the door, just as the other male came up to her.
"Are you okay?"
Bella eyed the decimated punching bag. She couldn't seem to breathe, although whether that was from fear or something altogether sexual, she wasn't sure. Probably a combination of both.
"Yes, I think so. Who was that?"
The male opened the door and led her back to the interrogation room without answering her question. "Do yourself a favor and stay here, okay?"
Good advice, she thought, as she was left by herself.
Chapter Ten
Rhage came awake with a jolt. As he looked at the clock on his bedside table, he was psyched when he could focus his eyes and read the thing. Then pissed off when he saw what time it was.
Where the hell was Tohr? He'd promised to call as soon as he was done with the human female, but that had been more than six hours ago.
Rhage reached for the phone and dialed Tohr's cell. When he got voice mail, he cursed and hung up.
As he got out of bed, he stretched carefully. He was sore and sick to his stomach, but able to move a lot better. A quick shower and a fresh set of leathers had him feeling even more himself, and he headed for Wrath's study. Dawn was coming soon, and if Tohr wasn't answering his phone, he was probably doing a download to the king before he went home.
The room's double doors were open, and lo and behold, Tohrment was wearing a track in the Aubusson carpet, pacing while talking to Wrath.
"Just who I was looking for," Rhage drawled.
Tohr glanced over. "I was coming to your room next."
"Sure you were. What's doing, Wrath?"
The Blind King smiled. "Glad to see you're getting back to fighting form, Hollywood."
"Oh, I'm ready, all right." Rhage stared at Tohr. "You got something to tell me?"
"Not really."
"You're saying you don't know where the human lives?"
"I don't know if you need to go see her, how about that?"
Wrath leaned back in his chair, putting his feet up on the desk. His enormous shitkickers made the delicate thing look like a footstool.
He smiled. "One of you steakheads want to bring me up to speed?"
"Private biz," Rhage murmured. "Nothing special."
"The hell it is." Tohr turned to Wrath. "Our boy over here seems to want to get to know the kid's human translator better."
Wrath shook his head. "Oh, no, you don't, Hollywood. Lie down with some other female. God knows, there's enough of them out there for you." He nodded at Tohr. "As I was saying, I've got no objection to the boy joining the first class of trainees, provided you verify his background. And that human needs to be checked out, too. If the kid disappears all of a sudden, I don't want her causing trouble."
"I'll take care of her," Rhage said. When they both gave him a look, he shrugged. "Either you let me or I'll follow whoever does. One way or the other, I will find that female."
Tohr's brows turned his forehead into a plow field. "Will you back off, my brother? Assuming the boy comes here, there's too close a connection with that human. Just drop it."
"Sorry. I want her."
"Christ. You can be a real pain in the ass, you know that? No impulse control, but totally single-minded. Helluva combination."
"Look, one way or the other, I'm going to have her. Now do you want me to check her out while I do it or not?"
When Tohr rubbed his eyes, and Wrath cursed, Rhage knew he'd won.
"Fine," Tohr muttered. "Find out her background and her connection to the kid and then do what you will with her. But at the end of it, you strip her memories and you don't see her again. Do you hear me? You wipe yourself out of her when you're finished and you do not see her again."
"Deal."
Tohr flipped open his cell and punched a few buttons. "I'm text-messaging the human's number to you."
"And her friend's."
"You're going to do her, too?"
"Just give it to me, Tohr."
Bella was getting into bed for the day when the phone rang. She picked it up, hoping it wasn't her brother. She hated when he checked to make sure she was at home when night receded. Like she might be out screwing males or something.
"Hello?" she said.
"You will call Mary and you will tell her to meet me tonight for dinner."
Bella bolted upright. The blond warrior.
"Did you hear what I said?"
"Yes... but what do you want with her?" As if she didn't already know.
"Call