Free Assassin Territory [Assassins Book 1] by C.L. Scholey

and bruised. She knew she must look a sight. Her hand lifted to tuck a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. She felt a smudge of rabbit grease down her cheek.
    After Christy ate what he had given her, she settled back further from the roaring fire. It wasn’t just her fear of him that caused her retreat. The flames were making her sweat. Though enjoying the warmth, she was now feeling lightheaded from the heat. Lando hadn’t taken his eyes off her. Every movement she made was critically studied and assessed and she was becoming more alarmed by the minute. She was fearful of giving up the safety of huddling protectively within Howard’s jacket. She felt it was an extra barrier. Lando was a huge man, much larger than Chad. If he were to be brutal, he’d hurt her.
    “Sit closer to the fire, Christy,” Lando encouraged.
    His voice was low, deep, rough and somewhat frightening but suited him. Her gaze shifted about the cave until, resigned, she crept forward. The sweat beaded her forehead. Lando had already removed his outer jacket. The small cave warmed nicely, even though the storm raged outside and the occasional draft of frigid air made its way through cracks in the doorframe.
    She was now feeling too warm. She could see by his confused stare he didn’t understand why she hadn’t made herself comfortable. Fear, safety, confusion, her thoughts wouldn’t settle on one emotion.
    “Take your coat off, Christy,” Lando suggested. “Aren’t you feeling a bit warm?”
    She nodded stiffly and, remembering her promise to obey him, she reluctantly removed Howard’s coat. She was hopeful Lando would honor his promise not to hurt her. She shifted the coat underneath her instead, to sit on it. Her head remained bowed so low it almost rested on her chest. She was incapable of controlling the small, pitiful, agitated noises she was emitting. Noises Chad would have slapped her for, and hungered for. The man was so confusing eliciting things from her he knew were provoking. Chad wanted a reason to beat her—until he didn’t need any at all.
    She was unable to control the movement of her fingers as they began to dance and entwine in frustration. She didn’t want to feel so frightened; she hated her fear. For almost a year, her worthlessness had been drilled into her head. The pain of Chad’s final blows replayed in her thoughts. He’d caused so much damage, Christy wondered if she would ever recover.
    “Christy?” Lando commanded. “Christy, look at me.”
    Hesitantly, she lifted her head; she knew her fearful gaze looked imploringly into his. Lando was studying her.
    “I’ll keep my promise and not kill you.”
    “You’re so big,” she whimpered back. “If you are too cruel, you’ll hurt me.”
    Understanding lit Lando’s eyes. “I’m a killer, Christy, not a rapist.”
    Christy pondered on that for a moment, wondering if his statement made her feel better or worse. She couldn’t help but wonder if he’d spared her life for another reason. Once again, the fire drew her attention; the heat seemed overwhelming. Taking a deep breath, Christy felt resigned. She took off her other jacket and unzipped her hoodie. If he wanted her, she wouldn’t be able to stop him. Perhaps he wouldn’t hurt her if she cooperated.
    Lando shifted toward her; she stiffened in apprehension at his approach. He wet a handkerchief in the bowl of water. He took one of her bloodied hands into his own and gently cleaned it. When finished, he cleaned the other. The warm wet cloth slid around each finger to her thumb. He wiped the spatters on her palms and wrists. His hands were twice as large as hers. Hands that held guns and knives and only God knew what else.
    His head remained bowed, intent on his task. Raven dark hair fell across his cheek. Christy had never encountered a man with such powerful shoulders; he would look out of place in a tuxedo. Chad looked fantastic in a tux and for a moment Christy was glad Lando looked nothing like