Wicked Edge by Nina Bangs Page A

his drink in one swallow. “Enough. The point is, how do we keep everyone safe until we find the creep?”
    Bain offered his solution. “When Rabid was turning up the mindless rage in our friend here”—he nodded at Dacian—“you guys locked Dacian up in the dungeon. Would that work again?”
    “The dungeon sucked. Not a place to spend quality time.” Dacian cast Edge a sympathetic glance. “But it’s reinforced. It would hold you longer than any other place in the castle would. Besides, the dungeon is away from human guests. My apartment and a few rooms for visiting vampires are all you’d have to worry about.”
    Ganymede nodded. “Sounds like a good idea.”
    “I disagree.” Holgarth tapped a skinny finger on the table. “The dungeon is part of my fantasies. It would disrupt my schedule.” He seemed to think that was all that needed saying.
    “Too bad, wizard. Everyone’s safety comes first.”
    Bain must have a death wish. But enough of this. Edge was the only one who would control his immediate future. “Let’s take a look at the dungeon, and then I’ll decide.”
    With lots of grumbling from Ganymede and Holgarth, they allleft the club and headed for the dungeon. Sparkle took her drink with her.
    Okay, so the dungeon was creepy. Passion shivered. Stone walls, a big heavy wooden door that creaked when Ganymede shoved it open, and a bunch of accessories meant to inflict pain. She reminded herself that they weren’t real.
    “This doesn’t look too homey.” Passion glanced at the wall sconces with their flickering lights meant to simulate a candle’s flame.
    Sparkle edged up beside her. “Oh, but think of the possibilities. See that table with the arm and leg restraints? Think about Edge stretched naked on it, open and helpless to anything you might want to do with his body.”
    Passion didn’t
want
to get a mental picture. She fought it. Hard. She lost. Worse yet, her picture became a video. And in it, she stroked her fingers the length of his sweat-sheened body, lingering as she touched—
    “How strong are the chains attached to that wall? If you can bring in a few creature comforts, I’ll go with it. I might hate living here, but it’ll make everyone in the castle safer.” Edge sounded reluctant to admit it.
    Holgarth sniffed. “Those chains were meant to withstand a vampire’s strength. You’ll be able to free yourself, but it will take a few minutes.”
    Sparkle was in her element. “We’ll push the iron maiden and the other stuff against the wall. Then we’ll bring in a mattress, lamp, chair, and TV. Dacian’s apartment is next door, so you can use his bathroom.”
    “Cinn will love that.” Dacian sounded grouchy.
    Sparkle’s gaze turned thoughtful. She held her drink in one hand while she studied Passion. “Everyone’s been so busy trying to figure out who did this that we’ve forgotten the one who saved us. Who’sthe woman who talked Edge down from the ledge while she made the rest of us feel calm about the whole thing?”
    Uh–oh. Passion had started to relax, thinking they’d forgotten about her. “That was my roommate, Hope. She’s…” Her talent for lying had reached its end, because she had no answer for what the other angel was.
    It seemed Edge didn’t intend to let her get away with that. “It wasn’t just Hope. When I was lying there, I still couldn’t think. I was blind with pain. But when Passion put her hand on me, I felt this warm rush of…something, and suddenly I felt normal.”
    Passion raised one brow. “As much as I’d like to don the Super Healer cape, I have to point out that it was just coincidence. I happened to touch you at the moment your body was ready to recover. No big deal.”
    Edge didn’t look convinced. “It was a big deal for me.”
    She almost slumped with relief when he looked away.
    “But we still have a problem.” Edge moved to the door and shoved hard. The door shook as though it were made of cardboard. “This room