All characters are at least 18 years old.
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Chloroform's a bitch.
I was still a little groggy when I came to, groaning as I stirred. I heard movement as I opened my eyes, and I wondered if I was still alive. Maybe I'd been shot in the head for my antics.
"Lexi!" How strange. That was Brie's voice. My vision focused, and there she was, blue eyes wide and staring into my face, concern written all over hers. "Take it easy, okay?"
"She awake?" came Drew's voice, and Stef was by Brie's side in an instant, awash with relief. Past the twins, I saw Coco and Leon get to their feet.
My head started pounding, and as I tried to sit up I felt my stomach heave. "I feel sick," I managed through clenched teeth.
"Bucket!" Stef called, and his voice made my head throb. I doubled over the edge of my couch, and Stef slid a bucket under me just in time for me to vomit into it. Thankfully Brie held my hair, and I groaned and spat out the last of the bile before collapsing back onto the couch.
"Alright, alright, give her some space," Coco murmured gently. The others backed away, letting her approach with a glass of water. I gulped it down gratefully, then whimpered as I tried to make the pounding in my head stop. I felt a wet rag on my forehead. Cherry was wiping away the sweat.
"What are you all doing here?" I rasped, squinting at the ceiling.
"Sabrina had a bad feeling about where you were going tonight. Then Drew told us everything," Leon explained. "We rushed over here, and then your assistant told us everything else."
"Nobody can keep a damn secret," I muttered. "Where is he?"
"Your assistant?" I grunted an affirmative. "Somewhere deep in the club. If you're thinking of going anywhere though, you can forget it, young lady."
"Ooh," I crooned, though it came out more like a rattle. "Cherry, would you mind sharing your dad?"
"Not if it's for what I think it's for," she said with a tight pout. I chuckled.
"In that case, help me up."
"Lexi," Coco chided. "You really shouldn't--"
The twins slowly pulled me to my feet, and I took a moment to regain my balance before looking around the room. There was hardly any trace of my altercation with Muerte. Everything had been cleaned up, and the only evidence were the small rings of smashed ballistic glass of the snake enclosure. My people had already removed the bullets, and I shuffled over. Artemis slithered into view, looking at me steadily.
"Ho, shit," Stef said, backing up a step before recovering. Brie was seemingly frozen with a death grip on my arm. I shrugged her off and put a hand to the glass, and Artemis lowered her head to my hand.
"Good girl," I murmured.
"You have a giant snake?" Cherry breathed, keeping her distance. I turned and smirked at her as she stared at Artemis in terror. "That's... That's badass."
"Can somebody send a ping on the intercom please?"
Drew was standing by the desk, and he looked down at the controls. "Yellow button?"
I nodded, and within seconds a woman stepped in. Neatly dressed, her hair in a bun, her black attire trimmed with violet. "Alain," I uttered.
"He's in Cell A, Miss R," she answered.
"That means there's a Cell B," I heard Drew point out.
By now I'd regained my faculties and stood on my own. I turned to my friends. "All of you, stay here. I know we have a lot to talk about, but I have some business to take care of first."
"Absolutely not. I'm coming with you," Brie said firmly.
"Have you seen a man in more than one piece before?" I asked, and she hesitated. "Stay here."
Coco took Brie by the shoulders and spoke to her as I left. I followed my employee as she led the way into my dungeon. Yes, I had dungeons. How fucking cool was that? It wasn't some European fantasy dungeon affair though. In fact, they weren't much different from our guest suites. A bit less luxurious, perhaps.
We arrived at Cell A and the woman opened the door for me. Inside, the room was stripped bare except for a few aluminum tables and a frame with chains that was typically used for BDSM. Surprise, it's perfect for chaining up your enemies too. Sat at one of the tables with his back to us was Alain, who stood as I entered. He had two men with him for protection, as was protocol. And strung up in front of us was our good old buddy Muerte himself.
"
Mademoiselle,
" Alain gasped. "
Dieu merci,
you are un'armed." He walked over and cupped my face protectively, looking me up and down with worry. It was hard to know what to feel. He was like the dad I should've had, and yet he was also working behind my back. I decided to let myself enjoy the solace of being safe in the face of what could have been.
"I'm glad Code Red worked," I said, and he nodded. "Really hope we never have to use it again," I added more sourly, and he nodded again. He let me go, and I walked around him and the table for a better look at Muerte. He was stripped down to his underwear, and other than looking about as crap as I did, he was likewise unharmed. "Did he give us anything?"
"Nothing,
mademoiselle.
"
"Where are the others?"
"In the other cells,
mademoiselle.
Untouched, as you ordered."
"Good. Then let's begin." One of the men pulled up an aluminum chair for me, and I sat.
Muerte seemed to float into lucidity, eyes focusing on me. He launched into a string of Spanish, most likely calling me feminine expletives and cursing me to be violated or sent to hell or whatever.
When he was done, I simply replied with, "Where's the real Muerte?"
He seemed dumbfounded, then he howled with laughter. "I'll never tell you,
chingada puta!
He's still out there, and you're as good as dead!"
I just shook my head and sighed. "You really were stupid enough to walk in here yourself, huh? Probably why your fellow
jinetes
were so ready to see you gone." Muerte frowned, unsure whether to believe me. I waved to my men, and they brought a tablet over. Video calling cartel leaders; I almost laughed out loud. "Which makes sense. You're willing to work for equally stupid
