He worked hard, kept his mind on the prize. He did what was necessary for success, despite his own needs and wants. I respected that. I respectedhim. He was the best agent I’d ever come across. A partner I hadn’t wanted, but couldn’t deny had been the best thing to happen to this case.
Had I not been so lost in my thoughts, I never would have been caught so unaware. A hand whipped out from the darkness and pinched my nose closed. Panic rocked me at first, and I instinctively grasped at the hand to push it away. I even opened my mouth to suck in a breath. The man, whoever he was, dumped a tart liquid down my throat the moment I parted my lips. I tried to spit it out, but he smothered both my nose and mouth, forcing me to swallow.
“There you go,” he said, his voice low and soothing. I didn’t recognize his voice. “Sleep now,” he added gently. “We won’t hurt you.”
Finally, EenLi’s men had arrived.
I almost laughed through my fading panic. “What did you give me? Poison?” I demanded of my attacker, as any sane woman would. I kicked at him and, like a scared little female, scooted toward the headboard.
A black mask concealed his features, but he couldn’t hide the strength and size of his frame. Only slighter shorter than Lucius, he filled out his black military fatigues menacingly. “I gave you an opiate to help you sleep,” he said. “We don’t want to kill you, I promise.”
That showed exactly what he knew about Rakas. Not a damn thing. I was impervious to opiates and most other human drugs. He would have had better luck with a nice aged Scotch or rich brandy.
“I’ll scream,” I said, making my words slur.
He chuckled. “Screaming won’t matter, little girl. We drugged everyone else inside the house, too. They’re sleeping the night away.”
“You…bastard.” I pretended relaxation, however, and after a few seconds, gave a grade A performance of falling unconscious. Contrary to what Lucius said, my acting didnot suck, thank you very much.
EenLi’s men agreed with me. “That was easy,” one of them said.
If the man decided to rape me, I’d have a miraculous awakening, however, and show them just how sweet I could be. There were some things I wouldnot do for my job.
Shockingly, he softly kissed my forehead, a gentle, innocent pressing of lips against skin. Perhaps I shouldn’t have been surprised. After all, Jonathan had made it very clear I wasn’t to be harmed in any way. EenLi had probably sent his sweetest abductors.
What a lovely oxymoron.
“Look at this gold,” he whispered.
“Pretty,” another man said, awed. I didn’t recognize his voice, either. “Do you know how much money we’d make selling her skin?”
“You won’t be hurting her. We’re to deliver her as we found her.We’ll be cut into tiny pieces and sold if we harm her.”
“I know, I know.” He sighed. “But…maybe we could cut off some of her hair. Maybe a few strands,” he rushed on. “Nothing that would be noticed.”
“No.”
“Why not? We—”
“No. Now shut up. We’re running out of time.”
Strong arms slid under me and lifted. I let my head loll, but not before I caught a whiff of expensive, musky cologne. The scent could not have masked dirty flesh or rotting clothes. No, whoever carried me was clean and well groomed, obviously nicely paid and not the cheap labor EenLi usually used.
Cologne pushed out a breath. “Let’s get out of here.”
I was gently carried to the balcony, the same balcony Lucius had first used to enter my room. Of course, I’d removed the extra pins when I learned my abduction was being planned, making entry into my room easy.
Being an agent, I’d stalked and hunted victims. I’d never been one myself. Letting these men cart me away warred against every instinct I possessed. My mind wanted me to fight, to prevent this from happening. To kill. How could I allow these men to make me a slave?
There was no better way to find and destroy EenLi and save the others he had enslaved. I knew it, and took what comfort I could in the fact that these men hadn’t patted me down and didn’t know about my blades. Most likely, they hadn’t considered that an other-worlder interpreter—and a peace-loving Raka, at that—would be armed.
The two men took turns holding me as they harnessed themselves to a wire, then I too was strapped in and braced against one of them. Cool night air slithered around me as I was lowered to the ground.
“Careful, careful,” said a rough voice from the window.
“I am careful,” the man holding me replied.
“You’re letting her dangle. Grip her tighter.”
Wind kicked up, and my body shook precariously. I, too, almost shouted an order to be held tighter.
“Screw you,” he said, his voice hard with rebellion. “If I hold her any tighter, I’ll cut off her air and she’ll die.” The bastard squeezed my breast (purposefully) as he tightened his hold to make a point.
Feigning a muscle spasm, I slammed my fist into his balls (also purposefully). He howled in pain, a tortured squeak that echoed in my ears.
“Bitch,” Smashed Balls growled when he caught his breath.
I think he meant to backhand me, but Expensive Cologne stopped him with a menacing, “Hurt her, and I’ll kill you myself.”
My captor cursed under his breath. I could hear the wheels turning inside his mind as he decided whether slapping me around would be worth his death. “She busted my nuts.”
“She’s f**king asleep, you ass-wipe. Let’s just get her out of here before you alert security.”
“Security is napping.”
“With all your howling, they won’t sleep much longer.” Pause. “Damn it, now you’re holding hertoo tightly. She’s turning blue.”
“Do you hear her complaining?” Smashed Balls snapped.
“She’s asleep, ass**le.” Another burst of wind circled us. “She can’t complain. Release your death grip.”
“You should have f**king carried her down yourself.”
When the ground touched my feet, I put no weight on my legs, instead letting them buckle as if I were slumbering peacefully. My captor had to brace my entire weight.
He grunted. “She’s heavier than she looks.”
“Or you’re weaker thanyou look.”
“Get down here and hold her yourself. And I hope like hell she slams a fist intoyour nuts,” he added softly.