Human Interaction by Cheyenne Meadows Read Free Book Online

spoke in low tones, probably talking to himself.
    Monks probably talked to themselves often, especially those vowed to silence. He more than likely debated which took the ribbon for worst situation: sex slavery or back to those bus-pulling chores at the monastery.
    His phrasing caught my attention. "What do you mean later? This room is stifling already." I pulled out my shirt and fanned my chest with it. "Maybe they're going to steam us to death like lobsters?"
    Ducky snarled at me. "Don't breathe so much. I think the oxygen level is getting low. In fact, if you would quit yapping, I'm sure we'd have plenty of air left."
    I blinked. Surely he pulled my leg. Ships had vents. Air locks. Space between the nuts and bolts. Anxiety began to set in. What if he was right? What if we were destined to die of asphyxiation? Breathing in deep, I realized maybe Ducky had an important point. The air seemed to be thinner already. Would panting make the air disappear less quickly? I gave it a try, earning another scowl from the vamp. Perhaps breathing shallowly would save more air than breathing deeply? How about holding my breath for short intervals?
    Meat's face flashed. Yep. His light bulb just went on. "This can't be the first time they have kidnapped people. We just go along for the ride until we find out where the others are. Then we can make our escape and save the others as well." He literally beamed with his intellectual answer.
    Custer must have had the same smug expression right before his famous last stand. For some reason, I didn't want history to remember me shot with arrows and scalped. Oh yeah, didn't they stuff the only survivor of that battle and place him in a museum for all to see, too? A cold chill sped down my spine. Self-preservation rose. "Go along for the ride? Do you know what they do to women they have taken for slaves?" I wanted to thump the tall, broad shouldered, dark-haired man beside me in the back of the head.
    "Oh, don't worry. You won't make it to slavery. In fact, I'll put money on the fact they toss you off the boat before we ever make it to port," Ducky replied.
    My mouth fell open.
    "Here, sharky, sharky!" Ducky taunted and chuckled.
    Gritting my teeth, I tried to control the overwhelming urge to whap the meanie. Maybe I should kick the moron in the bad knee? Definitely tempting.
    "Maybe you can speak shark, too?" he added before holding his gut and laughing at my expense.
    Tossing my quickly unraveling braid over my shoulder, I turned back to Meat. He seemed to be working through details of that harebrained plan of his.
    "What's your assets?" I asked.
    His gaze dropped as he mumbled his answer. "I'm a li…" A loud clanging of metal on metal above covered his voice.
    "You're a librarian? Jeez. That's helpful. What are you going to do, recite The Taming of the Shrew until they fall asleep from boredom?" I grouched at him.
    His deep blue eyes flashed, a look of agitation crossed his face with those dark brows furrowing. "No. I said li…" It was only marginally louder this time.
    The banging continued above.
    "A what? A leper?" I unconsciously scooted a hair back. "How's that going to help? That will take years, if not decades to kill them." I thought a beat longer. "And ewww . Try not to touch me. A librarian with leprosy. Good grief."
    His eyes darkened with the appearance of the severe scowl on his face. "Damn it. Liger." He peered into my eyes, leaned forward where our noses almost touched, and enunciated clearly. "As in half lion, half tiger, and one big bad kitty."
    "Oh." Big bad angry kitty, he meant.
    Glancing over my head, Meat addressed Ducky as he settled back into the seated position. "Is she always this dim?"
    Ducky grinned back with a nod. "Actually, I would call this a brighter day. For her."
    That is it. How much can a girl take in one day? I'd been drugged, kidnapped, stuck on this smelly boat with an angry liger kitty that used to be a monk and a vampy that wants to feed me to the sharks.