"Death Row 03 - The Avenger" - читать интересную книгу автора (Black Jaid)

“Kalif,” Abdul murmured. He shooed his fourth wife away from him, plucking his cock from her mouth with a popping sound. He snapped his fingers and the three on the harem bed scurried away from it, taking the trembling and untried fifth wife with them into an adjoining chamber. “It’s been a long time, old friend.”

Kalif Henders, the owner of Fathom Systems, inclined his head. “I try to stay away from the New York biosphere as much as possible.” His eyebrows rose. “By Cyrus, I swear I do not understand why you remain here when you could afford a palace in any biosphere of your choosing.”

Abdul shrugged as he stepped into his flowing white silk pants. “I like it here. So long as you don’t venture below level eighty, it has much to recommend it.”

“If you say so.”

“I do.”

Abdul slowly made his way across the bedchamber, his prowl reminding Nicoletta of a panther’s. It was a shame he was so wretchedly disgusting, she thought, for her husband had always been extremely handsome in face and form. Unlike most soft men of the Hierarchy, Abdul Kan was strong and well-muscled. His dark hair and olive complexion only added to his sinister, but sexy, appearance. She blinked, chastising herself for finding anything appealing about him whatsoever.

He was evil. Pure, unadulterated, evil.

“So what brings you to New York?” Abdul murmured, his intense green eyes raking over the slight form of Kalif Henders.

A seemingly benign action if you didn’t know Master Kan as Nicoletta knew him. But because she did know him—very well—her eyes narrowed thoughtfully as she wondered what he was up to. It was almost as though he was assessing Henders, sizing him up…for something.

Kalif cleared his throat. His chin notched up. “You haven’t delivered the chattel to the Belizean biosphere. My scientists were expecting a shipment of prisoners to perform experiments on a fortnight past.” He inclined his head, an arrogant gesture. “As per our contract, you will recall.”

Abdul came to a standstill before him. At six-foot-three, he stood a head taller than the other man, and then some. “I never break my word,” he murmured. His eyebrows rose. “Unless the other party breaks theirs.”

Kalif stilled. His eyes widened almost imperceptibly. “I don’t understand…”

It happened so fast, Nicoletta barely had time to register the fact that her husband had plucked Kalif Henders from the ground by the neck with one hand and thrown him up against the nearest wall. The slight man was gurgling, his face quickly turning a hideous purple. Her eyes widened as she watched, her heart thumping against her chest.

“Where,” Abdul bit out, his words distinct and precise, “is my daughter?” His nostrils flared. His fingers tightened around the man’s neck. “Where?” he bellowed.

Apparently Master Kan was too angry to notice that the other man could not possibly answer. His lungs were slowly being drained of air, blood vessels popping in his face.

“You have to release him, Abdul,” Nicoletta said in an urgent whisper. Her voice was scratchy from five days of not using it. She sat up, grabbing the gold bars of the cage. “He can’t answer otherwise.”

Abdul glanced up, his green eyes that were a dead ringer for Nellie’s widening a bit, perhaps recalling for the first time that one of his wives was still in the bedchamber. He blinked, and then released Henders. The slight man plummeted to the ground. He was wheezing and sputtering, his lungs fighting for air to suck in.

“I swear to Cyrus,” Kalif gasped, his body shuddering, his face contorted, “I do not know.”

“You lie,” Abdul hissed.

“I swear it!” Kalif dragged himself up into a sitting position. His breathing was drastically labored.

Master Kan seemed to wait with inhuman patience for Henders to catch his breath when all Nicoletta wanted to do was beat the answer out of him. Nellie, she thought, her hands tightening on the bars. Sweet Kalast, she would give anything to hold the daughter of her heart again. She could only pray to the ancient saints that she wasn’t already dead.

“I give you the truth,” Kalif panted, too weak to stand. “She disappeared from Altun Ha with a droid companion. That’s all my holo-cams picked up.”

Silence.

“I give you one sennight to find her,” Abdul said, his composure seemingly restored. He pulled Henders up by the hair, ignoring the other man’s cry for mercy as he pushed him against the wall.

“But what if she can’t be found? I—”