Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 86060 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 430(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86060 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 430(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
“Until Damien shows up.”
“And when will that be?”
“As soon as I call.”
“What are you waiting for?”
I sliced my fork into the tender chicken and took a big bite. It was a shame she was missing out on this delicious meal. “I thought you didn’t want Damien to come down here.”
“Well, maybe he won’t.”
“You really think he’d leave you here to die?”
She lowered her hands down the bars until they were at her sides. “So that’s what you intend to do with me? If he doesn’t take my place?”
I didn’t answer.
“I assume that asshole ex of hers has Anna. If Damien does make this trade, he’ll never save Anna. Did you think of that?”
This wasn’t my plan, so no, I hadn’t thought it through.
“So maybe he won’t come after all.”
“And that’s what you want?” Was she really that brave? Was she really that selfless? Because I had a few men who weren’t so loyal. “To die in this basement? To die in this cage?”
She backed away from the bars and leaned into the opposite wall, covered in red blood with patches of yellow between the stains. She looked like a hot dog slathered in mustard and ketchup. Her arms crossed over her chest, and she looked away. “I’ll die for what I believe in. I’ll die for love. That’s the dream, right? For your life to mean something? For your death to mean more?”
I set down my fork and continued to stare at this bizarre woman. She was so poetic without even realizing it, speaking like a soldier about to fight for his country in a bloody war. Maybe she wasn’t that brave…but maybe she loved that hard.
It’d been a long fucking night, so I went to sleep for a couple hours upstairs. I knew I needed to contact Damien, but this woman put me in such a sour mood, I didn’t want to deal with one of the men I hated most right this second. After a shower and a meal, I went down to the basement with a bagel and cream cheese.
She was against the wall with her knees pulled to her chest. “Oh thank god…”
“Hungry?” I put the plate on the ground with the water so she could reach it.
“No. If you don’t let me go to the bathroom right now, I’m gonna die.”
I stopped at the bars and stared at her, giving her a cold look. “Pretty sure you can’t die from that.” Fucking drama queen.
She placed her palms over her flat stomach and groaned. “No, bitch. You can.” She leaned forward and growled again. “Seriously, my bladder is gonna explode, and your plan will be pointless. Just let me use the damn toilet.”
I nodded to the bucket.
“That’s not a toilet. Come on, have you no compassion?”
“You’ll try to escape. You put me through the wringer, and I’m way too tired to do that shit again.” She was smarter than I’d given her credit for, faster than I’d expected her to be, and she moved so quickly that she was a formidable opponent. Unpredictable. I had no idea what she would do. A man would face me, would fight to the death. But she was like a rabbit, dashed under boxes and hid in holes so I couldn’t find her. She was so small, she slipped from my grasp every time I grabbed her.
“Reasonable assumption, but I really do just need to use the bathroom. It’s right there, isn’t it?” She glanced to the other side of the room, where the door was slightly ajar. “You obviously let other prisoners use it. Don’t be sexist now.”
“What makes you think I haven’t had female prisoners before?”
Her only response was a long stare.
“The answer is no. Eat your breakfast.”
“That is not a breakfast. That’s a piece of bread, and I’m not a duck.”
Jesus, this woman had a comeback for everything. “In case you’ve forgotten, you’re a prisoner. And prisoners don’t get shit.”
“Uh, no. According to the Geneva Convention, prisoners have the right to basic necessities, like food, water, the toilet, and no unusual torture and punishment. So, let me use the goddamn bathroom. I’m haven’t washed my hands in sooo long.”
Now I wanted to let her use it just so she’d shut up. I grabbed a piece of rope then returned to the cage. “Turn around.”
“What are you going to do?”
When I released the breath I’d been holding, I flared my nostrils like a bull. “Do you want to use the bathroom or not?”
She stood up and brought her hands close to the bars.
I secured her wrists together so she couldn’t grab something and try to stab me with it.
“How am I supposed to use the bathroom with no hands?”
“Figure it out.” I unlocked the door and let her step out.
The second she was out of the cage, she swept her eyes across the room, looking for an escape. She looked at the stairs that led to the next floor, and then she looked around for some kind of object that could knock me out.