My turn, Star said stiffly.
Blue kissed Evies temple before stalking to Tiffanys cage. He held out the phone and pressed Speaker. Say hello.
Are you all right, darling? Star asked.
Tears beaded in her lashes. Gaze locked on Blue, she shook her head no, her lips smashed together as if she didnt want to speak.
Answer him out loud, Blue snarled.
A heavy pause as the tears rolled down her cheeks. Y-yes, Daddy. Im all right.
Good. The tenor of Stars voice had changed. From concerned to commanding. Then do what I told you to do. My men are already in place.
Click.
Blues brow furrowed in confusion.
I told you that youd regret this. Tiffany closed her eyes, tremors rocking her entire body. She breathed in and out, as if trying to calm herself, before bending down and removing one of her shoes. She fit her fingers into grooves at the sides before tossing it in the center of the living room. That done, she grabbed a small silver hook resting at the toe of the other shoe.
Trying not to panic, Blue shook the bars. What did he mean?
My brother found the isotope tracker Miss Black meant to use on him, and figured youd used one on me, she said softly. A little hacking proved him right. My father has been tracking me, too. He knows where I am. Hes known all along. His men are waiting outside the perimeter. And now its too late. I have to do what he told me. I have to punish you for embarrassing him. Have to show his clients he can deliver whatever he promises. If not, Ill be punished. And if not me, then Tyson. I dont want either of us to be punished. Im sorry.
He believed her and knew something terrible was about to go down. Hed brought Evie into an ambush and hadnt had a clue. Some agent he was. How many men? Whats the plan?
Tiffanys smile was sad. He said to tell you that you began this way, and so youll end this way.
With that, she tugged on the hook, and a black cloth pulled free. A cloth she spread over her entire body.
This way, shed said. The shoe. The covering. Blue put two and two together.
Heart slamming against his ribs, he shouted, Bomb! and whipped around, diving on top of Evie. They crashed onto the ground just as the shoe bomb detonated.
White-hot heat blasted through the room, lifting him up and ripping Evie from his arms. He landed with a horrible smack, his lungs without air. Smoke was so thick he felt as though he were drowning in it. Debris rained in every direction. Pieces of wall here. Computer parts there. Fires, fires everywhere.
Coughing, Blue staggered to his feet. His leg throbbed. He looked down. His pants had been scorched away. A bone protruded through his skin. Whatever. He stumbled through the smoke. Evie, he shouted.
Please be all right. Please be all right.
He found her in the next room and fell to his knees at her side. No. No!
She wasnt all right.
Her body lay at an odd angle, her spine clearly severed. There were gashes on her cheeks, blood all over her beautiful face. One of her eyes was swollen shut. The other was glassed over as it tracked his motions.
Blue, she said, and a crimson river flowed from the side of her mouth. You okay?
Shh. Shh. Dont talk, baby. He wasnt too late. He could fix this. He had to fix this.
He ripped apart what remained of her shirt and flattened both of his hands on her chest, then closed his eyes. In his mind, he saw his very essence sweeping through her, through blood and muscle and bone, trading what remained of his health for every one of her injuries.
Inside, he felt his cells bursting, his tissues ripping, his bones snapping. It hurt. Oh, it hurt. Then his legs went numb. His arms stopped working. His heart stuttered into a warped beat as if it had been nailed into his chest wall by his ribs and couldnt escape. He fell to the side, barely able to breathe.
Worth it.
Because, a second later, Evie sat up. The swelling had left her face. The gashes had stitched together. She looked over at him and cried out with dismay.
Blue! No, no, no. She pressed her fingers into the pulse of his neck. What did you do? Why did you do it? You idiot! I will never forgive you or myself if something happens to you.
Well, I for one am glad he did it. Tyson Star stomped into the room, the smoke parting as he pointed a gun at her face.
A roar brewed in the back of Blues throat, but he was too weak to release it. He tried to gather the strength to put himself in front of Evie, to shield her, but he couldnt. Frustration and fury battled for supremacy.
Stand up, Miss Black, Tyson commanded. He had two black eyes and a cut in the center of his nose.
Courtesy of his last run-in with Evie?
No, she said with a shake of her head. She raked her gaze over Blue, as if she meant to start tending him here and now, despite their audience. I have to
Evangeline, Blue gasped. Please. Do what he says. In a few hours Blue would heal. Maybe faster, if he could get his hands on someone. Someone healthy, that is. Blue could drain their strength, taking it into himself as easily as hed taken Evies injuries. All she had to do was stay alive until then. Once he was strong enough, he would tear Stars world apart and she would never be threatened again.
Tyson switched his aim, the barrel now pointed at Blue. Listen to your man before I kill him.
Evie jumped to her feet. Okay. Okay. Im up. But you listen to me, you miserable little worm. Anything you do to him, I will remember and I will revisit upon you a thousand times worse.
He smiled smugly. Dead women cant follow through with their threats.
Four men marched into the room. One carried an uninjured Tiffany. The other three were empty-handed.
Wheres the father? Tyson snapped, the smugness gone. Michael Black.
Either his body is buried under the rubble or he was able to run. Again.
As he pondered what to do, Tyson flicked the tip of his tongue over an incisor. Two of you search the surrounding area. If hes out there, hes injured. There will be a blood trail. I dont want to leave anything to chance. Not this time.
Two of the men rushed out.
To the remaining, empty-handed guard, he said, Carry the football player to the van. He glared at Evie and grinned. Ill take care of the girl.
Twenty-seven
EVIE WOKE UP TIED to a bed.
Her first reaction was confusion. Then memories surfaced. She had been with Blue, and he had been on the phone with Gregory Star. Tiffany had cried, and there had been an explosion. Evie had been hurt, unable to move. Dying. Cold, so cold. Then Blue had loomed over her, and heat had filled her, and the pain had vanished. Yet hed fallen over, suddenly pallid, his features pinched with pain.
She wasnt sure what happened. Unless . . . he took her injuries into himself?
Maybe. The wonderful, beautiful idiot!
Then Tyson appeared.
Tyson. Yes.
He must have drugged her. She fought as a large male hefted Blue over his shoulder, unconcerned about the warriors broken spine. A hard hand pressed a cloth into her nose, and her body went lax. Darkness descended.
Now her fight-or-flight response kicked in, and, as always, fight won. She jerked against her bonds until the skin on her wrists and ankles was shredded and blood dripped from the wounds.
Not helping the situation, girl.
Panting, she sagged against the mattress. Took stock. She was trapped in a room of utter luxury. There was a chandelier overhead, thousands of crystals glinting in the light. The walls were papered with slightly yellowed lace. Clearly an older home. In the Western district, maybe. An affluent dont ask, dont tell part of town.
The door opened, hinges groaning, and Tyson strolled in. He wore a business suit and had his hair slicked back, not a strand out of place. His gaze immediately sought her. Good. Youre awake.
Anger rocked her. Wheres Blue?
What? No worry for your father? We havent yet found him, you know, so half of our forces are out there looking. But dont get any ideas about trying to escape while were so divided, he rushed to add, realizing hed said more than he should. As weak and puny as you are, youll never be able to take on all of us.
Weak? Puny?
Trying to save face for the nose job I gave you?
She couldnt worry about her father. It would cloud her thoughts, compromise her instincts. Besides, he could take care of himself. What do you plan to do with Blue?
Me? Nothing. Tyson removed his jacket, revealing the pyre-guns sheathed at his sides. Your man made a mistake challenging my father. Hell make sure Blue understands that before he kills him.
Have to escape. Have to save him. What are you going to do with me?
There was a pitcher of water on the dresser. He poured himself a glass and drained the contents. His features were pinched as he said, To be honest, I havent figured that out yet.
He wasnt as hard-core as his father or he would have hurt her already. She could work with that.
If possible, establish camaraderie. Will you cut me loose, at least? Please. I dont have any weapons. I dont even know where I am. Theres nothing I can do to you while Im this weak, and nowhere I can go.
He ignored her, lifting her purse. I remembered the weapons you had in the last bag, so I thought Id find a treasure trove in this one after I peeled it from your unconscious body. Instead, all I found was toys. He sneered. Just one of many mistakes youve made.
Each one of those toys will drop and sock you, boyo. What can I say? Im easily bored.
Thats because you had a rich, pampered childhood. Unlike Tiffany and me, who were punished for every wrong we ever committed, real or otherwise. He poured another glass and brought this one to her, placing the cup at her lips.
She drank greedily, desperate to wash the soot from her throat. When she finished, she licked her mouth and, to relax him, offered a small smile. Thank you.
Youre lucky I decided to keep you, he said tightly, rather than let my father do what he wanted to do to you. He set the cup aside and traced his knuckles along her jaw.
She flinched from the contact, acting the part of the frightened little lamb.
A muscle ticked under his eye. Im not a bad guy, Miss Black.
Okay. Screw camaraderie. A statement that grotesquely wrong couldnt be ignored. Your father has kidnapped and killed innocent people. He removed the skin of a living man. He bombed two of my fathers homes. This time you helped him. So, yes, youre a bad guy.
He scowled down at her. Is this the part where you try to convince me to help you prove Im nothing like the man who sired me? Well, let me save you the trouble. No one challenges my father, and that includes me. Ive never bucked the system, for myself or my sister, and I certainly wont do it for you. A pretty woman whose sharp little tongue ruins everything.
Only a strong man could truly appreciate a strong woman. Tyson, she said, once again going for frightened little lamb.
His scowl morphed into the semblance of a smile. Bet you wish youd been nicer to me over the years, huh?
With that, he strode from the room, shutting her inside.
Over the years?
Shed encountered him at a few parties, she was sure, but she couldnt recall being rude to him specifically.
Youve been rude to everyone.
Okay. True.
There was no clock, so she couldnt track time. She only knew an eternity passed. Her stomach growled. Her bladder filled and began to hurt. She worried about Blue, about what was being done to him. Had Michael been well enough to follow Tyson here? Was her father aware she had the isotope in her blood? That he could track her the same way Star tracked Tiffany?
Maybe not. But if Tiffany was here . . . He could track her.
Would Star really be that stupid, though?
Finally, Tyson returned. His eyes were bloodshot, his clothing wrinkled. There were lipstick stains on his collar, and he reeked of smoke, alcohol, and sex.
Ill be nicer to you, she said with as much eagerness as she could muster. Please. Just free me. I have to use the bathroom.
I know youll be nicer, Miz Black. Youve had time to think and youve realized itll be better for you to make friends with me and do whatever I tell you. Smirking, he stumbled to her side and untied her, surprising her.
Dont leap into action. Wait. Plan.
He remained at her side, rather than offering to escort her to the bathroom. She rubbed at her wrists. Was he too drunk to remember her major badassery skills? Or did he think the threat over Blue would keep her docile? Yeah. That one. Typical bully move.
What time is it? she asked in an effort to keep him relaxed.
Midnight. The time for lovers, he said with a leering grin.
Gah! Gonna play that game, were they? Is Blue here? In this house?
Still worried about him? How sweet. Well, youll be happy to know he is indeed here, and hes alive. Barely. We wanted you close to him, just in case we needed to convince him to behave. His gaze bored into hers. But Id be better off killing you, I think. I cant ever let you go. You know too much.
Know too much? Me? Nah, she said. Besides, Id never tell.
Liar, he said, and slapped her.
A trickle of blood ran through her mouth. Her eyes narrowed on him. Do not do that again.
You are known for your brutal sense of truth, and yet you dare lie to me? When I hold your fate in my hands?
Youre right. I do know too much, and I will tell. But Im going to hurt you real bad first.
Doubtful. His head tilted to the side as he studied her. I left a club full of women desperate to warm my bed. For you. Last time we were together, I was too concerned for my sister to feel much for you. Now I dont want to have what Ive already had when I can have something new.
Plan: kill him, find Blue.
Done.
What did you have in mind? she asked. Im assuming youll beat me if I refuse.
To kill him: rip out his larynx? Yeah. That would work. It was satisfying (for her), and quiet. Any guards posted outside the door would remain unaware.
Youre assuming correctly. His eyes brightened with triumph. But Ill even throw in a bonus and let you earn medical treatments for Blue.
Wanker. Such as?
First up, youre going to suck me off, and in return Im going to have someone realign Blues spine. See how kind I can be? He stood and stalked to the dresser, though he never took his gaze off her. His fingers toyed with the button on his jeans. What do you think?
I think I want to decline, she said with a sugary-sweet smile. If Im being honest.
His grin bloomed all over again. I almost hope you do decline. Because my next order of business will be to go down and break Mr. Blues spine in other places.
Go down.
So. Blue was downstairs, and she was up. A priceless piece of information.
For dramatic effect, she shuddered. All right. Okay. We understand each other, she said, and threw her legs over the side of the bed. As she walked forward, she pretended her knees were trembling, and staged a trip. Then she crawled the rest of the way.
He seemed to like her fear, proudly squaring his shoulders when she reached him.
She slowly lowered his zipper.
If you bite me, he said, gripping the hair at her nape in a hard, intractable fist, youll end up needing a wire for your jaw.
No. Please. Anything but that. Too much? Are you a screamer? she asked softly.
He softened his stance, saying, Only if youre good.
Oh, Im very good. She pulled his pants and underwear down to his ankles. His erection bobbed in front of her face. No wonder he had such terrible rage issues. Little Ty-Ty had been teased in the school bathroom, hadnt he?
Ill be the judge of that. Now do it, he gritted, as though in pain.
With pleasure, she thought.
She balled her hand and punched his sac as hard as she possibly could. He doubled over and, lightning fast, she rammed her other hand into his nose, breaking it a second time.
As blood spurted, he opened his mouth to bellow, but she slapped a hand over his lips, silencing him. Forget the larynx thing. She had a better idea. He stumbled forward, tripped over his pants, and landed on his knees. She popped up and grinned.
And then she kicked him in the back of the head with so much force he immediately crumpled into a wilted heap.
Just for fun, she kicked him again. Then, working fast, she rooted through her purse and found two of the tubes of lipstick. With a little fancy finger work, the tubes were transformed into mini pyre-guns. Yes. Like Swiss Army makeup.
Killing was out, and torture was in. She dragged the motionless Tyson to the bed and, through sheer grit and determination, got him up on the mattress. He could be leveraged. After engaging the laser cuffs on his wrists to keep him in place, stuffing his mouth full of tube socks, and punching him again just for funzies, she removed his weapons.
The guns she couldnt use. They were programmed to his ID and useless for everyone else. But she found a switchblade and claimed it as her own.
Up next: bladder relief.
When she stalked out of the bathroom, life was worth living again.
Now for the tricky part of the plan. Getting to Blue.
Were there guards stationed outside the room?
Probably.
She draped her purse around her side, opened the door, and peeked out quickly. Wow. Empty. Tyson had been that sure of himself. There were three other doorways before the hallway curved. Tiptoeing, she walked to the first door, listened. No sounds. She peeked inside. A bedroom. Furnished, and clean, as if no one had been inside in a very long time. Or ever.
The other two were the same.
So the guards didnt live up here. A blessing. No one would be sneaking up on her.
She moved to the top of the stairs and paused, peering down a small alcove into the living room. There were ten armed males. Most had their backs to her. Some gazed out the windows, watching for intruders. Some paced between the living room and kitchen. Two sat in front of a wall of screens, probably watching the security feed.
Evie lay on the floor and dug through her purse, setting the Rubiks Cube and the golf ball at the ledge, and anchoring the glasses on the bridge of her nose. The lenses sealed off her eye sockets, preventing any air from penetrating. Then she placed both guns in position.
Deep breath in . . . release . . . she pushed the cube and golf ball over the ledge with her chin. A second of normalcy, then . . . boom!
A violent gust of heat blew her hair all around her shoulders. Smoke thickened the air and debris rained. Men screamed. Not only did the glasses protect her from the poison, they also allowed her to see past the smoke. She focused on the men still standing, running this way and that, and squeezed the triggers of her guns. Two bright streams of yellow light pierced the chaos, hitting her targets. They slumped forward. Her next two targets went down just as easily.
A few of the men seemed immune to the poisoned air that should have swelled their eyes shut, and turned toward her, searching for the source of the gunfire. Now that shed thinned the herd, she had a little more room for error. So she just started firing. Down, down, down men fell. The last one managed to whip out his gun and shoot in her direction, but the miasma distorted his aim and the blaze soared just over her shoulder. She felt the sear of the flames but not the sting. Then he, too, was dead, and she was standing.
Hold on, Blue. Im coming for you.
Twenty-eight
ACOMMOTION BEYOND THE CELL diverted Stars attention from Blue, and the man frowned at his daughter.
Tiffany sat on a stool in the corner, watching everything that happened. She wasnt happy to be there. Her eyes were swollen from crying, her cheeks red with tear tracks, and she whimpered every time her father hurt Blue. But Star had told her to stay and learn the family trade, and so she had stayed.
Go find out whats going on, Star commanded.
Yes, sir, she replied dutifully, and tripped from the cell.
Blue was happy to see her go. He was strapped to a table, unable to move, and the extra set of eyes pissed him off. So did his failure. He hadnt managed to steal Stars health.
Now he was waiting for his body to heal on its own.
The spacious cell had no bars, only concrete walls and a door. It reminded him of the room hed seen in the video, the one with John. There was a single light, a too-bright halogen bulb, hanging overhead, and his bomb-sensitive eyes burned as if theyd been set on fire.
Was Evie nearby?
Star faced him. Ready to continue? he said with a sigh, waving a scalpel in the air. You should have walked away when I gave you the chance. Now Im going to treat you to the same procedure I treated John to. A procedure I learned years ago while living on the streets. Did you know that? How poor I was as a child? Sometimes I had to kill for my dinner, and not just to steal what someone else had. People do terrible things when theyre hungry.
Do not comment. Make the monologue last.
I know, because terrible things were done to me. Stars hand tightened on the knife.
Wont feel sorry for him.
I learned to protect myself, though, and always went back for revenge. Now I help others who cant help themselves. Its a public service, really.
You also hurt innocents. The words slipped out.
Star shrugged. Is anyone ever really innocent, Mr. Blue? No matter our age, weve all hurt someone in some way.
Some of us are sorry about that.
That doesnt make the pain go away. Back on topic, he said, Your flesh is battered and bruised and wont fetch me any money, but it will make a nice trophy for my case. Youve caused me considerable trouble, Mr. Blue.
You deserved it, Blue gritted.
For defending my empire? If anything, I should be commended. I couldnt let you come along and cause my clients to doubt my capabilities. Couldnt let them wonder how I could possibly punish their enemies when I couldnt punish my own.
A twitch in Blues fingers.
Movement?
He tried again. His finger rubbed against the plastic blanket spread out underneath him. Finally! Hed begun to heal. His power wouldnt be far behind.
Cant grin.
He grinned.
Star narrowed his eyes. I would have injected you with painkillers so that you wouldnt feel the worst of it, but Im recording this to show to anyone who thinks to come against me in the future, and Im going to need you to scream. Ill start with your toes and work my way up. Afterward I may or may not put you out of your misery. Youll have to beg. John did.
Im going to enjoy killing you. Come on. Come the hell on! Another twitch, this time in his wrist.
No need to be rude, Mr. Blue. Especially since I control the fate of your girlfriend as well as your friend. Instead of hurting her in front of you, I did you the courtesy of placing her in the care of my son. Hell make sure she experiences . . . pleasure.
A tide of rage spilled through him, and his shoulder twitched. How sweet of you.
Yes. It was. And now for your pain. Star hunched over Blues left foot and slid the tip of the blade just underneath his skin.
Blues nerves were in the process of coming back to life. He felt the sting and hissed in a breath.
Star worked slowly, dragging out the terrible sensations. Finally he straightened and brushed his bloody hands together for a job well done. The first toe is finished. Now for the second. The secret is in the angle of the wrist. Too far this way and youll tear. Too far that way and Ill take muscle, too.
As the blade slid underneath the nail of the second toe, Blues entire leg jerked to avoid the pain.
Steady now. Ill call the guards in to restrain you further if I must.
A white-hot lance rode the waves of every nerve in his body, and Blue cried out. Hed never felt anything so terrible, and his rage grew. John experienced this. For hours.
So dramatic, Star said with a nod. Keep it up.
The blade began to move, and Blue waved his fingers. They were his to control again. He turned his head left, right, the bones popping. Good. No problems there, either. He bit the inside of his cheek to stop another grin.
His power hadnt returned, but he was back in the game.
He had one chance to do this. Only one.
He closed his eyes and drew what strength he possessed into his core. Then, arching his back, putting his weight into his shoulders and elbows, he jerked at the straps confining his wrists. The material snapped apart.
Frowning with confusion, Star straightened.
Blue jolted upright and fit his fingers around the mans neck, squeezing. Drawing from the mans strength and health, his muscles began to plump; Stars began to wither.
Eyes wide, Star desperately tried to pull away and, when that failed, remembered he was holding a scalpel and stabbed Blue in the neck. Blue experienced a sharp sting, felt a warm spurt of blood.
But only a few seconds later Blue healed and the injury appeared on Star.
The mans blood filled Blues hands and slicked his skin, and he lost his grip. Star clutched his neck and stumbled away from him, gasping for breath.
Blue yanked at the ankle straps, then stood at the side of the gurney.
Star fell to his knees, his strength depleted. Still, he managed to whip a gun from the back of his pants and aim. You stay right where you are, Mr. Blue, or Ill kill you.
The time for orders is over. Lunging, Blue swiped the weapon out of his hand and turned it, pointing it at his opponents heart. You were saying?
Suddenly the door burst open and Evie raced inside, dragging Tiffany behind her. She took one look at the scene and cried out with relief. Blue! Thank God!
Evie. Somehow, his smart, intrepid woman managed to escape Tyson on her own. Of course she had. And, rather than saving herself, she came looking for him.
I have the best taste in women.
The guards are dead, she announced. All of them. There could be more outside the home. I couldnt tell. Get the answers we need, kill him, and lets go.
He swallowed a laugh. How easy she made it sound.
Tyson, Star gasped.
She smiled evilly. Resting upstairsfor now. If you dont tell Blue what he wants to know, well, Ill let you fill in the blank.
If you hurt him . . . the male growled.
Oh, trust me. Ill hurt him. The broken nose and destroyed ball sac were just the appetizers.
Tiffany covered her mouth with her hands. Not Tyson. Please, dont hurt Tyson.
Distracted by her, Blue didnt realize Star palmed a second gun. One he aimed at Evie. He tapped at the trigger, and a stream of yellow light shot out.
Evie dodged, barely escaping.
Furious now, Blue aimed his own weapon at Star. You shouldnt have done that.
He, too, tapped at the trigger. Intending to harm irreparably, but not to kill. Not yet.
With a shout of denial, Tiffany jumped in front of Star, acting as his shield, taking the flames into her own body. Her heart fried instantly, her eyes widening as her knees buckled. She tumbled to the floor.
No! Star shouted, horrified. No!
Blue leapt into action, kicking the second gun out of the mans hand, then grabbing him by the shirt to lift him off the ground. His legs dangled in the air.
We both know youre not going to kill me, Star gritted, his grief for his daughter vanquished by self-preservation. You wont find your friend without me.