by Eve Langlais
“Don’t move!” She pulled her knife. “I will slice you if you lay a hand on me.”
“Sweetheart, I wish I had the strength to touch a woman and bring her pleasure.” A raspy flirtation.
“Who are you?”
“Right now, I feel like a side of meat that’s been pulverized by a truck.” He pushed himself to a seated position, groaning at the effort. “Fuck, maybe I was hit by a truck.” He palpated his body, slapping legs, arms, torso, getting a sense of his injuries, saving his face for last. He hesitated before he ran his fingers over the scraped skin. He only lightly touched his closed and very puffy eyes. “Well, those don’t feel good.”
“I wouldn’t advise opening them.” A begrudgingly given piece of advice.
“I wasn’t planning on it. You have to tell me, though. How do I look?”
She pursed her lips. “That’s really what you’re worried about? How you look?”
“Must be bad since you’re being so mean to me.”
“I am not being mean.”
“You wanted to tie me up.”
“For protection.”
“See what I mean? Most women would want to tie me up because I’m handsome and they’d like to worship my fine body. But not you. Meaning my face must be seriously messed up.”
“It is.”
“Way to crush my spirit.”
She bit her lip, because the sarcasm came with a smile. How could he jest? Surely, he was in agony. “Who are you, and how did you get here?”
“Depends where here is. And as for who I am, maybe I should be asking, who are you? I’ve never heard an accent like yours before.”
Accent? She frowned. If anyone spoke slightly different, it was him, with the way he rolled and drawled each sentence as if it formed a single fluid word. “I am the one asking questions. Who are you?”
“Gunner.”
“That’s not a name.”
“I assure you it is. And you are?”
She couldn’t see the harm in telling him. “Sofia.”
“Hello, Sofia. I don’t suppose you can tell me what happened to me?” He hadn’t gotten to his feet yet, but he did gently palp around his eyes.
How much damage had they sustained?
“What do you remember?” she asked.
For a moment he didn’t reply. “I was leading some Enclave soldiers away from H—” He paused. “I was being chased through some dunes, and then…” He trailed off. “I’m not sure what happened.”
“Pretty sure I can guess what occurred next. You were caught in a funnel wind. Carried miles over the mountain range and dropped in a place where Kitty apparently found you.”
“Kitty?” he repeated.
As if her name were invitation, the large feline shoved her head against the stranger’s hands, drawing a startled gasp from him. “What the fuck?”
Sofia snickered. “Kitty is just saying hello.”
“And what is Kitty?”
“A cat. When she found me, she was a lot smaller,” was Sofia’s reply. “A tiny furball I could pick up.”
“Her head feels bigger than mine.”
“She’s a big cat.”
He shook his head. “I know cats. And this might be feline, but it’s not a regular pussy. More like an ancient Earth big cat. Maybe a lion. No wait, those had big fluffy heads of hair.”
“She is sleek furred and lightly marked.”
“I wish I could see her.” The first real acknowledgement of his injuries. Yet he didn’t ask her to tend him. Not yet. “Does the cat obey you?”
She rolled her shoulder then realized he couldn’t see it. “Not really. You’re a keen example of things she’s not supposed to do. Can’t exactly stop her though.”
“You have a giant cat as a pet.” He mused the words aloud. “Kind of jealous.
“Don’t be, she can be a pest when she wants.”
The cat rubbed her teeth on his hand, demanding a scratch, but the stranger didn’t know that.
“Should I be worried Kitty will chew off my hand?”
“Depends on what that hand is doing. Touching my things will get you chomped. Touching me, a double chomp. And if you’re eating something she likes…well…that’s the risk you take.”
“I see. And do you bite too?”
“Actually, if you do something I don’t like, I’ll gut you.”
“Then I shall strive to be on my best behavior. Now, I don’t suppose I could trouble you for a glass of something to drink. My mouth is so dry it’s a wonder I can talk.”
“And it starts,” she snapped.
“What starts?”
“The giving of orders. Acting as if I’m your personal servant. I can tell by your clothes you’re of no better ranking than me.”
“I wasn’t giving you an order. Just saying I’m thirsty, and I don’t know where to get something to drink.”
“And then after I fetch a drink, you’ll demand food. It never ends.” She wagged a finger at her cat. “This, this is why we don’t bring strange men home. They are always difficult.”
“I’m not difficult.”
She whirled to glare at him, wasting the heat of it since he couldn’t see it. “I say you are, and I don’t want you anywhere close to me.”
“I’m not keen on imposing either, but I’m kind of fucked right now. Would it kill you to show me a bit of compassion?” He’d dropped the flirting and showed signs of anger.
The last time she showed compassion, she was almost raped. “You mean nothing to me.”
His lips pressed tight, and his nostrils flared. He said nothing; however, Kitty growled and drew Sofia’s attention back to her feline, who seemed adamant they keep him.
“Don’t you sass me,” she exclaimed. “You remember what happened last time.”
“What do you mean last time? Do you make a habit of kidnapping men?”
“No.” The word blurted out of her. “But this place is small, so when a stranger arrives, it’s inevitable we run into each other.”
“And then they try to take advantage of you,” he murmured pensively. “I can assure you, I’m not that kind of man.”
“Is of course what you’d say.” She rolled her eyes. “I am well aware people lie to get what they want.”
“What will it take to convince you I’m sincere?”
She shrugged, having forgotten his eyes again. “There’s nothing you can do. I don’t trust you.”
“Fine, then I don’t trust you. Using your giant pet to abduct men and bring them to you for a tongue-lashing, seems you’re the villain in this scenario.”
“Me?” She ogled him.
He faced serenely ahead, his eyes closed, his face… His poor face needed a good cleaning. She tucked her hands behind her back. Her behavior was out of the norm. She usually wouldn’t be so mean, but what Braun did to her... She wouldn’t let it happen again.
“Yes, you. I am the one disadvantaged here. You, the one in power. Why, I woke to you groping me, and in some pretty intimate places. I feel violated.”
Her lips rounded. “I was not violating you.”
“You didn’t ask permission.”
“I was checking you for injury.”
“In my pockets?” he riposted.
“Fine, I was also checking you for weapons. But I won’t apologize for making sure I’m safe.”
“Then in the spirit of making you feel safe, I should let you know that you missed three throwing knives. One in my boot, and two in my coat.
If he spoke the truth, what should she do? Moving in close to remove them put her at his mercy and yet if she asked him to hand them over, he might try to use them instead.
“You can stop panicking,” he said softly. “I’m not going to hurt you. Can you say the same?”
“No.” Because she would act to protect herself.
His lips quirked. “Fair enough. I’ll have to make sure I don’t give you reason to defend yourself.”
“That won’t be a proble
m because you’re leaving.”
“You would toss a man who can’t see out into the Wasteland?”
“We’re not in the Wasteland.”
“Not a dome either, I’d wager.”
“How can you tell?” she asked.
“You don’t forget the stale scent of a dome. This is much earthier. Cool. The space around me clean, not dusty.”
“You cannot tell all that by just sniffing.” She blinked at him as she tried to figure out how he’d guessed all that.
Perhaps he lied and could see? His eyes remained closed, though, and not just closed but glued shut. She wondered how he would look with his face healed instead of bruised and swollen.
“Not seeing doesn’t mean I can’t figure things out using other clues. But I’m having a hard time placing where we could be.”
“You can try guessing all you’d like, and you’d still be wrong. This place doesn’t exist on any map, I’ll wager.”
When the big wind had grabbed her after her banishment, she woke here in this place she called Exile. By her count, that was years ago now.
Years and he was only the fifth person she’d ever seen. Two died of their injuries almost upon arriving. The third tried to escape this impossible place. His bones decorated the spot he’d splatted upon when he fell. The last died by her hand and should count himself lucky she didn’t carve him to pieces first.
The stranger didn’t give up. “I’ve been around. Maybe I’ll recognize our location. Describe it to me.”
“I am not doing anything other than showing you the door so you can leave.” She leaned down and grabbed a hold of his arm, meaning to heave him to his feet.
She’d forgotten the sheer bulk of him and didn’t count on his strength. He didn’t budge at all. He had the nerve to smirk.
“Get up,” she growled, pulling with all her might.
“I am not getting up. From the feel of the floor, seems like your home is an actual structure. There are grooves indicating tile work. A bit worn, with some denting, but still proof there is something around us. Which means safety compared to outside. Given I need time to recover, I’m gonna have to ignore your wishes and stay.”
“I said no.”
“Thanks for your gracious hospitality.”
She ground her teeth. “You can’t ignore me. This is my house.”
“And you’re going to be an awesome host. Rest assured, I will do my best to help you out.”
“You can’t refuse to leave.”
“I am staying.” Said quite firmly.
“I will hurt you if you don’t go,” she said, hoping he didn’t hear the quiver in her voice.
She could act, but it felt wrong to attack someone helpless like him. Although, given his firm statements, she had to wonder if he was really incapacitated.
“Please don’t try. I will defend myself, and it won’t end well for you,” he said.
The cocky assurance had the desired effect. She released his arm and leaned back. Planting her hands back on her hips, an annoyed look crossed her face. Wasted on him since he couldn’t open his eyes.
“I knew you couldn’t be trusted. First chance you get, you threaten violence.”
“I said I would only act if you attacked me first. You’re being irrational.”
“It’s not irrational to not want to share my home with a stranger.”
“Why can’t we share?” he asked.
“Because there is only one bed. My bed.”
“I’ll take the floor.”
“You’ll be extra work. You’ll eat my food.” She gave the most obvious reasons.
“I’ll help as much as I can and repay you once I’m healed.”
“Repay me how?” she scoffed. “I don’t need money.”
“Maybe I can hunt down an animal for you. Get you some fresh meat.”
The arrogance stunned her. “I can hunt my own meat.” Now at least. In the beginning, Kitty did most of the hunting.
“I didn’t mean to imply you couldn’t. Just looking to make a deal. I’m sure we can find a way for me to repay you.”
There was only one thing she wanted. And even that desire had faded the longer she lived here.
But seeing this man, this reminder of life outside this place…
She had an idea.
“You want to make a trade? Very well. I’ll let you stay here, even give you a salve for your injuries.”
“And what do you want in return?”
“A baby.”
Four
Gunner had surely misunderstood. “I’m sorry. What did you say?”
“I said, I’ll help you until you can take care of yourself. In return, you’ll impregnate me.”
“And the request is still just as shocking the second time.” He focused on her inane demand rather than the pain throbbing all over his body. He’d been fighting it since he woke, doing his best to take stock of the situation, which was admittedly dire. But now also entertaining. “Are we talking artificial insemination or actual intercourse?”
“You provide the ejaculate, and I will handle the rest.”
The statement drew a chuckle. “Are you going to use a baster to put it up there?” He couldn’t help the mockery. “I’m going to dangle out over a fissure and predict you don’t exactly have a lab with the equipment for fertilization and gestation.”
“Why would I need a lab? I’m not looking to make a factory or farm worker. I know what’s needed. The seed of a man injected into a woman’s flower, causing pollination and budding into new life.”
The way she utterly ruined anything beautiful about sex floored him for a moment. “It’s a little sweatier and more complex than that, sweetheart.”
“Sweetheart is not my name.”
“And what is it again?” He knew she’d given it to him, but with the pain blurring his mind, he had a hard time remembering.
“You don’t need my name.”
“Might be kind of nice to know, given you want to be the mother of my child.”
“Mother.” She mulled the word. “I’d not thought of using that title.”
“Are you the type to have your child call you by your first name?” Personally, Gunner preferred the terms mum and dad.
“I hadn’t thought of it. The Master allowed me to use sir when we were in private.”
“You had a master?” he repeated.
“Didn’t you?”
“I’m a free man.” Said with pride.
“You’re a Wastelander Rat.” Her tone rolled with derision.
“And you’re a brainwashed dome citizen. Guess which I’d rather be?” He tossed back the insult.
“I’ve changed my mind. I don’t wish to negotiate with you after all.”
Oops. He’d let pride and pain lead him to insult the one person he needed at the moment. “Now, sweetheart, don’t be so hasty. I promise, any baby we make will be better than anything created in a test tube.”
“You’ve had your genetics tested? You’re not sterilized?”
He paused. “Um, no and no.” He’d heard of the first being a big thing in the domes, but as to the latter…
“You are physically fit and attractive,” she mulled aloud.
“I’ll be even prettier once you get me cleaned up,” he hinted.
“I doubt the word pretty applies to you.”
“You’re right. The terms rugged and handsome come to mind.”
The soft snort she emitted brought a tug to the corner of his mouth. He couldn’t see, not one bit, and he hurt, all fucking over, but there was something about this woman that intrigued.
“You should add conceited to that list,” she said.
“It’s not conceit if it’s true. You’ll see once my face heals up. So, do we have a deal?”
“You’ll give me your seed to fertilize my flower?”
“Sweetheart, you help me out, and I will volunteer to give you my swimmers the old-fashioned way. Without the baster.”
Her br
eath sucked in. “I am not a whore.”
“Never said you were. Keep in mind, the easiest way for you to get pregnant is to do it the way we’re supposed to. Naked, with my seed shooter slotted into your flower.” He couldn’t have said why he kept poking at her. Maybe because he wanted to see if he could get her to exclaim in embarrassment again. Maybe because all this fucking arguing wasn’t making his face feel any better. He kept hoping the burning in his eyes would settle down. It didn’t.
“Sex is not be indulged in.”
“According to who?”
“It’s what the Enclave teaches. And yet, most people don’t listen. Why would they when the Enclave and their families break their own law?” She said it most indignantly.
“That’s the Enclave for you. Is this why you want a baby? To snub those bastards?”
“My desire for a child has nothing to do with them.”
“Then why do you want one?” When she didn’t reply, he prodded. “To use as bait for your traps?”
“No.”
“To eat? A nice plump baby roast.”
“That’s revolting.”
“Then what do you need a child for?”
“Companionship.” Said softly.
It made him wonder how long she’d been alone. “Wouldn’t it be easier to move into a settlement or find a dome that will take you?”
“I would if I could, but there is nowhere to go.”
“Maybe you just don’t know how to get there. I’m pretty savvy when it comes to moving around the Wastelands. What are we close to? The Chasm Fields? The Ajatarai forest? The Ruins?”
“I don’t know what places you’re talking about. This forest is not anywhere near a dome is all I know.”
Which was more than he knew a moment ago. He also now knew that she was more than passing familiar with the Enclave. Her beliefs gave her away, meaning she was probably a dome resident runaway.
“You said forest, as in trees?”
“It’s not a forest without them,” she retorted hotly.
He wondered just what she looked like. Was she young or old? “Are you here alone?”
“Kitty will be offended you forgot about her.”
The giant cat rolled in his lap, and he absently stroked through her fur. She didn’t purr, not like the smaller version of a feline. “Kitty and I are fine,” he muttered. “And you didn’t answer the question.”