Page 18 of Darkest Kiss

There's no recourse for her. Hale's body stiffens, but I put a hand on his arm. If he starts a brawl before the bidding even begins, we're screwed. Hale's expression flickers. He shakes off my touch, but he doesn't make a move either. Hale hates to be touched.

"Let's grab a drink," Ransom suggests. "And then we can find a seat for the auction."

We saunter over to the bar. I try to keep my movements casual as I glance around, assessing the room. Guards carry automatic rifles at all the doors and more men with guns move through the small crowd. My assumption is that they work for the Vitellis.

I'm not a good man by any stretch of the word. I kill people for a living and enjoy it, or at the very least feel nothing when I pull a trigger or squeeze the last breath out of a man whose number is up. But for putting lovely, soft Noemi in danger, the Vitellis are dead, down to a man. My fury burns white-hot in my core.

"Gentlemen." A well-appointed man in his fifties strolls up to us, a suspicious smile on his face. "This is a first. Usually, I know everyone on the short invite list for my little auctions." He seems to zero in on Ransom as the one in charge—maybe because he's the only one of the three of us in a suit. "Leo Vitelli."

“Ah, the Vitelli second in command.” Ransom smiles that shark-like grin. "Nice to meet you. We were referred by a mutual acquaintance. Mayor Pendleton?"

"Indeed." Vitelli's gaze flicks over me and Hale. "He’s a good customer. Influential enough to get you on the list, sight unseen."

Ransom merely nods. "We're excited to buy some new inventory. We just arrived in the city and weren't able to bring our own girls."

Leo seems to relax a little, his eyes glittering. "Would you like to see the list?"

Hale grunts beside me. I've known the guy for years, so I can easily read the sound as, I can't wait to kill this idiot. Leo hasn't had the pleasure, so he misreads it as excitement. His eyes light up and he passes us each a black binder. I clutch mine. My pulse skyrockets.

Kill him. Kill them all, you worthless idiot. What are you waiting for? Beast snarls.

He's not wrong, but he's not helping my patience just now.

"Since you're new, should I explain what's about to happen?" Leo asks.

"The girls will be brought out for us to look at?" I say, ready to be done with him.

Leo's eyes tighten on my face, but he nods. "In small lots."

The lights dim, making him glance up at the ceiling and smile. "It's beginning. If you have questions, you can bring them to me."

"Perfect," Ransom agrees. Hale tenses, but Ransom points to three seats near the back of a cluster of lounge chairs. He doesn't have to tell us twice. We move as a unit, Ransom in front, Hale at the back.

As soon as I sit down, I open the file Leo handed me. The first page is a photo of a young Latina girl with wide brown eyes and too much blush staining her cheeks. She's dressed in a filmy white babydoll that I can see her nipples through and posed with her knees up, hands pressed against her pussy. My stomach churns as I read the short bio, which lists her name as Alessia and says she isn't a virgin.

Flipping through the book, I clench my jaw. All of the girls are posed differently, and the status of their virginity is noted. Some of them aren't even named, just given numbers. I make myself look for Noemi, not finding her until I'm near the end of the stack. I take one glance at the photo—of her wearing a see-through white lace dress and clutching at her full tits—and I slam the folder closed. Ransom glares at me as I struggle not to kill everyone here and get it over with.

Every member of this little club will die. Maybe not today, though.

I’m on the hunt for one girl today.

Finally, Leo steps onstage and claps his hands. "Gentlemen, we have something truly special for you tonight. This is only our second Sleeping Beauty auction—all the girls have been heavily dosed with Gloss, rendering them immobile and perfectly aware. They make lovely dolls for you to play with." He gestures to someone offstage and a man wheels out a trafficked girl in a light pink doll's box. The man stops and sets her upright, revealing the pink restraints at her waist, wrists, and ankles that hold her in place. Her blonde head tilts to the side and stays there, midair, while her innocent brown eyes swivel to Leo. She's damp with perspiration but unable to block Leo from reaching out and squeezing one of her small tits, wrenching it in a way that should make her cry out.

She doesn't respond except to drool as she looks on. A man in the audience claps as though Leo has done something great and several more chuckle.

Kill them. Burn this whole place to the ground. What are you waiting for? Beast whispers.

I clench my jaw. Soon, I promise him.

I look at Ransom, lifting my chin. He gives me a subtle nod and I can breathe a little easier. The auction begins, the first couple of girls going for between three hundred thousand and four hundred and fifty thousand dollars. When Ransom leans over and whispers, "Should we let someone buy your girl? We can meet our men outside and pick them off as they leave."

"Fuck no," I grate out, loud enough that a couple of the men look my way. "I'll win her first. Once she is secured, you can bet I'll be hunting down each and every one of these fuckers."

"The other women?" Hale leans in.

I suck my teeth, looking at the young girl onstage. "Let me get Noemi out first. Then we'll try. Her safety matters most."

The brothers nod.