The door of the house opened and I called, “Hey, the dogs need water and food!” Then I realized it was Cody. I snapped my mouth shut but he already headed my way with a wide grin.
I stepped back from the bars, wanting as much distance between us as possible.
“What do you want, princess?”
I swallowed my revulsion and pride. “The dogs weren’t fed today and Satan doesn’t have any water.”
“The dogs are more vicious when they are hungry. There’s a dog fight tonight, so they need to be sharp.”
I grimaced. “I doubt they can fight if they die of thirst.”
Cody leaned against the bars, letting his eyes travel along my body in a very disgusting way. “What do I get in return for giving them water?”
I scoffed. “Not what you want.”
His face hardened. He picked up the hose they used to fill the bowls but instead of pointing it there, he brandished the end at me. My eyes widened a second before cold water hit my chest. I stumbled back but there was nowhere I could seek cover, unless I crawled into the dog hut, which I’d never do. The dogs barked excitedly. I turned around so the water hit my back. Eventually Cody turned the water off. I was completely drenched. Looking over my shoulder, I saw Cody grinning maliciously.
“There’s your water. You sure you don’t want to give me a little something so I fill the dogs’ bowls?”
I scowled, and he tossed the hose away before he walked off. My kennel was completely wet but the water slid down the slight slope toward the cage doors and didn’t reach the other cages. Satan got on her belly and tried to squeeze her muzzle under the gap between the bars and the ground to lick water up but she didn’t succeed. I picked up my bowl, which was filled with water, but the thing didn’t fit through the bars. Satan watched me closely. I didn’t have any experience with dogs, so I couldn’t tell if she was friendly or waiting for a chance to eat me.
My pity for the beast won out even as my pulse quickened. I scooped up water in my hands and carefully moved them through the bars. After a moment of hesitation, Satan approached me. I tensed when she opened her muzzle but only her tongue darted out and she began to drink eagerly. I repeated the process several times until she seemed satisfied.
“What are you doing?” Maddox asked, startling me so much, I bruised my wrists when I jerked them back through the bars. Satan let out a sharp bark at the quick movement.
“Giving her water.”
Maddox scanned my drenched clothes. “And why are you wet?”
“Cody hosed me down instead of giving the dogs water when I asked him to fill their bowls.”
Maddox’s expression flickered with fury. “Asshole,” he muttered, then he frowned. “Why do you even care if the dogs have water or not?”
“They’re locked inside a cage without a fault of their own, just like me.”
Maddox shook his head with a strange smile as he picked up the hose and filled all the bowls with water. By now, it was getting dark.
“Is it true that the dogs have to starve so they fight more viciously tonight?”
“Yeah,” Maddox said. “Earl’s orders.”
“It’s wrong. Dog fights are disgusting. I feel pity for them.”
“I don’t like the fights either, but the prez makes the decisions and we all follow them even if we hate them.”
I was surprised by his honesty and I could see in his face that he hadn’t meant to reveal as much. “Were you against kidnapping me?”
Maddox shook his head with a strange smile. “Do you need a blanket or towel?”
“No, it’s warm enough.”
He tipped an imaginary hat before he headed back to the clubhouse where he perched on the banister and lit up a cigarette. I had a feeling he’d watch me as long as he could forgo sleep.
Soon Denver, who hadn’t dared come near me again, and Gunnar picked up several dogs, among them Satan, and led them away. Deep in the woods, lights were set up but I couldn’t make out any details. Yet, when the first snarls and later yelps and whines echoed through the area, I closed my eyes and held my hands over my ears.
The dog fights were absolutely unnecessary, especially because tonight we didn’t even have any visitors who could bet on the outcome. This was solely for Earl’s and the club’s entertainment. When I was a kid, Earl had forced me to watch the dogs tear each other apart but by now I was old enough to stay away. Gray wasn’t as lucky. Earl still thought he needed to harden the boy by making him watch this sadistic spectacle.
I tried to ignore the sound of the fighting and watched Marcella instead. She was sunken into herself, cupping her ears with her palms. She’d surprised me today. I wouldn’t have thought she cared for anything but herself. Seeing her help Satan by risking her fingers had done something to me I couldn’t quite explain.