Page 28 of Red Fury (The Dragon Tributes #8)

S hadow

“Strip,” Neilina commands.

I stare at her, my jaw clenching. “Excuse me?”

“Your clothes need to come off so you can bathe.” She gestures toward the enormous tub that’s now filling with steaming water. “The master is very particular.”

This master of hers is starting to sound like a real gem.

“I can bathe myself,” I snap, my hands moving to the hem of my blouse. “I don’t need your help.”

“Of course you can, but I need to ensure everything is done properly.” Her smile never wavers. “Please don’t make this more difficult than it needs to be,” she adds.

I want to tell her exactly where she can shove her requests, but the memory of her inhuman strength when she pinned me against the wall is still fresh. I look down at my wrists and sure enough, bruises are already starting to form. It looks like my advanced healing has been affected, too.

Great!

I’m at a serious disadvantage here.

Gritting my teeth, I take the rest of my clothes off and drop them on the floor.

I step out of my heels, then reach around to unhook my bra, letting it fall at my feet.

“Oh, you are a beauty,” Neilina says, her unusual eyes drinking in every inch of my body. She’s strange. That’s all I have to say about her.

“You’re perfect,” she keeps gushing.

“If you say so.”

“The master will be so pleased,” she continues, clasping her hands together like a child who’s just been given a present. “I knew the moment I saw you that he had chosen well.”

I frown.

Have I met this guy?

Who is he?

I hook my thumbs in the waistband of my panties and push them down my legs, stepping out of them with as much dignity as I can muster.

“There,” I say, standing completely naked before her. “Happy now?”

“Ecstatic.” Her smile widens even further. “You have nothing to be ashamed of. You’re stunning.”

“I’m not ashamed. It’s you who should feel ashamed.”

“Don’t be like that.”

Behind Neilina, the massive tub continues to fill with water, steam rising from the surface in billowing clouds. She’s added something that’s creating mountains of white bubbles, and the whole bathroom smells like soap.

“Your bath is ready,” Neilina announces, moving toward the tub to test the temperature with her hand. “Come along now. We don’t want to keep the master waiting.”

She starts walking toward me, but as she gets closer, her expression suddenly changes.

Her smile falters, then disappears completely. Her nostrils flare, and she stops dead in her tracks just a few feet away from me.

“What—?” she starts to say, then inhales deeply. Her eyes narrow to slits.

“Stop that,” I tell her, taking a step backward. “What the hell are you doing?”

But she doesn’t listen. Instead, she moves even closer, sniffing around me like a bloodhound on a scent trail. Her face twists into something ugly and dangerous.

I want to kick her head as she leans down, sniffing at me, but I grit my teeth instead. Right now, I’m weak. I can’t win with muscle. I have to try to beat these assholes another way.

“No. This won’t do. No!” she repeats, her voice dropping. “Noooooo, this won’t do at all.”

“What is wrong with you?”

She makes a sound of pure frustration, laced with a good dose of anger. “You’ve been with another man. You slept with someone else last night. I smell him on you.” Her eyes blaze with anger.

Fury.

She can smell Fury on my skin.

“Well, you should have sent me a memo warning me about this abduction. You could have mentioned all the dos and don’ts attached. Maybe included a handy little checklist of approved activities before being kidnapped.” I level her with a glare. “Your master can go to hell, for all I care.”

The words are out before I can stop them, fueled by fear and anger and the complete absurdity of this situation.

Neilina’s face darkens. “You have quite the mouth on you,” she says, her voice deadly quiet. “That might get you into serious trouble one of these days.”

“One of these days? I’m pretty sure that day has already arrived.” I roll my eyes.

She doesn’t respond to my sarcasm. Instead, she gestures sharply toward the tub.

“Get in. Now. And you’d better wash very thoroughly.

” Her earlier cheerfulness has evaporated, replaced by something cold.

“You need to scrub every trace of that man off your skin; do you understand me? If the master catches even the slightest hint of another male’s scent on you, you’ll be sorry. Do you understand?”

I want to ask her what exactly this master would do, but something in her expression tells me I don’t want to know the answer.

Without another word, I walk to the edge of the massive tub and step over the rim. The water is almost too hot, but I force myself to sink into it anyway. The bubbles rise around me.

“There are soaps and shampoos on the shelf behind you,” Neilina says, her voice still tight. “Use all of them, especially between your legs. I mean it.”

I reach for the nearest bottle; it’s body wash. The scent is floral and not altogether unpleasant.

“Can I have some water to drink?” I ask, squirting the body wash onto a loofah. “My mouth feels like sandpaper.”

“No.” The response is immediate and firm. “I don’t trust you enough to leave you alone, even for a few minutes. Water can wait. I am sure that the master will offer you something to drink.”

I start scrubbing my skin, working the soap into a lather.

“You need to wash more thoroughly,” Neilina commands from her position near the door.

I grit my teeth and comply, scrubbing until my skin turns pink. I wash my hair twice, then condition it with something that smells like jasmine.

She finally nods her approval. “Good. Now get out.”

I stand in the tub, water cascading off my body as I reach for the fluffy white towel hanging nearby. I step out and wrap the towel around myself.

“Here.” Neilina holds up a dress.

It’s white and made of some kind of clingy material. There’s barely enough fabric to cover the essentials.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I mutter, but I take the scrap of fabric anyway.

“There are panties, too,” she adds, holding up a pair of white lace underwear that’s equally skimpy.

“No bra, I take it?” She doesn’t answer, but I didn’t expect her to.

I drop the towel and pull on the underwear first, then shimmy into the dress. Thankfully, it isn’t see-through. The hem barely covers my ass. Thank goodness for the lace panties.

I feel like a piece of meat being prepared for display.

“Oh, my goodness,” Neilina says, her earlier anger forgotten as she takes in my appearance. “Absolutely perfect.”

She produces a pair of white strappy sandals with stiletto heels that look like they could be used as weapons.

“No,” I say immediately, shaking my head. “I’m not wearing those.”

Her smile falters. “These will make your legs look amazing—”

“If I keep wobbling and falling, no one will notice my legs,” I interrupt, moving toward my own black heels that are sitting by the bathroom door. “I’m clumsy as hell in stilettos. I’ll break my neck trying to walk in those things.”

“Please, won’t you give them a try?” she insists, holding out the heels. “They complement the dress perfectly.”

“And I’m telling you I can’t walk in them.

” I slip my feet into my own shoes, sighing with what I hope looks like relief.

“Look, I’ll compromise on everything else, but not the shoes.

Please…” I plead with her. “Give me this one thing. I’m not asking a lot.

” When she doesn’t respond, I add, “Please, I’ll end up flat on my face, and I doubt that’s the look your master is going for. ”

We stare at each other for a long moment, and I can see her weighing her options. Finally, she sighs.

“Fine,” she says at last.

“Thank you.” I force a smile.

She moves toward a vanity table; its surface is covered with makeup and hair products.

“Sit,” she commands, patting the velvet-covered stool. “We need to dry your hair and apply some makeup. The master is waiting, and we’ve already taken longer than expected.”

I sit on the stool, trying not to think about what’s coming next. In the mirror, I can see my reflection – pale skin, dark circles under my eyes from whatever drug they gave me, and fear that I’m trying hard to hide.

Neilina works quickly with the hair dryer, using her fingers to style my short hair into something that looks effortlessly tousled. When she’s satisfied, she reaches for the makeup.

“I can do it myself,” I say, not wanting her hands on my face.

“Of course.” She steps back. “But don’t overdo it. Natural beauty should be enhanced, not hidden.”

I apply foundation with shaking hands, then add some mascara and a hint of lipstick. Nothing dramatic, just enough to look put-together. In the mirror, I watch Neilina hovering behind me, her gaze tracking my every movement.

“Can I please use the toilet before we go?” I ask when I’m finished with the makeup.

Her expression immediately becomes suspicious. “Why?”

“Because I’ve been unconscious for hours, and I really need to pee?” I give her a look and hope she takes me seriously. “Unless you want me to have an accident in front of your master.” I lift my brows.

She considers this for a moment, then nods. “Fiiiine! It’s through that door,” she says, pointing at the bathroom we exited not so long ago. “But you may not lock the door. And you have one minute. No longer.” She looks at her watch.

“Okay.”

I stand and walk toward the indicated door with Neilina at my heels. The toilet is in a separate room from the main bathroom, a small and private space with just a tiny window high up near the ceiling.

When it seems like the other woman might want to come inside the bathroom with me, I point at the tiny window.

“See? There’s no way I could fit through that, even if I wanted to. And I promise I’ll be less than a minute. You can even watch if you want.” I pray she doesn’t, or my plan won’t work.

Neilina peers into the small space, taking in the impossibly tiny window and the lack of any other exits. Finally, she nods.

“Hurry up,” she says. “And the door stays unlocked. I can break it down if need be.”

“Understood.”

I step into the small room and immediately move toward the toilet, making sure to create the sounds she’d expect. But instead of sitting down, I lean against the door and carefully slip off my right shoe.

My fingers find the tiny mechanism hidden in the heel – a feature that was custom-made just before I started this mission. The compartment springs open with the softest click, and my burner phone falls into my palm.

Thank god it still has battery. I see unread messages but there is no time to look at them.

With trembling fingers, I quickly compose a text to Fury:

I’ve been abducted. I don’t know where I am. Please help!

I hit send, slipping it back into the hidden compartment. The heel clicks back into place just as I hear Neilina shifting impatiently outside the door.

I flush the toilet and wash my hands quickly, my heart thundering.

“All done,” I call out, slipping my shoe back on and opening the door.

“Good. Now we really must hurry.”

She leads me out of the bathroom and into the bedroom. The rope and gag tell me that I was here before, although I didn’t really take much notice with my head pounding.

I look around.

The bed is massive, easily big enough for several people to sleep comfortably, with four ornate posts reaching toward a high ceiling. It’s modern and yet comfortable.

“Sit there,” Neilina commands, gesturing toward the dressing table.

I comply, and she moves behind me, her reflection appearing in the mirror alongside mine. She reaches for a pair of earrings from a velvet-lined jewelry box – massive diamond drops that catch the light.

I roll my eyes. “Is this really necessary?”

I wonder to myself if they’re real.

“Yes, it is.” Neilina fastens them to my ears. “Perfect.” Her eyes shine almost as brightly as the jewels.

The earrings are so heavy. If they’re real diamonds, I don’t want to know what they cost. Again, I find myself wondering what this master wants with me.

“There,” Neilina says, stepping back to admire her handiwork. “Stand up. Let me see you.”

I rise from the stool, and she circles me, examining every detail.

“Perfect,” she smiles. “The master will be so pleased.”

I couldn’t give a shit about what the master thinks.

“Now, let’s go see him, shall we?”

She leads me toward a door and out into the hallway. The space stretches on for what seems like miles, with doors lining both sides. The floors are polished, and the walls are covered with colorful artwork.

“How many rooms are in this place?” I ask, genuinely curious despite my circumstances.

“Many,” Neilina replies vaguely. “The master has…extensive needs.”

As we walk, I catch glimpses through open doorways. Bedrooms, each one more luxurious than the last. A library with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. What looks like a full movie theater.

And then we pass a room that makes me pause mid-step.

It’s a gym, but not like any gym I’ve ever seen. State-of-the-art equipment fills the space, gleaming chrome and black leather. But it’s not the equipment that catches my attention.

It’s the scent.

Something familiar drifts from that room, something that makes my dragon stir weakly beneath my skin.

I can’t quite place it – whatever drugs are in my system are suppressing my senses along with my ability to shift – but there’s something familiar I can’t quite put my finger on, which is so damned annoying.

“Keep moving,” Neilina says sharply, grabbing my arm when I slow down. “We’re already late.”

I allow myself to be pulled along, but that scent lingers in my mind. I still can’t place it, no matter how hard I try.

We continue down the hallway, passing more doors, more glimpses of impossible luxury. Finally, Neilina stops in front of double doors.

“Remember,” she says, turning to face me with those unsettling eyes, “be respectful. The master doesn’t tolerate rudeness or defiance.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I mutter.

Not!

She pushes open the doors, and we step into what can only be the living area.

The space is enormous, with tall windows offering a spectacular view of a city I recognize. I think I might know where I am, and it makes my breath catch in my throat.

Expensive furniture is arranged in conversation areas throughout the room, and more artwork adorns the walls.

But I barely notice any of it.

Because of who is there, standing with his back to us near the massive windows.

As we enter, he turns around.

My blood turns to ice.

“It’s you,” I whisper.