Page 33 of Victoria's Embrace

“Valid point. So what do you suggest?”

“Insult that horned bitch. None of her zombies can.”

“Zombies?”

Bree didn’t respond, just narrowed her eyes to slits.

“Right. Uh, Salesh is a duplicitous, sadistic, mate-stealing bitch. And her horns are ugly.”

Bree blew out a breath and relaxed. “I don’t know where the fuck you’ve been, but I’m damn glad you’re back. Now, maybe these people will stop looking at me like I’m the fucking leader here.”

Yanking her arms free of Thorn’s and Vi’kail’s hold, she smoothed out her shirt and brushed the hair off her face then leaned to peer around Victoria, raising her brows at the motley crew of freed slaves and lupka spread out along the hallway, standing guard.

“Brought a little army, huh? Good, but you’re going to need more than that. By the way, did you see Vaiz’ak on your way here?”

“Yeah. We tranqed him and left him restrained in a room.”

“Good. We need to collect him then I’ll take you to the hideout.”

Chapter 21

The hideout ended up being the dungeon in which Aria and her mates had been imprisoned before they took over the complex.

Victoria’s steps faltered as she stepped off the elevator she didn’t remember being operable, when she saw how many people were down there. There had to be at least a hundred.

Hearing Bree come to a stop at her side she asked, “Did you do this?”

“I mean, not on my own but… yeah.” At the impressed look Victoria gave her, Bree’s expression twisted into a mix of irritation, discomfort, and accusation. “Someone had to do something! You and Aria and every-fucking-one else was gone, and that cunt with horns started rounding people up and declared herself the queen.”

So the grumpy cactus isn’t as hard as she pretends. Good to know.

Biting back a smile, she simply nodded. “How’d you manage to sneak so many down here without getting caught? And how hasn’t Salesh found out where y’all are hiding by now?”

“Aria never fixed the elevator after she blew it up, and the hole where the spaceship crashed through was patched, so as far as she knows, there’s no way to get down here. Cloud had the idea to steal one of those creepy-ass construction robots. It fixed the elevator. Sneaking people in isn’t fucking easy, though. Hell, figuring out which people to sneak in isn’t fucking easy, either. What’d you say her name was, Salesh? She does something to people, hypnotizes them or something. She’s got her zombies patrolling the whole damn complex. We can only move a few at a time and it’s a slow, damned nerve-wracking process. I’m not built for espionage.”

She threw Bree a wry, commiserating smile before scanning the underground cave turned dungeon turned refuge. “Where are all the other inhabitants?”

Bree sighed deeply. “Anyone she can’t zombify, beat, or threaten into submission, or blackmail by holding their loved ones captive, is imprisoned. The ones she can are working as her slaves. Others… I’ve heard she takes the guys she likes to her rooms.”

Victoria’s stomach cramped at the memory of the torture devices Salesh had in her rooms.

“From what I’ve seen, she’s turning this place into her own little kingdom. She’s got a fucking throne in the lobby. People on chains. It’s like a sadist’s wet dream up there.”

Vi’kail cut in, “But what’s her end goal? Just to have a place to rule? She could’ve picked somewhere easier to occupy if that’s all she wants.”

Bree’s expression turned grim. “I’ve overheard her minions talking about her turning this place into a one-stop shop of depravity. She wants to restart the gladiator tournaments, set up a brothel, and a slave market. Edge out the competition by offering everything a discerning slimebag could want, all in one place.”

“Has she figured out how to remove the anti-Veiling chip Rellik invented?” Thegan asked.

“Not yet, thank fuck. Pretty sure that’s the only thing holding her back from opening the complex up for business.”

Bracing herself for the answer, Victoria finally asked the question that had been bothering her the most. “Have you overheard anything about Aria and her team?”

“Nothing specific. But I get the feeling she’s not concerned Aria is coming back.”

Her heart felt like it dropped to her boots. “We got the same feeling from the lack of guards stationed at the doors in the arena. I’d hoped Salesh was just cocky.”

“Oh, she’s cocky as hell. But the lack of sentries is partly because of us. She’s only got like twenty or so dudes working as guards and those are divided up between keeping her slaves in check and patrolling the complex in search of our hideout. She’s mostly using the octo-vesp whatevers as security. Still, I hear what you’re saying. Aria is scary as hell. If Salesh thought she presented any kind of threat, you’d think she’d be showing it.” Bree gave her a wry smile. “Thankfully, I’m in full denial about that, because the thought that Aria isn’t coming back to rescue our asses is just too damn much.”

---