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“I gotta go.”
“I’m coming over.”
I blinked away the video and rage, trying to stay calm. “I’ve met someone.”
“Wait.” Rian got quiet. “Like a girl? Like an actual human being?”
“Fuck off. I said I’ve met someone. We’re sort of busy trying to get to know each other so call me tomorrow.”
“Oh. Yeah, okay. Sure thing. Have fun.”
The line went dead, and I barely felt my arm drop. I hit unmute, taking it all in as the loud pops surrounded me. The bastard was still masked up, straddling her as she swung her good hand towards him. She wasn’t protecting herself much with being injured. Blood trailed down the side of her face from her nose and mouth. From what I could tell from the angle, it looked like she even had a knot coming up on the side of her forehead with another laceration there.
“I’m going to kill him. I swear on the graves of my brothers, this man will breathe no more. I’ll find him.” I walked closer. “I’m going to find you, motherfucker. I’m going to gut you alive; do you fucking hear me?”
Red hot rage returned to every inch. I wasn’t sure I’d ever been so angry in my life. It wasn’t fault or guilt that fed the need. It wasn’t even the fact that her beauty had such an odd pull. This was a woman who, according to her, was taken against her will. She’d been beaten and tortured, and it wasn’t going to stop until she was dead. No one deserved that. It happened too often around the world, with little to no justice for those who suffered. I’d seen it firsthand. I had experienced it. No more. Not if I could help it.
I needed a plan. I couldn’t keep the auctions at bay forever. At some point soon this man was going to run out of patience and Kody’s death would be imminent. I had to think. I had to outsmart him.
Kody sucked in a breath, sobbing, coughing, and gagging as he stood from her limp body. He grabbed a fistful of hair at her scalp causing her to scream as he dragged her back to the wall. The cuffs secured her arms over her head within seconds. There were no words, just pacing as he eyed her like prey. He wanted to go back. To hurt her even more.
“Come on, walk away.”
Kody was curling into the smallest ball she could as she sobbed. All I could do was tighten my fists as I dreamed of revenge. A good minute passed. Then, five. Then, longer. Each stretched out like a millennia. It wasn’t until light snores filled the speaker that he moved. That she was asleep or unconscious, and he hadn’t left her until she did, told me more than I liked. The man went beyond a physical sadist. He wanted her mentally tortured as well. After what she’d been through and how hard she must have fought to stay awake, her body gave out before her mind could. Even leaving consciousness, she wouldn’t feel safe. That’s what he wanted. I didn’t like that. The healing it’d take Kody to get past this…I wasn’t even sure it was possible for her to live a normal life again.
Footsteps retreated, and the man stormed from the room. From the light that flashed on the screen, I knew he had left the entire area, just like before. I headed to my laptop, turning on the mic. She wouldn’t hear me. Not consciously, but subconsciously, she’d know I was here for her.
“Kody?” I watched her body move with every breath. I waited to see if she’d come to. Her fingers drew in, but she didn’t wake. “I’m going to find you, okay? We’re going to get you out of there. I need you to be strong and hold on. Tiffany would want you to fight. She needs you.” I swallowed hard, leaning to press my hands on the desk as my eyes cut up to the large monitor that held her small frame. “I need you to…get better after this. I need…to see…to watch and help.” My stare dropped angrily. How creepy was that? She didn’t need me outside of this.
But what about me? What did I need? To offer support for the broken? To kill? Both? Hadn’t I thought this through? Wasn’t it the only thing I’d been doing now for months? Years?
I should rescue her and move on to the next psycho out there. I should cut all ties and walk away. Let her heal on her own.
Alone…
Would she shut down and retreat? Would she turn out like me, a hermit who couldn’t be around other people anymore? I didn’t want that for her.
“I’m going to take away your fear. Maybe not today or tomorrow. Maybe not months from now, but I’ll figure out a way to help you. It’s not fair what’s happened.”
“Help.”
My heart jumped to my throat at Kody’s whisper. She was still sleeping, but she had to know I was here.
“Yes, I’m going to help you. I’m never going to let anyone hurt you again. That sounds like an impossible task, but I have ways. Obviously. I’ll make sure you’re safe.”
Kody’s breathing slowed once again, and I put it on mute as I watched and paced. Her nude body was darkening with the bruises from her injuries. Her hand was swollen beyond belief. My mind raced while I calculated all the different paths I could take. I was just starting to formulate a plan when a notification from my laptop alerted. I headed over, watching as the information on Kody’s facial recognition filled the screen.
“My God.”
Was I seeing that right? She lived not far from me. A few blocks. She was twenty-nine and worked at an insurance company in San Rafael. When I came across a link to a local news broadcast, I clicked it, realizing why she’d appeared so familiar. I saw her on there. I hadn’t been paying much attention at the time, but it was the clip of her at the beach that triggered my memory. The angel tattoo. I knew I’d seen it before. Son of a bitch. Had I been paying better attention I could have tried to stop this from the beginning. I would have known the show wasn’t voluntary.
There wasn’t much I could do now. The light returned, and so did he, but the man never came back through the door. He stayed in the dark section just beyond the glass. There was nothing left for me to do but sleep. There’d be no show tonight, but I’d be ready tomorrow. There needed to be an auction, and I needed to attend.
Chapter 4
Kody
Had it not been for the light, I wouldn’t have stirred from the numb cocoon I was hiding in. I vaguely recalled the transition in cold temperatures against my back, but I didn’t want to face what it meant. I was on the table again. I wasn’t ready for what was in store for me. If I laid here; If I refused to open my eyes or awaken, maybe he’d leave me alone. Maybe I truly could just disappear. Or…maybe I was wishing for a miracle that I wouldn’t get. A person didn’t get lucky twice. Not here.
