snap under the tension and free him.
“That’s right,” Heather said dryly, watching him with bored eyes. “Just keep jiggling the ropes. Maybe they’ll magically untie themselves this time.”
He growled. “I have to try. I don’t like being Raven’s plaything.”
“You mean you don’t like being her plaything when it’s not consensual.” She wrinkled her nose. “I can’t believe you slept with her, Gabriel. That’s so gross.”
“It was five hundred years ago.”
“Still gross.”
He concentrated on the ropes around his body. He was going to kill Raven. No. First he was going to break her neck—again. Then he was going to kill her.
He struggled a minute longer before falling back against the pillar in annoyance. They hung in silence, but every few minutes Heather would sigh heavily or make a throaty noise.
He looked her over for a minute. Her blond hair hung in matted curls around her head and the pink dress she wore led down to a pair of bare feet with matching pink toenails, making her look like a large, dirty baby doll.
She made another throat noise.
Gabriel stared at her. “Must you huff and puff every two minutes? Can’t you just hang in bitterness and betrayal like me without making throaty sounds?”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Are my throaty sounds bothering you? I’ll be sure to zip them right up so your stay at the Hostage Hotel from Hell is more enjoyable,” she said. “I’m dirty and tired and I’m pretty sure I’m starting to hallucinate because, a second ago, I saw a cup of coffee hovering above your head. So I’ll huff and puff if I want to!”
“Wow.” He nodded. “Your coffee habit is ridiculous.”
“Shut up.”
He looked around with a sigh. “Why do you think Raven kidnapped us?”
“She wants the map to the Fountain of Youth. I think Scarlet is supposed to hand the map over to Raven in return for our lives. Or at least, my life. I have no idea why Raven kidnapped you—other than to take off your clothes and feel you up.”
“Hello children,” called a deceptively friendly voice from the other side of the warehouse. Raven stepped into sight and winked at Gabriel. “Hanging in there?”
He sneered at her.
“Don’t do that, lover.” She tsked . “It distorts that handsome face of yours.” She looked at his neck. “Looks like you’re all better. Now we’re even.”
Not even close, whack job.
She skimmed his neck with her fingers.
“Stop touching me,” he said.
She gripped his throat and squeezed for a moment, her sharp nails sinking into his skin as she cut off his oxygen.
“Be nice, Gabriel,” she said with a smile as he choked. Then she released him.
Walking over to the table, Raven picked up the needle and tubing she’d used on him before and injected the needle into him again. Soon a steady stream of red flowed from his neck into a second plastic blood bag.
He tilted his head to better watch her. “What are you going to do with my blood?”
“Get my every wish.”
Cryptic.
Awesome.
Finished with his blood, Raven undid the needle and tubing from Gabriel’s body and glanced at the door. “Guards!”
Five Ashmen entered the room and obediently stood guard in a circle around Heather and Gabriel.
“Nighty-night,” Raven said before exiting the room.
Heather’s mouth hung open. “She’s leaving us here all night?”
Gabriel pursed his lips. “I’m pretty sure that’s how the whole kidnap/ransom thing works.”
Heather wrinkled her nose at the nearest Ashman. “Well this sucks.”
A few minutes of silence passed before Heather made a throaty noise.
Gabriel blinked at her. “Seriously?”
“Shut up,” she huffed.
It was going to be a long night.
***************
Scarlet’s body was clean, but her conscience felt dirty.
Very dirty.
Tristan knew. Well, he didn’t know , but he knew. And Scarlet didn’t know how long she’d be able to keep his curious eyes from diving into her soul and coaxing out her
“That’s right,” Heather said dryly, watching him with bored eyes. “Just keep jiggling the ropes. Maybe they’ll magically untie themselves this time.”
He growled. “I have to try. I don’t like being Raven’s plaything.”
“You mean you don’t like being her plaything when it’s not consensual.” She wrinkled her nose. “I can’t believe you slept with her, Gabriel. That’s so gross.”
“It was five hundred years ago.”
“Still gross.”
He concentrated on the ropes around his body. He was going to kill Raven. No. First he was going to break her neck—again. Then he was going to kill her.
He struggled a minute longer before falling back against the pillar in annoyance. They hung in silence, but every few minutes Heather would sigh heavily or make a throaty noise.
He looked her over for a minute. Her blond hair hung in matted curls around her head and the pink dress she wore led down to a pair of bare feet with matching pink toenails, making her look like a large, dirty baby doll.
She made another throat noise.
Gabriel stared at her. “Must you huff and puff every two minutes? Can’t you just hang in bitterness and betrayal like me without making throaty sounds?”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Are my throaty sounds bothering you? I’ll be sure to zip them right up so your stay at the Hostage Hotel from Hell is more enjoyable,” she said. “I’m dirty and tired and I’m pretty sure I’m starting to hallucinate because, a second ago, I saw a cup of coffee hovering above your head. So I’ll huff and puff if I want to!”
“Wow.” He nodded. “Your coffee habit is ridiculous.”
“Shut up.”
He looked around with a sigh. “Why do you think Raven kidnapped us?”
“She wants the map to the Fountain of Youth. I think Scarlet is supposed to hand the map over to Raven in return for our lives. Or at least, my life. I have no idea why Raven kidnapped you—other than to take off your clothes and feel you up.”
“Hello children,” called a deceptively friendly voice from the other side of the warehouse. Raven stepped into sight and winked at Gabriel. “Hanging in there?”
He sneered at her.
“Don’t do that, lover.” She tsked . “It distorts that handsome face of yours.” She looked at his neck. “Looks like you’re all better. Now we’re even.”
Not even close, whack job.
She skimmed his neck with her fingers.
“Stop touching me,” he said.
She gripped his throat and squeezed for a moment, her sharp nails sinking into his skin as she cut off his oxygen.
“Be nice, Gabriel,” she said with a smile as he choked. Then she released him.
Walking over to the table, Raven picked up the needle and tubing she’d used on him before and injected the needle into him again. Soon a steady stream of red flowed from his neck into a second plastic blood bag.
He tilted his head to better watch her. “What are you going to do with my blood?”
“Get my every wish.”
Cryptic.
Awesome.
Finished with his blood, Raven undid the needle and tubing from Gabriel’s body and glanced at the door. “Guards!”
Five Ashmen entered the room and obediently stood guard in a circle around Heather and Gabriel.
“Nighty-night,” Raven said before exiting the room.
Heather’s mouth hung open. “She’s leaving us here all night?”
Gabriel pursed his lips. “I’m pretty sure that’s how the whole kidnap/ransom thing works.”
Heather wrinkled her nose at the nearest Ashman. “Well this sucks.”
A few minutes of silence passed before Heather made a throaty noise.
Gabriel blinked at her. “Seriously?”
“Shut up,” she huffed.
It was going to be a long night.
***************
Scarlet’s body was clean, but her conscience felt dirty.
Very dirty.
Tristan knew. Well, he didn’t know , but he knew. And Scarlet didn’t know how long she’d be able to keep his curious eyes from diving into her soul and coaxing out her
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