Page 11 of Dancing With Redemption

Roxie’s head fell back to the wall. She was tired, so tired now.

Instead of going to sleep, she reached down in the dark to try to untie the rope around her ankles. She wasn’t going to hobble all over the place. If they wanted her feet tied, they’d have to tie them back up. There was also no way she was going to be able to hover over a bucket and pee if her ankles were tied together. It was one thing to squat behind a bush and pee, but using a bucket with your ankles tied was impossible.

Roxie was fairly certain she’d torn one nail loose from the nailbed by the time the rope loosened up and she pulled it off, but she managed it. She shuffled her legs on the floor, trying to get the circulation back into her feet. She had to wiggle her toes and both feet when the blood rushed back in painfully. That was okay, at least her feet were free.

She thought about gnawing at the rope around her wrists with her teeth, but decided to forego that horror for now. There was no way to get the padlock off the chain around her waist. Even if she got her hands free, she’d still be locked to the chain and wall.

But what if she could get the chain loose from the wall? Roxie pushed herself up from the floor and felt around on the wall until she found the bolt the chain was attached to. The chain links were thick, heavy metal, so it was hardly a surprise when the bolt the chain was attached to was much thicker and didn’t budge a bit. She yanked at the chain, but the bolt still didn’t shift.

A shriek filled the air, an angry sound, not one of fear.

She was afraid she’d die, but the anger was keeping the fear at bay for now.

With a sigh, Roxie slid down the wall, wondering if the room had been prepared just for her, or if someone else had once inhabited the space. There was no doubt in her mind that those men who’d brought her here were killers. There’d been something dead and malicious in stinky-guy’s eyes that worried her, a lot. But who had hired them?

There were no answers and, for the first time, she began to wonder if she’d ever get any. Or if they’d just leave her here to die of starvation. If she was careful with the water, dehydration wouldn’t get her, but hunger might. If Lincoln didn’t find her before it got that far, starvation would definitely kill her.

Dark thoughts fought to replace the anger that kept her from sprawling out and falling asleep. Exhaustion tugged at her, but she fought it off. That must be from shock and maybe whatever they’d injected her with. Carefully, she brought the bottle up between her legs, undid the cap, and took a long swig of the water.

She wanted to put off having to use that bucket as long as she could, but she was thirsty. Besides, a little pee never hurt anybody. It was the other thing she had to worry about. Although, if she didn’t get any food, then she wouldn’t have to worry about the fact that there was no toilet paper, would she?

The situation was impossible, but there was nothing else she could do, for now. The only option available was to wait, even if she hated that option. Beggars can’t be choosers, that was something Aunt Katie had said often when Roxie was growing up. It was a truth Roxie had faced many times before.

Sighing deeply, Roxie gave in to the exhaustion. She cushioned her head on her hands, wishing the assholes had left her a blanket at least. It was cold and those bastards had taken her coat off. All she had on was the sweater and her jeans. The temperature would drop even further, as the day went on.

The thought chilled Roxie’s blood even more than the air outside her body. Was that how they planned to kill her? Let her freeze to death?