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Rio shot to my side, his gawky teenager’s body tense. He glared across me at Talon. “Promise me you won’t hurt her.”
Talon just gave him a look and nodded at Nathan. “Open the door.”
Rio tugged my arm, trying to pull me away from Talon. “You can’t just kidnap her.”
Talon stiffened. Adrian and Nathan’s expressions turned murderous.
Adrian grabbed Rio by his T-shirt. “This is syndicate business. Get your hands off her before I rip your fucking head off.”
I turned slightly toward Rio, all I could manage with Talon gripping my skull, and gave a frantic shake of my head.
Actually, Talon could do whatever he wanted with me. When I’d signed that thrall contract with the Maritime Syndicate, I’d signed over most of my rights for three years in return for a boatload of money. However, they didn’t own me. I was a thrall, not a blood slave.
Unfortunately, by taking a bribe to spy on the syndicate, I’d broken the contract. They could legally punish me for betraying them. It was right there in the fine print.
And if I disappeared, no one would ever find the corpse.
Rio ignored Adrian. “I want your promise,” he told Talon.
His expression hardened. “Let her go.”
Rio’s swallow was audible, but instead of releasing me, he gave my arm another, firmer tug. Talon bared sharp white fangs and leaned across me, pushing his face into Rio’s.
“Let. Her. Go.”
The teenager dropped my arm like it was a hot poker.
“Stay away from the lieutenant’s woman.” Adrian shoved Rio in the chest.
He reeled backward, arms flailing. When he caught his balance, he muttered, “Lieutenant? Damn,” his light brown skin ashen. But he didn’t back off. “That doesn’t give you motherfuckers the right to drag her out of here like a freaking pet dog.”
Christ.
A cold bead of sweat trickled between my shoulder blades. I had to defuse this before Talon decided Rio was more trouble than he was worth.
“It’s okay,” I told him. “I’ll be all right. But call BVE for me, okay? Tell them I won’t be coming back to work. That I went…home.”
“I will. Of course.” His fists clenched at his sides. “But Becky…I mean Eden…whatever. I’ll call 911. They won’t get away with this.”
“The cops won’t do anything,” I said. “These guys aren’t even from New York. They’re not even from the United States.” Not that the cops would do anything even if Talon was from the local syndicate.
“And everything in my room is yours.” I had five thousand in cash in my go-bag. If I couldn’t take it, I wanted him to have it.
Rio shook his head.
I sent him a pleading look. “Please, Rio.”
I sensed Talon eyeing me. I blanked my expression and tried to blank my emotions as well. But it was too late, because Talon said, “He’s coming, too.”
“What?” I blinked rapidly. “No! He’s nothing—a kid.”
Talon jerked his chin in Rio’s direction. “Get him,” he told Adrian and Nathan.
The soldiers bracketed Rio, each grabbing an arm.
I sucked in a breath, afraid Rio would fight back. He was tough and he didn’t take any crap—he’d never have lasted in New York otherwise. He stiffened and drew in a breath, then sent me a look and went along with it.
That was worse. Despair filled me.
