Beyond the Darkness (Guardians of Eternity #6)(48)

Or rather, its lack of glory.

“Not on your life,” she said, tilting her chin with a display of courage she was far from feeling.

“It just might be,” Salvatore muttered, glaring at two hulking trolls who were eyeing Harley as if she were a tasty appetizer.

With a lift of his slender hand, a beautiful female imp with pale red hair and ivory curves on full display in a tiny spandex dress rushed to do his bidding. And if her smile was anything to go by, she was hoping his bidding included taking off that scrap of spandex.

Harley gritted her teeth, but Salvatore seemed oblivious to the woman’s blatant invitation.

“A booth,” he commanded. “As far from the arena as possible.”

“Of course.” With a venomous glance toward Harley, the imp wound her way past the tables on the top tier, leading them to a shadowed alcove that held a small booth. Harley slid onto a steel bench seat and Salvatore settled opposite her, his gaze sweeping the crowd rather than focusing on the imp who had practically thrust her br**sts beneath his nose. “A drink, lover?”

Harley cleared her throat. “A Bloody Mary,” she ordered, her tone warning that her drink wasn’t going to be the only bloody thing if the bitch didn’t back off.

As if sensing the sudden tension in the air, Salvatore studied her flushed face with a smug smile.

“Hennessy,” he absently ordered.

With a flounce, the imp turned and stormed through the crowed, presumably headed to the bar for their drinks. Avidly aware of Salvatore’s unwavering gaze, Harley settled back in her seat.

“Isn’t Hennessy a little snobbish for a joint like this?”

He reached to stroke his finger over the back of her hand that was lying on the table.

“What can I say? I’m a Were of discerning taste.”

Her clever comeback died on her lips as spotlights abruptly flared across the ceiling and the milling crowd erupted into noisy cheers.

Glancing upward, Harley watched as four small golden cages were lowered from the hidden traps in the ceiling. They halted several feet over the large cage on the floor, dangling in the spotlights.

“Holy crap,” she breathed, allowing her gaze to shift from one cage to another. “Are those imps?”

Salvatore grimaced. “They’re part of the show.”

That wasn’t reassuring considering the four imps, two male and two female, were completely naked except for the heavy steel collars around their necks.

“Just what is this show?”

“The demon version of The Dating Game.”

Harley shook her head. She was addicted to the Game Show Network, and she hadn’t seen any show with naked imps hanging in cages.

“Somehow I don’t think the human version is even in the same universe. I assume there are a few rules?”

“Rudimentary ones. You pay an exorbitant amount of money for the privilege of joining a dozen other demons in the pit.” He pointed toward the huge cage on the floor that could accommodate an indoor soccer league. “The last demon standing is rewarded with a key.”

“Key?”

His hand lifted toward the cages, each with a large lock that held the doors shut.

“Once the winner makes his or her choice, the next batch is herded into the pit for their chance at a key.”

Outrage flowed through Harley like molten lava. For all of Caine’s faults, he’d always made certain that the males in his pack understood the penalty of rape.

Death.

Slow, tortuous, painful death.

“Those are sex slaves?”

“No.” Salvatore squeezed her fingers, anxious to keep her from doing something stupid. “I’ll admit that I wouldn’t shed a tear if someone managed to plant a stake in Viper’s unbeating heart, but he would never allow slaves in his club.”

“How do you know?”

He leaned close and spoke low enough that not even the most talented demon could overhear him.

“Viper was held as a slave for centuries. He would slaughter anyone involved in the trade.”

His reassurances were backed up by the sight of the imps, who happily leaned against the bars of their cages to provoke the crowd below into a near frenzy.

“And you?” she asked.

He chuckled as he lifted her hand to his lips, his tongue tracing the line of her knuckles.

“I don’t need such crude methods. My charm is enough to enslave others.”

She might debate his charm, but his touch was enough to make a woman beg for more.

“And you call Caine delusional,” she said, her words sounding lame as heat curled through the pit of her stomach.

Thankfully the imp chose that moment to return with their drinks, her barely covered boobs distracting Salvatore enough for Harley to jerk her hand free.

Not that it did a damned bit of good.

The excitement bubbled through her blood like the finest champagne, her skin crawling with a prickling awareness. She shifted uneasily in her seat, suddenly damp and aching.

What the hell?

Waving away the persistent imp, Salvatore shot Harley a knowing smile, easily sensing her stirring hunger.

“You should at least enjoy the warm-up act.”

Before she could ask, she caught sight of the naked men covered in nothing more than elaborate tattoos styled into Chinese symbols. They appeared to be human males—except no human was so perfectly ripped no matter how often they worked out, and their skin didn’t glow with an oddly metallic shimmer—as they weaved a sensuous path through the tables.