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“You can drink it. I didn’t dose it or anything.”
Her head snapped up and she stared at him again. Why would he say something like that? Didn’t he know that by simply bringing it up, now she would wonder if she was at risk? Boy, she was slipping. Athena shook her head and placed the drink to the side. There was no way she was going to drink it now. If she was thirsty enough, she’d go drink out of one of the troughs they had for the horses.
The cowboy chuckled. “You don’t trust easy, do you?”
She gave him a flat look. A cheer erupted outside, drawing her attention. If the man would just go back to the party, then she could find a better hiding place.
“Can I ask you something?”
She rolled her eyes, though he probably couldn’t see her irritation starting.
“You weren’t invited, were you?”
This time her gaze slowly met his. Yep. The man had been watching her, probably since she’d arrived. In her defense, she hadn’t eaten anything substantial in over three days. Most of what she’d been able to get her hands on had come from dumpsters behind grocery stores and restaurants.
“You don’t have to tell me. It’s okay.” The cowboy leaned back on his hands and continued to watch her.
She squirmed beneath his shrewd stare. It honestly felt like he had figured out how to unlock the defenses she’d carefully placed all around her, and now he was going through all her private thoughts and memories. This was one of the reasons she didn’t talk to anyone. One sentence was all it took for someone to pass judgment on her. She couldn’t afford that.
Especially not right now.
He tilted his head and a wry smile touched his lips. “You weren’t going to sleep in here, were you?”
Her stomach churned to life. Now he was getting dangerously close to figuring out that she was nothing more than a drifter. She didn’t have a home—no means to care for herself besides stealing and stowing away on other people’s property.
“It’s okay if you were.”
She blinked. He was lying. No one liked the homeless.
“I just think you would prefer an actual bed to sleep in.”
Now she knew he was lying. There was absolutely no way he was talking about giving her a bed—not unless he wanted something in return. Athena scowled at him, ready to spit in his face. How dare he even think he could make such a request. She wasn’t that kind of girl. She had her standards.
When was this man going to get the hint and just leave? She had no intention of starting up a conversation with him and she wasn’t about to sell her soul for a nice, clean, cool mattress to sleep on.
He chuckled. “What is that look for? Did I say something to offend you? Because I can assure you, that wasn’t my intention.” He straightened up and then leaned closer to her, causing her to scoot back a few feet. Then he chuckled again. “Honest. I’m not going to do anything to hurt you.”
Her eyes swept over him from top to bottom. She’d been duped by men like him before. Just because he sounded sincere didn’t mean he was. The guy was probably like all the rest—a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
The cowboy held out his hand and she stared at it like it was a venomous snake. He moved it closer, still. “Here, let me show you what I’m talking about.”
Her scowl deepened, and she shook her head.
“Would it make you feel better if I grabbed my sister and she came with us?”
Again, Athena shook her head. She wasn’t about to go anywhere that she didn’t have a clear escape plan. Even now, she was putting herself at risk. There was no back exit in the stall. She would have to use all her strength to push past this guy to get to her freedom.
Her heart leaped into her throat, thundering against the walls like a frantic hummingbird. She needed to get out of there before he did something terrible. Athena’s eyes dipped to the cup that sat untouched just outside of the stall. The cowboy already blocked her way, but maybe she could use the cup to her advantage.
Athena inched closer to him, being sure to avoid any form of contact with him. When he noticed her reaching for the cup, he dropped his hand and grabbed it. When he held it out to her, she took it. Her fingers wrapped around it firmly. There was only a brief moment of hesitation—one she hadn’t expected.
What if he was telling her the truth? She might be losing out on a chance to sleep in an actual bed. Athena shoved that hopeful thought aside. Nothing came for free. Not in this life and probably not in the next one. She swallowed the disappointment like the hard stone it was, and then with one swift motion, she tossed the contents of the cup at her assailant.
3
Henry
Henry should have seen that coming.
