Santiago shoved the phone back into his pocket, his muscles rigid with a sudden tension. “What?”
“She’s been kidnapped.”
He heard Nefri’s soft exclamation of shock, but his focus never wavered from the small demon. “Tell me.”
“One of your waiters called Viper and said that a vampire simply appeared out of thin air in the middle of your club.”
He hissed. Only two vampires could appear out of thin air. And he’d been in the constant presence of one of them.
Which left . . .
“Gaius,” he growled. “Mierda.”
Levet nodded. “Oui. He appeared and grabbed Tonya. Then”—he gave a helpless lift of his hands—“poof. They were both gone.”
Just for a second his savage burst of fury threatened to cloud his mind. Tonya in the hands of that demented freak? Perhaps even now chained to a wall while he tormented her?
The cement walls shuddered and the fluorescent lights shattered before Nefri laid a restraining hand on his shoulder.
“Santiago,” she murmured softly.
Leashing his powers with an effort, he met her sympathetic gaze. “Why?” he rasped.
She continued to rub his arm in a soothing motion. Trying to tame the rabid beast?
“Why Tonya?” she asked.
“Sí.” His fury remained, but Nefri’s touch gave him the calm necessary to consider the situation with a much needed clarity. Tonya needed a swift rescue, not her employer ranting and raving. “It makes no sense. Why would he take such a risk to snatch an imp from my club?”
Nefri nodded, easily following his logic. If Gaius was going to risk being captured, why choose Tonya?
“Does she have any special talents?” Nefri asked.
Santiago shrugged. “She’s related to Troy, the pain-in-the-ass Prince of Imps, so she’s capable of creating hexes powerful enough to ensnare even demons and, of course, she can create portals along with the usual imp talents.”
Levet waddled forward. “Does she know secrets?” He pointed a claw at Santiago. “Have you been—what do they say—cooking the books?”
Santiago glowered at the small demon. “What the hell are you talking about?”
Levet blinked. “We were guessing why she was kidnapped, were we not?”
“No, she doesn’t have any secrets,” Santiago snapped. “At least none she shared with me. She’s an organized, highly effective assistant who has the beauty of a siren and the soul of an accountant.”
“You trust her?” Nefri carefully inquired.
“Absolutely,” he growled without hesitation, well aware of what she was implying. “Tonya would never betray me. I would stake my life on it.” He gave a restless shrug. “Besides, if she was working with Gaius why would he reveal their connection now? There’s no benef it.”
She nodded, but her expression remained troubled. “How long have you known one another?”
“Several decades.”
“And you’re”—she searched for the word she wanted—“close?”
He sent her a startled glance. “What are you asking?”
“I’m not behaving as a jealous lover, Santiago,” she gently assured him.
“Then what does it matter how long I’ve known Tonya? I trust her—” His words came to an abrupt halt as he met Nefri’s steady gaze. Dios. There was one reason someone would go to the effort of kidnapping Tonya. “He’s using her to send a message to me,” he said in rough tones.
“That would be my guess.”
“Now the question is—”
Nefri grimaced. “What’s the message?”
Chapter 24
Nefri grimly maintained her composure. Right now Santiago needed her calm, cool logic. Inside, however, she was battling a rising tide of fear.
She didn’t know why Gaius would have discovered a sudden interest in Santiago. Or more likely, the spirit that was controlling him.
But she did know that Santiago would do whatever was necessary to rescue the female imp. Including putting himself in danger.
And there wasn’t a damned thing she could do to stop him. “It could be that he discovered we’re hunting him.” Santiago spoke his thoughts out loud, his barely leased fury dropping the temperature in the tiny room to near zero. “He could be hoping to convince me to give up the search in exchange for Tonya.”
“But?” she prompted, hearing the lack of conviction in his voice.
“But it’s not Gaius’s style.” With a sharp movement he was pacing back and forth, his hand instinctively reaching to pull out the Roman dagger he kept tucked in his back pocket. “He can be a hammer when necessary, but he prefers to be subtle. He’s a master of diversion.”
Nefri grimaced. Gaius had certainly managed to deceive her. He’d hidden his true intentions behind his genuine grief to gain access to her clan beyond the Veil.
A knowledge that still burned like acid against her pride. But she wasn’t going to allow his abuse of her trust to blind her to facts.
“Yes, if he is actually still in the position to be master,” she pointed out. “It’s quite possible he’s no longer making the decisions.”
Santiago sent her a grim frown. “That doesn’t make me feel better.”
She shrugged. “It wasn’t supposed to.”
He continued his pacing, his hands clenching and unclenching until he at last came to an abrupt halt directly in front of her. “Nefri.”
“Yes?”
“Tonya is family.”
She reached to place a hand on his arm, able to sense his distress at Tonya’s capture. It was far more than just the anger of an employer. Or a friend.
It was deeper. More personal.
“You rescued her,” she said softly.
He gave a low hiss of shock. “I’m beginning to suspect you truly can read minds.”
“No, but I know you.” Her fingers tightened on his arm. “Styx pulled you from the blood pits and Viper gave you a home. They taught you honor and discipline and that a leader cares for those who are vulnerable.”
He slid the dagger back into his pocket, his eyes dark with painful memories. “It’s not my story to tell, but she ended up on the wrong side of an argument with a tribe of trolls and was sold to a slaver.”
Levet gave a violent flutter of his wings. “Evor?”
The two males shared a rare moment of understanding. “Sí.”