“What’s going on?” I ask, wondering where we’re rolling to. Is Acid going to ransom me to the syndicate or Dad? I could be face to face with my father within the hour. I wonder if he’ll kill me or lock me up.
Thane comes forward and cuts through the rope that’s holding me to the chair, though my arms are still lashed to my torso. Then he dips his shoulder and hauls me over it. I spit curses at him as he carries me through the door and up some dank steps.
I’m placed on my feet on some dingy patterned carpet. Music is playing on a flashing jukebox. Bottles of liquor line one wall.
Is this Strife?
Acid heads over to the bar. “What’s your poison, your highness? You can have anything you want as long as it’s whiskey or beer.”
I stare straight ahead, my teeth grit.
The bearded man is leaning against the bar, his arms folded as he glares at me.
“Who are you?” I ask.
“Zagreus.”
I don’t think I’ve heard of him. I’m about to ask him what he does he is when someone dressed in black blows through the front door so fast that it slams against the wall. Blond hair flies around his face and his white-blue eyes sparkle with fury.
“I will fucking kill you, Acid!” Lorenzo roars at the top of his lungs. “I will rip off your balls and make you eat them. I will tear your flesh from your bones and feed you to the Coldlake fucking catfish.”
I take a sharp, grateful breath at the sight of Lorenzo, angrier than I’ve ever seen him but all in one piece. I blink rapidly, tears of gratitude and relief swimming in my eyes.
He’s alive.
He’s alive.
Salvatore comes through the door behind him, also dressed in black. He’s holding an assault rifle and his expression is murderous. The two of them both search me with their eyes, and I manage a smile for them.
I’m okay.
You’re both okay, too.
This nightmare is finally over.
“Cassius and Vinicius—”
Salvatore speaks quickly. “They’re fine, baby. They’re looking after someone for us. Hold tight, we’re going to get you out of here in just a moment.”
I can’t do much more than hold tight while I’m still tied up. Lorenzo stares at the ropes on my body and then turns to Thane. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
Thane folds his arms and shrugs. His cat-like eyes almost seem amused.
Salvatore frowns at the ropes. “Is that shibari?”
“Yes,” Lorenzo hisses.
“What’s shibari?” I ask, and then immediately wish I hadn’t. Acid starts to laugh and then smothers it with a hand over his mouth. I can tell he’s still grinning, though.
Lorenzo reaches inside his jacket and then growls in frustration as he realizes he doesn’t have his knife anymore. He threw it into the canal the night he first kissed me. “Someone give me a blade. Now.”
Thane produces his small knife again and steps toward me. “I’ll do it.”
“You’re not going near her.” Lorenzo snatches the blade from him. He turns his back on Acid and Thane and comes over to me. Instead of getting to work on the ropes, he wraps his arms around me and presses his forehead against mine, eyes closed. His breathing is harsh and uneven and his whole body is rigid.
“Are you all right, princess?” he asks in a tight whisper, not opening his eyes.
“I’m fine. Nothing happened to me. What happened to you? I was so afraid.”
“I’ll explain later.” Lorenzo pulls back and stares at the ropes crisscrossing my body, rage filling his expression. He works quickly and carefully with the blade, cutting through the knots and loops.
“What’s shibari?”
“Japanese rope bondage,” he says through his teeth.
My face flames. Don’t look at Thane. Don’t look at Thane.
I can’t help myself. I shoot a glare at him over Lorenzo’s shoulder and there’s a faint smirk on his lips as he watches his tattered ropes fall around my feet.
As soon as my arms are free, I throw them around Lorenzo. He holds me, his grip fierce as he murmurs in my ear, “Give Salvatore and me one minute, and then we’re getting you out of this hellhole.”
I feel Salvatore’s hand on the nape of my neck as Lorenzo pulls away. I fling my arms around him and he squeezes me against his chest and kisses my mouth. When I pull away from him, his eyes are alarmingly hollow.
“Are you all right?” I ask, touching his cheek.
He takes a shaky breath. “There was a near miss tonight. I think it’s taken ten years off my life.”
“What—” I start to ask, but Salvatore shakes his head and turns back to Acid and Thane, gripping his assault rifle like he’s a split-second away from opening fire at them.
“Your crew is safe, your woman is safe.” Acid toasts Lorenzo with a glass of whiskey. “Everything’s come up roses for the Coldlake Syndicate, just like it always fucking does. You’re welcome, by the way.”
A vein bulges in Lorenzo’s forehead. “You’re the backup crew. The fucking backup crew. You’re the last ones on the list I want touching my woman unless it’s absolutely necessary. When Orchid Protocol is enabled, you’re meant to report to my security detail for instructions, not run them off the road and pistol-whip them.”
Acid shrugs and takes a mouthful of whiskey. “Shows how shit your detail is if Thane and I were able to disable them.”
The jukebox in the corner switches to a pounding metal track. Salvatore points his assault rifle at it and empties half a clip into the machine. I wince at the blast of gunfire. The jukebox explodes in a shower of sparks and falls silent.
Acid sighs. “Ah, man, that jukebox has been here longer than I have. It’s a classic.”
“What’s Orchid Protocol?” I ask. “When they grabbed me, I thought they were the Black Orchid Killers.”
“No. Just a bunch of fucking assholes,” Lorenzo seethes. “I set up an emergency protocol. If two or more conditions are met, it’s triggered automatically. In this case, my phone registered that someone else was accessing it and my life signs went dark.” He holds up his wrist and I see he’s wearing a smartwatch. The screen has been smashed. “I got jumped and my phone fell out of my pocket.”
“Nicole. Was she the one using your phone? I swear it was her voice.”
Salvatore puts a hand on my shoulder, but his eyes are still trained on Acid. “Yes, it was Nicole. She’s alive. I’ll tell you everything in just a moment.”
I take a deep, grateful breath. Nicole’s alive. She wasn’t killed because of me.
“Why did you do it, Acid?” Lorenzo snarls. “If you say it’s because you were bored, I’ll torch this place with you in it.”
Acid swirls the whiskey in his glass. “I had my reasons.”
Lorenzo waits.
“I thought you were dead. If you’re gone, I’m not answering to any of those fancy fucks you call friends.” Acid jerks his chin at Salvatore. “They don’t know the first thing about what it takes to stay alive in the west. Snatching the Princess of Coldlake seemed like a good insurance plan.”
“What would you have asked for in exchange?” Lorenzo asks.
Acid runs his tongue thoughtfully over his teeth. “Your quadrant. And Lasher.” He glances at me and smiles, but I don’t understand. I don’t know who Lasher is. “I think I could have got both in exchange for her.”