by Raven Rivers
Sharon was very mild mannered and cautious. She normally didn’t care much for sports or male posturing, but tonight her adorable friend was turning normal upside down. Bethany found herself getting into the fight as well. Sharon’s guy had done a magnificent job of not getting himself hit tonight and was well on his way to earning some loving.
Alek jumped on the German as soon as the bell sounded. He landed a kick on the left side of his lower torso that sent the man reeling, and then landed a couple of punches to the opponent’s shoulder. The German seemed surprised and made an effort to keep his distance. Alek just kept pouring it on. By the end of the second round, he caught the German with a roundhouse kick to the face and he went down. Bethany hoped he would have the good sense to stay down, but, of course, he didn’t. She saw Alek shake his head in frustration, but he just went after the man again. Alek used combination after combination of complex moves, and finally his opponent went down and did not get back up.
As soon as the revelry was over, Alek walked up to Sharon, who was standing with her brother and her father. “Excuse me, sir, I would like to have a private word with you.”
Sharon’s father replied, “You can talk to me right here.”
Alek clarified, “It’s about your daughter.”
The older man motioned him to a more private area.
Bethany asked curiously, “What do you think that’s about?”
“I don’t know, but I’m sure as hell going to find out,” Sharon snarled.
Bethany found herself alone for the first time in the evening. Even the burly body guard Tony had assigned to her was hovering around one of the fighters instead of covering her back. It felt strange to be unprotected, but it was a very public place.
Shrugging it off, she spoke to a couple of men who approached her. They thought themselves real Romeos. Compared to her Valisy, they seemed almost childish. Valisy was masculine, classy, and sophisticated. The men who approached her were wannabe gangsters rather than men who reluctantly fell into that line of work, for lack of better options. She vaguely thought that subtle difference might be the difference between good men and bad.
Chapter 25
Lords and Ladies
~ Bethany ~
Suddenly a hand came out, hard and fast, around her arm. Something hard and round pressed into her side. Bethany froze, refusing to look at whoever it was. “Smile and say nothing unless you want this to turn into a bloodbath.” She glanced around at all the men who were supposed to be paying attention but weren’t. Not willing to get them or her friends shot, Bethany allowed him to walk her out of the room.
“I don’t understand why you want me.”
“You sister wasn’t nearly good enough to suit me, so I’m going to try you.”
“Whatever. We can exchange numbers and meet for drinks later in the week.”
“I don’t think so. You’ve kept those pretty little legs closed for years, and the moment I decide you’re mine, you wallow in the filth with that Russian dog. Do you have any idea how angry that makes me?”
“I’ve just about had my fill of ignorant, arrogant, deceitful men.” Jerking her arm away, she bared her teeth in a breathtaking display of bravado. “You can put a bullet in me right now or fuck right off, ’cause I’m not going one step further with you.”
Whatever she was expecting to happen, it wasn’t this. The man backhanded her across the face, splitting her lip. Before she could pick herself up off the floor, he had her by the arm, dragging her stunned body out of the building.
Instead of taking her out the private entrance where all the limousines were, he dragged her up a flight of steps and right through a busy bar. Right before he got to the exit, a woman stepped in front of him. “Where do you think you’re going with my friend? Let her go.”
Looking up at Dina, she mouthed the word, ‘run’. Dina looked at the cut on her lip just as the man stepped around her and pulled Bethany out of the club. Why wasn’t she throwing a fit? She needed to yell and scream until he let her go. That’s when she realized that her shoulder was radiating pain all the way down her arm, like it had been jerked from the socket, and on top of it all, her jaw felt like it had been dislocated.
Dina was back, annoying her crazy abductor. “Why are you taking her, fat ass? I’m prettier. Take me instead.”
What the hell was she doing? Reaching out with her free hand, she grabbed the woman’s arm. “Get outta here. Run and don’t look back.”
“Too late for that, bitch.”
Arms came up around Dina and they were both forced into a van. Unlike her, Dina didn’t go quietly. She screamed and kicked and clawed until they knocked her out with a punch to the face.
The moment they threw her down, Bethany ran her fingers along her shoulder. It felt strange. When she tried to move it, it brought tears to her eyes and a soft cry of pain.
“Jesus, stop being a crybaby.” Reaching over, the man grabbed her elbow and gave it a good yank. The pain was breathtaking, making her lightheaded. Spots danced in her eyes before things started going dark. Reaching out, she grabbed the side of the car to keep her balance. Someone kicked at Dina’s leg to make more room for himself. Grabbing the woman, Bethany tried to pull her close. “L-leave her alone.”
“Well, aren’t you a protective little bitch. Do you even know who I am?”
“Gregory…Mo-Moonello.”
“I guess I must have made an impression on you when I was going out with that sister of yours. God, that woman was annoying.” As Gregory blabbered on and on about all the things he didn’t like about Stephanie, Bethany began running through her list of options.
She quickly tried to make sure Dina was okay. She gently wiped blood from the woman’s face with her gown. It was hard to see how serious the injury was.
Gregory paused midsentence, tossing her a bottle of water and a handkerchief. What kind of modern man walked around with a white handkerchief? Old men and fools, that’s who. Naturally, she would end up getting abducted by the only man within a thousand miles who was both.
Wetting the cloth, she cleaned the blood off Dina’s face, hardly realizing the crazy old coot had gone back to blabbering something about beautiful Nubian princesses. Though her back was turned, her eyes rolled so hard she worried they were going to stick. That must be why the old man didn’t want the pretty blonde with the skin pale as snow.
When she was just about to give up hope, Dina woke up with a start. “Calm down, I don’t want them to hurt you again.”
The groggy woman hissed, “If we don’t escape now, we will not survive the night.”
Bethany whispered, “He wants a Nubian princess. I think I can get him to let you go.”
“Fat chance. He’s crazy.”
“Tut, tut, tut, ladies. It’s not nice to whisper about your chances of survival in front of the crazy man who abducted you.”
Bethany’s head snapped around to look at him. “You have really good hearing for an old dude.”
Tapping his ear, he said, “Hearing aid. I turn it up when I want to snoop.”
“That’s real clever. Where are you taking us?”
“To my castle, of course.”
“Well, I’ve got a deal for you. If you let my pretty blonde friend go, I’ll go with you, all nice and quiet like.”
Sighing, the man opened a small compartment in a side panel and began pouring them drinks.
“Look, mister, I’m not having drinks with you until you let my friend go unharmed.”
“Every princess needs a lady in waiting. Now drink your brandy like a nice young lady.”
Grabbing the tiny glass, Dina drank the shot in one gulp. “Why do you pretend to be old?”
Bethany inspected him more closely. He didn’t have any wrinkles, but he did have grey hair.
“Hells bells, she’s right. You aren’t old. Why did you do that to your hair?”
Reaching for a glass, he took another for himself. “I didn’t. It happened in my early twenties
all on its own. Drink up, Bethany. Don’t be rude.”
“I’m not drinking anything my abductor gives me. It could be poisoned.”
Dina took the glass from her hand, took a quick whiff, and drank it down.
“What, pray tell, is your major malfunction? That is reckless and dangerous behavior.”
Shrugging, she stated flippantly, “It smelled okay to me.”
“Oh, now aren’t you a little gem. Maybe you could trade off being princesses. Daddy loves to spoil his little princess. I’ll have to get you a lovely gown, like your friend.”
Putting her hand on her stomach, Bethany wondered where her wormy feelings had gotten off to. This man was ten kinds of crazy and his crew had shot her auntie. “Why did you send those awful men to kill my aunt Zoe?”
The man frowned. “That was Stan. He’s a complete idiot. Don’t worry, I punished him severely for that particular fuck up. He was supposed to grab you when were you alone, but he hired some local dimwits to do the job on the cheap.”
“What exactly did you do to Stan?”
Sighing, the man pouted. “I don’t know that I should tell you. You haven’t been very nice to me tonight.”
“Dude, you slapped us both in the face.”
“I’m not a very good person, and I don’t handle stress very well. Once we get to my castle, everything will be fine.” Leaning forward a bit, he smiled. “Everything always goes according to plan in my little kingdom.”
Dina crossed her legs in a ladylike pose. “Your kingdom sounds really fantastic. Shall I pour you another drink, my liege?”
The man’s face lit up like a Christmas tree. “Why, yes, do pour another drink, pretty lady.”
Dina fell into line with no messing about, heaping on outlandish compliments. “I should have seen it right away. You have such a regal bearing, after all.” Pouring a drink from his decanter into his shot glass, she lifted it to his lips. “Drink up, your highness.”
Taking a sip of the amber liquid, he seemed enthralled with the woman catering to his every whim. “You are absolutely enchanting, my dear. What did you say your name was?”
“My name is Dina, sir. I would love to hear what kind of sound punishment you devised for the one who shot at my friend.”
Scooting a tad closer, he intoned, “He’s a menace. I keep him locked in my dungeon. Every now and then I go down and talk with him. He’s never remorseful, so I give him a little jab or two with my cattle prod, and like magic, it turns momentarily into a people prod.”
“Does it do that often?”
Shaking his head, Gregory gleefully replied, “There’s never any reason to have people prods in my kingdom. Everyone is merry all the time.”
“I can’t wait to see it. Tell me more. Where do you get citizens?”
“They’re not citizens, my beautiful little princess. They’re royal subjects. They come from all over and everyone dresses for the occasion.”
“I don’t have a thing to wear. Does that mean I will be stranded on the outside looking in?”
Taking her hand in his, he looked truly mortified. This guy was all kinds of crazy. “Absolutely not, I’ll see that you have the most beautiful gowns imaginable.”
Glancing over her shoulder at Bethany, Dina winked. “I’m not sure if I’m princess material, my lord.”
Bringing her hand to his lips, he murmured, “You are perfect for my world. You like to play the same games I do. I can tell you are going to be very good at them.”
“I’m honestly intrigued by your world. What girl wouldn’t be?”
“I’ll put a huge cushion beside my throne for you, princess. If things work out, maybe you’ll end up with a little throne of your own.”
Dina replied modestly, “I don’t care about thrones. I’d rather sit in your lap.”
His voice turned stern. “I’m afraid the queen would never tolerate that, my dear.”
“You have a queen?”
“Every prince has a queen mother. Mine is very strict.”
“How interesting. Does she rule with an iron fist?”
He snorted a laugh. “She used to, but now she can hardly get out of bed. She’s turned soft in her old age.” Leaning closer, he stated conspiratorially, “She even keeps chocolates hidden in a bag for good little girls and boys when they visit. She’s really going to love you.”
Going right along with crazy pants, Dina’s hand reached up to smooth down her scattered strands. “I’ll have to do something special with my hair.”
“We have people for that.” Tapping the side of his nose, he disclosed, “You just have to remember to pretend Muffin is still in the real world. The queen mother is very particular about that.”
An image of a little fluffy dog, so beloved that it had been stuffed for whatever little old lady was imbalanced enough to have given birth to mister crazy pants. Dina didn’t miss a beat. She was apparently used to dealing with crazy.
“Thank you for telling me that. I’d never want to upset the queen.”
“Don’t worry, my delicate little princess. The queen still says ‘off with her head’ every now and then, but we never do.”
Leaning forward, Dina whispered in his ear, “I’m so frightened of the unknown. Are you sure I’ll be safe among your people?”
Wrapping one well-manicured hand around her waist, he tugged her closer. “Absolutely. I’ll personally see that no harm comes to you.”
Laying her head on his chest, Dina stared up at him. “I don’t have anything to repay such a kindness.”
Bethany watched the two of them with the morbid fascination usually reserved for nose pickers and automobile accidents. Gregory’s nostrils flared slightly. “I’m certain we can work something out. I do love…um…tickling pretty little princesses.”
Dina jerked away at the speed of light. “You have little girls at your place?” That was his second reference that could have referred to children. It had gotten Bethany’s back up as well.
Gregory jerked back, equally shocked. “What the fuck? Of course not. That’s totally disgusting.” Jerking a thumb to his chest, the now frowning man insisted, “I have a no children allowed rule. Hell, some of my favorite events are clothing optional.” His voice turned indignant. “I only tickle fully grown proper princesses.”
Dina leaned back in the seat and stared up at him. “Proper princesses like me?”
Totally miffed, the man stared out the window. Bethany could tell by his reflection that he was thoroughly disgruntled. “I can’t talk to you when you’re like this, Dina. You will suffer the rest of the ride in silence. That is your punishment for annoying me with your endless questions and veiled accusations.”
“Don’t be that way, my liege.”
“Silence, I mean it.”
This was one of those bizarre situations where if she wasn’t in the process of being kidnapped, she might be at risk for breaking down into gales of laughter. Dina rolled her head over to look at Bethany. Scrunching her face up into an expression that communicated she thought the situation was cuckoo for cocoa puffs as well.
Bethany couldn’t help but worry about arriving at the place he described as his castle. Worst case scenario it could turn out to be a dilapidated old Victorian located at the end of a long dirt road, crawling with homeless people. His mother could be a rotting corpse still clutching her little dog in the bedroom in which she’d grown up. She imagined a neat little row of fresh graves out the back, each with a tombstone noting the name of the princess resting there. A shiver crept up Bethany’s spine as she wracked her brain to figure a way out of the situation. There had to be a way out, right?
Trying to take out her cell phone would be really stupid right now. He’d just take it and destroy her only line to the outside world. Yet she couldn’t just sit there and do nothing. Reaching for her handbag, Dina cleared her throat and shook her head slightly, before rolling her eyes over to look at Gregory’s two thugs staring at them. Damn, there really was no way out of the
gilded cage at this point.
Chapter 26
Through the Looking Glass
~ Bethany ~
Once they were on the long dirt road leading to certain death, Bethany began to re-evaluate her life choices. That gig with the DEA was looking really good about now. She never should have gotten tangled up with Timur and his little operation, much less allowed him to foist a husband on her. And fuck mister crazy pants and his Nubian princess fetish.
Lost in her own ruminations, Bethany was jolted back to reality when the limousine came to a stop. Peering out the window, she saw a huge glittering mansion that indeed had some castle-like qualities about it. It had one tall, round tower with windows only at the top. Two men rushed forward to pull open the door and assist them out of the vehicle.
One smiled politely. “I see all is well, sir. You not only obtained your dark princess but a spare as well. Was someone running a two-for-one special, perchance?”
Waving the man away with an imperious hand motion, Gregory’s voice was practically dripping with disdain. “Princesses flock to me, Reginald. Now, go away. I find your attempt at humor boorish.”
Smothering a smile, the man stepped back. “Of course, sir. Shall I draw you a bath?”
“Yes, please, being in the city always sets off my germ phobias.” Glancing at Bethany and Dina, he sighed. “Come along, ladies, don’t dawdle.”
Steering them into the house, he was approached by an older female wearing an old-fashioned maid’s uniform. “Alice, can I get you to take my new princesses to their room? I want them presentable for dinner.”
“Of course, sir.” Turning to them, she motioned for the stairs. “Come, ladies, I’ve prepared a room for you and laid out fresh clothing.”
Bethany could feel herself shutting down. What was next, dancing candlesticks?
The older woman hustled them through their showers, laced them into proper corsets, and chose the gowns she thought were most flattering. Another woman came in quickly, and efficiently styled their hair in elegant up-dos. Alice returned with jewelry cases and draped them in exotic gemstones.