“What’s going on?”
My voice trembled for effect while I measured each of the five men in the limo, gauging their strengths. They hadn’t frisked me for weapons, which was just not smart. I had two throwing knives taped to my upper back, and the heels on my shoes weren’t wood.
“We’re being kidnapped,” Tate answered coolly as the car sped off. “Don’t worry, they’re only interested in me.”
Anthony grinned, elbowing his closest companion. “Can you believe the luck, finding one of Bones’s people at the carnival? Patra will be so happy!”
The other vampire didn’t share Anthony’s giddiness. His gaze traveled over me in a calculated manner. He dies first, was my instant decision. A thinker, didn’t need one of those.
“And his gray-eyed, red-haired friend? You haven’t mentioned her.”
Something was in his hand, and I made a bleat of terror as a normal person would when it pointed at me. A gun, well, getting shot hurt less than getting burned, that was for damn sure. As long as he didn’t blow a hole in my head or heart, any other area could get fixed.
Anthony giggled like a joke had been told. “Kratas, why Patra assigned you to me, I’ll never know. She’s a fake, of course. Tate’s into role-playing. He’s got a thing for the real Reaper, it’s common knowledge. Maybe I’ll keep the redhead for a while. She’s not important, so Patra won’t need her.”
Kratas sent Anthony such a jaded look that the other vampires were suddenly at attention.
“None of you can think past your cocks, that’s why Patra assigned me. Can I imagine the luck? No, I can’t.”
Anthony seemed a little sobered by that. He considered me more objectively. Then he shook his head.
“Her hair smells dyed, her eyes have some blue in them, and her skin…it doesn’t have a hint of glow, and she’s got no tat. Plus, you didn’t see the two of them when I came into the carnival. They were all over each other. Bones wouldn’t let his wife fool around with the youngest member of his line.”
Kratas gave me another hard stare. “Waste of time to mesmerize her and ask,” he muttered, almost more to himself. “If she’s not the Reaper, she’ll claim innocence, and if she is, she’ll still claim innocence, since they say vampire powers don’t work on her.”
A brunette vampire shrugged. “Then kill her, it’s not worth the risk.”
I let out a frightened squeak for effect while I mentally readied myself for a fight. But Kratas was already shaking his head.
“And risk losing our most valuable hostage ever? I think not.”
“I have an idea,” one of the other vamps piped up. “Have them fuck. He wouldn’t risk the death sentence if that’s the Reaper, and neither would the real Reaper do it.”
Tate let out a disbelieving chuckle even as my hand tightened over his.
“Come on, guys, you expect me to get it on now, when the poor girl’s shaking in fear? No thanks, I’m not into rape.”
Kratas, to my dismay, seemed to like the idea. He cocked his gun. “You into death? Because this gun’s filled with silver bullets, and that’s what you and your girlfriend are gonna get unless you do it. Here, we’ll even give you some space.”
With questionable helpfulness, the other vampires cleared off our seat and scrunched next to each other on the opposite one. Tate and I had their undivided attention. Great. Now what? They were all too alert for us to make a move. No, they had to be off their guard first.
Tate looked as rattled as I felt. I had to do something, fast, before he ruined it. The bottom line was, we needed them to lead us to Hykso. If we just started the mayhem now, there were too many of them for us to try and take a few alive. Sure, Bones would jump in on the fight, but what if before then, Tate or I happened to kill the only person who knew where Hykso was? We couldn’t risk it.
“I don’t want to die,” I quavered, rustling up some crocodile tears. “We shouldn’t have gone out tonight, I told you I wanted to stay home!”
Tate only took a second to fling off his unease. My act was saying to play the game—for now. Just long enough to get us a little closer to Hykso.
Tate took me in his arms. “It’s all right, baby. Everything will be fine.” Then he glared at them.
“You can forget about using a stopwatch, because I’m taking as long as it needs to get her in more of a mood.”
“Just glare her into the mood,” one of them snapped impatiently.
Tate gave a disgusted grunt. “That may be how you get chicks to want to fuck you, but I find a little something called foreplay works, too.”
“Fine, do it your way,” Anthony said. “As long as it’s in the next twenty minutes, because we’ll be at Hykso’s plane by then.”
Mentally I smiled. Good, tell us how far away we are, that’ll make it easier to coordinate an attack.