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I sneer at him, but keep my voice calm. “It won’t be a problem. I’m sure she enjoys being a slut.”
Even though the words taste like ash on my tongue as I say them to him, my mind crashes back to a time when she used to love me calling her a slut. Back when we were sexually adventurous with each other, and she loved experimenting. Now all those thoughts are tainted by what these assholes have put her through.
I suddenly have a very strong urge to pull my concealed knife out and slit his throat, just for something to do, so I won’t have to listen to him say another word.
“Yes, she is turning into an enthusiastic little whore, as you will see—if you win her. Now…as for your final request. I can tell all ticket holders that no recording equipment is allowed, and I will have my men enforce it, but there’s no way on this Earth am I turning my security cameras off,” he snaps, throwing his hands on his hips like he’s about to stomp his foot down to emphasise his point.
I take a menacing step towards him, puffing out my chest as I feel Dec lay his hand on my arm in warning. I’m surprised I’m not hearing chastising voices in my ear. “If you don’t turn off all the cameras in this room, I will do it for you.”
The Sheriff’s eyes widen, his brows shooting so high they’re almost in his hairline. He’s about to respond when Dec beats him to it.
“Evan may not be saying it in the right way. What he means is, he’s very private about these things normally. He’s willing to put that to one side to be part of the performance, but there are no reasons for you not to temporarily turn off the cameras during the performance. Of course, it will only be the ones in this room, and they can be turned back on as soon as the performance is over.”
Dec’s a far better negotiator than me, but I’m still surprised when The Sheriff agrees, albeit somewhat reluctantly. “Fine, I can agree to these…for the right price.”
“Name your price,” I snap.
“An extra twenty thousand, on top of whatever you pay for her,” he replies, and I have to bite my cheek to stop the laugh from escaping. Such a rookie move. I’m the one who wants something. He should have made me negotiate, so he could get the best possible price. I would have paid any amount for these concessions, and he’s an idiot for not realising.
“Deal, but I want a member of my security team in the CCTV room to make sure they’re turned off,” I state, and he agrees.
“Now, all you have to do is win the auction.” He sounds like he doesn’t think that’s something I’m capable of doing. He’s an idiot if he hasn’t yet realised the extremes I’m willing to go through to win Teigan.
As he walks off and we finally take our seats, I allow myself a moment to breathe. Everything is going to plan so far, and I’m pleased we were able to negotiate as much as we did. We went in high, thinking he wouldn’t be willing to give us everything, so I’m pleased we were dealing with an idiot.
Bree and Liam obviously agree, as I can hear them in my ear. “Well done, Ev. You stayed calm, and you got us everything we need,” Bree says as Liam agrees.
Before I’m able to reply, the spotlights turn on and loud music blares out of the speakers as The Sheriff makes his way onto the stage, signalling the start of the auction.
Knowing Teigan is the final Lot is driving me insane. I’m not exactly known for my patience, and my nerves are on edge waiting for her to come out. I tell myself it’s just because I want to check that she’s alright, but that’s not true.
I want to see her—plain and simple. It’s the way it always is with her. She’s my drug of choice, and despite being on the wagon for nearly a decade, I’m desperate to lose myself in her the way I used to.
The auction moves at an annoyingly slow pace, and I barely bother paying attention. As each new Lot is brought out, the acid in my stomach worsens and I feel sicker.
I hate watching these women and young children being paraded around like they are items to be sold. All I can think about is if there are people out there looking for them.
Some of these children aren’t even teens yet. Where are their parents? Isn’t there a life out there waiting for them, something better than this hell? I want more than anything to be able to help them all, but I can’t. Not if I want a chance to save Tee.
We’re almost at the end, and I’ve had to force myself not to drown in booze. This is only my second, and I swirl the amber liquid around in the glass, trying to avoid the temptation to slam it back. I’ve wanted to do that each time a new Lot is brought out. But given this is Lot Nineteen, I’d be well and truly gone by now if I had.
I need to keep my wits about me, so I sip the booze slowly, relishing the burning feeling I get every time I allow myself evenjust a little taste. It does nothing to quell my fragile nerves, but it’s the best I can do.
As a young blonde girl is brought on stage, tears streaming down her face, my heart cracks and I down the last of the drink. The burning liquid doesn’t help the growing nausea, but I release a sigh at the calming effect it has over me.
The poor girl looks to be under ten, and her big blue eyes are wide and terrified. She’s dressed a lot more conservatively than the other Lots, in a white frilly dress and white shiny shoes. Her blonde hair is curly and pulled into pigtails, no doubt in an effort to make her look as young as possible.
“This is our penultimate Lot, ladies and gentlemen, so make sure you don’t leave here empty-handed. As always, I leave the best ones till last, and Esme here is no exception. She’s just turned eight-years-old, and is completely untouched,” he states proudly, as the crowd begins to cheer.
The Sheriff walks over to Esme, who trembles the closer he gets. He holds a microphone in his hand, and she’s completely frozen in fear. “Esme, I have a few questions that the people would like to know the answers to. The first one is…have you ever kissed a boy?”
She shakes her head rapidly, tears flying off in every direction as she quickly wipes the snot from her nose, before talking into the microphone. She sounds so fucking small, her voice quivering about as much as she is. “No, never.”
“And has anybody ever touched you?”
Her wide eyes narrow, and she looks so confused my heart breaks for her. “My family used to give me cuddles all the time…if that’s what you mean?”
Fuck, she has a family?
