by Tl Reeve
Behind her, Sabine heard several pairs of feet tap across the floor. She had to close her eyes or else she’d be found out. Sabine tamped down her breathing, giving the illusion she was sleeping. In the short amount of time she lay there, she tried to pick out how many people were in the room, but it was no use. As much as they moved around, it could have been three people acting like ten. Shit.
“Ah, she’s awake,” a man said. Sabine held her breath and didn’t move. “Open those blue eyes, sweetheart.”
Sabine refused. She wouldn’t allow him the pleasure of seeing her fear, nor would she allow him to torture her. No, he would have to deal with her non-compliance. She wouldn’t make it easy on him.
“It looks like she’s playing possum, boss,” another man said. His footsteps were heavier as though he were trouncing across the floor instead of stepping.
“Yes, she is,” the boss agreed. “And what do we do to rodents?”
“Cut their heads off and feed them to the cats,” the other guy answered easily. Sabine’s stomach roiled. Bile bit at the back of her throat, and she swallowed hard. She shuddered at the thought of what they would do to her.
The man in charge laughed. “Yes, we do. And Mama makes us a mean possum stew out of it.”
Okay, that was just gross. No one in their right mind... . She paused. Obviously, these men weren’t in their right minds. “I love it when Mama makes us stew,” the lackey said. “So you want me to get her ready?”
Oh, God. “I hear you,” she snapped. She knew they were baiting her to answer them, but, damn it, her self-preservation kicked in.
“Hello, chér,” the boss crooned. She slinked back away from him. The bright glow from the single bulb light pierced her irises, causing her vision to flower. Even if she could see anything in the room, it was impossible to focus. “Don’t be afraid. You’ll be out of that cage in no time. I promise.”
Uh-huh. Nope, she didn’t believe him as far as she could throw him. “O-o-okay.” She could play the simpering sissy-la-la, especially if it got her a way out of there. If Sabine was only sure of one thing, it was that she would get out of there. No matter the consequences. “What do you want from me?”