Chapter 9 - Keeping Busy

Idle hands are the Devil's playthings.

Veronica's POV

Pain.

It was making my head pound. It made my entire body ache. Mostly my face. Particularly my eye. My stomach and thigh had a heartbeat. It stung.

My eyes fluttered open with a grimace, adjusting to the bright light that came from the sun. Everything seemed so intense, my senses felt like they hadn't been used in years.

What happened? Where am I?

I tried to sit up but a searing pain flashed through my torso. I gazed around to see that I was in Vaas' hut. And in his bed. Which was not comforting. But at the foot of the bed, snuggled by my boots, was Fuerza. She looked up at the sound of my movement and meowed before nuzzling my leg.

The bandage on my thigh caught my eye and I realized that my stomach was bandaged as well. My hand involuntarily went to rub the sleep from my eye but was met with the soft mesh of a bandage. I jumped up in surprise as I remembered what had happened and hissed at the pain that coursed through my body.

It was a tiger. I was attacked by a tiger. It clawed me. It clawed my leg, my stomach, and my eye. Could I see out of my eye? I didn't know.

I began to panic. The feeling of terror settled into my stomach at the memories of my dream. Questions began to fill my head. What if I couldn't see out of my eye anymore? Where was Vaas? Why wasn't he here? Where was everyone? Why am I alone? Abandonment began to set in and Fuerza sensed my discomfort. She began to paw at me and knead the blanket in worry.

"Vaas? Vaas!" I called, anxiety in my voice. My breathing rate increased. "Vaas!"

I attempted to get out of bed, crying out but ignoring the pain. I had to find Vaas. I had to find him. I couldn't be alone. I had no one.

"Vaas!"

Suddenly, there were strong hands on my biceps, pushing me back down onto the bed. I fought them with what little strength I had.

"Let go of me, you motherfucker!" I yelled, trying to get out of the bed. Fuerza had jumped to the floor in my fury, her ears flat and eyes wide in fear.

"Veronica, it's me! It's me! Look at me!"

"Let go!" I shouted, still fighting. I had to find Vaas, he couldn't be gone. He can't leave me. I had no one left.

"Ronnie, it's me. Look…"

The person's hands grasped either side of my face and forced me to look up at them. My panicking eyes finally processed whose face it was and I sighed in relief.

"I'm here," Vaas said and I immediately relaxed. "What's wrong? What's in your head? Huh? You losing it?"

"I just...I don't...I thought―"

"Alright, shh. Shush, you're fine," Vaas said, sounding the most sentimental he had the whole time I had known him. "Shit," he cursed and I followed his gaze to my stomach where blood was seeping through the bandages. "Idiota," he whispered under his breath at the sight.

Vaas looked behind him and whistled, gesturing with two fingers for someone to come forward. I peered over his shoulder to try and see who was there.

"You remember Tyler, right?" he asked, nodding to the woman behind him who stood in the doorway of his bedroom.

She was the black woman who I had encountered in the compound. She looked a bit surprised at my strange episode but seemed like she was used to it. She lingered in the doorway.

"Y-yeah," I replied, my breathing had calmed. She was one of the prostitutes who had witnessed me punching that other woman.

"She's here to help, she'll be attending you and shit," Vaas said and Tyler stepped forward with more confidence. She was holding folded clothes in her arms.

"What happened?" I asked, ignoring Tyler.

"Well, after you got your ass torn up by that tiger. I took you back to camp and fixed you up, you've been out for two days," Vaas explained. My eyes widened in surprise. "And now you're on bed rest until you heal a bit."

"Bed rest? But I can't just sit here," I protested but Vaas shook his head.

"Actually, yes, you can. Because I'm making you, serpiente," he said and took the clothes from Tyler's hands. He tossed them on the bed in a careless way. "You're gonna stay in here."

"What am I supposed to do?"

"Entertain yourself. And change your clothes," he said. I looked down to see that I was still in my bloody clothes that I had been wearing before. Parts were cut away to reach my wounds and there was blood stains all over it. "Tyler, change her bandages."

Those were his last words and he turned and left the hut. That left just me and Tyler. She smiled softly and me and came to my bedside.

"You think you can handle a shower?" she asked. I was still a bit cautious around her. Who knew what type of person she was. I only felt safe around Vaas despite how crazy that sounded.

"Yeah," I answered and allowed her to help me to my feet. I winced a bit at the pain but refused to voice any of it.

She linked her arm with mine to help me to the bathroom and I didn't argue, knowing how weak I was. It was a long and slow walk to the bathroom with my limp but we made it. On the way, I saw Fuerza, who seemed to have gotten bigger since I last saw her, lying on the couch. She had watched our slow progress with interest, her tail flickering back and forth. She was growing so fast.

"You've got so much blood on you, you poor thing. That must've been traumatizing," Tyler said, sympathy in her voice. I felt her hand wrap around my waist to sit me on the toilet seat. "Here, let me help," she said, pulling my boots off my feet.

I was a bit hesitant to let Tyler help me undress but I figured it didn't matter. Tyler helped pull my shirt over my head and I felt her fingertips drag across my skin a bit too long, raising goose bumps across my stomach.

"I got it," I said when she reached for my pants. She shrugged and turned the shower on while I unbuttoned my pants and slid them off my legs.

I whimpered when I brushed my wounds and Tyler was there immediately to help. She carefully pulled my pants off the rest of the way and there was something sensual about her touch. I ignored it as she got to her feet.

"Alright, I'll give you some privacy. If you need me just yell, I'll be in the next room over," she said before backing out of the bathroom. "Oh, and nice tattoos." She smiled and winked.

I watched her go before standing and beginning to unwrap my bandages. I didn't want them getting wet and it was a good idea to clean my wounds. I also wanted to see the damage. The bandages around my thigh and stomach were slightly stuck to my skin with dried blood but I was able to gingerly coax them off.

With one last grimace, the bandages were off. They revealed multiple stitches, all done with a careful hand. Black medical thread was all neatly done up in rows, keeping my skin closed. Four deep gashes cut across my stomach and four smaller ones were found on my thigh. I hissed in pain when I softly pressed on the stitches, watching the blood seep through from the disturbance.

I then turned to the mirror and stared at my face. There was a patch over my left eye and other small scrapes covering my cheeks. I brought my fingers up to the bandage and touched the mesh, wondering what lay beneath. Deciding to face the inevitable, I peeled the patch away and winced at the pain.

My left eye was pulled from darkness and met with blinding light. I squinted and felt my skin stretch under the strength of the stitches. Once my eye adjusted to the dim lighting of the bathroom, I let out a sigh of relief. I could see. Barely.

Unfortunately, my face was marred. There was a deep cut stretching from above my eyebrow to below my eye. My eye was nearly swollen shut from the wound and there was still some dried blood caked into the swollen skin. I sighed at the bruising that was forming under my eye before turning to get in the shower.

I needed to wash the rest of the dried blood and dirt off my skin. After stepping under the warm water, I scrubbed my skin. I didn't want to be reminded of the traumatic experience with the tiger. Nor did I want to be covered in my own blood.

It was a difficult task as with each movement, I slightly tore open my wounds. But once I was done, I softly patted myself dry to not disturb the stitches or wounds. I stepped out of the bathroom, making sure not to look in the mirror at my swollen eye. Tyler was there waiting for me on the couch. Fuerza had moved to the floor, her body stretched out on the wood planks. Tyler was on her feet as soon as she saw me.

"Holy shit…" she said, looking me up and down. I noticed her eyes pausing on certain parts of my body. Was she checking me out? "Ronnie, you got the shit kicked out of you."

"Don't call me that," I said, limping straight to Vaas' bedroom to grab some clothes.

"Alright, sorry," she said with a bit of sass in her tone. She followed me into the bedroom and watched me search through Vaas' stuff to find something to wear. "Looking for there?" she asked, holding up the pair of clothes she had brought in earlier.

I scowled and snatched the clothes out of her hands. She crossed her arms and watched me. The clothes were just another tank top and cargo pants, similar to what Vaas always wore.

"Do you mind?" I asked and she just chuckled before turning her back. I quickly got dressed without trying to hurt myself and Tyler turned back around.

"Alright, let's dress those wounds," she said, going through one of Vaas' drawers to find some medical supplies. It was the same box that Vaas had used the night he bandaged my burnt arm. Speaking of that, it was healing wonderfully. Tyler would need to rebandage that as well. "I'll need you to take your pants off," she said.

I sighed but complied, sliding my pants down to my knees and sitting on the bed. Tyler knelt down beside me and wrapped my thigh before tending to my stomach, eye, and burn. A few of her sensual touches later, I was taken care of.

"There! All fixed up," Tyler said with a smile. "Where are you from, by the way? Italie et en Amérique?" she asked in French.

"Yes…" I answered with slight confusion before bursting out, "what's your deal?" Tyler looked surprised.

"What? What do you mean?"

"Touching me, looking at me. What's your problem?" I asked, glaring at her.

"Nothing, nothing at all. I just find you...attractive," she replied, her innocent demeanor changing into a promiscuous one. She smirked at me.

"Hey, I'm not about that lesbian shit," I said, watching her carefully. Tyler stepped closer to me, her smirk growing.

"I can make you feel amazing, much better than a silly, little boy could. I bet you've never even tried pussy before," she said, her voice sultry and soft. She softly touched my ankle and began to drag her fingers upward. Warmth grew between my legs. "Nunca se sabe hasta que lo intente…"

By now, her fingers were at my knee. She twirled some of my hair in her fingers before stroking my face. Just like Vaas always did. I remembered how long it had been since I felt the loving touch of another and it made the ache between my legs ache even more.

"No, I can't," I said, getting to my feet and pushing past her.

"That's okay; I have plenty of time to win you over. Vaas isn't the only one who can make you scream," she said with a smile. I gave her a strange look. "Oh, come on. You want him, I know it."

"I do not."

"Sure," she said with an even bigger grin. I just glared at her before walking out of the room and taking a seat on the couch. "He's strong, smart, handsome. And I can tell you what he's like in bed…"

Before she or I could say anything else, Vaas walked into the hut. I was grateful; I didn't want to talk to Tyler anymore. But there was still much to learn about her and I could tell I would be seeing her again. Vaas was carrying a plate of steaming food and my stomach growled. It was dinner time judging by the dimming light.

"Did Tyler take good care of my Black Mamba?" Vaas asked, grabbing Tyler's ass as he walked by her. She giggled and he grinned. I just grimaced and crossed my arms. Slight jealousy filled my chest. Vaas put the plate on the table and walked over to me next.

"You were right, she's a feisty one. And muy bonita," Tyler said and Vaas pinched my cheek. I leaned away and scowled, making Vaas chuckle.

"Tyler, the whores got in a fight again. Rose and Nikki."

"I got it," she replied, taking the hint that she wasn't wanted in the hut anymore. "Bye, Veronica. I'll see you again soon." She smiled and waved but I just watched her go.

Once we were alone, Vaas gestured for me to eat. I didn't argue. The plate of rice and boar was gone in a few minutes.

"How are your wounds?" Vaas asked and I shrugged.

"Fine. I can still see out of my eye," I answered, pushing the plate away from me. "Thank you," I said but got no response.

Vaas plopped down on the couch and leaned on the armrest. He looked tired now that I looked at him. Perhaps he had a long day? I just stood in the middle of the room, not quite sure what to do. Fuerza was nowhere to be found, she was probably outside somewhere. Hopefully not too far, I didn't want her to endanger herself.

"Come, sit," Vaas said, speaking to me like a dog. I did as he said but sat on the opposite side of the couch, feeling rather uncomfortable.

"How long do you think I will take to heal?" I asked, feeling as if I were trying to keep silence from overtaking us.

"To heal completely? A few weeks. A month or so."

"How do you know this?"

Vaas was silent.

"Is it because your scar?" I asked, knowing that I was treading on thin ice.

"Little Snake, some things are best left unsaid. And I will unsay this topic unless you would like your cute, little, pinkie finger to be chopped into tiny pieces."

It was my turn to become silent. I was somewhat used to his threats by now but it didn't mean I wasn't afraid of them.

"Is Tyler a lesbian?" I asked after a moment of quiet, unable to help my curiosity. The mood in the room immediately changed with Vaas' own mood. He laughed.

"She's bisexual. And I presume she made an attempt with you?" he asked and I nodded. "She takes care of my whores. She's in charge of them all and runs parties and such. Very smart woman…"

"Where do the whores come from?"

"Raids, crashed planes, slavery, that kind of shit."

"Am I gonna be a whore?" My voice was meek and quiet, I was afraid of the answer. Vaas waited a bit before answering.

"No."

I was relieved.

Things fell into an awkward silence after that. The birds had gone to sleep as had the rest of the jungle, besides the vicious predators that scoured the night. Vaas pulled out a cigar just as I was about to speak again.

"Who's Hoyt?" I asked tentatively. Vaas was silent again for a moment; it looked like he was thinking.

"A man who is impressed by your body and you skill," he said but I wasn't impressed.

"What skill? What does he do? Is he your boss?"

"Your skill at killing."

Flashbacks. Flashbacks of blood and Eden's dead body. Flashbacks of the severed head of the pirate and his intestines in my hands.

I must have zoned out for a while because Vaas had put in a movie. It was some action movie that I recognized but couldn't recall the name of.

"What does he do on the island besides sell people?" I asked, watching his face carefully.

"Little Snake, this is my island. Hoyt has his own island where he runs things. He sells people and drugs and I work for him. That is all you need to know. So stop asking so many damn questions," Vaas snapped and I went quiet.

I stared at the TV, not quite watching, before noticing that Vaas was staring at me. He was looking at my tattoos. The only one visible was the one on my forearm; the fox. I didn't speak; afraid I would make him angry.

He scooted closer to me, cigar still in hand. I felt a sort of sensitiveness about him and the way he was handling himself. It was like I was a fragile, china doll and he was trying not to break me. He took one last hit of his cigar, blowing the smoke in my direction, before offering me it. I eyed him carefully before accepting his kindness. Once the smoke had entered my lungs, I closed my eyes in euphoria as nicotine spread throughout my body.

While my eyes were closed, I felt a hand touch my forearm. My eyes flashed open and I saw Vaas tracing the tattoo with his free hand. I let him, staying completely still while he remained entranced.

"Tell me where the others are," he said quietly and I went to lift my shirt up. But Vaas grabbed my wrist and shook his head. "Tell me," he repeated and I nodded with my mouth slightly agape. His proximity was putting me in some sort of trance and I didn't know why. I needed to snap out of it.

"My ribs," I whispered and Vaas hands went to the hem of my shirt. He slowly pulled the fabric up, revealing the words engraved on my skin.

"Oppress the weak and obey the strong," Vaas read under his breath, tracing the fancy font with his pointer finger. Goosebumps rose up on my skin for the second time that day. My even breaths were deep and calm despite how close Vaas face was to my stomach. I took that opportunity to smoke again.

Vaas hand slid downwards towards the wounds on my stomach. His touch was gentle overtop of the bandages. I watched him cautiously as his lips descended onto the wounds, kissing them lightly. I was then filled with confusion but Vaas didn't give me time to process what he had just done.

"And the others?" he asked. How did he know I had so many tattoos?

"My left calf."

"Ah, a snake. How befitting," he said, once again, tracing the tattoo. The snake curled, twisted, and turned all the way around and up my calf. Vaas seemed to enjoy tracing it.

"The back of my neck."

I turned so my back was toward him and Vaas swept my hair over my shoulder to reveal the tattoo. It was a snake and an apple, the one that Eden and I shared. I was quiet before deciding to share the memory with him.

"Eden had the same one," I said softly but Vaas didn't respond. "There's one here too," I said, gesturing to my lower back.

"Ahh, Black Mamba has a tramp stamp," Vaas replied and I knew he was grinning. I just rolled my eyes and began to question my sanity. Was I really letting my captor get so close to me? Was he really being so kind to me? Why was he being so kind to me?

Vaas brushed the tattoo with the back of his hand and I felt a chill run up my spine. His hand continued upward under my shirt, exploring the curve of my spine and the muscles along my shoulder blades. My eyes slid shut in pleasure of the soft touch. He reached the top of my spine and he used his other hand to touch my neck.

In a moment, his hands were gone. My eyes flew open in confusion, disappointment, and worry. Wait, worry?

"You should sleep," Vaas said as if nothing had happened. His attention was turned to the TV as if his eyes never left the screen.

"Sleep?"

"Yes, sleep. You're wounded," he explained and I nodded in agreement. I straightened my shirt out and relaxed into the couch.

Fuerza slinked into the room from outside, groaning as she lay down at my feet. The movie continued to play and we both watched but I didn't pay attention. I just kept feeling the ghosts of Vaas' fingers on my back and their tenderness on my shoulders. I wondered if he was thinking about the same thing.

X

I awoke to the music of the credits, warmth surrounding me. Particularly my left side. I snuggled further into the warmth, enjoying the comfort and let out a sigh. But the sound of a familiar chuckle made my eyes flash open.

"Shit…" I whispered as I realized I had been leaning on Vaas. His shoulder had been so comfortable. I didn't even realize that I had fallen asleep. "Sorry," I said quickly with embarrassment. My face flushed slightly.

Vaas laughed but his laughter died down as my eyes met his. I looked up at him and found myself lost in the brownish green pools. He looked equally lost in my eyes as well. My mouth was slightly agape, the haze of sleep still in my head. Vaas leaned closer to me, his mouth opening a bit.

My eyes slid closed as I tilted my head to the side, my chin lifted upward as I waited for what we were both scared to do. Whether it was my imagination or reality, I swore I could feel the ghost of his lips on mine. But when my eyes opened, he was looking away.

"I'm going to bed."

That was all he said before getting to his feet and retiring to his room. I watched him go; disappointment along with confusion filled me.

What the hell just happened?

X

I fell asleep again with Fuerza at my feet, guarding me. But before I knew it, I was shaken awake.

"Ronnie! Wake the fuck up," Vaas yelled, shaking my shoulder. I sat up in a rush, my chest heaving and sweat on my forehead.

"What happened?" I asked, feeling Fuerza rub her head against my leg. I pet her head and felt her purr.

"You wouldn't shut the fuck up. You were yelling in your sleep and shit," Vaas said, rubbing his face. I noticed he wasn't wearing a shirt and the way the moonlight shined on his skin was entrancing.

"I had a nightmare," I said, scanning his muscled chest.

"Well, if you're going to have nightmares, could you at least keep it down? God damn…" he said before turning on his heel and walking back to his room. I watched the way his back muscles flexed as he walked until he disappeared.

"What am I doing, Fuerza," I said, turning my attention to her. She just twitched her ear and closed her eyes in pleasure as I scratched the top of her head.

Translations:

Idiota: Spanish for "idiot"

Serpiente: Spanish for "snake"

Italie et en Amérique?: French for "Italy and America?"

Nunca se sabe hasta que lo intente: Spanish for "you never know until you try"

Muy bonita: Spanish for "very beautiful"