Page 123 of Wrapped in Their Arms

The basement play room was cold and oppressive and somehow worse than it had been the night before—maybe because now she knew what went on down here.Theair smelled of iron and rot and stale sweat—foul, musky, and metallic.Inone corner, the glowing red eye of the camera drone blinked to life, zipping closer with a faint buzz as it prepared to record.

Smile, piggy-wigs—smile for the camera!

Noelle forced her face to relax.Shepushed the terror deep down beneath a shiny layer of fake enthusiasm and fluttered her lashes as she turned toThune.

“Can we have some more of that yummy pink drink?”she asked brightly, plastering on a smile that made her cheeks ache.“Itmade me feel all tingly inside—Ireallywant some more.”

The enormousTrolloxblinked in surprise—or at least, his middle head did.Theone on the left head drooled and stared vacantly, while the right head continued to snore, lips smacking wetly as it dreamed.

“So you like that tingling feeling, do you, eh, little piggy-wig?”the middle head asked, narrowing its yellow eyes.“Verywell then.Wewouldn’t mind a glass of wine as well.Let’sgo get a little drinky-poo before we start our playtime.”

“Goody!”Noellegushed, giving a little clap and bouncing on her toes to make her breasts jiggle.Actinglike this made her want to puke, but like most men, theTrolloxsuspected nothing when a woman flirted with him.

OhGod,I’mgoing to puke,she thought.Butshe twirled on her heel and skipped to the battered drink cooler like a schoolgirl at a slumber party.

The cooler hissed whenThunecracked it open, releasing a waft of fruity, chemical-laced air.Thepink drinks shimmered inside, neatly stacked in rows like glowing poison.Thesight of them madeNoelle’sstomach clench.

Here we go.Justsmile.Pretendyou love it.Youcan do this—youhaveto do this.

Thune passed her a bottle with a flourish.Sheaccepted it with both hands and unscrewed the cap, trying not to let her fingers tremble.Thescent hit her first—thick, sugary, and medicinal.Thesame as before… only stronger.Andwas the liquid in the bottle a darker pink this time?

Her throat tightened instinctively but she had no choice—she brought the bottle to her lips.

The drink slid thickly over her tongue, syrupy and slightly fizzy.Ittasted like rotten wintergreen mixed with cough syrup and bubblegum.Beneaththat was something darker—something bitter and metallic.Thetaste madeNoellegag and she saw thatBurnandBrightwere choking down their own bottles as well.

She swallowed with effort and forced a delighted sigh.

“Mmm,” she moaned, licking her lips.“Sogood.Ilovethe way it tingles.”

“Glad to hear it,”Thunechuckled, pouring himself a massive tumbler of dark red wine from a dusty glass jug.“Wemade sure it’s extra strong tonight—just to be sure the three of you would do as we said.”

Noelle’s heart dropped.

Extra strong?

“You didwhat?”Burngrowled behind her.

Before she could turn around, there was a loudcrash—the sound of glass exploding against stone.Sheflinched and whirled just in time to see the remnants ofBurn’sbottle shatter against the wall.

TheTrollox’smiddle and left heads snapped around.

“What did you do that for, you bad piggy-wig?”the middle one snarled.

The right head remained slack-jawed, drooling vacantly and staring straight at her.

Noelle’s pulse leapt.

This is it.Thisis your window.Butwhat if the third head warns him?Whatif it sees whatI’mdoing?

She couldn’t think about that.Thathead was an idiot—it didn’t know what was going on.Atleast, shehopedit didn’t.

As the two alert heads scoldedBurn, she slipped a hand into the deep side pocket of her dress.Shehated wearing it—it was the same one she’d torn off earlier that day after finding out the lace was stained with blood.Butit was the only garment in her size that had pockets, so she’d had no choice.

The two sleeping pills were still there—massive, chalky pink tablets nestled in the palm of her hand.Noellefumbled them out with shaking fingers and—in one smooth motion—dropped them into the wine while theTrollox’sattention was elsewhere.

Please dissolve.Pleasemix.Pleasework,she prayed silently.

The pills bobbed on the surface for a second before sinking beneath the burgundy liquid.