The Diabolical Conspiracy Read Free Page A

violence of a few moments earlier had ceased as abruptly as it had begun. Nadia was in her chair again, with her left leg crossed almost primly over her right again. The look of wild-eyed, almost feral savagery had vanished. The Nadia he’d glimpsed in those horrifying moments was a woman completely capable of murder, he had no doubt. Now she was again exuding an air of cultured sophistication and class. That was certainly a part of who she really was, but he knew now there was a darker truth behind the elegant veneer.
    Did he have any questions?
    Hell, he had about a million of them, but he was no longer sure how to ask them. Any lingering sense that this was a game had utterly vanished during Nadia’s assault on Blake. He could no longer couch his comments or questions in sarcasm. Offending Nadia was the last thing he wanted at this point. Because if he did offend her, what was to stop her from unleashing some of that fearsome rage on him? Any response at all had to be very carefully considered. More than ever, he wanted to get up and walk the hell out of here, but he had the creeping sense that any attempt to flee would be doomed to failure. These people wouldn’t allow him to leave. He tried telling himself this was just paranoia, that he wasn’t a prisoner here, but he didn’t believe it. He was trapped here, stuck among this group of lunatics until the meeting was over. At least.
    Nadia’s expression softened some as she watched him. Was there even a trace of something like empathy in the cast of her features? It didn’t seem likely in light of what she had done to Blake. Probably it was just a trick of the light.
    “ I can tell you’re troubled by what you’ve witnessed here this evening. Perhaps you’re even afraid of me. But Mike, I want you to know you can speak freely here. You need not fear retribution for anything you say.”
    Mike’s gaze flicked over to Blake for a moment. His friend was back in his chair, sitting on its edge, with his eyes trained on the cement floor and his arms clasped tight over his undoubtedly sore abdomen. It was obvious he remained in a considerable amount of pain.
    Mike swallowed and at last found the courage to speak. “I appreciate what you’re saying, Nadia, but you’ll have to forgive me if I have trouble believing you. I just watched you stomp a man half to death because he laughed at something I said.”
    “ That’s different, Mike. Blake is a fully initiated member of the Diabolical Conspiracy. He has sworn his allegiance to Satan, to the club, and, yes, to myself. This is not the first time he’s been impertinent at an inappropriate time. He has been warned and yet he couldn’t help misbehaving. Everyone else here knows better.” Her voice went up a sharp octave as her head swiveled in Blake’s direction. “Isn’t that right, Blake?”
    Blake raised his head with some reluctance and flipped long locks from his forehead. “Yes. I’m sorry, I--”
    “ Shut up.”
    Blake fell immediately silent. Mike had to hand it to Nadia. In addition to being possibly the most beautiful woman he had ever seen up close, she was easily the most intimidating. Put this woman in a room full of world leaders and she’d have the gaggle of puffed-up old assholes quaking in their boots within minutes.
    “ Tell Mike what happened here tonight, Blake.”
    Blake looked at her and said, “I got--”
    “ I told you to tell Mike, not me.”
    Blake flinched, but he nodded and shifted in his chair to face Mike. “I got put in my place for disrespecting the covenant of the group, and for disrespecting Nadia’s role as leader. Basically, I got what I deserved.”
    Getting that said appeared to take a lot out of Blake. His shoulders sagged and he went back to staring at the floor, his longish hair hanging in his face again.
    Mike looked at Nadia. “So let me see if I have this straight. Blake got the crap kicked out of him because he’s a member and disrespected your rules. But I