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“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.
“Keep your bids high, ladies and gentlemen,” she says. “There will only be fourminutes until the girls go beneath ground again. Once the light goes off, the bid is finalised.” Muttering reverberates around the room. “But first, before we move you to the bidding area, we have a little treat for you. Something to whet your appetite before we begin, if you will.” I swallow and stare at the back entrance to the main floor, attempting to keep some sense of disgust out of me. No matter what I am, rape isn’t something I’m down with.
And Miri sure as hell isn’t going to be either.
Some guy walks out of the curtains in the corner wearing a heavy mask and jeans. Never seen him before, but his frame looks just as savage as Cortez does. He waits, then turns at the sound of heels coming. A half sigh of relief comes out of me as the woman parades out onto the floor. It’s not Miri, and whilst I probably should still be as repulsed with this one as I was with a younger version, I’m not.
I glance at both Dragon and Abel on the far side, one of my hands trying to keep an agitated Jamie in her seat. They’re both laughing about something, the fate of these girls and the money they’re about to make I suppose.
“Stay out of it, Jamie. Go speak to our girls quietly. Tell each one of them to leave the second the last woman has been bid on. I don’t want any of ours left in here.” She takes a deep breath, shakes under my hand.
“Our girls? What about the others, the auction girls?”
“I’m thinking about that. Either way-”
“Don’t think. Do, Jackson,” she spits. “None of this is alright, and you fucking know it. They didn’t know why they were coming here. Some of them thought it was work, for God's sake.” I scowl and think back on the only one I’m concerned about. Maybe her sister, too.
