Chapter 272: Don’t You Dare Run
Chapter 272: Don’t You Dare Run
Paul hit Nancy’s hand with the bamboo pole, forcing her to let go of the hose. She was all that he was thinking about, so it caught him off guard when the crocodile bit his bottom.
Nancy could not help but laugh. She had warned him, but did he listen? Of course not. She thought - Men are single-mindedly stupid!
Paul cried out in pain, and as the reptilian beast increased its grip on his heinie, the bamboo pole fell to the ground. Had he not had previous experience with crocodiles, this might have been the end of him.
Paul fell backward, and as his weight fell on the beast, it was forced to let him go. Then, when it attacked again, he was ready for it. Paul reached out, grabbed it by the mouth, and pulled it open as far as he could.
Eventually, the skin began to tear where the crocodile’s upper and lower jaw met, and there was a loud cracking sound as its articular bone snapped. Blood and bits of bone gushed out of its mouth as it made its retreat into the wetlands.
Nancy could not believe what she had seen. Now that she had seen what Paul was capable of, she was more afraid than ever. A voice in her mind shouted, “Run!” And so, she ran.
“Don’t you dare run!” Paul shouted. He prepared to give chase, but as he took his first step, he felt a twinge of pain course down his leg. It was intense, and he could not ignore it.
****
When Crystal came down for breakfast, the servants excitedly told her about everything that had happened that morning.
Unfortunately, they did not know what had happened after Paul went outside to find Nancy, so she sent one of her bodyguards to the kennel. “Bring me my dog,” she ordered.
Once she had her pet, she took it out into the backyard. And as she stepped off the porch, Nancy came running towards her from the grassy patch of land beyond the garden.
“Crystal!” Nancy shouted.
Crystal met her halfway and asked her if she was alright. Nancy was out of breath and panting, and all she could do was nod. Then, when she was finally able to speak, she asked about the dog.
“He’s my guard dog,” Crystal explained. “Eric bought him for me.”
Momentarily, Paul appeared on the horizon. He was coming from the same direction that Nancy had come from. He was moving slowly, though, and Crystal could see that he had been injured. And that he was angry. “There is nothing more dangerous than a wounded animal,” she muttered.
Nancy gave her a curious look. “Come again?”
“It’s just something my Dad used to say. Ancient wisdom or something...” Crystal passed the dog’s leash to Nancy and said, “Here. I think you will need him more than I will, at least until things settle down.”
Nancy accepted the leash with a trembling hand. “Is he safe?” she asked nervously.
“For you and me, it is.” Crystal chuckled. “But God help anyone who tries to hurt us. And because he is a male, he will be extra loyal.” “What does an animal’s sex have to do with anything?” She sounded skeptical.
“Dogs appreciate beauty as much as humans do,” Crystal explained. “Didn’t you know that?”
Nancy shook her head, and her cheeks turned pink. “I didn’t...”
“I specifically asked Eric to choose a nice male dog for me.” Crystal smiled. “Did you know that dogs have an eye for beauty?”
“Do they?”
“Yes.” Crystal smiled and continued: “Dogs will tease beggars, but they will stop and do tricks for beautiful women like us,”
The dog wagged its tail merrily as if it understood what they were saying and was excited to have the opportunity to prove Crystal’s words true.
“She’s pretty great.” Nancy ran her hands through the dog’s hair and asked what his name was.
Crystal’s eyebrows wriggled mischievously, and she said, “I call him Wolf. I gave him that name because he is part wolf. He will help you with your ‘Paul Problem.”
“How is that?” Nancy asked. It seemed rather far-fetched to her. “I just watched him tear apart a crocodile. I doubt he is afraid of dogs.”
Crystal laughed when she heard that. “That has nothing to do with it,” she said. “Paul is allergic to dog hair.”
“But how do you know that?” Nancy was stunned.
“Eric told me.”
While they were talking, they had been casually watching Paul’s approach. Now that he was within spitting distance, Wolf began to bark at him.
Paul cursed under his breath. Then he glared at Nancy and said, “If you obediently accept what is coming to you, I will go easy on you.”
“Fuck off!” shouted Nancy. Beside her, Wolf’s volume increased tenfold. “I don’t owe you anything, and I’m done submitting to your will!”
“You bitch!” Paul roared. “I’ll teach you!” Suddenly, Wolf lunged at Paul, and if it were not for his leash, he might have torn the man’s throat out.
Paul was not afraid of the dog in a traditional sense. He was afraid of how his body would respond to Wolf’s hair. His allergies were bad, and he had lost his EpiPen in the water. Should he be attacked, his face would swell up, his throat would constrict, and his body would break out in small red sores. Without his EpiPen, he could die.
“Who said that you could have a dog on the premises?” he shouted.
“It was Eric,” Crystal replied.
Paul watched in horror as Nancy hugged the dog. Now, she was as much a hazard to his health as the dog was. How does she know that I am allergic? - he wondered. It was one of his only weaknesses, and he kept it a secret. He lifted his eyes to meet hers and said, “You will regret this.” And then he walked away.
Once he was out of sight, Nancy turned to Crystal and said, “I want to leave this place...”
“Where do you want to go?” Crystal asked, “Where could we go? This whole island is under Paul’s control, and he won’t let us leave.”
“I know.” Nancy sighed sadly and said, “I should be in Seattle, though. I can’t imagine what my father is thinking. He probably thinks that I deserted him…”
Crystal hugged her friend, and as they pulled apart, she said, “You don’t need to worry about that. I called the hospital this morning, and they said that your father is still in a coma.”
“That’s even worse,” Nancy cried. “Now, I don’t even know if he will live or if he will die!”
“There, there.” Crystal patted her back and said, “I will figure something out. Don’t I always?”
