Dex’s words kept replaying in her head on constant repeat. If the plan was to kill her, why hadn’t he done it yet? Why make her wait? Why not just get it over with? Not that she was planning to be an easy target, but that being what it was, she didn’t really think Snaggletooth was a murderer. Whatever his ‘other plans’ were, after spending hours with him in the little camp trailer, he hadn’t touched or so much as threatened her.
Bailey shifted her position, trying to roll over. The entire left side of her body was numb from the way she’d been lying on the bed. She lifted and rolled then realized, if she could bring her hands to the front, she could untie her feet. She sat upright and put her feet over the edge of the bed. After an intense struggle to get her arms around her hips, she lifted her ass and squatted so her hands were behind her knees. Now she was stuck in an odd position between sitting and standing. If only she could get her hands around her feet.
She leaned back against the bed and tried lifting her feet, but she very gracefully fell over, knocking her head against the wall and landing wedged between the bed and the wall.
Damn it. She groaned as pain surged through her body from all the bruises.
After sitting still for a moment to gain her senses, she realized she had accomplished what she wanted by landing with her feet in the air. When she heard Snaggletooth rustle, she quickly lifted her knees past her chin and slipped her feet through the loop of her tied hands.
“Hey, hey, what are you doing in there?” He stomped into the tiny bedroom area of the trailer. Bailey didn’t move or speak. When he peered over the bed at her, her heart stopped in her chest. His eyebrows rose, and his eyes traveled down the length of her body, not that he could see much with her awkward position.
“Looks like you had a little accident.” He smiled down at her as his tongue snaked out from where his teeth were missing.
Bailey didn’t speak, but acid rolled in her stomach and burned her throat. She stared at him and watched as he lowered his hand and adjusted his crotch. Fear sparked so brightly inside her, she became dizzy and hoped she didn’t look as scared as she felt. After his final…adjustment, he reached down and grabbed her by her upper arms, just above her elbows, and lifted her back onto the bed in the sitting position. He didn’t seem to care that her hands were now tied in front, and she acted as if they’d always been that way.
“Good, good,” he whispered. “You keep behaving, and this will all go smoothly.”
“May I have some water?” Bailey asked, her mouth going dry with just the thought of something to drink.
“Oh, sure. I imagine you’re thirsty, maybe a little hungry, too.” He stood and walked over to an ice chest sitting near the door. “Let’s see…yeah, there might be a bottle of water in here. I’m a Mountain Dew man, myself, but I think I threw a couple… Aha, here it is.”
He pulled the dripping bottle from the cooler and twisted the cap as he walked back toward her. “Here ya go, sweetheart.”
Bailey cringed at the pet name but kept her thoughts and eyes on the water. After several serious gulps, she filled her cheeks and swished it around a little, trying to wet her dry mouth. After finishing half the bottle, she replaced the cap awkwardly with her tied hands and held it close, hoping he wouldn’t take it back.
“May I ask,” she said, giving her captor careful doe eyes, hoping for a little pity. “What are you planning to do with me?”
“Oh, well, I’m not so sure I want to…” He gave her a long look, narrowing his eyes before he said, “I guess it couldn’t hurt. The deal’s almost done.”
“Deal?” Bailey asked.
“Yeah, Willy and I go way back. I’ve been doing some work for him the last couple of weeks.”
Snaggletooth looked her up and down again. “But I know this guy in Oakland. He usually likes the little Asian girls.” He waved a dismissive hand at her. “He’d take you in a heartbeat, though. He has clients who like the pretty, young, white girls, too.” He grinned a gummy smile. “Anyway, Willy had me handle this job in Wisconsin. I’m sure you remember.” He pointed a finger at her. “The car thing?”
Bailey swallowed hard and nodded. “That was you in the SUV?”
He chuckled. “Yeah, sorry about that. Anyway, once that was done, Willy asked me to help out with this deal here. Never said I had to kill you, but, you know, I already made this side deal with my friend in Oakland, and now he’s counting on having you.” He grinned again and said, “I figure Willy owes me a couple of solid favors, so… I’ll tell him you’re dead and keep my deal with the dude in Oakland.”
Bailey stared at him before she finally mumbled the question. “I don’t understand.” But as the words left her mouth, she realized she did understand. She’d been sold to the highest bidder.
“See, that way, I get paid on both ends, and all I
