Page 108 of Juniper Unraveling

Chapter 31

“Get up.” A woman’s voice tears me from sleep, and at a tug of the chain, I open my eyes to a redhead, not quite as bony as the other women, but lithe. Her torn flannel shirt reminds me of Jessie, and the red bandana she wears on her head adds a toughness to her small build. “I’m going to unlock the cuffs. You try any bullshit, and I’ll gun you down.” Amber colored eyes lift to mine. “And I’m a damn good shot. I wouldn’t chance it.”

My body is sore and achy, as if I toiled out in the garden all day and ran across the desert after. A stuffiness fills my skull like a coating of cotton on my brain. “Who are you?”

“The million-dollar question is, who are you?”

Rubbing my temples, I roll my eyes at her. “Forget it.”

“Fine. You want to act like a slave, you’ll get treated like one. I’ll call you Girl, how’s that?”

“Rolls off the tongue better than slave, don’t you think? And last I checked, that’s why you idiots kidnapped me.”

“You serve a purpose. That’s the only reason you’re here. Rigs thought you might be of use.” Her gaze sweeps the room and returns to me, as she tips her head. “He let you sleep in here?”

“Let?” I twist back to the pole where I was chained. “As far as I know, I wasn’t given a choice.”

“He doesn’t let anyone stay with him through the night. Doesn’t like to sleep with anyone. Particularly women.”

“Lucky me.” I jerk my head toward the pile of empty blankets on the floor, where he slept. “You forgot to chain him back up last night.”

“The chains are only a precaution.”

“So, you sacrifice the unsuspecting females to the monster and lock the door behind you, is that it?”

Ignoring my question, she pushes at my arm, nudging me forward, and I shoot her a glare as I step toward the door. “C’mon. You’re going to love what I have in store for you today, Girl.”

“Where’d asshole go, anyway? Off to get his knob shined by some poor naïve cock groupie?”

“Shut your fuckin’ mouth. And for your information, he’s out gathering food. For all the cock groupies here, including you.”

“I haven’t touched his cock.”

“Good for you. They’re handing out medals in the banquet hall, if you’d like to grab one.”

“Is everyone a smartass, or just you?”

“Only the ones who can’t stand pretentious and ungrateful bitches like yourself. You think because you come from the other side of the wall that you’re so much better? So pure? I’ve got news, sweetheart. We all pull the same weight around here, and we all share in the fruits of our labor. Equally.”

She leads me to an open space, where four women sit in a wide circle, each carving the innards of a watermelon with flat stones. Six uncracked watermelons sit off to the side, and she gestures for me to sit.

On a log, beside an older woman, I take a seat, resting my elbows on my propped knees. Red hands me a tray with a slice of bread, a mixed variety of fruits, and water. “Eat. And when you’re done, grab a melon and hollow it out. I catch you eating it, and you’ll be thrown into the pit.”

“Pit?”

“It’s where we throw the carcasses for the mountain lions and bobcats. Keeping them fed on the dead ensures they leave us alone.”

“Got it. Don’t eat the watermelon.”

“When you’re done, you’ll smash the watermelon into juice. Remove the seeds and set them aside.”

“What do I do with the juice?”

“Serve it to everyone.”

“Slaves, or the asshole bikers?”

“Everyone.” Hands on her hips, she tilts her chin up. “And no one here is a slave.”