Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 107619 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 430(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107619 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 430(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Your thoughts are fascinating. Food can give you such pleasure? Zohr’s mind touches mine, his thoughts curious and aroused all at once.
Only because I miss them so much, I admit to him. I lived in a big store before I got stuck with Azar’s bunch, and I think I pretty much ate everything in the cookie aisle. I send him mental images of the store itself and of the little nest I’d created for myself that I’d called home. I miss that store. I was safe there, and well fed. No one bothered me there…until Sasha and Dakh showed up. I don’t resent them for it, because I knew it was a matter of time before I was discovered. No good hiding spot lasts forever.
Doesn’t mean I don’t miss it, though. Or my cookies.
When we are free from here, we will find you more, Zohr promises. I will hunt them for you.
I chuckle to myself even as I chop a wizened, rubbery potato into the stew. Hunting cookies? They don’t exactly run fast.
From your mental image, they do not run at all. His tone sounds sour. Even I am not that much of a fool, Emma.
I snort-giggle to myself.
Carol gives me a weird look, handing over some diced carrots. “How’s your head?”
“Fine,” I tell her. “Why?”
She just shrugs. “You’ve been acting strange ever since, that’s all. Wondered if you got more knocked out of you than you let on.”
“Nope,” I tell her cheerfully, and she narrows her eyes at me again. I think I’m being too friendly. Too smiley. No one’s happy in a nomad camp. I change my smile to a smirk. “But Artie missed you today on dragon-feeding duty.”
She rolls her eyes and pushes a bit of lank gray hair out of her face. “He try to give you a lick of his little worm? Tell him you ain’t interested unless he pays with the good stuff.”
Ew. I’m not interested at all. “I’ll let him save that for you.”
Carol nods and gives her sagging bosom a plumping, then adds the carrots to the stew. “Works for me. If he approaches you again, tell him I’m the only one that can give him the real goods.” She crooks a finger and wiggles it at me, then cackles. At my blank stare, she hoots with laughter even louder. “Prostate tickle, girl. That’s how you get any man to do what you want. You shove your finger up his ass when you’re blowin’ him and he’ll do anything you like.”
Jesus Christ. “Thanks,” I choke out.
You are not doing that, Zohr sends fiercely to me.
Fuck no I’m not! The only thing I want to shove up Artie’s ass is the business end of a gun. I shudder.
Carol continues cackling to herself as we fix dinner, but I’m a little disturbed. Does she think I’m acting different than usual? She’s not the most observant, and she’s also not the only one to comment on it. I need to lay low.
But…I also can’t abandon Zohr.
If it is not safe…he warns.
I know. I’ll be careful. I just want to help you as much as I can. I think of him in his uncomfortable chains, trapped and helpless, and it tears at me.
I do not mind them so much. What I mind is that I need to see you. It is like a craving inside me. His thoughts grow husky with need, and I feel my body responding despite the fact that I’m in the hot, smoky little kitchen with the other two women. I need to touch you, Zohr tells me.
Soon, I promise him.
That night, though, I get up from my bed and put my jeans on. I grab my lockpicks from the hidden pocket in my bag and slide them into my pocket. Jack helped me make these, and they’ve come in handy far more times than I ever thought they would. I skip wearing shoes, since they’ll just make too much noise, and tiptoe down through the stairwell of the hotel. I make it to the bottom floor and creep toward the pool area. So far, so good.
To my dismay, it’s Kurt on guard duty again. He’s the same one who was on duty when I slipped in to have sex with Zohr. Well, shit. I can’t exactly use my ruse of, “Hey, Azar called you,” again on him. He’s dumb, but he’s not that dumb.
I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to see you tonight, I tell Zohr as I retreat to my room. I’ll get busted for sure, and then we’re both screwed. I need to retreat and think of a new tactic.
I can feel the dragon-man’s disappointment in my mind as I lock the door to my room behind me. I understand.
No, you don’t, I tease, trying to lighten his mood.