Blood Sport by J.D. Nixon

careful,” he dismissed. “Just like I won’t care if you get knocked up either.” He considered me for a beat, his snake-like yellow eyes contemplative, before laughing aggressively. “Although I love the idea of you having my kid. A little Bycraft growing up in the Fuller family. How fucking funny would that be? The little shit would remind you of me forever.”
    “I’d never have a kid by you,” I spat out, then shrugged with feigned indifference. “Anyway, I won’t be alive after you’ve finished with me, so it’s not going to be an issue.”
    He pulled a sad face. “It doesn’t have to be like that, Tessie. We could be good friends. Close friends. We could even have a relationship .” He sniggered at his own joke.
    “Over my dead body.”
    “Probably,” he agreed regretfully.
    “How did you manage to get in here?” I was trying to keep him talking for as long as possible, either hoping to distract him so I could find an opportunity to attack him. Or even better, maybe one of my colleagues would poke their head in the room to check on me in the meantime.
    He laughed again, pleased with himself. “I knew I’d shot you, so I’ve been watching the hospital all afternoon. Saw Jakey leave and guessed he was off to work. Saw that bitch top cop and that walking mountain come and go. Then I saw that stupid cop boyfriend of yours leaving as well and knew my chance had come. God, it was too easy. I waited until that ugly chick who’s supposed to be guarding you went to get something to eat and approached the young one, all matey with him. I gave him a coffee and he nearly wet himself with gratitude. After that, he barely glanced at my ID before letting me in.”
    “You forged Jake’s driver’s licence?”
    “When I first went on the run I stuck my photo on a colour copy of Jakey’s licence and laminated it myself. I thought it might come in handy one day to pretend to be him. And it sure has, because here we are together again.” He patted the bed next to him. “Come and sit over here with me, lovely.”
    “No thanks. I’m fine over here.”
    “I wasn’t really asking, Tessie. I was telling you.” He patted the bed again. “I want to play with you a little.”
    “I don’t want to be played with.”
    “You don’t have a choice. It’s come over here or I’ll shoot you. You decide.”
    Was it better for me to go over to him or for him to come to me? Deciding that there were more possible weapons to work with around the bed, I slowly walked over and sat down as far away from him as possible, making sure I sat on the side that obscured my knife from his view and hopefully his memory.
    “Now that wasn’t so hard, was it?” he smiled and scooted over closer to me. “Not like this , which is very hard.” He snatched up my hand and forced it onto his crotch. I recoiled immediately, pulling my hand back and slapping him across his face.
    He slapped me back twice as hard and took a handful of my hair, yanking on it viciously, making me gasp in pain, my cheek stinging.
    “Play nicely,” he cautioned. He held me by the hair and moved forward, looking down searchingly into my eyes. “Jakey’s always saying you’re the most beautiful woman he’s ever met. And you know what, he’s right. You’re the most beautiful bitch I’ve ever met too. God knows I’ve fucked a lot of whores in my life, but never one as hot as you.”
    “I’m not a whore,” I insisted, trying to move away from him. He jerked on my hair harder and laughed.
    “I know you’re not. But I’m going to turn you into one, lovely. I’m going to fuck you everywhere. And you’re going to love it. You’re going to beg me for more.”
    He kissed my neck and I tried hard not to flinch at his touch, forcing myself to relax, to centre, to think of what I would do next. I made myself become tender, gentle, feminine, even as I decided that I was going to kill him the first chance I had.
    “You smell so good and your skin’s so