Dating Outside Your DNA (32 page)

of an agent, especially with the elite force. Her scores reflected  otherwise. She'd made the highest ones ever on a written exam.

She'd played football in high school. She was right there in the  middle of a bunch of smart-assed boys, but she'd held her own. She  might look like a cheerleader, but she could kick some serious ass.

"What would you do?"

"I'd take a sketch artist and have the guy who saw the man in  black describe him,"  Alesha said.

"Did either one of them have any enemies?" Reeka asked.

Joe shook his head. "I'm almost positive Lyraka didn't. Roan  had his share."

"Do you think they're still alive?" Ray's expression was solemn.

"You'd think if someone was after money, they would've asked for a

ransom or something by now."

Joe shook his head. "I don't know." He'd never felt so useless in

his whole life. All he knew was that whoever had them better make

damn sure he didn't harm them because no place, no planet, was big

enough for them to hide. He'd hunt them down if it was the last thing

he ever did.

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Roan thought he'd been in the glass cage for two days. It was hard to tell. Time seemed to have slowed to a crawl. Food would be

waiting when he woke up. There was a pot to relieve himself that

would be replaced with a clean one while he slept.

He had a feeling there was something in the food that made

him sleep so he'd started hiding it beneath the pillows. Banyon had

been in one other time to taunt him with what he was do ing to Lyraka.

Roan hadn't let the other man goad him. He only stared at Banyon,

which had infuriated him.

But Banyon's tactics had worked better than the ruler could've hoped. He just didn't know it.

If Banyon was harming Lyraka, Roan would kill him. He just had to escape. He worked at scoring the glass every chance he got. The grooves were getting deeper. It wouldn't be long now.

There was a familiar whish of the door opening. He quickly moved away from the glass and positioned himself so that it shiel ded that side.

"I was beginning to wonder where you've been." Roan stood nonchalantly, one hand resting on the glass in front of him. He'd never before felt such a burning desire to kill someone. Until now. He wanted to choke the life out of the smug bastard.

"It's nice to know I'm missed."

"I'd miss a worm if I thought it would relieve the boredom of  sitting in here day after day."

"That's why I have brought something to entertain you."

Roan knew by the smirk on Banyon's face that whatever he

was about to do, Roan wouldn't like it.

Banyon clapped his hands and the door opened again. A video  screen was brought into the room and placed in front of him. The men  who carried it in left as quietly as they'd come. The screen was blank  until Banyon touched a  button.

Roan's breath caught in his throat. Lyraka was in a glass cage  much like his, but she was obviously in a bed chamber. She wore a  thin gown that showed more than it hid. She was being treated as

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less than nothing, an object on display for Banyon to enjoy at will.

"Let her go," Roan said quietly.

"She is beautiful, isn't she," Banyon said as though Roan hadn't  spoken.

"Let her go now, and I might let you live." Roan turned his gaze  on Banyon. The other man didn't look quite as sure of himself as he  had a moment ago.

He quickly recovered, and said, "Enjoy what you will never have  again." Banyon turned on his heel and left the room.

"Lyraka," Roan breathed. He rested his hands on the glass and  drank in the sight of her. "Hang tight, baby. I'll get  us out of here."

She glanced around as if she'd heard his words. He held his  breath.

"Can you hear me?"

She moved to the cushions and sat in the middle of them

looking dejected. For just a moment, he'd thought she'd heard him.

Even with her sensitive hearing, there were too many walls that

separated them.

But she was alive. He'd been afraid for her. He rested his

forehead on the glass and drew in a deep breath.

As he lifted his head he looked at the video screen. Banyon

was walking into the room where  Lyraka was in her glass cage. God,  he was a sick bastard. Roan got more irritated the nearer Banyon got  to the cage.

Lyraka turned her head and saw Banyon. She slowly sat up,  wobbling slightly. He'd given her something. Probably the same thing  he'd been putting in Roan's food.

Banyon brought a golden key out of his pocket and inserted it  into an area of the glass that had looked flush before. Roan felt as  though he'd been plunked down in the middle of a dark fairy tale.

"Stay the hell away from her," he  growled. He began to pace,  his gaze never leaving Lyraka.

Banyon's face suddenly filled the screen and he smiled. The  son of a bitch knew exactly what this was doing to Roan. Banyon

liked to play games. Well, Roan didn't, and when he was free, he'd rip

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off Banyon's head.

Banyon entered the glass cage, then knelt on one knee and ran

a hand through Lyraka's hair. She lay there in her drugged state.

Roan's hands curled into fists as Banyon leaned closer to Lyraka's

face. But rather than kissing her, as he'd  probably planned, Lyraka

came alive and hit him in the nose as hard as she could.

Banyon screamed and slapped Lyraka across the face, drawing blood when he busted her lip. Roan slammed his fist against the glass.

Lyraka jumped to her feet as Banyon ran from the cage, locking the door behind him. Two guards rushed into the room and escorted their leader away.

Roan turned his attention back to Lyraka who was laughing uncontrollably as she fell back on the cushions. God, she was nervy, and not as drugged as he'd first thought.

He grinned. Knocking the hell out of Banyon was something he would have done. No matter what the cost. It was the principle of the matter that counted. Lyraka had thumbed her nose at Banyon and said screw you.

Damn, he loved her.

And had more reason to free her. Banyon was going to exact revenge, and Roan didn't want the axe to fall on her head. Would he be able to break free in time?

How damn thick was the glass, anyway? He'd been working at making it weaker since he'd awakened. He wouldn't stop until he was free. He scored across the top, down the side, across the bottom, up the other side. The muscles in his shoulders ached, but he concentrated on what it would feel like to hold Lyraka in his arms again, to pull her against him.

"Hang in there, babe, I'm coming for you." Across the top, down the side, across the bottom, back up the other side. His arm burned.  Pain was good. It made him remember just what was important in his life.

Lyraka carefully touched her lip. "Ouch," she h issed.

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Damn, Banyon had hit her square on the lip. She should be thankful it had been an open handed slap rather than a balled fist.

He hit like a wuss. Had the man never been in a fight before?

Probably not. He was a king and before that, a prince. He'd probably had other people doing his fighting for him.

But her fisted slam to his nose had been dead on. That had

been priceless. She would do it again if she got the chance. She  rubbed her sore knuckles. Even if it had hurt her almost as much as  him.

She lay back on the pillows and tried to concentrate on blending in. If Banyon thought she was gone, he might open the door and she'd be able to escape.

Something in the food had made it impossible for her to blend, though. Some kind of drug had been added. She still felt a little woozy. And she was starving since she'd stopped eating and started hiding the food beneath the pillows.

She sighed and sat up when the blending still wasn't working.  Hitting Banyon hadn't been a smart move. He might force the liqu id down her again.

His touch had been hot and moist. A shiver of revulsion swept over her. His breath was like rotting roses and she couldn't stand the nauseating smell.

She glanced around her glass cage. Would she ever escape?  She could only go without  food for so long. Where was Roan? Was he in his own glass cage? Was he alive?

Tears formed in her eyes, then slowly slid down her cheeks.  Great agent she was. She quickly brushed the tears away. She wasn't going to give up hope that someone would rescue them. But how would the team know where they were? Banyon had a vendetta against Aasera. No one would suspect a Rovert had taken them.

The door swished open. She braced herself as Banyon strode into the bedroom, his guards behind him.

Her eyes narrowed. Was his nose crooked? It looked as though it was a little to the right. Had she broken it? Damn, she'd laid a good one on him.

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"Leave me," he said to the guards and waved his hand.

Her mouth dropped open. His voice was nasally and high- pitched.

The guards left, and he turned back to her. "I'll make you pay  for breaking my nose," he snarled.

She snorted with laughter. Oh, Lord, she had a feeling her  situation was getting worse by the minute. She should be terrified, at  the very least, scared, but she was  finding it hard to be frightened of  someone who smelled like dead flowers and talked like he had been

snorting helium...a lot of helium.

Hadn't her mother told her once that Roverts didn't heal like

everyone else? She looked at the scar on his face. That's why  Banyon hated her mother so much. And now he probably hated her  even more. Oh, hell, what did she have to lose?

"You sound funny," she taunted as she came to her feet and  sauntered over to the glass. "Does your nose hurt?"

"Your death will be slow and painful."

She should probably stop pushing him, but she hated this glass  box. Besides, he was the best entertainment she'd had in a long time.  She leaned into the glass. "When I get out, I won't kill you."

His eyebrows rose at her words.

"How do you  think it'll feel if I break your legs? Maybe your  arms? Do bones heal on Roverts?"

He paled, and she had her answer.

"Or maybe I'll just cut another scar into the other side of your face. I bet the ladies wouldn't think you were so handsome after that.  Not that they will now, once you speak."

"I don't think you'll do any of those things."

"Open the door and we'll put it to the test."

"The next time I open the door, you will lie on the pillows and willingly let me do whatever I want."

Even though he still sounded like a cat with its tail caught in the door, her humor fled. Her situation was real, and there wasn't anything funny about it. She wanted to cover herself, but she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of thinking he was getting to her.

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"I'll do  whatever I want," Banyon repeated.

She stepped back. He laughed.

"You'll spread your legs and beg me to mate with you. Your  arms will draw me close, your lips will cover mine."

"Never! I'd rather die than let you touch me."

"But would you let Roan die? Would you watch me torture him  just to keep from giving me the satisfaction of fucking you?"

Her body began to tremble.

"I'll give you until tonight to decide. I'll have a video screen  brought in so you can watch as the flesh is slowly stripped from his body. It's very painful. Even the bravest of men start screaming like  crazed madmen after the first hour has passed."

"I've changed my mind." She met his gaze. "I think I will kill

you."

He laughed as he left the room. A few minutes later, food was

slipped inside through a small door. No chance that she could escape  by grabbing an arm.

But maybe if she ate all the food, she'd be drugged enough that  she could let Banyon touch her, have sex with her. She swallowed  past the bile that rose in her throat. How was she going to get through  it?

Her spine stiffened. The how didn't matter. She just would.  She'd grit her teeth and pretend she was some place else. Her mother had talked about cosmic meditation where a person could actually travel outside their body. She would pretend it was happening to someone else, not her. She would get through it.

And Roan wouldn't have to die.

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Chapter 27