Skull and Dagger

“-And I bet you never even guessed,” Quinn bragged, strutting about the room like he owned the place. Which, actually, he did, but only because he’d stolen it, so Annabelle decided it didn’t count. “I mean, really, it was a brilliant plan. Getting drunk so that my allies were out of the way while Frank was attacked? No one even suspected me! If Frank had been half as smart as he pretend to be, he would’ve seen right through that scheme. But, oh no, and I won either way it went, too. Frank dies, I win; Frank doesn’t, I’m still free to work against him.” He turned to face Annabelle. “Don’t you think that was clever of me?”

She fought the urge to roll her eyes. She’d been listening to Quinn rant on and on about how he was better than Frank in every way for hours now. “Very clever,” she agreed with a fake smile.

Quinn’s face brightened. “He was no match for me, really. I almost feel sorry for him; he never had a chance.”

Which was why you were too afraid to fight him yourself... Annabelle thought.

“And he never even guessed!” Quinn cried out in delight.

Quite possibly because you weren’t really worth paying attention to... Still aren’t.

“I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised, though,” Quinn continued to extol his own virtues. “After all, he could never really hold his own against a real man...” He gave her a pointed look, expecting her to respond.

“Like you?” It wasn’t too hard a wild guess to hazard. She might have been bored, but the overriding topic was pretty difficult to miss.

“Have you ever had a real man before?” Quinn leaned in close, stroking her cheek once more.

She bit her lip and forced herself not to flinch from his touch in revulsion. “Tell me more,” she bit out reluctantly. It was the only sure-fire way she’d discovered to distract him. “How’d you meet Frank?”

Quinn smiled at his own mind’s version of the event. “It took quite a bit of hard work for me to get on Bob's crew,” he informed her. “But he knows a good man when he sees one. Saw me back when Frank was nothing more than a captive. Of course, Bob feared me as well...”

Yeah, right. That jerk’s never been afraid of anything in his life...

“...Which is why he made Frank his first-mate.” Quinn gave her a knowing grin. “Someone he could control easily.”

Because Frank’s so obviously under Bob's thumb... She couldn’t help but roll her eyes at that one. Luckily, Quinn was too busy pontificating to notice.

“Bob is powerful,” he said thoughtfully. “And, while he’s an excellent middle-man, I don’t like to allow anyone else that much power.” He let out a confident sigh. “I suppose I’ll have to take out Bob next... Such a pity.”
Over my dead body! I’m going to be the one to take out Bob for luring us into that trap!

“I’m my own man now,” Quinn announced. “Everything I’ve ever desired will be mine.” His fingers traced the curve of her breast. “And you’re so very beautiful...”

And you’re so very foolish...

Quinn let out a wistful sigh. “I’ll come back this evening then,” he decided. “See if you’ll have softened to me by then...”

Not freakin' likely...
The door shut behind Quinn, and Annabelle let out a sigh of relief. For some reason, Quinn seemed to think that boasting and exaggerating his own accomplishments would win her heart. And the scary thing was that he seemed to believe his own lies. Although, given how in love Quinn seemed to be with the sound of his own voice, Annabelle could see why he might believe in the delusion that she could actually love him.

And, honestly, mentioning Frank’s name every five seconds? Not exactly the best way to make her forget him.

In fact, every time Quinn loaded that name with disdain just reminded her of her love’s strength - strength that obviously still had Quinn frightened and insecure in his power, despite his vigorous denials.

And this gave her newfound hope. Frank was the strongest man she’d ever met. If anyone could escape this dastardly trap, then certainly it was he.

And when he did, she had absolutely no intention of lying here like the helpless damsel in distress, just waiting to be rescued. Why, the cocky, smug smirk wouldn’t leave his face for weeks if he saved her from this...

Well, she would show him!

Casting one wary look back at the shut door, she slid the rope around her wrists down the solid wooden beam it was attached to. Within five minutes of being left alone in the room, she had decided the quit whining to herself and find a way to escape. Less than five minutes after that, she had discovered the jagged, splintered edge of wood behind the board that held her left hand. She’d had almost a day to work on it, and already she’d half worn through the rope that bound her.

At this rate, she would be free by this time tomorrow. The ‘at this rate’ being the operative phrase in that sentence. Because, in all fairness, her patience was dwindling hourly.

She wanted to get free, knock that smug look off of Quinn’s face, escape, find Frank, give him a good yelling at for falling for that obvious trap, and then kiss him senseless. Well, maybe the kissing part could occur before the chewing-out part... And maybe a bit more than kissing...

A flush rose on her cheeks as she continued to whittle away at the ropes. She couldn’t deny that her body’s reaction to Frank’s touch had been increasing in intensity since their first kiss. The sensations were strange, but not at all unpleasant. And, as of late, they’d left her constantly craving more...

She didn’t even allow herself to consider the thought that Frank might not survive to carry out on the heated promises his more forbidden touches had suggested. No, she would find her Frank unharmed, and then she’d finally learn the truth about all those orgasms Elizabeth raved about. It would be so because she decided it was so, and heaven help anyone who stood in her way once she made a decision...

She felt another chord in the rope snap and smiled to herself. Soon, my love... And you had better make this up to me...