Page 46 of Villains and Vengeance
I stare at the dead arania in front of me with my mouth open. He just killed the biggest one in the Mountain as easily as if she was a garden spider. If I’d taken him to Siggy, that would be her lying there. The realization has me bending to the side and throwing up the nothing in my stomach.
When I’m done dry heaving, Jayce gives me a nasty smirk.
‘No more games, my tricky little lass,’ he says as he pulls me up. ‘Take me to Axel and before you try this stunt again, I already know which tunnel he’s in.’
‘You knew this wasn’t the right one?’
‘Of course.’
I shake my head at him in disbelief. ‘Why didn’t you come for him if you knew where he was?’
Jayce shrugs. ‘Iron would never have let me draw out an arania like that and it’s too dangerous to enter their lairs without a battalion of powerful supes.’
‘You … you used me as bait …’ I whisper. ‘What if you hadn’t been fast enough to pull me out of the way?’
He chuckles. ‘Good thing I was, eh?’
I can’t help it. I slap him across the face hard. ‘You’re an asshole, Jayce!’
He grabs my arm in an iron grip and for a second I’m scared he’s going to break it, leaving me almost completely defenseless in this dangerous place. But then he takes my hand and brings it up to his mouth, kissing my palm lightly before he takes off his belt and uses it to bind my wrists behind me again.
‘I’ll give you that one because I like seeing your fire back,’ he breathes, laughing as I wrench away with a huff.
He pushes me back down the tunnel to Siggy’s territory.
‘Call your arania friend,’ he orders.
My eyes widen. He’s going to do the same thing to Siggy that he just did to Gargantua. My heart beats wildly in my chest as I look up at his maniacal expression. He widens his stance and grips his sword in both hands, readying himself for battle.
‘No.’
His eyes narrow on me. ‘Do it or I’ll—’
‘What? Kill me? Do that and you’ll never get out of the Mountain!’ I hiss.
He crowds me against the other wall. ‘There are worse things I could do,’ he breathes.
His tongue licks the shell of my ear. I can feel his dick hardening against my body and I swallow hard, remembering his threats from before. But I keep my nerve.
‘Do you guys seriously think I got where I am by being stupid?’ I grind out quietly, trying to ignore the scare tactics.
‘You’re in prison, baby,’ he retorts.
‘Only because I want to be,’ I answer. ‘You want me to take you to Axel? I need some assurances.’
‘Like what? Your safety? Done.’
I laugh for real. ‘You can’t promise that. Not without the others and definitely not without Maddox.’
He draws back. ‘What then?’
‘Siggy.’
He stares at me in confusion. ‘You want a cigarette?’ he finally asks. ‘I didn’t know you smoked.’
‘I don’t. Siggy –Sigourneyis the arania whose territory Axel is currentlyresiding in.’
‘You named it after Sigourney Weaver? Ha! Because she’s a spider. Funny.’
