In The Darkness (Project Artemis #1)(9)

“I’m not happy with what’s happening to you. I’m smiling because I’m glad you’re a fighter. If you were some pathetic thing who wasn’t intent on fighting for her life, this would be much harder. That’s all the smile is about. I’m not trying to make light of what you’re going through.”

Confused, Persephone narrowed her eyes and stared at him to try to figure out what this guy’s plan was. Did he intend on making her think he could be her ally just to betray her to those devils outside that room? To what end? What could he get from her that could be of any use to him?

“I don’t know what you’re doing, but I’m not going to fall for it. And I don’t want any of that grey gruel you keep scooping onto that spoon either, so don’t even try to feed that to me because I promise you’ll end up wearing it.”

Nick lowered his head, but she saw he was trying to hide his smile. Again with the damn smiling!

“You think what I said was funny?”

Looking up at her, he shook his head. “I don’t know how you expect me to keep a straight face when you say things like that. What kind of hostage talks to her captors like that? I clearly need to work on my bad guy vibe because it’s not coming through with you, for sure.”

“You’re here to play head games with me, aren’t you? You do seem a lot smarter than the rest of them, so I guess you’re a good choice for the job, but I’m not some stupid debutante who’s never seen anything of the horrors of life, so whatever you think you’re doing, it’s not going to work.”

“Head games?” he asked, acting like what she said confused him.

But she knew better. He may have been far less of a Cro-Magnon man than the rest of his friends, but he was no rocket scientist. That she was sure of.

And he wasn’t very convincing in this innocent thing he tried to convey.

“You’re probably doing some good cop-bad cop thing with one of your buddies out there. Maybe that one who likes to press the end of his gun to the side of my face whenever he feeds me. He’s the bad guy, and you’re the good guy. You make me think I’m not going to die in this place, and then that bastard comes in and shows me just how wrong I was to believe in you.”

She shook her head, refusing to fall for the trick. “Nope. Sorry. Just be man enough to kill me yourself if that’s the way it’s going to be. Don’t leave it up to him. He’d probably get off on it anyway, so why give that guy all the good stuff?”

“I’m not here to play any games with you. Right now, I just need to get some of this food into you so you don’t starve to death. Can you at least try a spoonful of this stuff for me?”

Staring at him in utter disbelief, she asked, “Why are you acting like we’re friends or something here? I’m not going to try anything for you, Nick. You’re holding me hostage, for God’s sake! My hands are tied behind my back for so long my shoulders are killing me. I guess that’s better than real death, so thanks for that, but I’m a prisoner here. Stop trying to act like we’re friends because we’re not.”

With each word, her voice rose until she was practically screaming by the time she finished. Whatever he’d been sent in there to do—twist her thoughts with his mind games, play good cop to the rest of their bad cop routine, or whatever other horrible thing he intended—she wasn’t going to let it happen without fighting it.

Her yelling made his eyes fill with fear, and he turned to look at the door like he expected someone to come busting in at any second. Looking back at her, he put his finger to his lips and whispered, “Don’t yell. If you do, they’ll come in and I don’t know what they’ll do. I’m not trying to hurt you. I’m trying to help you here. You don’t have to believe me, but for the moment, at least give me the benefit of the doubt.”

“Why? Why should I do that?” she asked, unsure what this man was trying to do to her.

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Because I’m here to save you. I can’t do that if they decide it’s time to kill you.”

“You’re here to save me?” she asked as his words repeated in her brain.

Save her? Why would this person do that? Why would he betray his fellow militia men who kidnapped her?

“Yes, and even though I’m happy you’re a fighter because you’re going to need that when we escape from these people, that fighting isn’t going to help you with them now. They hate women, or at least they hate your kind of woman, so fighting will only make them want to take out their rage on you. I know you don’t know me, but trust me. I’m here to help.”

What he said settled into her mind until she thought maybe it made sense, so she asked, “Are you a cop? FBI? Are you doing some kind of undercover thing here?”

She wanted to believe he might be telling the truth. The tiny spark of hope inside her had flickered until it nearly extinguished itself in the past few days of her captivity, but now it leapt inside her at the mere thought that maybe she might make it out alive with his help.

Whispering in her ear, he said, “I’m not a cop or FBI. Your father hired me to rescue you, and that’s what I intend on doing. I just need you to trust me.”

“I don’t believe you. My father wouldn’t wait all this time to send someone.”