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“Don’t talk,” Dice said. “I should’ve told you that one first. And don’t touch anything. Don’t look anywhere. If you do, I might still throw you in the river, reservation or not.”
At least I knew that last threat was empty. Whoever the “boss” was, he’d laid down the law, and so far, that included not killing me.
There wasn’t much to look at as we proceeded down a plain hall, not even a picture hanging. I wasn’t sure what he was so worried about me touching.
“Could you just tell me where I am?” I asked.
“You’re talk-ing,” he said, almost singing the word.
It was done. There was no way I was changing my mind—ever. These people—aliens, whatever they were—were horrid, and I hated every one of them.
He opened a door to a room that was a cluttered mess.
“Go in there and wait. Don’t touch anything, don’t do anything until he gets here.”
“Who’s he?” I wasn’t going to take another step until he told me.
He stared at me, as if he knew that I’d drawn a line. “Kaden. That’s the boss.” He pointed in the room. “Now in.”
I walked in. Before I could ask another question, the door slammed shut. The footsteps retreated and I edged closer to the door, finding it locked.
Chapter Three
The window across the room was the first one I’d seen in this building, but nothing in the view made sense. We were high up in a mountain, but Floridadidn’t havemountains. There were more mountains to the left and an ocean off in the distance. There were glittering lights of a town below. Lights that sparkled in thenight, except it was morning. If I did want to get out of this building, this window wasn’t the way.
Nothing made any sense, and I’d never been prone to delusions. I could’ve tripped, passed out for a while, and they’d brought me here. It was the only logical answer, and would fit—except they hadn’t wanted me here.
I dug my phone out because these psychos hadn’t checked my pockets. My battery was on red and there were no bars to be had. I explored every corner of this room trying to get a signal on my phone. They must’ve known there was no service in here. That was probably why they’d stuck me in this stupid room.
Whatever this place was, or who these people were, Kaden had stopped them from killing me. He might be the voice of reason in this group, and it seemed what he said ruled. I’d talk to him, explain that I needed to be released, and that would be that. No harm done. It was all a big misunderstanding. So big I couldn’t quite make heads or tails of it, but that was fine. We’d talk, they’d let me go. I’d call the firm and tell them I’d had an accident. It would all be okay.
I was pacing the room, trying to find a signal, when the man who had to be Kaden walked in.
Eyes the color of a blue glacier ran the length of me. They were startlingly bright against darkly tanned skin and black hair that made them appear almost cooler. Or maybe it was the clinical way in which he was scanning me.
I stood still, refusing to turn away or fidget. I purposefully let my gaze run the length of him in return.
He was tall, broad, and my chances of besting him in any kind of physical fight were nil. He’d have to be so clumsy as to trip over his own feet in order for me to have a shot.
As he walked in the room, there was a sleek grace to his movements that stripped away that last possibility. He moved like a predator, his features sharp, almost savage.
I swallowed, in spite of my determination to come off as cool as he did. The sound would’ve echoed through the room if it hadn’t been drowned out by my raging heartbeat.
“So you’re the reservation.” He walked over and settled into the chair behind the desk. There was a slight citrus smell mixed with pine, like I’d wandered into a magical forest with a lemon grove. He stretched out long legs, continuing to eye me up like someone who was born having the upper hand, had never known anything but being on top of the food chain.
“Looks like it,” I said, still attempting to play it cool even as my palms were about to drip sweat.
“Not exactly what I expected.” He didn’t bother expanding on whether that was better or worse, although I had my suspicions.
My spine stiffened. My chin notched up. It didn’t matter how he looked at me. It wasn’t like Iwantedto be here. I still didn’t know whereherewas.
“Where am I?”
He leaned back a little farther in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. “You’re saying you managed to get a reservation and you don’t know?”
There was no way around it. It wasn’t like I could do an internet search for “weird place under the bridge.” I’d have to embrace the ignorance and hope it didn’t land me in the river.
“Yes. That’s why I asked,” I replied, trying to sound as condescending as he looked.
