Damned by Blood

Chapter Fifteen

Dominick planted himself in front of the door. “They’re not to be disturbed.”

“Goddamn you. You’ve sealed my brother in the cellar—”

“Along with my prince.”

“Exactly. You’ve entombed my brother in a cellar with the Wicked Witch of the West.”

“Gregor.” Maddy put her hand on his arm. “Hear him out.”

“They’ve not murdered each other, that I’m sure. I’ve heard them laughing.”

Gregor said, “Mikhail never laughs.”

Maddy liked Alya’s handsome lieutenant, and she didn’t think he was lying. If Alya Adad employed men like him, she couldn’t be all that bad. But Gregor wasn’t patient at the best of times, and all the way to Los Angeles he’d been on edge, worried for Mikhail and for the whole family. Something had to give, and soon.

Gregor picked up the screw gun. “I’m not waiting. I don’t trust this fucked-up matchmaking scheme of yours.”

Dominick stepped forward, fist raised.

Maddy slid between them. “Dominick, you’ll agree they have to come out sooner or later, right? Why not now?”

“If they’re happy just now, I want them to stay that way. Let it sink in to their thick heads that they’re good for one another.”

Maddy said, “You think they’re a good match?”

“Mrs. Faustin, I know my prince.”

She squeezed his arm and they shared a smile of understanding. The tension dissolved. “That’s wonderful, but they can’t live in the basement for the rest of their lives. Let Gregor unscrew the door. Mikhail will want to see us, I’m sure of it.”

Dominick agreed reluctantly. It took a long time to take the bracings off the door. Considering all the racket, she was surprised—and a little worried—that Mikhail didn’t come up and speak to them through the door.

Gregor ventured down first, moving cautiously, keeping her behind him with one hand. Dominick brought up the rear. She supposed he had more to fear than either of them. The narrow stairway emptied into a dim room, very leathery and red, like the door above. The first thing Maddy saw was a scary looking cage. The next, a set of broken chains dangling from the cracked ceiling.

“Sweet fucking Jesus,” Gregor whispered.

She followed his gaze to the floor and saw Mikhail and a tawny goddess lying together in gorgeous tangle of flesh. Not dead, but deeply, profoundly asleep.

They slept in a nest of what looked like yards and yards of shredded plastic wrap. Around them lay a debris field made up of every sex toy Maddy could name, and others she’d never even imagined.

Mikhail was smiling.