He placed a hand on her and she saw his neck stretched over her.

She could bite him! If she had the guts, all she had to do was clamp her teeth down on his Adam’s apple. He’d never suspect . . . Oh dear God. Could she? Yes!

Quick as a snake striking, she lunged with her whole body, her mouth open wide.

“What?” he cried as she bit, sinking her teeth as far as she could into his throat.

“AAARrrrrrgh!”

He squealed as she clamped down hard. Blood—thick, salty, and warm—rushed into her mouth and ran down her own chin as he stumbled to his knees, then stood and tried to shake her off. Flesh ripped beneath her sharp incisors.

“You fucking bitch,” he hissed, his voice destroyed, red spit flinging from his mouth.

She held on, clenching her teeth together as he roared and threw his head, this way, then the other. Screaming and stumbling, he flailed, trying to pull her off him, but she suffered his blows, thinking all the time of Zoe and knowing she would never survive.

Well, damn it, if she was going to die, this fucker was going with her!

He threw himself against the wall, rattling her bones and snapping her head back. But she didn’t let go, her jaw locked as she slithered down the wall and in a horrible tearing of flesh, part of his throat ripped and she nearly choked on the thick piece in her mouth.

He fell to the side and gurgled, thrashing as blood spurted from the gaping hole in his neck. And over the noise of his death throes, she heard other sounds, sirens screaming in the distance, and on the floor above, the damned dog barking like crazy.

Please, she thought desperately, unable to move, bound as she was. Please, please save me.

He was moaning, a rippling sound, coughing on his own blood, gasping wetly and lying not ten feet from her, the red ribbon unraveled over his body and drenched in his blood. Overhead she heard shouts and footsteps, the dog’s barking quieted, men shouting.

I don’t want to die.

“Down here!” a deep voice cautioned.

“Careful!” Female voice.

“Police!” Deep voice again. “Bridges, come out!”

“Help me!” she yelled, though her voice was faint and she had to spit against the remnants of the freak’s skin, muscle, and blood in her mouth and then as the thought gagged, causing her body to spasm and her bonds to tighten. She nearly passed out.

“Holy shit.” A man from the room above. “We’ve got a victim!”

“Police! Bridges, come out with your hands up! Throw down your weapons.”