Page 22 of Lady of Darkness
Theo goes out of his mind, and Alaric holds his gun out, ready to kill. Sterling has his hand wrapped around a grenade. He isn’t fucking around, and neither am I. When we get back to our car, we’re all silent for a minute or two. Finally, Theo breaks the silence. He’s looking at something on his phone.
“She could be in any of their safehouses,” he says, showing us a map with at least fifty dots scattered across the country. “I suspected this one because it’s their home base, but clearly I was wrong.”
Alaric’s jaw ticks, and I know he’s pissed.
“Then let’s start with the first one on the list,” I suggest.
“These are only the known safehouses. There might be others,” he adds, shaking his head in frustration.
I sigh. Leaning back, I rub my lips. “Then we go door to fucking door on every house in this whole goddamn city. This whole goddamn country.”
Theo starts the car, and we head out to the first safe house.
I grind my jaw as I think of the worst-case scenario. “What if she’s–”
“Don’t,” Sterling growls. “Don’t you fucking utter those words.”
CHAPTERNINE
Harlow
My imprisonment is morelike a hotel stay, but with locked windows and doors, of course. I spend the next hour inspecting the bedroom, searching for any clues or ways I can communicate with the Lords. Even if I could… would they even want to find me? I’m under no false pretenses that they want or need to rescue me. They may very well leave me here to rot. A thousand years of history… and I’ve only been a part of it for a few weeks. They have Archie. And there’s the fact that I tried to poison them last week.
It would be easier to call it a loss.
I don’t have any special abilities, or secret information.
And even though they seemed to like me before I tried to kill them… was I really going to sway four of the most powerful men in the world? They were smart and practical.
Why risk their lives for me, when I proved to themseven days agothat I didn’t care about themat all?
I take a long, hot shower, trying not to think of the future and what mine might look like now. When I’m done, I walk back into the bedroom to find a pair of silk pajamas on the bed. Taking a deep breath, I pull them on quickly–just in case there are cameras in here. The bathroom is full of assorted products, so I spend some time applying serums and lotions, brushing my hair out, and staring at myself in the mirror.
They certainly aren’t treating me like a captive. I don’t plan on letting my guard down, but it is strange how well they’re treating me, especially seeing that I am a Lady of Darkness.
Their sworn enemy.
I climb into bed and look around. None of my personal belongings are here–no phone, no purse, no clothes. Someone must’ve changed me at a certain point. Either before we arrived in Montenegro, or after we got here. That thought leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. What the hell are their intentions? Why aren’t they treating me like a captive? Are they just luring me in, waiting until I become comfortable, waiting to spring?
Unease coils in my belly when I hear heavy footsteps outside of my door. Luka throws it open, followed by a man who instantly makes me nervous. He’s smaller than Luka, thinner. Shaved black hair, eyes that are so deep-set and black that they look bottomless. He smiles, and one of his teeth is made of gold. I look at Luka–anywhere but at that man.
“Harlow,” Luka purrs. “I see you’ve made yourself at home.”
I don’t say anything. Instead, I just glare at them and cross my arms.
“Do you remember what I said about cooperating?” Luka adds.
I swallow the bile beginning to crawl up my throat.
“Yes. Why do you ask?” My voice comes out higher than I intended.
Luka smirks. “This is our biggest client. One of the richest men in the world. He has… offered us a significant amount of money for one night with you. Consider tonight a test.”
My stomach bottoms out, and I break into a cold sweat. Suddenly, Alaric’s words from the night I killed Armin float into my mind.
Acadia is known for trafficking children. And Armin here? He gets his pick of whoever he wants to take advantage of. Most of the girls he chooses are under the age of twelve.
Acadia’s specialty is human trafficking, and I’m the new, exciting product for these monsters.
