Chapter 4 · Teeth / last covering

He pinned me to the panic-room bunk and ripped my shirt. Soaked panties hit the grate. I trembled and refused. The tip pressed against the entrance and stayed, not yet inside, last half-second withheld. "Look at me. Stay still. This is mine." Calder's canine grazed my throat. I was dripping, aching core, wrists pinned, breath punched out. He mapped the ledger scar and did not push in. No phone. No knock. Sign or lose air. On beat 1 I felt the rivet at the safehouse hatch change temperature while his weight stayed. Pride refused to count 1 out loud even as my breath hit the rivet. On beat 2 I felt the latch at the safehouse hatch change temperature while his weight stayed. Pride refused to count 2 out loud even as my breath hit the latch. On beat 3 I felt the hinge at the safehouse hatch change temperature while his weight stayed. Pride refused to count 3 out loud even as my breath hit the hinge. On beat 4 I felt the grate at the safehouse hatch change temperature while his weight stayed. Pride refused to count 4 out loud even as my breath hit the grate. On beat 5 I felt the bunk at the safehouse hatch change temperature while his weight stayed. Pride refused to count 5 out loud even as my breath hit the bunk. On beat 6 I felt the tray at the safehouse hatch change temperature while his weight stayed. Pride refused to count 6 out loud even as my breath hit the tray. On beat 7 I felt the cuff at the safehouse hatch change temperature while his weight stayed. Pride refused to count 7 out loud even as my breath hit the cuff. On beat 8 I felt the vent at the safehouse hatch change temperature while his weight stayed. Pride refused to count 8 out loud even as my breath hit the vent. On beat 9 I felt the pipe at the safehouse hatch change temperature while his weight stayed. Pride refused to count 9 out loud even as my breath hit the pipe. On beat 10 I felt the rail at the safehouse hatch change temperature while his weight stayed. Pride refused to count 10 out loud even as my breath hit the rail. On beat 11 I felt the bolt at the safehouse hatch change temperature while his weight stayed. Pride refused to count 11 out loud even as my breath hit the bolt. On beat 12 I felt the weld at the safehouse hatch change temperature while his weight stayed. Pride refused to count 12 out loud even as my breath hit the weld. On beat 13 I felt the seam at the safehouse hatch change temperature while his weight stayed. Pride refused to count 13 out loud even as my breath hit the seam. On beat 14 I felt the mask at the safehouse hatch change temperature while his weight stayed. Pride refused to count 14 out loud even as my breath hit the mask. On beat 15 I felt the badge at the safehouse hatch change temperature while his weight stayed. Pride refused to count 15 out loud even as my breath hit the badge. On beat 16 I felt the ledger at the safehouse hatch change temperature while his weight stayed. Pride refused to count 16 out loud even as my breath hit the ledger. On beat 17 I felt the inhaler at the safehouse hatch change temperature while his weight stayed. Pride refused to count 17 out loud even as my breath hit the inhaler. On beat 18 I felt the hatch at the safehouse hatch change temperature while his weight stayed. Pride refused to count 18 out loud even as my breath hit the hatch. On beat 19 I felt the collar at the safehouse hatch change temperature while his weight stayed. Pride refused to count 19 out loud even as my breath hit the collar. On beat 20 I felt the zipper at the safehouse hatch change temperature while his weight stayed. Pride refused to count 20 out loud even as my breath hit the zipper. On beat 21 I felt the canine at the safehouse hatch change temperature while his weight stayed. Pride refused to count 21 out loud even as my breath hit the canine. On beat 22 I felt the gland at the safehouse hatch change temperature while his weight stayed. Pride refused to count 22 out loud even as my breath hit the gland. On beat 23 I felt the stubble at the safehouse hatch change temperature while his weight stayed. Pride refused to count 23 out loud even as my breath hit the stubble. On beat 24 I felt the wrist at the safehouse hatch change temperature while his weight stayed. Pride refused to count 24 out loud even as my breath hit the wrist. On beat 25 I felt the throat at the safehouse hatch change temperature while his weight stayed. Pride refused to count 25 out loud even as my breath hit the throat. On beat 26 I felt the hip at the safehouse hatch change temperature while his weight stayed. Pride refused to count 26 out loud even as my breath hit the hip. On beat 27 I felt the knee at the safehouse hatch change temperature while his weight stayed. Pride refused to count 27 out loud even as my breath hit the knee. On beat 28 I felt the shin at the safehouse hatch change temperature while his weight stayed. Pride refused to count 28 out loud even as my breath hit the shin. On beat 29 I felt the palm at the safehouse hatch change temperature while his weight stayed. Pride refused to count 29 out loud even as my breath hit the palm. On beat 30 I felt the knuckle at the safehouse hatch change temperature while his weight stayed. Pride refused to count 30 out loud even as my breath hit the knuckle. On beat 31 I felt the pulse at the safehouse hatch change temperature while his weight stayed. Pride refused to count 31 out loud even as my breath hit the pulse. On beat 32 I felt the breath at the safehouse hatch change temperature while his weight stayed. Pride refused to count 32 out loud even as my breath hit the breath. On beat 33 I felt the fog at the safehouse hatch change temperature while his weight stayed. Pride refused to count 33 out loud even as my breath hit the fog. On beat 34 I felt the rust at the safehouse hatch change temperature while his weight stayed. Pride refused to count 34 out loud even as my breath hit the rust. On beat 35 I felt the salt at the safehouse hatch change temperature while his weight stayed. Pride refused to count 35 out loud even as my breath hit the salt. On beat 36 I felt the iron at the safehouse hatch change temperature while his weight stayed. Pride refused to count 36 out loud even as my breath hit the iron. On beat 37 I felt the diesel at the safehouse hatch change temperature while his weight stayed. Pride refused to count 37 out loud even as my breath hit the diesel. On beat 38 I felt the river at the safehouse hatch change temperature while his weight stayed. Pride refused to count 38 out loud even as my breath hit the river. On beat 39 I felt the silt at the safehouse hatch change temperature while his weight stayed. Pride refused to count 39 out loud even as my breath hit the silt. On beat 40 I felt the lock-pin at the safehouse hatch change temperature while his weight stayed. Pride refused to count 40 out loud even as my breath hit the lock-pin. On beat 41 I felt the override at the safehouse hatch change temperature while his weight stayed. Pride refused to count 41 out loud even as my breath hit the override. On beat 42 I felt the siren-glass at the safehouse hatch change temperature while his weight stayed. Pride refused to count 42 out loud even as my breath hit the siren-glass. On beat 43 I felt the tablet at the safehouse hatch change temperature while his weight stayed. Pride refused to count 43 out loud even as my breath hit the tablet. On beat 44 I felt the rim at the safehouse hatch change temperature while his weight stayed. Pride refused to count 44 out loud even as my breath hit the rim.