Spellbound (Otherworld 12)

"They didn't say."

"But you think you know."

"I'm valuable. In so many ways." He leaned toward her, lips brushing hers again. She jumped. He did too, leaping to his feet and pacing, his voice taking on that manic rhythm again.

"Ol' Ben wants to know how they plan to spring me? Tell him I'm disappointed. I thought he was smarter than that. He's built me a cage from which I cannot escape." He banged his fist on the wall. "I'm locked in a metal box within a dozen metal boxes, layer upon layer of security. How do I get myself out? I can't."

"Someone has to get you out," Hope said.

"Correct. But who? Who could set me free? It must be one of my visitors. No, wait, I'm not allowed any. Then it must be the woman who brings my food or cleans my kennel. No, wait, I don't get a waitress or a maid. I only get guards, and they're all handpicked. Special guards for a special prisoner. All family men, who know that if I get out, the Cabal will retaliate, might make sure one of their little kiddies suffers a horrible accident. So it wouldn't be them. Who else do I see? Who else could set me free?"

"The scientists. And you're fine with telling me this because Benicio can't afford to get rid of them all. They're a lot more valuable than guards. He'll have to negotiate with you to get a name."

Jaz swooped in and grabbed Hope under the arms, swinging her off her chair before she had time to blink. "See, this is why I love you. You know exactly how my mind works. Because yours works the same way."

She struggled to get free. Jaz put his hand under her chin, lifted it, and kissed her. Not a quick brush of the lips this time, but a real kiss, deep and hard. At a crack from across the room, I tore my gaze from the screen to see Karl yanking on the door.

"Open this goddamn door," he snarled at Benicio. "Or--"

"Am I pissing you off yet, Karl?" Jaz yelled from inside his cell.

I turned back to the screen. Hope had gotten free and retreated across the room. Jaz was scanning the ceiling.

"What's the matter, Karl?" he called. "Ol' Ben not letting you come to the rescue? Don't worry, I'm sure he's opening the door right about now."

The door flew open. Benicio followed Karl out, saying, "Calm down, Karl. We'll get her out. She's not in any danger."

In his cell, Jaz kept talking. Behind him, Hope fussed with her scarf, tugging at it anxiously.

"You shouldn't have left me alone with her," Jaz said. "Do you know how fast I could fix her little pregnancy problem? Faster than you could get in here and stop me. One good punch"--he swung his hand back--"and she'd be free from--"

Hope kicked him in the back of the knees. As he dropped, the scarf went around his neck. She twisted it and jammed her foot into his back for leverage.

I raced after Karl and Benicio, and caught up just as the guards flew into Jaz's cell, the two men behind them.

"Hope!" Benicio said. "You don't want to do that."

"Oh, yes, I do," she said. Her face was twisted, eyes glowing, and at that moment, I didn't see sweet, quiet Hope. I saw the demon.

Everyone stopped in their tracks. Everyone except Karl, who barreled past and tugged the scarf from her hands, saying, "I've got this," and in another second, Jasper Haig would have been dead, but that split second was all it took for the security guards to recover. They rushed Karl before he could give that final wrench.

They pulled Jaz out of his reach, then turned on Karl, guns lifted. He waved them aside, picked up Hope, and carried her out the door.

As Benicio called for a doctor to tend to Hope, Jaz rose, rubbing his throat and wincing.

"I think she likes you," I said.

He looked at me, hesitated, as if to say, "Who the hell are you?" But he didn't, only flashed that disarming grin and said, "I made her mad. I deserved it and I wouldn't expect anything less. That's why I love her." He turned to Benicio. "So, Ben, when do I get to see her again? I was hoping we could play a board game. Trouble. I bet she likes that one."

Benicio ignored him.

"You think I'm joking?" Jaz said. "You forget. I know which of your scientists has turned traitor on you. You'll want to know that information. You'll also want to know about the top-secret project he's working on. With your equipment and your resources. Some of your other scientists, too, I bet. For that I'm going to expect more face time with Hope. A lot more."

Benicio waved me from the room and followed without a word to Jaz.

Karl had taken Hope to the lounge where I'd rested. When I got there, he was arguing with a doctor. I was about to withdraw when he noticed me.

"You," he said. "Get back here."