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He’s holding a bottle of water in one beringed hand. “Thirsty?”

The taunt is laid open, bare. Of course I’m thirsty. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth and it hurts to swallow. In fact, the sight of the bottle makes my entire mouth throb.

I think I’d kill him for a sip.

I hate myself for wanting to beg.

“And drink your drugged water? I’m fine.”

It costs to say that. Costs deeply.

“Why would I do that?” Niko asks. “There’s a saying about cutting off noses to spite your face. Don’t do that. Tell you what, I’ll help your wager. If you catch it, it’s yours. If you don’t, no drink of water at all. Here.”

He tosses me the bottle.

The shock of his words makes me fumble. The plastic is cold and slippery with condensation and my fingers are clumsy, but I manage to catch it, hugging it close against me.

And now I have it…

Dignity up and leaves. Control and will with it.

I’m so damn thirsty, it’s agony.

Holding the bottle up, I check it over, ignoring the self-satisfied grin on his face. It doesn’t look tampered with and it’s still sealed. I finally twist off the lid and guzzle down as much as I can before he suddenly rips it from me.

“Careful,” he says in mock concern. “You’ll be sick.”

Niko takes the lid from me and screws it on, setting the bottle on the floor, just within reach.

I want it, even as my stomach churns with the sudden intake of liquid. But I’m not going to throw up. I refuse. I need that liquid, and so does my baby.

My gaze shifts past Niko to the door. What I need is tobe on the other side of it, free. I need to get the fuck out of here.

My body steadies, the nausea passes, and I reach out and grab the bottle, staring defiantly at him as I finish it.

But Niko just laughs. “You should have made it last, Erin. That’s the last drink you’ll be getting today.”

Screw you are the first words that come to my head, but I push them away. Instead, I force myself to think. Drinking it all is good. Because a body usually reacts after an intake of water. Like needing the bathroom. I don’t need to go. Yet. But he doesn’t know that.

“I was just too thirsty.”

“Too fucking bad.”

My lip quivers and I make myself smaller than I am, weaker. “Please let me go. I know you’re a reasonable man.”

Niko looks to the roof and lets out a hoot of laughter. “Me? Oh, I am, and reason says you stay here. Don’t worry, Erin. It’ll soon be over.”

“When? I need my son, I?—”

“That’s too damn bad. You’re my guest until I say otherwise.”

“Prisoner, you mean.”

“We’ll just differ on the interpretation. But once I get certain things in order, I’ll have someone alert Demyan you’re here and…” He smiles. “The prick will walk right into my trap.”

This time when the nausea hits, it’s got nothing to do with the water. I’ve no doubt that if he kills Demyan, he’ll kill me. After all, I’ll be able to identify him. Or maybe he’ll kill me and then Demyan. It doesn’t really matter.

If that happens, Sasha won’t have anyone.