“We have no legal trouble,” Kraven announced. “We appreciate the offer though.”
“Well, if you ever change your mind, just look me up and call my office. I’m located in Los Angeles.”
Dusti opened but then closed her mouth, biting back a protest. She had to find a way for her and Bat to escape from both men. It still irritated her that Bat kept offering to represent them. Then again, her sister dealt with scary men every day in her line of work. Most of her clients were hard-core murderers, rapists, or criminal thugs.
Drantos stopped next to where they all sat minutes later. “It’s time.” He dropped a pair of her slip-on shoes into Dusti’s lap. “Take off the ones you have and put those on. They’ll be more comfortable.”
She frowned. “How did you know these were mine, and where did you find them?”
“Do it,” he ordered, looking angry.
She switched the shoes.#p#分页标题#e#
Kraven leaned forward. “Bat? Look at me.”
Oh no, Dusti thought, he’s going to do that hypnotist shit on my sister again.
Her mouth opened to distract Bat but Drantos dropped to his knees suddenly, getting her full attention. His dark gaze fixed on hers and she couldn’t look away. He spoke softly to her.
“You will stand up, not say a word, and walk into the woods with me. You won’t scream or fight. You will remain meek until I tell you to do otherwise.”
She tried to open her mouth to tell him to fuck himself, but she couldn’t. She remained silent. Shock and terror flooded her mind when he gripped her hand, pulling her to her feet. He let go as suddenly as he’d grabbed her to wrap the blanket around her shoulders, tying the ends to create a shawl. He took her hand once more and tugged, and her body allowed him to lead her into the woods. She couldn’t even turn her head to make sure Kraven followed with her sister.
Her body seemed to move on autopilot when it didn’t respond to her commands. She understood how a puppet had to feel when someone controlled it. Drantos’s warm, large hand kept a firm hold on her smaller one while they strolled slowly away from the camp. It was tough to even move her head to look down at her feet. She tripped once, her foot bumping into something painful, but Drantos just pulled her close enough to put his arm around her waist.
“How long do you think it will take the humans to realize we aren’t returning?” Kraven questioned from behind them.
“I told them we were going to take a look around to see if there’s a nearby cabin. I’d give it a few hours at least, maybe mid-afternoon before they grow worried. They are injured, in shock and disorientated. I just hope none of them wander into the woods to search for us. I told them not to. I’d hate for any of them to venture so far out they get lost. If they weren’t injured we could’ve wiped their memories of us, but it’s too risky to their already fragile health.”
“Yeah. I know. I feel like shit for leaving them alone, unprotected, but I cleared out all the predators as far away as I could.”
“I mixed leaves with the firewood we left to make the fire smoky enough to confuse the wildlife. They should mistake the scent for a forest fire and their instincts will make them rush away from the clearing.”
“Those search planes better find them today.”
Drantos sighed. “I’m sure they will. Decker will be all over the rescue teams, pressing them to search, along with sending his enforcers to search the ground. He’ll be frantic to find Bat.”
Is Bat hearing them? Aware of what they’re saying? Dusti hoped so. She sure was. She hated to think of the fear her sister had to be feeling at that moment if she was cognizant of their conversation, but at least now they’d be on the same “we’re in deep shit” page where Drantos and Kraven were concerned.
The sun rose higher, light filtering through the thick growth of trees surrounding them. Whatever hold Drantos had on her started to fade as time passed. She turned her head to glance behind them.
Kraven wasn’t holding her sister’s hand but instead had her flung over one shoulder with a blanket wrapped around her body. He met her gaze with a frown.
“Yours is coming out of it, bro.”
“I’m aware.” Drantos stopped walking. “She’s stronger than I thought she would be.”
Dusti glared up at him. “Stop using that mind-control shit on me, damn it.”
“I wouldn’t have to if you didn’t fight me at every turn.”
She turned her head to glare at Kraven. “Put Bat down.” She noticed he didn’t seem out of breath or sweaty, despite the fact that he’d carried her sister. “Is she all right?”#p#分页标题#e#