You're the One by Angela Verdenius

distress.”
    “No.”
    “You’re
lying.”
    She was. They
all knew it. So she simply watched him in silence. She might be
scared, she’d been dumb to come out alone at night not knowing what
was happening, but she wouldn’t back down. To show weakness right
now would not only make her weak in their eyes, but it wasn’t in
her nature.
    Ryder was
right, she had more guts than sense. More pride than intelligence.
Plus they all knew that no matter what she said she’d be lying. It
didn’t matter if she was crapping her daks, she would never ignore
a distressed animal.
    Cutter laughed
suddenly, ugly and low. “I like a woman with spirit. Know what I
like even more?” When she didn’t reply, he smiled. “I like to break
that spirit.”
    She just bet
he did.
    “Not going to
talk now, Del? No smart comments?”
    Del kept hold
of the bat, kept hold of her tongue.
    He leaned
forward just a little, the slight move somehow ominous. His eyes
glinted in the torch light. “See you around, sugar.”
    “I keep this
bat handy, Cutter.” She could have bitten her tongue when the
comment slipped out, but it was too late. “Just remember that.”
    He laughed,
amused. Very bloody, darkly amused. “Oh, I will. Trust me, I will
remember.” Swinging around on his heel, he jerked his head at
Pierce and Brand. “Let’s go.”
    Without
hesitation they followed him, disappearing around the bend of her
driveway.
    While every
instinct shouted at her to run inside the house and lock the doors,
Del nevertheless stood in place, the bat gripped tightly in her
hand, her gaze never wavering from where they’d walked. Their
voices faded as they reached the road and crossed over onto
Pierce’s property.
    Only then did
she turn, forcing her pace to be steady as she walked back around
the house to the where the light lit up the back. She refused to
run, because to do so would mean giving in to fear. Not going to
happen.
    As she started
up the steps, she nearly jumped out of her skin when something spat
at her, a low hissing following.
    “Bugger me!”
Hand to her chest, heart pounding, she peered at the old sofa on
the veranda.
    Staring back
at her, fur bristled, was a kitten. It was this little thing that
had shot past her, chased by the dog.
    “Oh man.”
Lowering the baseball bat, Del knelt on the veranda. “Hey, baby.
It’s all right.” She held out a slightly shaking hand.
    The kitten
spat again, hunched further under the sofa.
    After several
seconds trying to coax it out, Del hurried inside and opened a can
of sardines, tipping them onto a saucer before going back onto the
veranda, hoping the kitten hadn’t taken its chance to
disappear.
    It still
huddled under the sofa, no longer spitting but growling a
little.
    “Here, baby.”
Del placed the saucer near the kitten’s nose, letting it get a good
sniff.
    It meowed,
moved forward.
    Del shifted
the saucer a little further away. The kitten followed hesitantly.
The whole time she spoke softly, cooing gently until it finally
came out fully, so intent on the saucer.
    As it ate, Del
slowly edged her hand forward, the kitten darting away a little
when she touched it. She drew her hand back, waited, still crooning
softly. It edged forward again, had another bite, and then settled
to eat.
    This time when
she stroked it gently, the kitten stayed put.
    Cripes, the
little thing was so small and hungry, gulping the fish down. Del
felt the dampness on its coat, the smell of urine. Poor little
bugger had wet itself in fright while being chased.
    She continued
to stroke it, continued talking as it finished the fish and sat
upright, looking up at her out of big eyes.
    Carefully, Del
slid her hand around it, feeling the trembling of the little body,
unable to help but smile a little when she realised it was purring.
Good sign. It continued to purr as she scooped it gently up into
her hands, slowly gathering it to her chest.
    Pushing
upwards, she kept the kitten in one hand, the bat in the other,