AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What?” she quickly snaps at me, glaring as she tries to show she isn’t going to take any crap from me.
Good girl, that’s what I want, to bring out the fight in you. Stand up and push back, Cassie. You are going to need more than that when it comes to the end of this. I’ll make sure no one walks over you again.
“I said you need your strength today. We have work to do.” I place my knife and fork on my plate, with not a scrap of food left on it, then lift my mug to my mouth and inhale the beautiful smell of coffee.
“That’s not what you said, but okay.” She sighs at me. “How can I only be awake ten minutes and you're already pissing me off.”
“It’s more like twenty minutes.” Standing with my plate and taking it to the kitchen, I can see the fire in her building.
Good, it’s working.
If I can get her mind off what is happening out in the world and too busy getting annoyed with me, then we are making progress.
Besides, if she wants to kill me, then I’m less likely to be stepping over lines I shouldn’t cross.
“I’ll meet you out in the yard when you’re finished, and we can get started.” Without giving her time to ask me anything, I just walk straight out the back door. I can hear her talking or closer to yelling at me as I’m walking away but can't understand the words. I’m pretty sure I don’t want too, either.
I laugh under my breath when fifteen minutes later she storms out the door, heading straight for me. Oh, not only did my pushy demands light a match in there but the whole fire is well alight now.
“I’m not here to work or be your slave!” She's still stomping her feet, before finally stopping in front of me where I’m standing at the shed door that I have opened.
Behind me are multiple boxes that should keep us entertained for a few hours.
“Noted. Now let’s get these boxes open.” Turning my back to her, I take my pocketknife out of the holster on my belt, cutting open the first bit of strapping on the biggest box.
“Did you hear me!” I can’t see her, but I can imagine her hands on her hips and the look of death on her face.
“Yep, I'm just ignoring it. You going to help me put together this gym equipment or not?” I ask, smirking to myself as I continue to go from box to box, cutting the strapping.
“Wait, what did you say?” Cassie’s voice is a little softer now, and she moves beside me before I can even reply.
“Gym equipment.”
Standing up to my full height and flicking the knife closed and back in its holster, I wait for it to really sink in.
“Where did it come from? Like, when… how… this was empty yesterday. I can’t…” Having trouble putting it all together, I take pity on her.
“Breathe, Cassandra.” I don’t want any injuries of her falling before we even start.
Her chest is rising as she takes in what I said.
“I organized it last night after you went to bed, to be delivered by some of my agents first thing this morning.” I don't tell her that I purchased it all and didn’t even bother to get authorization from the agency. I knew how much it would help her, and that was all I could think about when I was adding everything to the cart online.
“Why?”
“You said to relieve stress you work out. We can’t go to the gym, so I brought the gym to you. Simple.” Not wanting to let my guard down with her, I start dragging some of the boxes to the side and open the biggest one, which is the treadmill. I pull out the instruction manual that looks as thick as an encyclopedia.
“Ugghhh. You any good at reading instructions?” I push the book into her hands, trying to jolt her out of the stunned state, as she is still standing there. I don’t want her to ask too many questions, just accept it and move on.
“Cassandra, what's step one?” I ask, a little louder and rougher than needed. She blinks, and then she quickly flips through the first few pages.
“Shit, where are the ones in English?” Fumbling and turning the book over, I watch as her frown lines on her forehead get bigger and she starts playing with the piece of hair that has fallen out of her ponytail, twirling it around and around her finger. Like a nervous habit.
It’s hot as hell watching her trying to concentrate, not wanting to disappoint me with getting it wrong.
“Should we worry when the first line says to get a cold drink and sit down, this could take a while?”
For all the tension I’m trying to keep in, I can’t help but burst out laughing at her comment. “Oh, for fuck's sake, this doesn’t sound like it’s going to be fun.”
