She gestured at the two giants, who stepped forward and latched onto my arms. I didn’t resist, even though I knew how much thiswas going to hurt.
Celeste moved so that she was standing right in front of me, still clutching her two swords. Her lips puckered as she studied me, clearly thinking about where and how badly to hurt me. She tilted her head to the side, then snapped her hand forward and slammed her sword hilt into my face, just like she’d done to Owen.
Pain erupted in my left cheek and quickly radiated out throughmy skull like a string of grenades exploding one after another. I staggered back, and I would have fallen on my ass if the giants hadn’t been holding on to me. Even then, I listed around like a ship on a stormy sea, and more than a few white stars winked on and off in my field of vision.
“Wait!” Owen yelled. “Stop!”
But Celeste didn’t stop. Instead, she lashed out with one of her blades, openingup a gash along my left bicep. The deep cut was bad enough, but she also put some of her electricity into the blow, and the stinging jolts blasted over me like I’d just touched a live wire.
Sweat popped out on my forehead, my teeth rattled together, and I accidentally bit my own tongue, adding to my misery. My body involuntarily jerked and flailed, but the giants held me fast until the electricityfaded away. Somehow I swallowed down a scream of pain, even though I felt like my left arm was on fire.
Celeste smirked and drew her sword back for another strike, but Darrell held out his hand, stopping her.
“I think that’s enough for now. Let’s see if hurting Gin has made Owen more cooperative.” He turned to the other man. “Well, Owen? What do you say? Do you feel like giving up those passwordsnow?”
Owen glared at his former accountant, his violet eyes practically glowing with fury. “I’m going to kill you for hurting Gin,” he growled.
Darrell laughed. “Oh, I doubt that. As soon as I have your money, Celeste and I are leaving Ashland for good. In a few hours, we’ll be on a Caribbean island, shopping for yachts and whatever else strikes our fancy, and drinking and spending all our caresaway. Isn’t that right, my queen?”
Celeste beamed at him. “Absolutely.”
Shopping for yachts? Well, someone was taking their pirate fantasy a little too far, but I hoped they enjoyed it—because it was going to be the last thing they ever enjoyed.
Darrell went back over to Owen and bent down, waggling his tablet in Owen’s face. “The passwords. Or Celeste goes back to practicing her sword andmagic skills on Gin.”
Owen looked at me, then at my two giant guards, then at Celeste, who was still standing in front of me with her swords clutched in her hands. Finally, he focused on me again.
Worry, fear, and concern tightened his face, but they weren’t nearly as strong as the other two emotions burning in his violet gaze: his love for me and his determination that we were both gettingout of this alive.
I nodded, telling him that I was ready to move. “It’s all right, Owen. Just give him the passwords.”
“Yes, Owen,” Darrell sneered. “Give me the passwords.Now. Or your precious Gin dies.”
Celeste stepped closer to me and lifted one of her swords, resting the sharp blade up against my throat. She smirked, then pressed the edge into my neck, nicking my skin and drawing a bitof blood. She was going to slit my throat the second Darrell had what he needed from Owen. Well, let her try. She was the one who wouldn’t be getting out of here alive.
Darrell glanced over at the two giants in front of the computers. This time, they both flashed him a thumbs-up, telling him they were ready to rock ’n’ roll and steal everything from Owen. He nodded, then turned back to Owen.
“Give me your master password,” Darrell demanded.
Owen wet his lips, but he didn’t say anything.
Darrell sighed, then lifted his arm and backhanded Owen. The sharpcrackof the blow echoed through the barn, further hardening my resolve.
Owen bent over double, coughing and coughing. That went on for several seconds before he finally got his breath back and straightened up.
“The password,” Darrelldemanded again. “This is your last chance. Otherwise, Celeste starts cutting off pieces of Gin.”
Owen mumbled something unintelligible.
Darrell frowned and leaned down. “What? What did you say?”
Owen mumbled again. This time, everyone looked at him, including Celeste, who shifted on her feet and lowered her sword one precious inch away from my throat. Amateurs. They should have known betterthan to take their eyes off me.
“What did you say?” Darrell asked again.
Owen lifted his head and smiled. “I said I’m going to enjoy watching you die, you backstabbing son of a bitch.”
Before Darrell could move or react, Owen snapped his head forward.
Crunch.
This time, Darrell’s nose was the one that broke. He screamed and stumbled away, blood gushing down his face and his tablet slippingfrom his hand. He sucked down a breath, probably to order Celeste to cut my throat, but Owen let out a loud roar and surged to his feet, even though his arms were still tied down to the chair. He ran forward and smashed his body—chair and all—straight into Darrell.
And that’s when the real ren-faire battle began.
