I settle into the seat, shifting uncomfortably around my bound hands. “Hey, one of you guys want to untie me? What if I pinky swear I won’t try to run away?”
One of the front seat guards chuckles softly. The other two remain silent and completely ignore me.
We leave, and I keep careful tabs out the window on where we are headed. If Margery were smart, she would have blindfolded me, put headphones over my ears, done everything in her power to ensure I couldn’t lead someone to wherever she intends to take me. Well, it will only matter if I can get out of here alive. Right now, my odds aren’t looking so hot.
I pick at the knots around my wrist, but they are tight as hell and not budging. So instead, I focus on the guards. They are all still wearing their ski masks, as if they aren’t people so much as goons for hire. I try goading them. “Hey, is that face thing hot? It looks hot? I won’t tell if you take it off, roll down the window, cool off. You’ve been working hard today; you deserve a break.”
I didn’t keep the sarcasm out of my tone. They all sit silently in response. Interesting. Who knew Selena’s council had such interesting guards? Or maybe they are Margery’s personal guard. There’s no way to tell.
It only takes about ten minutes to get to our destination. “Where are we?” I try. Of course, not a peep from the goon squad as they jerk me from the car and lead me into a warehouse type of building.
Inside looks very similar to the event space with the marble columns, but the outside of the place is built like a ring, not unlike the chairs in the other place. Except this one has a door at each point a chair would sit.
It looks like the set of a mythological game show. What’s behind door number two?
They lead me to the one dead center of the curve, no doubt the room meant for the lead councilmember. When we get to the door, one guard shoves it open while the others toss me inside.
My hip hits the edge of some kind of furniture. The room is pitch black, so I stumble around until I find a clear spot to sit on the floor and consider my options.
It smells clean in here. Freshly clean, not like the councilwoman’s perfume or anything. So maybe she didn’t use this room much and intends to keep me as a prisoner. Ransom could be considered if she weren’t so hell bent on sleeping with me.
It’s dark, and I can’t hear anything outside the room. Nothing within either. No beep or lights from electronics, or even a fan.
I don’t know how long has passed when the door opens to reveal my captor in a beam of light. I duck my chin to protect my eyes as she flips the light switch. “Why are you sitting here in the dark?”
Really? That’s her question? It’s dumb as fuck, so I don’t give her an answer.
She crosses the room, which is longer than my original estimation, and sits on the bed with a little bounce. She’d changed since we arrived, now wearing a dress even worse than her previous one. Even though she is getting older, she’s trying to pretend she’s not. There’s nothing less attractive on a woman than this level of insecurity. It’s not even normal does-this-dress-make-me-look-fat insecurity. Which explains why I’m here, tied up, about to be used for whatever perverted fantasy she has playing in her mind.
She pats the bed beside her. “You can come sit with me. You might be more comfortable.”
I shake my head and tent my knees to rest my elbows on top. “I’m good right here.”
When she pouts and bats her lashes, I almost wish I joined her so I could slap that fucking look off her face. “What is wrong with you? Why did you kidnap me?”
She straightens, all pretense at allure wiped off her now shrewd features. Ah, so she’s at least somewhat of a good actress then. Interesting. “That’s an easy one…because you belong to me, and Selena took you.”
“You took over her council seat way before I came into her life. Hell, you’re the one who drove us together since I had to keep her safe.”
She scowls, slumping like a petulant teenager. “Don’t remind me. A miscalculation on my part. She’s always refused help in the past. I thought she’d rush off to her home, and I could send my men to take her out easily. Selena is not known for playing well with others.”
I study this woman, trying to pinpoint where she’s going with this. “Why though? Why now? Why not make a bid for the chair when her parent’s abdicated?”