Free Tangled Webs by Lee Bross Page B

double-crossed me. I’ve got someone else to question, but you three go, now.”
    Doors slammed and the din quieted, which made the footsteps coming toward the second door that much louder. Only Nic used that door to gain access to the main part of the house. No one else ever
came through from that side. From the inside.
    The person stopped just on the other side of the door. The rattling of keys was followed by the unmistakable sound of a lock being turned. Even through the wood, Arista could sense the murderous
intentions of Bones, and the urge to flee flooded her body. “Go.” Arista nudged Becky toward their room. The girl fumbled with the doorknob, and kept looking over her shoulder. Arista
groaned with frustration. Her hand fell to her side and rested on the hard knife handle under her skirt.
    The inside door swung open and Arista made out the shadowy outline of Bones standing there. An involuntary shudder raced over her. Her dealings with Bones were infrequent in nature, with Nic the
usual liaison between them. That suited Arista fine. This, though, wasn’t just his terrifying temper; it was something more, something darker. He approached, and her skin crawled.
    “Miss?” Becky held the lamp up to her face and gestured hurriedly for Arista to come inside the room. She could run, but it would do no good. Others had tried to run away.
They’d been made examples of.
    Though she doubted Bones would harm her physically, there were other ways he could get to her, and he knew them well. Arista straightened her shoulders and shook her head. “No. You go.
Close the door quickly, and lock it. Do not come out until I tell you to. Here he comes.”
    Becky didn’t move. Her gaze flicked to the door, and the color left her face.
    “Becky! Leave me.” Arista hated being short with her friend, but it was imperative that she was safely behind the door before Bones got to them. Becky made a terrified sound deep in
her throat, and the light disappeared. Arista heard the click of the door latch falling into place, and exhaled.
    When she was young, Arista would close her eyes and pretend that in the darkness, she could become invisible. A useless trick; Bones always found her. Tonight, Arista kept her eyes open and
stared directly at Bones. His pupils were dilated and his lips were a tight, thin line.
    “Girl, did you have anything to do with this?” Bones’s raspy voice grated across her skin, leaving goose bumps in its wake. He waved a leather pouch in her face, but
she’d never seen it before. She had no idea what it held.
    “I don’t…” Arista steeled herself. It was always the same when faced with her guardian, if he could even be called that. Slave master, maybe? He owned her as if she were
a piece of paste jewelry, and could reduce her to a small, scared child with a single glare.
    Who could she be tonight, right now? Not that scared child. Someone else.
    Arista called on her alter ego, and Lady A straightened her back. “I don’t know what you mean.” Her voice regained its cultivated tone, with no evident trace of street
dialect.
    She saw his fist too late. Pain exploded along the side of her jaw and she crumpled back against the wall. He never hit her in the face because of her value as Lady A. Something had happened to
change her worth.
    “Don’t you dare use that uppity voice on me, girl. I made you, and I can unmake you just as quickly.”
    Arista held her jaw and pushed herself up to stand. She would not lie at his feet like a dog. He could beat her senseless, but she would not cower. Not anymore.
    “That boy o’ yours. Where is he?” Cold, steely fingers wrapped around her wrist. Bones was much stronger than he looked.
    “Nic?”
    “Ni-ic,”
he mimicked. His lips turned up in a snarl. “You got more than one boy, then? Whorin’ yourself behind my back, girl?”
    “No!” Heat flooded her face.
    Bones dug his fingers into her wrist until she thought she would hear a snap. His