Page 21 of Forbidden Fate

I go cold.

“Yeah,” he says. “I expect you to eat it. And if you don’t, I’ll fucking shoot your brains out, bitch.”

Calm down. Get your bearings, Robin.

I inhale. Exhale. Inhale again, trying to regulate my breathing.

I open the bottle of water and take a long sip. It’s not cold, but it’s wet, and damn, it feels good sliding down my aching throat.

I’m about to take another long drink when I realize I’d better eat the bread first. I’ll need the water to be able to swallow it.

I tear off a hunk of the crust and put it in my mouth.

It’s worse than it looks, scraping against the roof of my mouth like sandpaper and breaking into stubborn crumbs that don’t want to go down. I chew anyway, forcing my jaw to keep moving.

I take a small sip of water, just enough to soften what’s left in my mouth. I don’t rush it. I make a point of chewing slowly, as if I have all the time in the world.

Like I’m not sitting in a cell with a man holding a gun on me.

He’s still there. I feel him watching me. Not just making sure I eat, but staring.

Good.

Let him.

I tear off another piece of bread, smaller this time, and pop it into my mouth. Chew. Swallow. Sip.

“You’re enjoying that?” he says.

I glance up at him. “Five-star dining.”

He snorts, shifting his weight. The gun doesn’t move, but his stance loosens a fraction.

I reach for the apple next, turning it in my hand. I press my thumb into the bruise. It’s still edible. I bring it to my mouth and take a bite. It crunches, which surprises me.

I swallow and take another sip of water, careful to ration it. Who knows when I’ll get more?

“How long will I be here?” I ask.

He doesn’t answer right away.

Finally—

“That’s not up to me.”

“Then who?” I press.

He shrugs. “You’ve already met him.”

My stomach tightens. The extremely good-looking captor. The one I talked to like we were sharing cocktails instead of…whatever the hell it was.

I bite into the apple again, harder this time. “Where is he?” I ask with my mouth full.

“He’s on an errand.”

“For what?”

He smiles but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “You ask a lot of questions for someone in your position.”