In Between Seasons

Chapter 26

The days were starting to run into one another, and although I hid myself in the library most of the day, I felt the need to not completely ostracize myself from the rest of the women.

I swallowed; I'd done that before, and it resulted in me having a gun pressed to my head. I didn't need anyone here anymore suspicious of me than they already were. As much as I wanted to avoid them, it became a daily ritual for me to go back to the common room an hour or so before sunset. I watched the reflection of the sun sinking into the horizon off of the TV and prayed Hunter would be there to save me from my boredom sooner than later. This day was no different. The men streamed steadily into the house, either settling at the pool tables or on stools and talking over the blaring TV as they drank themselves into oblivion.

I stared blankly at the screen, no longer able to concentrate on the mindless entertainment as the men hollered at each other in an attempt to have conversations over the women's movie.

"Would you shut the hell up?" Amy screeched, turning and looking over the couch. "We're trying to watch a movie!"

The man I saw Hunter fighting earlier in the week turned, and his cheek was blue from impact of hitting the ground so hard from his missed kick. He didn't say anything as his lips twitched and he flipped his middle finger at Amy.

I lifted my hand to cover the smirk crossing my face.

"Meg...?" Amy asked, turning around with a wicked smirk on her face.

Meg's head turned in slow anger as her lips curled downward in an unattractive grimace. "Andy, do you ever want sex again?"

Andy rolled his eyes and took a swig of his beer. Amy huffed and grabbed the remote, sending the volume to an unbearable level.

I sunk deeper into the couch as the ridiculousness of the situation racketed to another level. The men ignored the TV, and hollered even louder over it.

I squeezed my eyes shut as my blood pounded in my ears, not that I could hear it. I stood and made my way to the door; I would wait for Hunter upstairs.

As I walked past one of the men's pool tables a hand reached out and grabbed my ass. My mind snapped, and I cranked the man's arm without a second thought.

He screamed out in pain. "You bitch! What the hell did you do to me?"

I turned with his hand still locked in mine, staring into his face as I hissed, "I thought Hunter told you if you even so much as looked at me wrong he'd castrate you?"

I dropped his immobile arm, and my skin raised as I all the men's eyes focused behind me.

"What the hell is going on in here?" Hunter yelled, his voice controlled despite the volume. "Turn that TV down before I put a chair through it!"

I didn't turn as I stared the man down.

"Your bitch of a POW just screwed up my arm!" The man nodded to his limp arm as tears began to flow down his face from the pain. "I want to know how the hell she knew how to do that!"

I felt the blood drain from my face as my breathing quickened. My body began to tremble. I didn't want them suspicious of me and look what I had done. The man's head tucked into his neck as Hunter stepped between us.

"I think that's the least of your problems, Rick. Now, would you mind telling me why she dislocated your shoulder?" Hunter shot back.

"You weren't serious about castration were you?" Rick replied, swallowing as his face reddened in fear.

"You wanted to find out?" Hunter stepped forward one more time, and Rick visibly trembled.

"No, Sir."