The Perfect Couple (Last Stand #4)(44)
Author: Brenda Novak

"You’re welcome. Doesn’t it smell delicious?" She waved it in front of Sam’s nose.

Sam’s mouth began to water. "Mmm hmm."

"Did you eat some of your food today? So I can tell Colin you’re being a good doggie?"

"A little." The pellets she’d choked down seemed to sit in her stomach.

Weeks, days, hours ago–Samantha didn’t even know when–Tiffany had brought her a toothbrush and some toothpaste. But Sam had to use her water bowl in order to brush, which meant she either had to swallow the toothpaste or ruin her water. She’d chosen to swallow it to rid her mouth of the taste of dog food. Now the combination churned together in her stomach, making her queasy.

"Way to go! Then give me a smile. I won’t allow anyone to be sad around me today."

Sam felt a slight burst of hope. "Is today…different?"

Tiffany shrugged and brought the bread within easy reach, but her smile widened almost wickedly as Sam’s eyes latched onto it. "You want this, don’t you," she said with a laugh.

Sam wasn’t sure she could trust this new, playful side of Tiffany. Was she only pretending she’d give her the bread?

"Is that a yes?" Tiffany prompted when Sam hesitated.

She nodded.

"Prove it."

"How?"

"Show me a trick."

Sam clenched her hands in the blanket. "What kind of trick?"

"Go to the bathroom in front of me. Like a dog."

Sam’s eyes went to the kitty-litter box in the corner. She’d had diarrhea earlier, so it stank, even though she’d changed it during Tiffany’s last visit. "That’s gross," she said.

"Why? You pee in front of your girlfriends, don’t you?"

"They don’t watch me."

"Come on. We’re both girls."

Sam’s heart sank. Tiffany didn’t want to see her go to the bathroom.

She just wanted to make Sam do something that would leave her feeling worse. She wasn’t very different from Colin.

"No." She spoke so low she could barely hear herself.

"What’d you say?"

She didn’t respond.

"Damn, you’re stubborn," Tiffany said in disbelief. "Rover peed in front of me. He didn’t care at all as long as I gave him a piece of toast."

Sam thought of those marks on the wall. She’d been following Rover’s example by making her own marks, too. "What happened to Rover?"

"None of your business." She considered the toast, momentarily gloomy again. "Oh, what the hell. Eat it," she said and tossed it at Sam. "It’s not like I can afford the calories. But if you ever refuse to pee in front of Colin, you’ll regret it. I can tell you that."

Sam scrambled off the mattress to collect her prize. She was afraid Tiffany would change her mind and take it back, but Tiffany didn’t seem interested in the food anymore. She slid down the opposite wall and started yakking about Colin as if Sam was her best friend. At least Sam thought she was yakking about Colin. She definitely heard his name, but she wasn’t paying attention; she was too focused on wiping every last bit of jelly from the floor.

"It’s going to be fine," Tiffany was saying. "I’ve been worried for nothing. Colin loves me, he just has some anger issues, you know?"

"Uh-huh," Sam said. But she had no idea what Tiffany’s words meant.

She was only responding to the lift in her voice, keeping Tiffany preoccupied so she could enjoy the first normal food she’d had in what seemed like forever. The butter was oh, so sweet….

"A lot of people have anger issues," Tiffany rambled on. "He’ll work through them. He’d never let his anger come between us. You should see the roses he left me."

Roses or no, Samantha knew Colin had more "issues" than anger–he was screwed up in a major way, like that creepy guy in Suburbia.

"He’s handsome, don’t you think?" Tiffany asked.

Sam had just swallowed the last bite of her toast. Closing her eyes, she chewed slowly, savoring it as long as possible–

"I asked you a question." Tiffany’s voice was suddenly filled with irritation. "Jeez, how much can someone worship a piece of bread? I don’t get any more food than you do."

"What’d you say?" Sam asked.

"I said Colin’s handsome, don’t you think?"

Sam clamped her mouth shut and glared over at her.

Tiffany stood. "What? Don’t tell me you want to say no."

"He’s not handsome," she said. "He’s the ugliest man I’ve ever seen."

"That’s not nice!"

Sam wasn’t sure where the hateful words came from. Even as they spewed out of her mouth she knew she’d regret it, and yet she couldn’t stop.

"He’s evil and twisted and I hope he gets in a car accident on his way home from work and dies a bloody death! I’d dance on his grave because the world would be a much better place without him! And you! If you knew anything at all about…anything…you wouldn’t help him. That makes you as evil as he is. You’re both going to hell with all the other monsters who hurt people!"

Tiffany blinked as if she was too stunned to respond. "You little–"

she started, but Sam wasn’t finished yet.

"Maybe you’ll kill me. But they’ll catch you, Tiffany. They’ll catch you and they’ll lock you up, and then you’ll be the animal. You’ll rot in a cage until the day you die, and then the demons will come for you, just like those creatures in Ghost. They’ll drag you away to writhe in torment!"

"Vile little bitch!" she screamed when Sam had finally run out of the strength to continue. "You’re going on the leash. And I’m never bringing you another treat as long as you live!" When she flounced to the door, Sam followed. She had to make a break for it. This was her only chance. But Tiffany easily shoved her back.

There was silence for several seconds. Then the door opened again and Tiffany stomped in, carrying a leash. "How dare you talk to me that way! Rover was sweet compared to you. And I’m glad you don’t care about dying because Colin’s probably going to kill you as soon as he gets home!

You think you and Rover are the only pets we’ve had? Heck no! The body of the last girl is rotting in the bottom of an outhouse!"

Suddenly terrified by what she might have caused, Sam cowered in the corner. "What’re you doing?" she whimpered.

"You’ll see. You’ll quit being such a spoiled brat after a few days of wearing this."

Sam wrestled with her. But in her current state, she was no match for Tiffany, who wouldn’t back off even when Sam started shouting about germs and mono. After forcing a chainlike collar over her head, Tiffany yanked it so tight Sam couldn’t breathe. She rolled on the ground gasping for air while Tiffany stood above her, nostrils flaring with anger as much as exertion.