by I. T. Lucas
“I could be ancient for all you know. Immortals don’t age.”
“True. But there are tells. You can’t be older than eighteen or nineteen, and that makes you a teenager.” He grimaced as he said it.
Wonder had suspected more or less the same, but her estimate was early twenties. She’d seen teenage girls. She was nothing like them.
“So what are you saying, that you wouldn’t want me even if it were on the table?”
Looking away, he scratched his beard again. “I didn’t say that.”
“You’re confusing me.”
“I’m confusing myself.” He lifted a pair of serious eyes to her. “But that’s not the issue here. I’m not trying to seduce you, Wonder, I just want you to realize that I’m a good guy and that you should let me out of these chains.”
He shook his hands to make them rattle. “Once I make that phone call to my brother, all of your troubles will be over. You’ll meet a lot of new immortals, maybe even find a young one who’s more suitable for you, and not an old fart like me.”
Huh, who was he kidding?
The glow in his eyes belied his statement. Anandur didn’t want her to find a suitable young immortal. He wanted her for himself.
Maybe.
It was all very confusing.
Did he want her or not?
Had she imagined it or not?
Was he a good guy or not?
“I need to think about it,” she said, realizing a moment later that it sounded like she wanted to find herself a young immortal. “I mean about freeing you and letting you call your brother.”
“Don’t take too long. You’re sitting on a ticking bomb here.”
She waved a dismissive hand. “I’ve had the other three for months. A few more days will not make a difference.”
“For some reason, I think it will.”
“You’re just impatient and want out of the cage. Not that I blame you, I would feel the same. But you must understand that I can’t make a rash decision. It seems like it was longer, but the first time we actually talked was yesterday morning. Do you expect me to trust you after such a short period of time?”
“Yes, I do. Listen to your gut, Wonder. What does it tell you?”
“That I need to exercise caution.”
43
Grud
“Thank the great Mortdh.” Grud sat back on the concrete floor and examined his handiwork.
Shaveh got up and pushed his nose through the bars. “You got one block out. Congratulations. I was starting to think you’ll never get it loose.”
Grud turned round and cast him a superior glance. “I don’t give up easily.”
“What’s on the other side of the wall?” Mordan asked.
“Not dirt. But it’s too dark to see if there are more cages there.”
“Let’s pray to Mortdh that it’s not another cage room.” Mordan had taken to praying over the last couple of days, saying that it was his way of helping out.
Did he think Grud was stupid?
This was Mordan’s way of convincing Grud that he should not leave him behind.
Grud still wasn’t sure about that. It all depended on how easy or difficult it was going to be to get out of the building, and whether he would need the other two for anything. He’d been unconscious when Wonder dropped him in the cage, and so had the others. None of them knew the building’s layout or how far it was from the city.
He would need clothes and shoes and money, all easily attainable if there were any humans around to thrall. Hopefully, the building wasn’t in some isolated location.
But that was putting the carriage before the horse, as the humans liked to say. The other three blocks were not going to crumble on their own.
Grud collected the debris and divided them between Shaveh and Mordan. “Now that the first one is out, it’s going to be easy to take the other three blocks out. We can be out of here tonight. Tomorrow at the latest. The best time to do it is while Dur keeps the woman busy.”
“What about Dur?” Shaveh asked. “Aren’t we taking him with us?”
“Fuck Dur.”
“Speaking of fucking. What about the woman? Weren’t we supposed to have some fun with her before we left?” Shaveh thrust his hips against the bars in case someone didn’t get his meaning.
Moron.
“We should take her with us,” Mordan suggested. “We can keep her locked up somewhere and not tell anyone we have an immortal woman to fuck.”
Shaveh snorted. “I have a better idea. We can lock her right here in one of these cages. Payback is a bitch, bitch.” He snorted again.
“We can keep her naked and come to bang her whenever we want.” Mordan’s fangs punched down over his lip. “I’m so sick of fucking my fist and biting the blanket.”
“Me too. And I’m sick of eating rice and beans,” Shaveh said.
Grud contemplated their idea.
Payback could indeed be sweet, but if anyone was going to fuck Wonder, it was going to be him.
Unlike the other two, he wasn’t planning on returning to the Brotherhood. As far as their commanders were concerned, the three of them were dead, so no one was looking for them. It was a rare opportunity he would be a fool not to take advantage of.
Grud was no fool.
He’d given it much thought and decided he no longer wished to serve anyone. He wanted to taste life as a civilian, free to do as he pleased. Money would not be a problem. He could just thrall humans to give it to him. And the bonus of owning an immortal female sounded sweeter than the promise of heaven.
Except, this would require getting rid of the other two. Not a problem. He could get them out, kill them somewhere nearby, circle back, kill Dur, and put the woman in a cage.
Naked.
He liked Mordan’s suggestion.
He’d give her clothes to wear only if she behaved and cooperated. Not that he had anything against rape, bitches shouldn’t say no, but he didn’t like doing it exclusively. Sometimes he wanted the woman to come willingly to him.
But that wasn’t a big problem either.
He’d seen it done on the island. Those who still thought they had any say about whom they spread their legs for, were taught the error of their thinking in no time at all.
It wasn’t hard to turn the most stubborn bitch into an obedient female. A few beatings for acting bitchy, a few rewards for spreading her legs on command, and she’d learn what was good for her very fast.
Killing Shaveh and Mordan needed some planning, though.
He would have to take them by surprise. First, he would knock them out with a fast blow to the head. A big rock would do. He could find one before coming back for them. Or maybe he could make further use of the rod he’d pried off the grate.
Once they were out, he would finish the job with his fangs and venom, treating each one to a deadly dose.
The question was whether he could produce enough venom to kill two immortals so quickly. If not, he would have to resort to cruder methods. Cutting a heart out with a dull rod was not going to be easy.
He’d use the same method on Dur and Wonder, just without finishing the woman off.
When she woke up from the knockout, she would find herself naked in a cage.
Sweet.
Payback is a bitch, bitch. He repeated Shaveh’s words.
44
Wonder
At five minutes to three, Wonder parked behind the club, right next to Tony’s yellow Corvette. It was a cool-looking car, except for the color. The thing was so bright she was sure it could be seen from passing airplanes.
Not that Wonder had ever flown in one and knew what could be seen from up there. Mrs. Rashid had said that it was unnatural for people to be in the air like birds, but she was curious. It must feel amazing to be up in the sky and look down.
One day she was going to try it.
As an immortal, she had plenty of time to experience everything life had to offer. Just not yet. Right now she didn’t
have enough money or free time and was burdened with taking care of four prisoners.
Wonder sighed. Her life was complicated.
Tony’s was the only other car in the parking lot, which meant that the forensic artist and the two immortals hadn’t arrived yet. On second thoughts, though, the immortals could’ve parked out on the street, or since they were not locals, they might have used a taxi. The area code of the phone number on the card Magnus had given her wasn’t one she recognized.
To calm herself before facing the fake detectives again, she’d spent the two preceding hours cleaning one of her warehouses. When she’d left, the floors gleamed, the windows sparkled, and every surface shone from having been dusted and then polished twice.
Wonder Woman was ready to tackle anyone, including the two immortals with all their questions and their super-sensitive noses.
Good luck with that. She smirked. The way she stank from all the cleaning products she’d used, the moment they sniffed her they were going to gag. And if anyone asked, she had a very legitimate excuse to smell like Pine-sol, ammonia, and furniture polish.
As she walked in through the back door, the sounds of conversation coming from Tony’s office warned her that the men were already there. Or was it two men and one woman? She didn’t remember if Tony said it was a he or a she.
Taking a deep breath, she knocked and then pushed the door open. “Good afternoon, Tony.” Wonder entered her boss’s office with a smile. “Detectives.” She nodded toward the two immortals. “And you must be the forensic artist.” She offered her hand to the short, nearly bald guy with a comb-over who was checking her out without trying to be discreet about it. “I’m Wonder.”
“Tim.” He cracked a big smile as he took her hand. “I don’t normally shake hands, but for you, I must make an exception. Wonder, what an unusual name. It fits you, though. You inspire wonder.” He waved his other hand over her body.
“I’m flattered.” She smiled back. For some reason, Tim’s open admiration and bold approach didn’t offend her. Maybe because he sounded sincere, or maybe because she was impressed by his guts.
The few men who found her attractive were usually too intimidated by her size, or her bouncer T-shirt, or her Taser gun, to summon the courage for casual flirting. They either ogled her from afar or covered their insecurities with crude remarks. Tim, who wasn’t a young man or a handsome one, oozed natural confidence.
In her peripheral vision, she caught the blond immortal crinkling his nose and turning his face away.
Her plan was working better than expected.
Tim was still holding on to her hand. “I would love to do a portrait of you. Perhaps after I’m done with what I’m paid for, you could pose for me? It won’t take long. I’m fast.” He winked. “But I would love to take my time with a beauty like you.”
Bold little bald guy.
Wonder stifled a smile. “I start my shift at six. If you can do both by that time, then by all means. I would love to pose for you.” Not really, but she could use Tim as a shield against the immortals and their inevitable questions.
The guy had enough attitude to stand up even to those two. And since they needed him, they weren’t going to do anything to antagonize the artist.
“I can’t work here.” Tim looked around the office. “The lighting is crap. Show me what else you got.”
It was kind of funny the way Tim ran from place to place with the four of them following him around.
“This is it.” He finally stopped in the kitchen. “Still crap, but not as bad as the rest of the place. You need to invest in better lighting, my friend.” He clapped Tony on the back.
Her boss wasn’t going to roll over and take the insults. He slapped the artist’s back. “It’s a nightclub. The lighting is supposed to be crappy. It’s part of the atmosphere.”
“I get it. Don’t think that I don’t. But I look at everything with an artist’s eye, and I know what looks good and what doesn’t. Your place needs work.” He turned to Wonder. “Lovely young lady, please sit here.” He pulled out a stool for her. “I’m going to sit right over there.” He pulled another one for himself.
“Any of you gentlemen care to bring my equipment from Tony’s office?” It was more of a command than a request, and yet the goateed one rushed to comply.
She’d been right about Tim. The guy’s attitude was about ten times his size.
The blond leaned against the wall, crossed his arms over his chest, and trained his cold, cold eyes on her.
Creepy.
Wonder looked away, pretending to admire the commercial fridge.
“So how did you end up with a name like Wonder? Were your parents DC fans?”
“I guess.” She had no idea what he was talking about.
Magnus came back with Tim’s equipment and put it on the kitchen table.
“Thank you.” Tim pulled out a large drawing pad and a pencil case.
“So you’re not a fan?” he asked as he took out one of the pencils.
“Not a fan of what?”
“DC comics. They introduced the character of Wonder Woman.”
The blond’s eyes were still trained on her. A wrong answer might trigger suspicion. She’d seen the movie, maybe she could talk about that.
“I’m more of a movie girl than a comic book fan. I loved the movie. A strong superwoman, what’s not to love, right?”
“My thoughts exactly.” Tim waggled his brows. “Let’s get to work, shall we?”
“I’m ready.”
“What was the shape of the woman’s face? Would you say it was oval? Or round? Or…”
For the next hour, Tim kept asking questions, and she kept answering while watching Rosalie’s face take shape on Tim’s drawing pad. The guy had real talent.
“I don’t know how you can do it just from my descriptions, but that’s Rosalie. It’s her face.”
The blond pushed away from the wall. “You know her name,” he stated in a cold, robotic tone. “Why didn’t you tell us before?”
Shit, Wonder had forgotten that she was not supposed to know Rosalie's name. It wasn't as if she could tell them that she'd picked it up from the woman's mind “It just popped into my head.” She snapped her fingers. “Just like that. I didn’t remember ever asking her for her name, but maybe I heard someone call her.”
“That happens to me a lot,” Tim said. “I’m trying to remember some actor’s name and it just won’t come, and then later, boom! It pops into my head. Memory is a strange thing.”
She snorted. “Tell me about it.”
The blond’s eyes were still drilling holes in the back of her head. Was he buying it?
Tim put a few finishing touches on his creation and lifted it for her to see. “What do you think?”
“It’s her. Exactly.”
“Can I have it?” the blond asked.
Tim put the pad down. “Money first, buddy. I’ve been swindled before.”
“Here.” The blond took out a wad of cash and dropped it on the table. “You can count it. It’s all there.”
Without batting an eyelid, Tim unfolded the wad and started counting. “It’s all here. Thirty-five hundred.” He lifted his head and smiled at the blond. “It was nice doing business with you, my friend. Call me anytime you need an emergency portrait done. I’m your man.”
“Highway robbery, that what this is,” the goateed one murmured.
The blond turned his cold eyes to his partner. “I don’t give a fuck about the money. I just want to find my brother.”
Wonder felt as if someone had poured a bucket of ice water over her head.
The blond was Anandur’s brother? They really were nothing alike.
There was so much anger and pain in his voice, which was doubly shocking when coming from a guy who’d sounded like a robot the other times she’d heard him speak.
His nostrils flared, and he turned to look at her quite sharply. “Is there anything you want to tell me, Wonder girl?”
/> He must’ve smelled her guilt. Evidently even the strong residual scent of Pine-sol couldn’t overpower it.
“Only that I hope you’ll find your brother soon.”
He nodded, then extended his arm toward Tim. “The portrait.”
“Of course,” Tim said.
Carefully tearing the page out, he rolled it into a cylinder, secured it with a rubber band, and handed it to the blond. “It’s all yours.”
45
Nick
“Ruth invited you for dinner?” Sharon beamed at Nick like a proud mother. “That’s awesome.” She looked him over and then waved a hand. “Wear something nicer, like a dress shirt.”
He looked down at the T-shirt he had on. “What’s wrong with that? This is how I always dress.”
Sharon put her hand on her hip and struck a pose. “Exactly. But this is not business as usual. It’s a big deal, and you should treat it as such. I also suggest you get her a nice bottle of wine. And a box of chocolates. And maybe even flowers.”
That seemed excessive. Not that he minded getting stuff for Ruthie, but he didn’t want to appear too eager. “Are you sure? I don’t want to look as if I’m trying too hard.”
Sharon pointed a finger at him. “Just do as I say and don’t argue. You’ll thank me later.”
Truth be told, Sharon had a lot of dating experience, and he had practically none because Ruth was his first girlfriend. He was taking his dating cues from movies, which wasn’t the smartest thing to do.
“Fine. I’ll go change.”
Sharon patted his arm. “Good boy.” She leaned and kissed his cheek. “Good luck tonight.”
“What’s happening tonight?” Eva waddled into the living room with her huge belly leading the way.
“Ruth invited Nick to dinner at her house.”
A huge grin split Eva’s face. “That’s wonderful. Congratulations. It’s about time.”
Why the hell was everyone making such a big deal out of it?