf replied without any emotion. His eyes remained coldly centered on the other man.

  Casey's frantic breathing continued as she was wondering what Wolf was thinking. She clutched at him; she trailed her hands over his shoulders and neck. She thought for a moment her whispered pleading gave him a moment's pause as she whimpered she would do anything for him, anything, if he would just grant his mercy once again. She buried her face into his chest with her eyes squeezed firmly shut.

  “Wolf, oh please, Wolf,” she begged again. The waiting was unbearable; she couldn't breathe. Her arms clasped around his back, easing their way down his body while she slowly rubbed her hands in small circles over his tight muscles.

  “So, what's your name?” Wolf casually asked the blond man. Casey collapsed against him with relief.

  “Todd,” the man replied while watching Casey curiously. “Is she okay?” he asked, motioning towards her.

  Casey was practically curled up on Wolf's knee. He was stroking his hand up and down her back. She was beginning to calm. Her breathing was no longer erratic. Her eyes remained squeezed shut. She pressed her cheek against his chest; once more he was granting his mercy.

  “Yes,” Wolf said shortly.

  “Are you sure? She looks pale,” Todd said with some concern.

  “She'll be fine. You just gave her a bad scare. It takes awhile for her to settle; she's a timid little thing.” Casey tensed in his arms, positive she heard a touch of humor in his mocking voice, and her relief almost overwhelmed her.

  “Timid? Yeah, sure,” Todd mumbled, and rubbed at his head.

  Wolf cupped her face and tilted her chin up; his wry, authoritative expression met her eyes challengingly, as if daring her to disobey. “I'm hungry, sweetheart. Why don't you get my dinner ready?”

  Nodding, Casey crawled off, and dutifully began preparing the food she had found earlier. She realized she had a great deal of damage control to do and she held her tongue wisely at his somewhat derogatory, superior tone. She preferred to keep herself busy.

  She was battling nausea at what had almost transpired. While Casey once more baked clams, the two men settled back, talking.

  “So have you seen anyone else?” Todd questioned.

  “No, you?” Wolf asked.

  “Just you two,” Todd replied. “I sure am happy to have found other people; I've been looking for days and days, wandering up and down the beach. I am decidedly tired of my own company. My depressing thoughts were getting on my nerves.”

  “Seen any boats?” Wolf asked.

  “Not even one in the far distance. It's spooky, you know? Being trapped out here, someone should be looking for us by now,” Todd said, and shivered.

  Wolf just slowly nodded his agreement. Casey knew no one would be looking for Wolf, missing him. He had claimed he had no family. Casey had also admitted to having no other relatives to worry at her disappearance; David wouldn't be volunteering any information unless he had to.

  Not long after, Todd smiled with gratitude as Casey handed him a generous amount of food on a bone plate she had made from the wild pig. She gave Wolf a larger share, and she sat empty-handed.

  “I'm not eating your portion, am I?” Todd asked her, looking concerned.

  “No, I'm fine; it's been hot all day. I can't eat when it's too hot,” Casey replied. It was true, her tummy was still upset, but she had omitted the real reason for her deep anxiety.

  While preparing their meal she had time to think about her circumstances, becoming more distressed by the moment. Wolf had held her and made love to her, as had David. Wolf had whispered loving, beautiful words to he
r, just like David had. He had promised never to hurt her, just like David had, and now Wolf had turned on her, just like David had. Another man who had lied while caressing her, while using her body, her emotions, to meet his own needs. She felt dirty, soiled, and exploited.

  She was reminded of just who and what Wolf really was today. As she had grown to know him, she had felt he was even likable sometimes. Her flesh quivered with wanting his touch. She had tried to pretend they were alike; she tried to convince herself she wasn't afraid or concerned. Casey realized she had best stay, not only afraid, but concerned. Todd didn't realize his life was at risk. Casey did not want to slip, placing her own life and his in jeopardy; she now walked on fine shells. She could feel her tremors start to once again rampage at another betrayal. She knew she was about to cry and needed to flee.

  “Will you please excuse me a moment? I need some water.” Casey rose to her feet. She had a lump in her throat and she backed away, feeling the desperate need to move.

  Wolf watched Casey leave for the falls. Her body was stiff, her movements mechanical. She stood by the falls with her head bowed. She made the pretense of cupping her hands for a drink. She used the water to wash her face, and Wolf knew she was crying. He also knew it would not take long for her to recover her wits and return. It didn't, and once more she stumbled back to his side. Her face was pale, but she seemed to have collected her thoughts.

  “This is good,” Todd exclaimed, while stuffing food into his mouth. “All I've been eating are bananas. If I never look at another banana again it would be too soon.”

  “Casey is very adept at finding food,” Wolf commented.

  He handed Casey a large piece of his crab and encouraged her to eat. He knew she liked crab, but found it difficult to remove it from the shell. Wolf had wryly commented he found that hard to believe, as she was so good at bashing things. Casey nibbled it slowly, absently. Her normally expressive face showed no outer emotion, which was in itself a surprise. It was usually Casey who asked all of the never ending questions, but she remained stubbornly silent.