Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 62528 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 313(@200wpm)___ 250(@250wpm)___ 208(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 62528 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 313(@200wpm)___ 250(@250wpm)___ 208(@300wpm)
MF bobbed her head. “Yep. That’s simple.”
He shrugged. “It’s a classic. Always works.” Except when it doesn’t.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
With shaking hands, Jac finished setting her trap in the small building where they stored dry foods, hay, and other supplies for the animals. It was sometimes used as a quarantine area, too, when animals first arrived, thus the cage in the corner. Not that she intended to use it on Heebie, but the cranky tiger temporarily placed inside would make for a great distraction.
With everything ready, and one thirty a.m. approaching, Heebie and Dash would arrive at any moment.
Feeling anxious, she went outside and gazed up at the moonlit sky. “Where the hell are you?”
“Hey,” said a deep, familiar voice from behind.
She jumped in place. “Gack!”
A silhouette emerged from the shadows.
“Dash?” She squinted.
“Yeah.”
“Oh my god. Are you okay? Where’s Heebie?” she asked.
“On his way.”
“He let you come alone?” Seemed a little odd given that Dash was on the chopping block and might run.
“He knows I won’t break my word.”
Her eyes narrowed. “How do I know it’s really you?”
“Heebie has an accent, and he can’t do pelvic thrusts like I can. No one can match my moves. Should I demonstrate?”
“No. That’s okay.” She didn’t need the sexy distraction right now.
“So,” Dash said, “Heebie says you want to put me in a cage and study me as some sort of mating gift?”
“Not exactly. Come here. I want to show you something.” She waved for him to follow her inside. “By the way, how was the show?”
“Tasty,” he replied, walking behind her.
“I meant to ask how it works. How do you get nourishment from attention?”
“Everything in its most basic form is energy. Attention is no different,” he said.
Interesting. “So when women scream your name and drool over you, they’re giving you—”
“Their energy, which I absorb. All demons do, actually. It’s the ones who feed off anger, fear, and violence you have to watch out for.”
“Not so different from some toxic people I know.”
Once inside, they walked to the end of the building near the large cage where her tiger paced back and forth.
“But you can eat and drink normal food, too, right?” she asked.
“Yes, but it doesn’t do much for me. Even if it tastes good, I can’t live off it.”
She turned to face him, gazing into those beautiful blue eyes. For a moment, she forgot why they were there.
“What did you want to show me?” Dash asked.
Suddenly, the animals all around the sanctuary began making noises outside. Screams, howls, and growls.
“He’s here,” she said.
“I don’t think so. He said he’d be a while because he had something to get for you. Another gift, I suppose.”
The animals’ chirps, roars, and squawks grew stronger.
“If it’s not him, then I’m not sure what it would be,” she said.
Dash shrugged dismissively. “So what are we doing here?”
She was about to tell him her plan—using the tiger as a distraction. Then she would run outside, bolt the door, and pull a cord she’d installed to unleash her army of poisonous snakes hidden inside the building. She’d already laid down electric wire on the outside of the tiger cage so the snakes wouldn’t harm him. As for Heebie, it would only take one bite to kill him. Just one. It didn’t matter if he was the size of an elephant. Her inland taipan could kill a man with one drop of venom. And entire bite could take anything down. Once Heebie was dead, she and Dash would be free.
“Okay, so here’s the plan. When…” Her eyes darted to the tiger poised behind Dash, ready to pounce despite being stuck in a cage.
She looked at Dash again, then at Kip the angry tiger. Outside, the animals were still going bananas.
Wait… “The plan is—” She got up on her tiptoes and kissed him hard. Cold lips met hers, confirming her suspicion. This was Heebie!
She continued, “The plan is for us to say goodbye. Yep, goodbye kiss. I really didn’t want to study you. It was only an excuse so I could let you down easy and tell you that while I’ve enjoyed getting to know you, Heebie is my destiny.”
His eyes narrowed. “What gave me away?”
“What do you mean, Dash?” She had no choice but to continue the ruse. She just hoped Dash was all right.
“Whatever you’re up to, stop right now, or I’ll burn down this sanctuary.”
Her heart raced. “I’m not up to anything. I swear.”
“You think I’d stop with this place, Jacquelin? I know where your sisters live. I know everything about you and your family. I made it a point to learn before choosing you.” He walked forward. “It would take less than twenty minutes to reach them all and burn their homes to the ground with them inside.”
Heartless, cruel scalehole. “Why are you being like this? I thought you liked me.”