Chapter Seven: Bound to an Ultimatum

"What the hell do you mean by you couldn't find her?" Vicky demanded, hissing the words through her teeth. Her voice rose at a decibel in stifled annoyance. Donkor balled his hands into fists over the arms of the chair he was sitting on. Vicky paced restlessly before him, her movements spiking his irritation. "Stay put, will you?" Donkor snapped at her. "Let me think!"  Vicky lashed out immediately in return. "Don't you dare yell at me, Donkor!" She wiggled a finger in warning at him, her eyes burning with fury. "It's your fault for letting her slip from your grasp. How could you be so gullible?" At that, Donkor leaped to his feet, going ballistic. His hand flew from his side to slap her hard across the face for insulting him, but it paused and trembled, raised above Vicky's face. Vicky glared at him, defiance lit in her hawklike, deep brown eyes. "You will slap me, Donkor." That was a dare, not a question. "If you push me," Donkor seethed through his teeth, glowering down at