The Curse (Belador #3)(36)

That would probably get her tortured slowly before he killed her. The thought of torture brought on another wave of worry over Tristan. Where was he? What was Kizira doing to him?

Evalle had to get out of here and find a way to help him.

A knock at the door broke into her thoughts and Deek’s formidable concentration. His black gaze shot to her first, then he looked at the door, and it opened on its own.

Now that he’d noticed her again it didn’t matter if she made noise. She sat up, shifting her tired body.

A hot security guy with a smoking body—one of the many who worked for Deek—decked out in a black Iron Casket T-shirt and cargo pants strode in. “We can’t budge it.”

“Ridiculous.” Deek hit the solid-marble desk with his fist. Sounded like Thor striking his hammer.

The security guard held up both hands. “Don’t know what to tell you, boss. Must be warded or something. Won’t roll, and four of us tried to lift it.”

Not roll? They were trying to move her motorcycle?

Good luck with that, boys. They weren’t human, but she hadn’t picked up any superstrong energy, which meant they were probably just male witches.

Anger smoldered in Deek’s vicious gaze for a moment, then his eyes thinned with an unholy smile. He told his man, “Leave us.”

When the door closed, Deek stepped over to where Evalle peered up at him from her uncomfortable position. “Listen up, Alterant. I said I’d give you a chance to convince me not to kill you. I did not say you could stay here while you composed a novel. One sentence.”

Where would he send her?

She’d heard rumors about Deek’s basement—dungeon would be more accurate—and didn’t want to find out if those hideous stories were true. The Beladors would eventually come looking for her, and when they did, they’d find her gold GSX-R sitting outside the Iron Casket. Her motorcycle would be easy to spot after daylight in the nightclub’s empty parking lot.

But that didn’t appear to concern Deek. And why should it, since VIPER was no issue for him?

“Well, Alterant?”

Trying not to offend him, Evalle lifted both shoulders in what she hoped conveyed her desire to discuss the situation, but that she needed more than one sentence to do that.

“You are trying my patience, which is unwise since I have none to begin with. You hold your tongue thinking to prolong your life?”

She smiled and nodded. Now you’re getting it, skippy.

“I can assure you a very long life while you wait, one that will be filled with interesting activities.”

She didn’t care for the sound of that, which must have shown on her face. So much for practicing not exposing her emotions. She’d never make a decent poker player.

Deek grinned. A happy centaur in this situation could not mean good news.

He lifted an eyebrow, smirking. “Your motorcycle is no problem. I can destroy it, even with the warding, but not yet. For now I’ll have it covered with a small storage building or a construction Dumpster with the middle cut out. No one will find it … ever.”

That trumped her staying quiet.

“I see that we’re finally communicating,” he said.

Gloating is unattractive, Deek.

Better to take her best shot now and find out if she had to risk contacting Tzader and Quinn for help getting out of this situation. She drew in a deep breath so Deek couldn’t assume she was done if she stopped to breathe. “I would never come into your building uninvited and I didn’t this time because I had no idea where I was being teleported since someone else was doing it and I’m sorry I threw up on you but teleporting makes me sick and”—she was running out of air—“if you’ll let me go I can promise it will never happen again—”

“Really?”

Evalle sucked in a quick breath. “Well, sure. I’m not stupid, Deek. No one breaks your rules in your house.”

“Your time is up.”

Just as well. She couldn’t think of anything else to say. “The Beladors will come for me if I go missing. And there’s a tracker who will find my bike.”

Deek said, “I am not concerned about who comes for you. Don’t try to convince me that VIPER will question my right to sanction anyone who breaches my domain, regardless of the reason.”

True. Especially for an Alterant.

Sen would offer suggestions on how to torture her.

But Deek hadn’t done anything to her yet, so she held out hope of negotiating. “Isn’t there some way we can work this out, Deek? It was an accident.”

He strolled back across his office, then turned, facing her as he leaned a hip against his desk. “Who sent you here?”

Now she’d get Tristan in trouble after he’d clearly given her all his teleporting power to help her escape. “It’s complicated.”

“When you figure it out, let me know.” Deek vanished.

The door opened and two of his security men came in.

Should she use her kinetics and risk getting toasted on the spot?

One guy reached down and unlocked the manacle on her left arm. She yelled, “Deek! Come back.”

The other guard locked a metal collar around her neck.

“Oh, come on, Deek. You want to hear what I have to say.”

Deek reappeared in front of her. He lifted his chin at the two security guys, who immediately withdrew from the room. When the door closed, Deek told her, “Speak.”