Page 25 of Queen Of WildCards

Ididn't trust myself to speak.IfIopened my mouth this instant,Iknew without a doubt thatIwould say something to get me killed, regardless of how much he claimed he didn't want to.

Hiseyes were strangely soft now as he stared into my soul, perhaps reading my mind in the process. "Theguys don't know what to do with you."Hisgaze fell to his hands as a grimace flitted across his features. "Idon't hurt innocents, andIdon't hurt kids—only two rulesIhave.Typically,Idon'thaveto kill people.Non-lethal methods that leave a lasting reminder usually work as a better deterrent of repeat fuck-ups."

Myeyebrows were damn near in my hairline now, but as my gaze flicked back and forth between his eyes,Istarted to realize how truly fuckedIwas.NotthatIhadn't assumedIwas fucked before, but now—

Nowit was a for sure feeling.

Iknew then and there thatI'ddo whatever it took to make it out of this alive.I'dnever wanted to live more thanIdid at that moment.

Hecontinued as ifIhadn't had an epiphany in front of his very eyes. "You'renot to blame here, sugar.That'sJoker'sbad call.Buthe told you some things, and it's gonna be easier for all of us if you tell the truth about that in the morning whenAceasks, you hear?"

Inodded as ifIknew what he meant by anAce, as ifIwas confidentI'dmake it til morning.Mythroat was dry, and asIswallowed,Idamn near choked on the airIbreathed.Therewas no moisture in my mouth, no relief to be had by swallowing my own spit, as it didn't exist.

Hewatched me carefully asIchoked and sputtered noisily, andIjerked my hands toward my throat, pantomiming my needs.

"Youneed water?" he guessed, andInodded enthusiastically, nearly crying in desperation.Herose from his crouched position and moved to the door of the cage. "I'llbe right back with some.Don'tmove—well, not that you could."

Whenhe left the room,Isighed heavily, my whole body going slack at the emptiness left behind in his absence.Imissed the feeling of quiet occupation my cats gave me whenIwas home, and then a new panic spread asIrealized they'd only be okay for a few days without someone checking on them.AndIhadn't gotten particularly close with anyoneItrusted with my key, so it wasn't like they could just phone someone and ask them to deal with the cats.

Itfelt stupid to sit here worrying over two cats when my life was on the line, but the idea of them trapped in my apartment was enough to send me into a fit of panic.NowIwasn't just choking on my own dry throat, but actively swallowing dread and terror thatIcouldn't get a grasp on.Thebooze had all but worn off, and my headache was in full force, compounded by the nausea onset and regret for every life choiceI'dmade up to now.

Whenthe crazy one returned to the room,Iforced myself to calm down, or at least to assume a mask of perceived calm.IthoughtIwas doing a good job pulling it off until he lifted the cup of water to my lips andInearly drowned myself.

"Easynow," he whispered as he tugged the cup away and set it down, just out of reach.Iwhimpered at the loss, but his hand gripped my chin and forced my gaze to meet his. "What'sgot you riled up?"

Ishook my head and stared past him at the cup of water.Hechuckled, brought it back, and let me drink half of it down before he pulled it back again.Ilet out a low whine, and his grin turned to concern as the mug disappeared behind him.

"Talkto me," he urged, but really, how do you talk to a kidnapper about yourfuckingcatsand the unhealthy attachment you have to them?

Yourip the fucking bandaid off, that's how."Mycats—"

Hisbrows shot up so fast it was nearly comical. "Youare in a fucking metal cage on the living room floor of a pack of criminals, sitting with a man you stabbed, and your first thought is your pets?"

Istared sheepishly at the floor as he chuckled.Iwas fucked up and a bit unstable, but in my line of work, who wasn't?

Heshook his head wordlessly, a smile, genuine and soft, spread across his full lips.Inthat second,Icould see the handsome man underneath the crazy façade, could actually imagine him being an average guy on the sidewalk who smiled at me as we waited for the light to turn green.Andjust as suddenly, that man was gone, and the reckless criminal was back.

Sohis next words really shocked me.

"I'lltake care of your cats, sugar.Youjust tell me what they're called and where to find them."

Iblinked stupidly at him, stunned near to speechless at his strange yet somehow genuine-feeling offer. "You'ddo that?"

Heshrugged. "Noinnocents, remember?Andwhat's more innocent than a house cat?"

Irolled my eyes, a chuckle building in my throat despite me. "Youhaven't had a house cat before, have you?"

Hemoved from his squat to a seated position, his legs stretched out behind me as we sat side by side, facing each other.Hereached out his hands and gripped mine, pulling them toward his lap.Ilet him but ran out of length pretty soon, soIended up bent over my own knees, chest pressed against my thighs as he held onto my wrists.Thezip tie dug into my skin, andIhissed in pain as he fingered it absently.

"IfIcut this off," he asked curiously, "you promise not to try anything sneaky?"

Oh, fuck, if he freed my wrists,I'ddo whatever he asked.

Builda rapport.

Makeyourself appear more like a real person and less like a victim.

Allthese valid and reliable tips ran through my head, butIcouldn't bring myself to think about the long-term ramifications ifIdidn't escape.

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