Page 55 of Waifs And Strays
I tried to move faster, inhaled and shoved myself backwards against the wall with all the force I could muster, but it wasn’t enough. I’d barely released the air in my lungs when hands reached for my shoulders and dragged me forward.
‘You’ve ruined my chair,’ he murmured in my ear then he pulled off my blindfold.
I blinked several times to adjust my vision. MacTire was standing right in front of me as if he expected that I’d somehow make a dash to escape. That was hardly likely since I was still tied to the damned chair that now felt as though it would collapse at any moment.
The room was what I’d surmised: a dark underground basement with a concrete floor and whitewashed walls. There was a single lightbulb overhead. To my right, Thane was also tied to a chair, his head drooping against his chest. He was neithergagged nor blindfolded, likely because he was still unconscious. Behind him was a long glittering mirror.
I gazed at it. Oh.
‘Yeah,’ MacTire said. ‘It’s a two-way mirror. I’ve been watching you trying to free yourself for some time. You’re certainly determined.’ He smiled coldly. ‘I’ve not been in this room – or even this building – for a long time. My father used it a lot. I’m sure you can guess what for.’
Unfortunately I could.
MacTire stretched his hand towards my face and I flinched. As I jerked backwards there was a loud creak and the wooden chair finally gave way. I fell to the floor. Although the rope was still loose around my wrists, I was free of the tightest of the bindings – not that it would do me much good now.
Alexander MacTire reached down, grabbed the front of my jumper and hauled me upright, dark fire glittering in his eyes. ‘What happened to Nick?’ he growled.
I sighed inwardly. Thane gave a brief groan – he was coming around. That was good because at least he could confirm my words.
MacTire yanked the gag roughly away from my mouth. ‘Where the fuck,’ he spat, ‘is my nephew?’
Chapter
Twenty-Three
Ididn’t answer immediately; I wasn’t trying to piss him off but to find a way to reply that wouldn’t result in immediate violence. I drew a complete blank.
‘I heard Nicholas had gotten himself a job at the Crushers’ outfit in the Glebe, then it was burned to the ground,’ Alexander said. ‘I went to your place to speak to my nephew and make sure he was alright. There was no sign of him and his scent was days old. So where the fuck is he?’
I gave up and simply told him the truth. ‘He was abducted.’
The werewolf stared at me; this clearly wasn’t the answer he’d been expecting. ‘Abducted?’ he snarled.
‘I’m afraid so.’ I licked my lips. ‘Though I think he’s still alive.’
His hands tightened and he shook me until my teeth rattled – I wasn’t sure he was even aware of what he was doing. I could have defended myself and kicked at his groin, but my only real way out of this situation was to defuse it.
‘You think?’ he bellowed, his voice raising to a roar.
‘Oy!’
MacTire and I both turned to stare at Thane.
‘Stop that, you wanker! You’re not your damned father! There’s no need for violence!’
MacTire stopped shaking me but I sensed that his fury was still growing. ‘You’d know all about violence, wouldn’t you, Barrow?’
Thane’s blue eyes narrowed but he held his temper. ‘Shaking a poor defenceless woman to death isn’t going to get you any answers.’
‘Poor defenceless woman? You’re a lot of things, Barrow, but I never thought you were a fool.’
I gazed at him primly. ‘I’ll tell you everything you need to know, Mr MacTire, but first you need to calm down and take your hands off me.’
His eyes shone yellow and his teeth had already sharpened into fangs; he was shifting in front of my eyes in a way that no werewolf should be capable of.
The door opened again and Samantha walked in. Was this good or the absolute worst that could happen? The traffic lights in my head weren’t just on red, they were screaming scarlet warnings and telling me to run for my life. Would that I could have done.
‘Boss.’ Her voice was calm.
