Page 20 of Locked in Wonderland

Omar laughed. It was the laugh of a man who was finished with the conversation. “To have a good time.” He gestured at the mass of writhing bodies. “And clearly they are.” He shrugged. “Besides, like I already said, they hardly ever come here. Last time before tonight must have been over a year ago.”

“But―”

He’d already turned away to serve another customer. Deciding I needed to keep a clear head, I left the unfinished drink on the bar. More than anything, I needed air. And distance from a place where someone could kidnap a person in plain sight and nobody cared enough to stop dancing. If Warren had been here—and that was still a massive if—then he was probably already gone.

I retraced my steps easily, the exit in view.

Then two men stepped directly into my path.

Chapter Nine

I tried to step around the two men, but they weren’t having it. I tipped my head back, surprised by how far back I had to go to bring their faces into focus when I was close to six feet myself. Of course, part of the problem was that they were standing so damn close. Twins. Identical ones by the look of it, right down to noses that appeared to have suffered multiple breaks.

“Zane Dum,” one said.

“Zeke Dee,” the other added.

“I was just leaving.”

“No,” one replied.

“You weren’t,” the other finished.

“Not without paying your bill,” they said together.

Great. Another pair who finished each other’s sentences.

They both wore black jeans and white tank tops that looked purpose-built to show off their bulging muscles, which they were accomplishing admirably. Tattoos covered both men. One had ink over the left side of his chest, the other over the right, making them look like mirror images of each other. Zane’s tattoo was a rotten apple emblazoned with the words EAT ME, while Zeke’s was a glass bottle dripping with what I assumed was blood given the vivid shade of red, accompanied by the words DRINK ME.

Then they folded their arms in eerie synchronization, revealing matching forearm tattoos. One read The time, the other has come.

It made me wonder whether they always stood that way round because has come the time didn’t quite have the same ring to it.

“I don’t have a bill.”

“You had a drink,” they sang in unison.

“I had two sips of it. And anyway, someone gave it to me. I didn’t ask for it.”

“You had a drink,” they repeated stubbornly.

“You need to pay for that drink,” Zeke said.

“Wonderland currency only,” Zane added.

“I don’t have any Wonderland currency.” I didn’t have any money at all. Percy and Lola had made sure of that.

One twin grabbed my left arm while the other seized my right.

“Hey!” My protest fell on deaf ears.

They steered me through a door and down a long corridor. “I guess you’re taking me to see the manager.”

No response.

“That’s good,” I continued. “I’m sure we can work something out. A repayment plan maybe.” How much could one damn drink cost? “Or perhaps the manager will actually listen when I explain I didn’t ask for a drink.”

I twisted against their grip, trying to wrench an arm free, but it was useless. What was it with people in Wonderland and absurd grip strength? First Percy and Lola, and now these two. At least the twins had enough muscle to justify it.