Page 72 of Consumed By Fire

Crap!

Then Igor lets me go. His hands fall limply at his sides, and his eyes go blank. He is dead.

I pull in a deep breath and moan as I suck in lungfuls of air. I yank the knife out of Igor’s throat, preparing to fight Titan as well. I moan again, sucking in air like a mad person as I get to my feet.

“You’re fucking?” Titan shouts, sounding disgusted. “Really? We’re eating, and we’re not saving any for you. I can’t believe you would fuck her so soon after she was with another male,” he mutters as he walks away.

Holy shit!

That was close. I don’t know how Titan bought that was sex, but he did. I suppose it makes a strange kind of sense, screaming, moaning, and some heavy breathing.

Igor is dead. He’s dead, and I killed him. I put my hand over my mouth to stifle any noise as tears course down my cheeks.

I didn’t have a choice.

He would have raped me and hurt me. I know that he would have ended up harming my child. That was more than I could take.

I look at Igor’s staring face.

I did the right thing. I did. I refuse to feel guilty. I touch my throat, and it hurts. It hurts to swallow, as well. Then I touch my mouth and wince; it’s already swelling up.

I did what I had to do.

I wipe my eyes, realizing too late that my hands are covered in blood. I look down. I am covered with the stuff. I whimper.

I cover Igor with a blanket. If someone comes in, they might think he’s sleeping. Then I go into the bathroom and clean off as best I can without actually running a shower.

Once I’m done, I pull on a shirt and try the window, but it is stuck fast. It looks like the wood has swollen, making it impossible to open.

Dammit!

What now? It’s only a matter of time before someone comes looking, before they find me with Igor’s dead body. I have to come up with a plan.

22

Octane

What the hell was that?

Adrenaline hits my system. I have to force myself to take deep breaths and to slow down. The scream was made by a male. I fear for Trinity, regardless. How can I not? I jump the wall on the side of the house that only has one downstairs window. It’s boarded up, so there’s less risk of being seen. I sneak around, staying off the porch. Those floorboards look like they might creak if I step on them. The door to the kitchen is right there, but it’s got a glass panel in the top part. I get down low, putting my back to the wall to the side of the door. If someone comes outside, I’m going to be busted in an instant. I don’t care. I need to find out what is going on.

I hear loud footfalls as someone comes down the stairs.

“They’re fucking.” It’s Titan. “Can you believe it?” he shouts.

The males in the living room laugh, and my heart sinks. Am I too late?

“Come and get some food,” Titan yells from the kitchen. “The food is ready.”

Trinity doesn’t like that male at all. I could see it. She said those things to save me. If he’s hurting her, I will kill him with my bare hands. I itch to get inside. To go to her, but I force myself to be patient.

“That’s what the racket was all about,” one of the others says as he gets to the kitchen as well; I’m not sure if it’s Ranger or Rocky.

The third male laughs. “Go, Igor!” He chuckles some more. “Lucky prick!” he mutters more to himself.

“I wouldn’t lay so much as a finger on that skanky whore,” Titan grumbles. I hear plates clanging as they dish up.

“She sure can cook,” Rocky says. “This chicken is delicious.”