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“Seriously?” She looked back at me, those pretty eyes topped by a tiny frown. “You expect me to believe that?”
“I do.” I found my fingers had entangled with hers and I played with one of hers with my finger and thumb. So tiny. “All of that’s true. My brother was called Johann. He died from a bullet shot by a friend.” And I’d never forgiven myself.
“That’s...so sad.”
“Yes. It is. Now. You. I need to know why and how you were taken. It might give me clues as to what they mean to do to you.”
Her frown deepened and she pulled her fingers from mine. “I don’t think it will. I don’t see how it would do that, but I was kidnapped outside a pub, down an alley. I was a bit drunk, I guess. I haven’t a clue as to why. Random. I guess.”
One of the things I hadn’t mentioned to her was that I’d been good at getting the truth from people. What she’d said seemed as if it was skirting the truth. I wasn’t sure, though. There was no way to check, unless she contradicted herself. I wasn’t keen on liars. Once, sure, but repeatedly? And I couldn’t see why she would do it now, of all times. I’d told her my past. Was there something wrong with hers?
“You’re not in trouble with the law, are you?”
“Nooo.” She edged away and winced. “No.”
I let it pass. She was right, anyway. It probably had no bearing on what was happening to her here at all. If it did, I’d just kill her. I half-smiled at my morbid joke.
“I’m going to look at the room. See if I can find anything of use. If they let me back in here regularly, I’ll have a better chance at helping you escape.” Then I carefully climbed back over her and off the bed. I studied her one more time.
“Why are you looking at me?” She tugged at the hem of her dress.
I smiled. Hell there was so much bleakness here, why not? “I’m looking at a beautiful woman.” Then I winked, ignored the way her eyebrows shot up and she seemed to have lost the ability to speak, and I went to check the room.
“Just telling the truth again,” I added, peering up at the barred window.
I didn’t discover anything of use, apart from a potential to rip up part of the bed to make into a knife. They’d escape-proofed it.
The toilet, sink, and shower were made of parts that weren’t accessible, or removable. The window was so tiny only a baby could get through, even if I could get up there and somehow remove the bars. The door was solid metal, solid hinges. The locks looked complex and I certainly had no skills in that department. Maybe a locksmith could undo them, or one of my ex-customers, but not me. Though I’d try, if I could. I needed something to use as a lockpick. The walls seemed solid concrete or brick behind plaster. Give me a year of imprisonment and a secret spot to dig at and I’d dismantle or dig through it. I figured we had weeks, at most.
“Find anything?”
“No. We aren’t getting out of here tomorrow, but it was worth it to see your face when I said you were beautiful.”
She was rolling her eyes at me when the screaming started. They shut him up fast, used a gag maybe, but we knew. And we could still hear him. Somewhere they were torturing a man.
Jazmine put her hands over her ears. “That wrecked the mood.” She sent me a strained look and I could see her hands were shaking.
I strode to her. “Next I get to check your back. Lie on your stomach.”
“I will not!”
“Why?” I cocked my head a little.
Her blush was cute too. “I don’t have any underwear.”
“Ahh. I still need to check the marks from the cane. You need someone to look who is on your side. These things can get infected. I have seen all of you already. Please. It would make me less worried about you.”
“Oh.” Her hesitation lasted all of ten seconds before she sucked in her lip and moved onto her belly.
I was gentle as I pulled up her dress, careful not to look at her form in anything but a doctorly way. Well, close to it. I was a man not a fokken physician, and she was gorgeous.
Jesus. He’d used a lot of force. Her skin was split in a few places and the bruises from some of the strikes had spread inches, but they looked clean, so far. “They’re okay. But you need to watch for discharge and growing redness.”
“Okay,” she said quietly. “Can you pull my dress down now? It’s hard for me to twist around.”
“Sure.”
“How do you know so much about cane marks and what to do with bad ones?”
