58

“HOSTAGE?” CETO TAPPED HER FINGERNAILS AGAINST HER

lip, her tails now alternating between red and orange.

Well, at least Angel had brought the threat level down. A red tail wasn’t much of an improvement, but it beat black. A black sea-monster tail was never good.

“You know, that could work.” Ceto started circling her. “Although I did try that with your brother, but he and his Human managed to get away.”

Angel had heard the story enough times that she knew it by heart. She also knew she was signing her own death warrant by saying what she was about to, but she had to do this to save the men she loved.

“You put Erica in a regular room, Ceto, not a cell.

She was able to get out and free Reel.”

“Yeah, who knew a Human had that many smarts?” Ceto’s tails flared, then went back to being black. “I’ll never make that mistake again. I had a new bedchamber specially made when The Council and I hammered out the deal about Joey. He hasn’t gone anywhere.”

According to Erica, Joey’s ex-girl