AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Just wondering if you’re gonna be watching the show or not.”
“The auction?”
“No, the beginning of it.” I don’t understand what the hell he’s talking about. He must see the confusion because he snarls to himself and looks back at the crowd. “They need a primer, Reed. Something to get their teeth into. We tend to let one get used first.” The moment I catch up with what he’s saying, my head’s back with Naja. And then I start thinking about the youngest one in here. Miri.
I’ve got no fucking time to do a thing about it.
Conversation doesn’t go anywhere other than that. We just sit at the bar as Carmen disappears. I'm still scouring for Poe around the place. He's nowhere to be seen that I can tell.
Eventually, Dragon walks back to us. He nods at Abel, presumably telling him there’s enough money in everyone’s bags. I don’t know or care anymore. I’m too busy thinking about how the fuck I get Naja out of here with no one dying on my watch.
I get up after a while and make my way to Jamie. She’s watching everything like a hawk, her stare as livid under that pretty smile as I’ve ever seen it.
She glances at me. “I can't believe you’re letting this happen,” she seethes. "They do that to your face and you're still okay with this? They're animals."
“I’m not convinced I am, but keep that face going.” She does, just like the professional bitch she is. “Is Elias still back there?” She nods. “Have you seen Poe?”
“Who?”
“The other brother? Knox? He was here that first night.”
“Don't think so. I've been too busy getting touched up by the sleazy one.”
“And where are Heckle and the boys?”
“At the door. He should be finished by now, considering all the creepy shit is already in here. What are you going to do?”
“Don’t know.”
She looks at me. “You don’t know?”
I turn my back to Cortez, unsure what the fuck I’m thinking or how I’m going to do it. “I need the money out of the safe and you and the rest of my girls out of here.”
“Yours?”
“Yes. Our team.”
“When? How? The first one will be out in a few minutes to pre-empt the auction. Carmen said something about a show first.”
“Yeah. She’s going to be raped. There’s not a damn thing I can do about that, so don't start.”
“Raped!”
“Keep your fucking voice down.”
“Jesus. I can’t with you, or them. Who the hell do they think they are?”
“Calm it down. I need you thinking straight.” I pick up her drink and down it, searching my thoughts for some fucking clarity to help me out. “They all go to the Mandarin suite when the auction's over, right?
“Yes. According to Ms Bitch, they all wait until the end of the night. Then they’re paid for and go off with whoever buys them.”
“Right.” I stare at the back of the booths, trying to find a solid solution. There isn’t one that satisfies everything, but maybe I can get everyone clear of this place before Dragon lights it up.
“Jackson?”
“I’m thinking.”
The low sound of the training music starts beating through the room, and I turn to look back at the main floor. Carmen walks out onto the floor and starts running through the rules of the auction. She tells them to put their bids into the keypads in their private boxes and that the running total will be shown on the display screen in the dance box.
