Mixed blood

Chapter ten : honey bun

Luana's eyes fluttered open, her head pounded, her limbs heavy as she tried to make sense of her surroundings. The softness beneath her was unfamiliar : a bed, warm and cozy.

She blinked, the room slowly coming into focus. She wasn't in her house.

The softness of the fabric against her skin felt wrong. She bolted upright, glancing down at herself.

Lingerie? What the hell? Her heart raced, and she pulled the covers up.

She double checked and found herself in lingerie-a delicate, lace-trimmed set she would never have chosen in her right mind.

Her heart raced, the bile rising in her throat. What the hell happened? Where was she?

The last thing she remembered was William's vice-like grip, the cold water filling her lungs.

Her fingers tightened around the fabric of the blanket as the realization hit her. Did he...?

Just then, the door creaked open. William stepped in, leaning against the doorframe with a cigarette in hand.

"You're awake," he said, smirking as he took a slow drag from the cigarette. "Shame. I thought I'd be attending your funeral this morning."

"What did you do to me?" she snapped, "If you touched me, I swear you'll be begging for death."

"Touched you?" He let out a cold chuckle. "Sweetheart, please. I'm not into fucking unconscious women." His eyes raked over her form with disinterest. "And let's be honest, you're not exactly my type."

"Then who the hell changed my clothes?" she demanded.

He pushed himself off the doorframe, strolling toward the bed with infuriating calm. "I did it. You were soaked, half-frozen. Thought I'd do you a favor before you caught pneumonia."

"And the lingerie?" she spat. "That was your brilliant idea too?"

William grinned, flicking the ash from his cigarette into a nearby tray. "Not much of a choice. I found your suitcase, and surprise—It was full of these."

"Suzy," she muttered as she cursed under her breath, closing her eyes in frustration.

Damn Suzy. Of all the things to trust her with...

William's laugh broke through her thoughts, "Blaming your friend? Classic. But don't worry, I'm not exactly dying to see you prance around in that."

"You think this is funny?" she hissed.

"C'mon, you should be thanking me. I could've left you in those wet clothes. Or the tub."

"Thank you?" She sat up straighter, meeting his gaze with fiery defiance. "You drown me, and now you expect me to be grateful because you didn't let me freeze to death?"

He shrugged. "Could've been worse."

"Don't tempt me," she hissed, gripping the edge of the blanket so tightly her knuckles turned white. "Because if I find out you crossed any line, William, you'll be praying for death."

He leaned down, his face inches from hers. "You wanted to play dirty, didn't you? You tried to kill me, and now we're in a game where the rules have changed. I'm just curious how far you're willing to go before you break,"

"I won't break," she said through gritted teeth. "Not for you. Not ever."

He studied her for a long moment, then turned toward the door but paused before leaving. "If I really wanted to hurt you, you wouldn't be in that warm bed right now. Think about that."

The door clicked shut behind him, leaving Luana alone in the quiet room. But she wasn't done yet. She'd find a way to turn the tables. One way or another.