So he was bait. Good to know. “Why the dirt in this metal cell?” he muttered, his teeth crunching dirt he must’ve inhaled.
Lance sat on a folded chair in what appeared to be a vacant warehouse. “It has molecules of planekite in it, just in case. I didn’t think you were a witch, but it never hurts to be sure.”
“Planekite?” he asked before his brain kicked back in. Crap. He probably should know what that was. Grunting, he pulled out the darts to flick toward the shifter.
Lance rolled his eyes. “I know there are several names for the mineral, but we call it planekite. You know what I’m talking about.” He cocked his head. “Or don’t you? I guess if you’re Fae, you have probably been off world for a long time? Until recently, anyway.”
What the hell did ‘off world’ mean? Evan moved to the bars of the cell. “Right. Off world. So—planekite?” He couldn’t quite manage full sentences yet.
“It’s a mineral that weakens and ultimately kills witches,” Lance said. “Guess you’re not a witch.”
“Guess not.” However, hadn’t somebody said that enhanced humans were related to the witches? Nobody had sounded sure. He was feeling weak and his blood was flowing sluggishly, but he’d also been darted pretty heavily. “What was in those darts?” They’d pierced his skin easily enough.
Lance chuckled, the sound echoing around the empty room. There were two large doors and bays, so this was probably storage for vehicles or maybe boats? “Those darts held enough sedative to take down a cadre of vampires. You should still be out and in lala land. I guess you crazy fairies have some gifts I hadn’t heard about.”
“Guess so.” Hopefully enhanced human males had even more gifts. Evan planted his hands on the bars to test their strength. Solid. Pretty solid. “What’s your play here?”
Lance tugged a knife with a jagged edge out of the sheath in his right boot. “Your mate is bringing the prototype here to trade for your life. It’s pretty simple.”
“Is it?” Evan drawled, his faculties slowly returning.
Lance grinned. “Well, maybe not. Your mate is a lying bitch, even for a demonness, so we’re going to get the prototype and kill you both once she arrives. If she arrives. Think she’ll come for you?”
Evan tightened his grip around one of the bars. “I think it’s interesting your brother isn’t here.” Tension rolled through him followed by a healthy dose of anger. “Where is he?”
“You’re not as dumb as you look,” Lance observed. A phone trilled, and he tugged one from his front pocket with his free hand. “Lance.” Then his eyebrows lifted and he looked at Evan. “No shit. Guess you won that bet. See you soon.” He ended the call. “The bitch is on her way here. Guess she does have a feeling or two for you.”
“That’s the last time you call her a bitch, Lance,” Evan growled, the energy beginning to run through his veins again. “Where is your brother?”
Lance twisted the knife, staring as it reflected light around the room. “He followed her to the factory. We couldn’t find it, you know. The female is a master at using dummy corporations.” He flipped the knife up and caught the handle on the way down. “I have wanted to cut her for so long.”
Evan snarled, his chest widening. He stood taller. Her image flashed through his mind, giving him more strength. Tabi. His Tabi. He should’ve told her how he felt about her, even though it didn’t make a lick of sense that it had happened so quickly. Instead, he’d just bossed her around. Not that she didn’t need a little bit of protection and sense. “You’re not going to touch her.”
“Oh, but I am,” Lance said, twirling the knife again. “Who knew that she’d lose this game over a mate? I didn’t think she had it in her to care.”
“So you darted us and then your brother followed her to find the factory—just in case she didn’t come for me.” As a plan, it didn’t suck. Tabi was smart. She had to know she was walking into a trap. “She won’t come for me. Your brother is mistaken.”
The door opened and Tabi strode inside, holding a medium-sized light blue box. “Wrong.” Her blonde hair was long down her back, and she wore black jeans with those deadly heels giving her additional height. She looked at him, her black eyes glittering. “You okay?”
Allen walked in behind her, a green gun in his hand and a wary light in his eyes. “This was too easy.”
Evan pulled on the bar, his hand slipping off. “What the hell are you doing here?”
She shrugged. “I couldn’t just let them kill you.” One of her light eyebrows arched.
He subtly shook his head. So far, the bar hadn’t moved. Either his super strength was gone, or the bars were fortified even against such power.
She sighed. “Well. This is unfortunate.”
Man, she was cool under pressure. Or maybe she didn’t realize that their situation actually sucked. “What’s in the box, Tabitha?” Evan asked quietly.
Her grin was catlike. She tugged out a black remote control.
Allen pointed the gun at her. “What is that?”
She pressed a button, and an explosion rocked the entire county.
Evan dropped his head. “Please tell me you didn’t just blow up your factory.”
