Witching For Joy (Premonition Pointe #3) - Deanna Chase Page 0,68

be out of commission until the funds are transferred and we are safely out of town. Then I might consider letting them know where to find you. Or not, if you continue to be a bitch.”

“What a charmer,” she muttered.

“Keep it up, Lansing. I’m dying to see if you can float with your arms and feet tied together.”

An image of her body floating face-down in a pool flashed in her mind, and that was the moment she stopped engaging and started to rack her brain for an incantation spell that could loosen the bindings of her restraints.

It was too bad the only spell she could think of was the one to summon fire. It might burn her restraints, but she’d end up a crispy critter in the process.

Dammit.

Quinn continued to rant and rave and pound on the furniture through the evening. Every inch of Joy ached, and she started to despair. If Carly didn’t override Gary to pay Harlow’s ransom, why in the world would she do it for Joy? Quinn’s logic didn’t make any sense to her, but then she supposed that a frustrated man who was high on who-knew-what probably didn’t have the soundest reasoning.

The hours dragged on, and Joy drifted in and out of consciousness until at some point she heard scratching at the door. Her eyes popped open, and her body stiffened. Was it Quinn’s stepbrother? Or some other shady character like one of his drug dealers? She had no idea, but there was no time to waste. She needed to get out of her restraints one way or another.

Quinn sat passed out in the chair next to the bed, and Joy fervently wished that the man’s heart had given out. It was better than he deserved.

Joy tested both of her wrists, twisting and trying to move her hands together on the rod of the headboard. If she could just get them closer, she might be able to use her fingers to free herself.

The bed squeaked, and she imagined that if anyone was below them, they were being treated to what they likely thought were bedroom gymnastics. The very idea made Joy shudder in disgust. That was it. She had to get out of there. Using all of her strength, she yanked her right wrist toward her left, and when they slammed together, sending pain all the way to her shoulder, she let out a grunt.

Quinn stirred, and she froze.

But his restlessness didn’t last long, and Joy went to work on worrying the knots at her wrists. It took a while, but eventually the tie started to loosen. But just when she was about to pull her left wrist out of the tie, a hard fist slammed right into her face.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Three things happened all at once. Pain exploded in Joy’s cheek; she reared up and kneed Quinn in the balls with both knees; and the door flew open with a crash.

“Get the hell off her, you slimy creep!” Grace ordered, her voice full of pure rage.

Quinn, who’d already suffered a massive blow to his junk, grabbed himself and rolled over onto the floor.

Immediately, a bright stream of magic materialized from the door and hit Quinn square in the chest. He vibrated under the onslaught of magic streaming into him, but when her coven sisters finally dropped the magic, the asshole who’d drugged Joy and tied her to a dirty motel room bed, was immobilized, staring blankly at the wall with both hands still clutching his balls.

“Joy!” Hope rushed over and quickly started undoing the rest of the restraints. “Oh my god, are you all right? Are you hurt?”

“Ugh.” Joy groaned and rolled gingerly to her side. “Everything hurts. And I need a bathroom.”

“We’ve got you.” Hope started to wrap one of Joy’s arms over her shoulders and in the next moment, Grace was there doing the same with the other arm.

“You’re okay, sweetie,” Grace said. “It’s over now.”

“Harlow?” Joy croaked out. “Did you find her?”

“We did,” Hope said. “She’s okay. Let’s get you to the bathroom.”

By the time the cops showed up, Joy was sitting outside on the cement steps with a bag of ice covering her face. Her head was still pounding, but at least she’d worked a few kinks out of her aching body.

“Ms. Lansing?” a short, dark-skinned woman in slacks and a button-down shirt squatted in front of her. “I’m Detective Danes, and I was assigned this case after Detective Coolidge was suspended. I understand you’ve been through a lot tonight and