What The Cat Dragged In Ch. 29

Kelly felt tension start to drain out of her shoulders. For the first time, she realized that she was starving. She dug into the spicy chicken.

*~*~*~*~*~*

In a way, it had been a test. He could have sent Conlon out, stayed home and kept the frail naked and exhausted and on the brink of fucking dehydration. That's what Creed wanted and that was probably what the frail wanted too. It wasn't what she needed though. She needed to know that she would be alright on her own and he needed to know it too. Judging from the thick odor of unsettled fear that was competing with the spicy scent of the food, it hadn't exactly been a roaring success. She had managed though, and that was something.

He glanced over at her. Her small frame was a study in concealed tension. It was starting to ease, but he could still see it in the curve of her neck and the way her right leg twitched from time to time. She was trying to hide it from him. She always did. Not that it did a damn bit of good, even if he couldn't see it, he could smell it.

This time, she was probably trying to hide it from herself too. He scented the air again. The frail's calmer scent was creeping in, the peppery scent of the food, and a hint of some sort of cleaner. He figured it had to be coming from the bathroom. Anyplace else and the scent would have been stronger.

"Gonna wear out those tiles." He took more of the chicken.

A smile touched her lips. One shoulder shrugged delicately. "We left it kind of a mess last night."

He looked at her. "Not an all morning kind of a mess."

"No." She took another bite of rice. "After you left I got things straightened up and then I did my homework for the Lit class."

He'd looked at her schedule before he left. "That was quick."

"I've already read the novel. The rest of it is just kind of dull so far. I still have to catch up, but the first part of the class was just readings from a textbook about theme and symbolism and all that stuff. If I work on it tonight and tomorrow I can probably get through it. Frankly, I was expecting something harder but I suppose I should be thankful that the semester only started a couple of weeks ago."

His curiosity was piqued. "That's it?"

She nodded. "I guess it would be more in depth if there was a lecture or discussion along with it. Still, doesn't seem worth the money."

He looked at her sharply, his eyes narrowed. Creed hadn't mentioned the financial part of his little deal. He doubted many people outside that room knew about it. "Money?"

Her eyes were direct. The tang of nervousness had all but disappeared. "Professor Xavier made his offer to keep me there. He said it was to give me time to recover or to protect me from you, but that's not what he really wanted."

Creed sat back in his chair and studied her. "What'd he want?" This he had to hear.

"Something from you. I'm not sure what exactly." Her tone was matter of fact.

Creed gave a short laugh. "Fucker's been tryin' to get rid of me for years."

"Maybe, but an engineered healing factor doesn't exactly make me stand out in that crowd. If either one of us would be useful to him, it would be you. If I were there, he'd have something you want."

He smirked. "You don't believe in all that goodness in his heart?"

She laughed. "I believe he gets something out of everything he does, and if the payoff isn't big enough, he doesn't do it."

He grinned. "Don't think I'm charming enough to get him to change his mind?"

A little smirk. "I think you always find a way to get what you want. It took me forever to figure out why he took me in in the first place. Once I realized it was never about me, everything else got a lot clearer. Whatever you paid him must have been more valuable than your services."

For a long moment he just looked at her, then he shook his head. "You don't miss a fucking thing, do you?"

She laughed. "That still surprises you?" She got up and headed toward the kitchen.

"Now what? You forget the finger bowls or somethin'?"

"No, but I noticed that you're almost out of beer."

He watched her cross the room. She'd put on a pair of jeans at some point while he was gone, but she was still wearing his shirt. The sleeveless garment came down to the middle of her thighs and hid the shape of her ass. The sway of her hips couldn't be concealed. He felt himself starting to harden. He sat back to enjoy the view as she bent over and got the beer out of the fridge and came back to him. He let her set the beer down, then he grabbed her wrist.

"You know I don't give a shit about it."

He saw confusion cross her face. "About what?"

"The money." He shrugged and let her go. "Couple jobs, I'll have it all back."

She nodded and sat down again without meeting his eyes. The money did bother her, but she'd get over that on her own. The way she saw herself in all this bothered him more. She'd been a pawn for Stan and Cavallo and even when she was half dead she was a pawn for an old man in a fucking wheelchair. He couldn't even tell her that she was wrong and it pissed him off. The fact that he didn't know how to fix it pissed him off even more.

"What?"

"Nothin'." He took most of the chicken and put the last couple of pieces on her plate. She opened her mouth to protest, but he shook his head. "Don't even try it. You were fussing around here all through breakfast. You barely ate a thing."

*~*~*~*~*~*

Kelly cleaned up lunch and tried to keep her eyes off the large bag.

Before he left, Kelly had tried to convince him that she didn't really need her own computer. He'd set up a profile on his laptop and if he left and took it with him, the system in the apartment had two tower units. One that ran the security system and one for his use. He'd listened and then told her that he was getting her one anyway. She knew it was only partly generosity, but the longer that bag sat there, the more curious she became.

"You gonna stare at it all damn day or are you gonna open it?" There was a smirk in his voice.

She blushed. "I had to get things cleaned up."

"You been fussing for twenty minutes." He was sitting on the sofa with his feet on the coffee table. His right foot twitched. He was just as anxious for her to open it as she was. Kelly dried her hands and brought the bag over next to him. He looked away. She pulled out a wide, shallow box and struggled to open it. He muttered something under his breath and sliced through the tape with one claw. She unwrapped layers of packing material until she got to the computer inside. The lid started out as a bright pink and then faded to purple.

Kelly's eyes widened. "It's pink and purple!"

Creed grinned. "Yeah. You shoulda seen the look on that geeky little fucker's face when I told him what I wanted and said it had to be pink. For a minute I thought he was gonna shit right there in the middle of the store. This was the closest they had."

She laughed. "It's perfect. Can I try it?"

"Not yet. I gotta install some shit and make sure no one is gonna find their way onto my network."

She looked up at him. "The security system-"

"Safe." His tone was certain. "Nothing else is connected to it." He pointed to her computer. "This ain't gonna be connected to anything else that's here. Anybody manages to trace a signal, which I doubt, they ain't gonna get anything other than your school work and whatever else you happen to keep." He grinned at her. "Gonna thank me?"

She set the box aside. "Sure, but that sounds like you were expecting something specific." She knelt next to him on the sofa.

"Been watching you shake that little ass of yours all afternoon. Whaddya think I'm expecting?" He pulled her into a deep kiss.

Kelly's fingers deftly worked the buttons of his shirt. A soft growl vibrated his chest when she stroked his skin. She smiled against his mouth. "What if I wasn't planning to thank you that way?" Her mouth trailed down over his jaw.

He reached for her, but his hands stopped just clear of her shoulders. "What were you planning then frail?"

Her fingertips floated over the contours of his muscles while her mouth traced over the front of his throat. Only the very tip of her tongue touched his skin. "Thought I would write you a letter."

He tilted his head back even more. His fingers twined in her hair and a laugh rumbled through his chest. "What're you planning to say in this letter?"

Her mouth moved down lower, taking a leisurely path down to the edge of his ribcage where she nipped lightly. "Dear Mister Creed." Another light nip.

His back arched. "Mister Creed?" The words were followed with a soft pleasure growl.

She smiled and traced his navel with her tongue. "It's a very formal letter." Her fingers worked his belt and the button of his jeans. She could feel how hard he was already.

"Mister Creed." He pushed the jeans down over his hips. "Think I might like you bein' formal."

The sight of him so thick and hard brought an achy heat to her lower tummy. Her eyes were on his, a little smile was on her lips. She let her tongue make a slow circuit around the swollen head of his erection. "Mister." Her tongue made the same slow trip in the other direction. "Creed."

His eyes were closed, his head resting back on the arm of the sofa. "Fucking love how you say that."

The musky scent and salty flavor of his skin brought out a lustful avarice in Kelly. She took him into her mouth, using her tongue and hands with shameless abandon, working the length of his shaft.

A deep growling purr rumbled through his chest. One hand wrapped in her hair, guiding the movements of her head. Each time he was in the back of her throat, Kelly moaned deeply. His groans of pleasure retreated into the background. The blood was rushing in her ears, hiding his moans of pleasure, she felt every twitch of the organ in her mouth though. Her head moved faster, her tongue rubbing the underside.

The hand moved out of her hair to her shoulder. He grabbed a handful of her shirt, his claws raking over the back of her shoulder hard enough to make Kelly whimper. His legs tensed. His stomach went rigid and his back arched.

"'Nough." It was more of a growl than a word he punctuated it with a hard shove that sent Kelly off the edge of the sofa.

Before Kelly could react, he was standing over her, a dangerous grin on his face. He kicked off his jeans. "Think you been in control long enough little girl." His leaking member was a little above her eye level. A fresh rush of need settled hot and heavy between her legs. He knelt on one knee in front of her, one hand twisted in the back of her hair, holding her head still. "You got ten seconds to strip," He kissed her hard. "Kneel on the sofa facing the back," A nip on her lower lip. "Spread your legs and show me your fucking pussy." His lips played with hers. Kelly reached out with her tongue, but he pulled away and grinned. "Uh uh frail. Take too long I'm gonna tear up your pussy so bad you ain't gonna walk right for a fucking week."

He said it with a smile, but it was a predatory grin that sent shivers down her spine. He got up and stood over her again, arms crossed, eyes boring into her. She never doubted that he meant it. Nervous adrenaline pushed needy excitement to a new level.

She pulled the shirt off easily enough, but the jeans were more a struggle. She fumbled with the button and when she finally got that undone she struggled to shed them without falling. He walked around her, staring at the contours of her body and clucking his tongue.

"Damn. I liked that tight little pussy of yours too."

"I'm trying." She knelt on the sofa with her pants hanging on one ankle. She ventured a glance back at him.

He tugged them off and tossed them aside, then he pushed her forward so that her hands were resting on the back of the sofa. She spread her legs and pressed the arch of her back downward, her heart pounding the whole time. "So? Told you what I wanted." He stroked her back from her neck down to her bottom, then down between her legs. Kelly moaned. "All's you had to do was to do it. Nothin' hard about that, now is there?" The side of his hand brushed over her pouting lower lips.

Kelly whimpered and closed her eyes. "N-No, but-"

"But you want me to overlook it." His knuckle traveled over her wet slit. She moaned and pressed back against his finger. His other hand moved up her back to wrap lightly around her throat. "Can't hear you frail." A little growl added danger to the statement.

"Yes." She gasped. "Please."

"Please what?" A little more pressure against the center of her pleasure. It wasn't quite enough to push her over the edge, but it was more than enough to cloud her mind. Kelly closed her eyes and tried to sort through what he wanted while her hips rocked against his hand.

"Please, Mister Creed." The words were a moan.

He leaned over her. "Fucking love how you say that." He pressed the wide head of his erection against her entrance. She reached back and guided him in.

Their union was slow, deliberate perfection. Threats of violence were replaced with mutual need. His body was over hers. His fingers resting lightly on the front of her throat, the other hand on her breast. Kelly moved with him, her inner muscles gripping him, his growls blending with her moans, each one was sharper -- needier -- than the last. He moved faster, harder, driving the world away. Pleasure closed in and Kelly let herself fall into it.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Creed lay on his back on the sofa, the frail was on his chest. They were both still naked. She was still flushed from cumming twice in such a short time. He didn't figure he'd ever get sick of seeing her that way. He pushed a lock of her hair out of her face. She smiled and arched against him, her fingers traced over his chest as if she was memorizing the contours of his body.

He didn't figure he'd ever get sick of the way she touched him with those delicate fingers. He could get lost in those little touches, those little sighs. Didn't make a damn bit of sense.

His fingers trailed down her spine. She arched and kissed his shoulder. Fucking frail. Always giving him shit he didn't even know he wanted. A little shiver coursed through her. He found his shirt on the floor and wrapped it around her.

"Gonna make me want to stay here all afternoon." Her voice was soft, dreamy.

"So? 'S early. Even if it gets late, who the fuck cares? I ain't got a schedule for awhile." His fingers trailed through her hair. He felt some of that deep relaxation start to slip away. And just how the fuck was he supposed to interpret that? "What?"

"Getting lonely before you're gone."

"Lettin' yourself start worrying about shit." Her skin was silky under his fingertips.

She shook her head a little. "Can't help it. I know it's stupid."

"Nah. Just gotta get used to it again. 'Sides, it ain't like you'll be alone."

"You don't trust Conlon."

A short laugh. "I never did." She looked up at him; he could read the surprise in her face. "Not completely anyway."

"Then why-?"

"Trust people in this business and you end up in a shallow fucking grave or as somebody's goddamn lab experiment. Guarantee you he don't trust me either."

"How can you...do what you do...if you don't trust the people you work with?"

She never asked him about what he did. Never wanted to know the whys or hows. He figured she wanted to avoid the reality of what he was. He looked at her relaxed profile. Curiosity drew her eyebrows together, but there was none of the horror or disgust he'd expected. "I don't fuckin' know. It's more of an agreement based on mutual need and thinly veiled threat. I ain't thrilled with Conlon, but I ain't leavin' until I got some shit together."

The corner of her lips curled into a little smile. "And you hope I'll calm down in that time."

He chuckled. "That too."

*~*~*~*~*~*

Kelly dozed with Victor for awhile, then they both got up and showered. She didn't bother dressing, preferring one of his shirts and a pair of warm socks. While he set up her computer she picked up her Lit textbook and started reading. A page and a half in, she was glad she hadn't had to sit through a lecture. Reading it was painful enough. At least she'd have something to do while he was downloading or installing or whatever it was he was doing to her computer.

"You should be good to go," He said after an hour. "Where're you gonna set up?"

"I'd been thinking about that." She set the book aside. "The dining room table has that section of drywall behind it, and no windows."

He thought about that for a minute and smiled. "The blandest place in the whole fucking apartment."

She shrugged. "Just in case anybody's looking."

He nodded. "Lemme know a half hour before dinner's ready. I'm gonna want a shower."

Kelly watched him grab a tape measure from the kitchen drawer and climb up to the loft. He climbed up on the railing. She sat up straighter. "What are you doing?"

"We're gonna be here for awhile. I figured I'd fix the lights." He jumped and pulled himself up onto one of the ceiling beams. Kelly was amazed by his agility and terrified at the same time. A few minutes later he looked down from directly above her. "Did you dust up here?"

The question caught her off guard. "Well, awhile ago."

He groaned. "Tell me you sent Conlon up the ladder to do it."

Kelly squirmed. Even from this distance his gaze was intense. "Well, Conlon did hold the ladder."

"While you climbed it."

She looked up at him and bit her lower lip. "I didn't think he would do it right."

"Frail." He shook his head. "We're gonna talk about this later." He stood up again. She could hear him walk to the first dim spot.

For awhile, all Kelly could focus on was the sound of him moving overhead. She was sure that he was going to lose his footing on the narrow beams and fall down to the hardwood below. When he didn't, Kelly slowly went back to her reading.

*~*~*~*~*~*

It took Creed less than five minutes to beef up surveillance on Cavallo and Stan. It would take him a hell of a lot longer to decide what to do to the motherfuckers. The project with the lights gave him time to think in relative privacy. It also gave him a good excuse to go out every few days for supplies, leaving the frail alone. Letting her see that she would be alright on her own. She needed to know that.

Creed looked down at the frail. She was in the kitchen, starting to fuss around with dinner. He fucking loved to watch her move. He sat on the beam and indulged himself.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Over the next few weeks, Kelly's life settled in to a comfortable routine. She spent mornings with Victor, sometimes in bed, sometimes just stretched out with each other on the sofa or the floor. From two to three, she attended Trig lecture via webcam while Victor worked on the lights. In that hour, Kelly was convinced that he spent more time watching her, but that wasn't exactly uncomfortable either. In the evening she used Skype to study with Cassie for a few hours. Well, they studied for awhile. The rest of the time she spent getting to know Cassie again and avoiding her questions about where she and Victor were.

When her mind wasn't actively engaged in something, Kelly waited for the other shoe to drop. She knew Victor was going to leave eventually. She knew he was planning something, even though he was doing his best to keep it from her. She pretended she didn't know. He pretended he didn't know she was pretending.

In those quiet times, Hank's words chased bone-jarring hatred around in her head. Every time she so much as thought of Stan's name she felt the tension in her chest and tasted bile in the back of her throat. The longer she thought of him the worse it got. In her heart, she knew it would be that way until she stopped being Stan's victim. Victor would take him out of the world; she had no doubt about that. Kelly knew that only she could remove the cancer of him from her soul.