Page 20 of Whispers of the Dead

He hesitates, then shifts on his feet and looks away. “One guy tripped over her. Got mad.” He swallows hard. “I shouldn’t say more.”

My stomach twists at the implication. “Maybe I’ll keep her safe with me.”

Jace lets out a humorless laugh. “The guys won’t like that.”

“Tough shit. She’s staying.”

A low sound of warning comes from Damon’s cell. “Zoey, that might not be the best idea.”

“Yeah, golden girl. Remember that whole conversation we had on survival? I think this might get the opposite result.”

Jace nods in agreement. “You should listen to them.”

“Oh, if we’re doing that, then let us out of here, good sir,” Benji says.

Jace rolls his eyes and ignores him, but before either of us can say anything more, another set of boots thud against thefloor. They’re approaching fast. Jace mutters a curse under his breath. Then I see why.

The dreg that Damon punched earlier, Greg, stalks into the room. His lip is still swollen and now his eyes have darkened into bruises. His glare locks onto me immediately. It’s full of venom. “Where’s the damn mutt?”

My muscles lock, and on instinct, I shift closer to Damon’s cell.

Jace moves fast. He reaches through the bars and into my cell to grab Lola, who lets out a confused little whine but doesn’t struggle. “I got her. About to take her for a walk.”

The dreg sneers. Ah, there’s the look I expected to see on Jace, but I guess it must be reserved for this guy instead. “Eugene’s looking for her.”

Jace’s grip tightens around Lola, and I want to snatch her back and clutch her close and shield her with my body, but it seems as though fear has frozen me in place.

“I’ll bring her to him soon,” Jace says, his voice carefully neutral.

The angry dreg lingers a moment too long. His gaze snaps to me, and his lip curls into something cruel. “Bet you’re real comfortable in there, huh, sweetheart?”

The words send a violent shudder down my spine, but I don’t react. To my surprise, I feel Damon’s presence in the darkness behind me, and it makes me feel more secure. So I lift my chin and I keep his gaze, refusing to show him the shattered pieces I have hanging on by a thread.

He smirks, but before he can say more, Jace shoves his shoulder. “Go on, you’re wasting time. Eugene will have your ass if you prevent me from fixing her up like I’ve been ordered to do.”

The dreg sneers once more, then disappears down the hall.

“Sorry about that. Not all of us are horrific.” A shudder runs through Jace. Then he sets Lola down and she runsthrough the bars again to get to me. “You’re welcome to hold her while I patch you up, but then I need her back.”

“As long as she visits again, we have a deal.” I smile when she crawls into my lap, and then I hold out my hand.

Jace pulls out some meager supplies. Gauze, a wrap, I’m not sure. My full focus is on the sweetest four-legged creature, while Jace cleanses and bandages my hand through the bars. Maybe I can do what Emily did and save her from the dregs. Take her with me when I manage to escape this place.

Once Jace is done, I let Lola run back through the bars like I promised and watch her disappear down the corridor on his heels. The door clangs shut behind them. A few minutes pass before Damon’s voice drifts into my cell. “Don’t make any more problems for yourself, Zoey.”

I smirk, a plan already forming. “Can’t make that promise.”

The bucket sitsin the corner of my cell like it’s mocking me.

A bucket. No cot. No blanket. No single ounce of comfort. Nothing but a stupid, degrading bucket.

I glare at it with my arms crossed over my knees, trying not to let the humiliation sink too deep. This is my punishment for fighting back and trying to escape. Now, instead of being escorted to a bathroom, I get this.

The guys swore they would turn around when I have to use it. That’s all I have to go on. Their word. I have no choice but to believe them, when all they are to me is words in the dark.

I shift my position to pull my knees tighter to my chest and remind myself this is temporary. That’s all it is. Maybe when I get out of here, I’ll shove that damn bucket onto one of the dregs’ heads for payback. After I use it.

“What’s got you smiling over there?” Benji’s voice drifts over from his cell.

---