“So that was you,” I said. “You’re the one who kidnapped us.”
“Kidnapped?” He snickered, his lip curling in disdain. “I wouldn’t put it like that.”
“I would,” I said, unable to keep the edge from my voice. Those guys had taken us from the plane, beaten up two of my guys, and thrown us in a car without telling us where we were going.
“You got the best medical care in the world,” Sir Kenosi said. “You wouldn’t have made it if you’d gone anywhere else. I’d say we saved your life. I believe a thank you is in order.”
“Thank you,” I said.
“You can call me Sir.”
“Sir,” I gritted out. “I do appreciate that. But I’m a little confused as to why you did that.”
“Does it matter?” he asked. “You’re in my clinic now.”
“I’m thinking it probably does matter,” I said. “There must be some reason you wanted us to come here instead of to the palace.”
He snorted. “This isn’t the Middle Ages. There’s no drafty old palaces here. We’re modern people with modern conveniences.”
It was true that King Ocelot preferred things very traditional, but obviously, the city we’d entered was nothing like the Ocelot Nation’s home. I could see towering buildings twisting into the sky, all shining metal and glass.
“I can see that,” I said. “But it still doesn’t answer my question.”
“Persistent, aren’t you?” Sir Kenosi asked, strolling over to the bed.
“You could say that.”
“I’m afraid you won’t be getting the answers you want until I’ve gotten what I want,” he said. “You owe my clinic for your surgery.”
“Of course,” I said. “Send a bill, and we’ll take care of it.”
“I require payment before you leave,” he said.
“Okay,” I said slowly. I didn’t know why he was making a big deal of it. He obviously didn’t need the money. “Then have my sister transfer it to your clinic.”
Sir Kenosi hooked his finger under the edge of the sheet and lifted it, his eyes raking over my naked body.
“What the hell?” I barked, slamming my arm down on top of the sheet so hard my IV jerked. I gasped in pain as the needle wrenched in the back of my hand.
Sir Kenosi smirked. “I’ll take payment whenever you’re ready.”
“Fuck you,” I growled.
“Whenever you’re ready, doll,” he said, wetting his lips as his gaze meandered over my shape under the blanket.
“Go to hell,” I said. “I’m not a whore.”
“Think about it,” he said, turning and striding from the room. When the door closed firmly behind him, I let my head fall back on the pillow, my teeth clenched around a howl of fury. After a minute, I’d gotten my anger under control. I didn’t have to think about Kenosi’s offer. Maybe he was used to girls falling all over themselves to be his little groupies, but I wasn’t a kitty chaser and I certainly wasn’t a rich-guy chaser. I didn’t need his celebrity. I just needed the Cheetah amulet, which meant I needed to get out of this room.
I climbed off the bed again, this time wrapping the sheet around me. Grabbing my IV pole, I started for the door. I needed to find Camila and the guys so we could make a plan and get to the Cheetah Court whether it was in a castle or a skyscraper. But when I grabbed the latch on the door and tried to turn, it didn’t budge.
Thirteen
I pounded on the door, yelling until my voice grew hoarse, but no one came. Eventually, I hobbled back to the bed and sank onto it, my whole body shaking from the exertion, fear, and anger. My heart monitor was going nuts, but no one came to check on me. The next thing I knew, I was opening my eyes to a dark room. A pale light filtered in through the door to the hallway, which had just opened.
I sat up, my heart thundering when a form appeared at the bedside. Before I saw who it was, I lurched sideways against the railing of the bed.
“It’s good you calmed down,” said a sweet, accented voice. “Don’t go getting excited again. We can’t have the princess hurting herself.”
I relaxed a little when I saw that it was a nurse, one probably no older than I was. “Why is the door locked?” I asked. “Is this a clinic or a prison?”
The nurse, whose nametag read July, gave a deep curtsy as she let out a sweet, tinkling laugh. “It’s a clinic, silly. We just want to make sure our patients are safe from any threats, internal or external.”
“What does that mean?”
“Why don’t we walk over to the condo,” she said, clasping her hands together. “You should be strong enough, and you must be dying for some real clothes.”
I was, but I was still suspicious as hell, too. Still, I didn’t know what better options I had, and I was ready to get out of the locked room, so I nodded. July peeled back the blankets in a brusque, businesslike fashion that reminded me of my sour old maidservant. Damn, if I didn’t miss even her right now.
July plucked some suction things from my skin, and the heartrate monitor beeped at her. She shut it off and smiled at me. “Ready to lose your IV and get some real food in you?”
“Clothes first,” I said. “Food second.”
“Just hang tight, and I’ll grab you some.”
She ducked out of the room, and I thought about making a run for it in just a sheet, but it seemed impractical, not to mention I was still weak and drugged. When July returned, she handed me a robe and a pair of slippers. It wasn’t exactly the real clothes I’d hoped for, but I slid my arms into the soft, luxurious garment anyway. It definitely beat a threadbare hospital gown with the ass hanging open. I secured the belt around my waist, and July removed the IV from my hand, replacing it with a bandage. Her uniform wasn’t exactly what I was used to seeing in hospitals back home, either. The white skirt ended at least six inches above her knee, and the top showed just as much cleavage, along with the edge of a lacy, red bra.
“Let’s get you out of here,” she said, peeling off her gloves and disposing of them in a trash can. “Sir Kenosi has much more comfortable accommodations in the condo, and you’ll be able to see your friends again.”
That sealed it. I shoved my feet into the pair of fluffy slippers she offered and followed July out. When we left the building, the sky was a deep blue to the east, but a few stars were still visible overhead. Birds sang in the pre-dawn night, which felt damp and heavy as we meandered along the paved walkway through the huge expanse of lawn. From above, it had looked like a courtyard, but it was much larger now that I had to walk across it in slippers.
From beyond the buildings, I heard the faint noise of a few cars passing in the early morning, but mostly, the city was quiet and calm. Breathing in the fresh air brought some peace of mind back. July wouldn’t have brought me outside if I was a prisoner. She would have had me escorted by guards. Sure, Kenosi was a complete asshole, but then, he was a celebrity who was probably used to treating women however he wanted and still having them kiss his ass. It wasn’t like he’d done anything besides make a lewd comment.
“Why is Sir Kenosi putting us up in his condo?” I asked as we walked.
“Oh, he’s very generous,” July said. “He’d take in anyone who needed help. And you’re not just anyone.”
“I’m not?”
“Of course not,” she said, giggling. “You’re the princess.”
Didn’t stop him from being a complete perv, but whatever. I had bigger things to worry about than some rich-guy Cheetah with a rock star ego. If I was free, then I was getting out of here as soon as I found the others.
“My sister’s okay?” I asked.
“Of course,” the nurse said with another giggle. “She was at the spa all day. They’re enjoying their visit very much.”
“And the others?” I asked.
“Lord Balam is a favorite with the Jaguar King, which means he’s a favorite with us.”
“What about Shadow? Kenosi knocked him out when we got here. And Gabor, the guard. Is he okay?�
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“They’re all fantastic,” she said, waving a hand dismissively. “Resting up after what sounds like a horrid time in the Panther Nation.”
“Oh,” I said, breathing a sigh of relief. “That’s good.”
“Relax, silly,” the nurse said. “You have nothing to worry about. Sir Kenosi knows how to treat honored, royal guests. He wouldn’t spare the greatest expense to make sure you’re all getting exactly what you need.”
“What about the Cheetah King?” I asked. “We were actually hoping to have an audience with him while we’re here.”
“Of course,” she said, a little too enthusiastically for my taste. “Sir Balam has already put in an official request. It just has to go through processing, and you’ll be added to the queue.”
“Balam isn’t knighted,” I said, only realizing as I said it that I had no idea what Balam’s official title meant. What exactly was a lord?
“Sir Kenosi got him an honorary knighthood while he’s here,” July said. “It’s the highest honor the Cheetah Nation bestows on visiting dignitaries.”
“That’s nice of them,” I said, not sure how to react to all her good cheer. We arrived at the building across the way from the clinic at last. Two guards stood at the doors, each of them dressed in black uniforms with gold trim. A cheetah emblem graced the shoulder of their uniforms, which I assumed marked them as shifters.
“This is Princess Itzel of the Ocelot Nation,” July said, calling me by a title I only heard at home if I was being introduced to someone important who needed to be flirted with.
To my complete shock, the guards both bowed.
“Sir Kenosi asked for her to be made comfortable in a private suite after her surgery.”
“Of course,” one of the guards said, reaching for the door. He paused, a frown creasing his brow as a look of confusion passed over his face. “We just need to confirm your identity, Your Grace.”
“Right,” July said with a giggle. “Can’t have just anyone waltzing in to Sir Kenosi’s.”
The guard pulled a small black rectangle from his pocket, popped it open, and handed me a Q-Tip. “Please give a sample of your saliva.”
“You have my DNA?” I asked, swabbing my cheek and handing it over. They’d done surgery on me, so it was a little late to hold out on giving them bodily fluids. I would have given them a gallon of saliva if it meant I could get back to the others.
The guard slid the swab into a slot in the side of the little rectangle where it came from. “Just one minute, and the results will have you inside,” he said. “I apologize for the inconvenience. In the Cheetah Nation, we take your safety very seriously.”
“I can see that,” I said.
The device beeped, and both guards bowed deeply again. “Welcome to Sir Kenosi’s private estate, daughter of Queen Ocelot of the Ocelot Nation,” one of them said, handing back the swab. They stepped aside, and sliding glass doors opened to allow us into a spacious lobby with marble floors and ceilings that rose the ten stories to the top of the building, which remained open to the sky. A fountain was placed in the center of the lobby, surrounded by numerous ferns and other plants, and a pool where enormous orange and white koi fish swam. Ambient light shone over the lobby, lighting our way to a glass elevator tucked away in a back corner.
“Wow,” I said. “This is impressive. I can’t wait to see where King Cheetah lives.”
“Our king is very humble,” July said. “Sir Kenosi is the wealthiest shifter in all the world. That’s why he welcomes visiting dignitaries and royalty such as yourselves. And the king is so busy, you know. He takes meetings with the common people every day, practices meditation, and of course there are laws and plans for his approval. We must not overwhelm him with the day to day minutiae of our guest’s accommodations. Not even when the guest is royalty.”
“And Sir Kenosi has time for that?”
July gave that unnerving, manic giggle. “Oh no, silly. We take care of all that.”
The elevator arrived, and we rose toward the sky, leaving the fountain below. When it opened on the eighth floor, we stepped out into a huge living area with plush chairs and sofas adorned with rich, cream-colored pillows and throws. A thick, luxurious cream-and-dusty-rose rug adorned most of the floor. Large, potted ferns flanked the couch and draped from their pots on either side of the picture windows that looked out over the awakening city.
“This is…really nice,” I said.
“Oh, of course,” she said. “Sir Kenosi is so generous. He literally saved my life, and the lives of most of the people who work for him. He took us in off the streets and gave us lives like this. He’s so amazing, Your Majesty.”
“Sounds like it,” I said, trying to reconcile her description with the man who had clubbed Gabor and asked me to pay for surgery with sexual favors.
“I’ll leave you to get acquainted with your rooms and your maid, but don’t worry, I’ll come to check on your shoulder every day.”
I wasn’t sure that my shoulder needed attention every day, but I’d already paid for ignoring the wound the first day, so I didn’t argue. July backed away and got into the elevator. As soon as it closed, I hit the inset black square where she’d put her thumb to call the elevator car. A digital display appeared on the wall. “Access Denied.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” I asked, pushing the button a dozen times in frustration, though I knew nothing would happen. I turned and scanned the room, searching for emergency exits. There was an open doorway that led to a small kitchenette area with a table for two, a vase of fresh pink-and-cream roses in the center. Another door opened to a bathroom with pink-and-cream tile, a porcelain clawfoot tub, and delicate ferns decorating the counter on either side of a sink. An enormous mirror covered one entire wall.
The only other door in the room led to a spacious bedroom with a canopy bed topped with cloud-like pillows and bedding. When I sank into it, a moan of pleasure escaped. It was better than my own room at home. I jumped up, wanting to tell Camila. To see her, to share this new experience with her, to marvel that the Cheetah Nation had it even better than we did. But when I walked out of the bedroom, reality greeted me again. I may have been in the world’s nicest prison, but I was still locked up.
Fourteen
When I heard the gentle swish of the elevator door opening, I jumped up and ran for it. A tall, thin black girl had emerged wearing what could only be described as a stripper maid’s uniform. It was slightly more tasteful than a costume and covered a bit more than lingerie, but it was in no way the kind of maid I needed.
“Hi,” she said brightly, her eyes widening as I barged past her and into the elevator. I punched at the buttons while she gaped at me, her chin-length hair in relaxed curls around her face, her narrow eyes and high forehead giving her an elegant beauty even in her revealing attire.
“You have to get me out of here,” I said. “I’m locked in. I can’t get out.”
“Why would you want to?” she asked, staring at me like I was insane.
“I need to see my sister,” I said. “Is she okay?”
“Of course,” the maid said. “I’m May. I’ll be your personal maid while you’re here. Let’s get you ready to go to dinner, and then you can see your friends.”
“Really?” I asked. The elevator was clearly not going to move for me.
“I don’t see why not,” she said. “You’re all honored guests here, even your servants.”
Servants. She must mean Gabor, maybe even Shadow. The word rubbed me the wrong way, but I bit my tongue and decided to move to safer topics. “Are you all named after months?” I asked.
“Yes,” she said with a perky smile. “That’s the month of our favor.”
“Your favorite month is May?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.
“It’s the month Sir Kenosi shows me favor.”
“What kind of favor?”
“You know. Gifts, attention, favors…”
“Can you say creepy?” I muttered. I
thought about lunging at her, dragging her into the elevator, and pressing her fingerprint to the panel, but I spotted a camera in the corner of the elevator car and changed my mind. If she took me down for dinner, it would be a better chance to run. If I attacked her on camera, I’d never get past the front door.
“I’m here to clean you up,” May said, holding up her basket. “I brought everything you’ll need to get ready. Come on, we’ll start in the bathroom.”
She drew me a bath, and when she insisted I get in, I dropped my robe and sank into the bubbles. After the days I’d had, I couldn’t deny it felt amazing. My maidservant at home sometimes drew me a bath, but she never sat there and talked to me while I bathed. I chalked it up to the customs of a foreign nation and listened to May’s banal chatter. At last, she drained the bath and gestured for me to stand. She ran a thick towel over my limbs, insisting I not move around too much because I might hurt my shoulder. Finally, she let me get out.
“Now the fun part,” she said with a grin, pulling me out of the bathroom. Three women stood in the living area, a massage table set up before them.
I didn’t know what Sir Kenosi was trying to do, if he wanted to seduce me into submission with all these treats. I didn’t understand what he wanted with me, anyway. I wasn’t the heir to the throne. I didn’t have another clan’s amulet, if he wanted to steal that. I didn’t even have money. If he wanted to hold me for ransom, my father wouldn’t give him anything, either. It made no sense.
The women all insisted I wasn’t too good for his gifts, and eventually, I relented. After the massage, they took me to another floor where we sweated in the sauna and received enough spa treatments to make me collapse with exhaustion and fall into a drugged sleep in the middle of the day. When I woke, I was shaved and lotioned, my nails painted, and my hair carefully brushed and arranged around my shoulders. At long, long last, everyone left except May.
“Here’s your wardrobe for the night,” she said, laying a garment bag across the plush sofa. “Get dressed, and we’ll escort you to dinner.”
Captive Princess: A Dark Paranormal Romance (Feline Royals Book 2) Page 7
