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From the corner of my eye, I saw him lean over me. I flinched, waiting for the blow.
But he picked up a strand of my hair and twisted it around his finger. “Look at me.”
I lowered my arms and turned my head to look into his cold, detached eyes.
“Don’t ever call me that. Ever.” He released my hair and straightened. As fast as the anger came, it was gone.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out two caramels. Slowly, he unwrapped them, then dropped the cellophane to the mat along with one of the caramels. “A little dessert for them.”
My stomach pitched and my heart lodged in my throat.
He popped the other into his mouth and held it in his right cheek so it formed a large bulge. “If you’re really quiet, you can hear them coming. The blood from the fights always draws them in. It has such a wonderful scent, doesn’t it?”
Terror gripped my insides and I frantically looked around.
“Gosh, I wish I could stay and watch when they first start nibbling. That’s the best part. But I’ll be back later to finish getting ready.”
He strode across the mat and out the cage door.
It clanged shut.
I jerked on the chains and kicked at the fence. “No. Don’t leave me here. You can’t leave me here,” I yelled.
He walked away, whistling.
A door hinge creaked open, then shut with a clonk. The lock clicked, then silence.
No. It wasn’t silent.
Somewhere in the darkness, I heard the faint squeaks.
Macayla
I was bait. Bait for the rats and bait for the Horsemen. I didn’t know what psychotic Aiden had planned for them, but if I was chained here long enough, I’d likely be dead before they found me.
And then what? Would he kill Vic, Ethan, Jaeg, and Saint? His own brother?
No. He wouldn’t get the chance. This is what Vic did for a living. Saint was ex-SWAT and Callum…. Vic said he was just as dangerous and had men. Vic had a team. Except he’d said they were across the world. It would take them at least a day or more to get here.
I had to get out of here before then.
I shuffled around on my knees and put my hands on the fence. The links were tightly twisted together. But if I could undo the ones attached to the pole at the bottom, I could slide the chain off the end.
I frantically worked at the wire around the pole, trying to untwist it.
Tears streamed down my face as I cut my fingertips on the sharp edges of the wire.
Blood dripped onto the mat. It was going to take hours.
When would he be back? How long did I have?
I choked on a sob.
No. I wouldn’t break down. I wouldn’t give up.
I couldn’t give up—ever. I finally had Jackson back, and Vic…. God, as much as I needed him right now, I didn’t want him or the other Horsemen anywhere near me because I had a feeling if they found me down here, they’d never escape alive.
I bit my lip as I worked on the chain link until the wire separated from the pole.
