Page 44 of Carnal Urges

Then she pushes me away, props her hands on her hips, and sends me a look of icy disdain that would make any queen proud. “Oh. I just remembered.”

“What?”

“I hate you.”

We stare at each other. She’s saved from strangulation when my cell phone rings. When I see the number on the screen, I thrust the phone at her and snap, “You have thirty seconds.”

Then I whirl around and walk away, blowing out a hard breath and dragging a shaking hand through my hair. Trying to pull myself together.

I should’ve never taken that gag off her mouth.

“Hello? Nat! Oh my god, I was so worried about you.”

Behind me, Sloane pauses, listening. Then she laughs. “Me? Don’t be ridiculous! You know I always land on my feet.”

Another pause. “Yes, I’m sure it looked bad. But security cameras make everything look worse. It was much less dramatic in real… yes, I did hit my head. Yes, everyone was shooting at each other, but… oh, babe. I’m fine. I promise.”

She listens for a while, then says firmly, “Natalie. Take a breath. I haven’t been beaten. I haven’t been dismembered. I haven’t been buried in a shallow grave.”

I look at her over my shoulder with what I hope are evil, slitted eyes that transmitYet.

She makes a face and waves a dismissive hand in the air like I’m being silly.

“No, no, I’m being treated very well.No,he doesn’t have a gun pointed at my head right now. Actually…”

A new look comes into her eyes. It’s crafty and confident and worries me.

“Well, if you must know, he’s halfway in love with me already.”

My mouth drops open.

She’s laughing into the phone. “Right? Poor guy. He was a goner from the first time we met.”

I know she’s just trying to aggravate me, but that’s exactly what she said about Stavros. I think I’m going to break something. Maybe her knees.

I stride toward her, holding out my hand for the phone, but she backs away, waving me off like I’m an annoying fly.

“No, tell Kage not to do that. It’s not necessary.”

I stop a foot away and glare down at her, breathing fire from my nose. I’d grab the phone, but the mention of Kage makes me hesitate. I want to hear where this conversation is going. What he has planned.

She gazes calmly up at me, staring straight into my eyes when she says, “Declan would never hurt me, that’s why. Even if he wanted to. Which he usually does. How do I know?” Her smile is soft. “Because he gave me his word.”

I mouthI lied.

She sticks out her tongue.

“Now, listen, Nat. I need you to do something for me. Tell your man to call off the cavalry. Tell him that Declan wants to have a sit-down and work this whole war thing out. Tell him that—”

I grab the phone from her, cover the receiver with my hand, and snap, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

She meets my furious gaze with a level one of her own. “Saving your ass, gangster.”

“It doesn’t need saving.”

“You might change your mind when you hear that Kage put out a thirty-million-dollar bounty on your head for kidnapping me. Whichever one of the families kills you first gets the money, plus their access to shipping and distribution restored.” Her smile is smug. “There’s another thirty mil for whoever returns me safely to New York. So nowyou’rethe only one with a target on his back. Funny how fast this game can change, isn’t it?”

When I only stare at her, infuriated by her hubris, she says politely, “I’ll be rubbing this in later, but for now, may I get back to my call, please?”