Page 11

My breath hitches when James pushes me forward.

“Please!”

More silence. He’s forcing me to walk a few more feet before we reach our final destination. Where he slips two antique gold keys out of his pocket.

“Please, James.” Last chance. I have to make it count. “Please. I’m begging you.”

My endless pleas have no effect on either of them.

“No.” My worst fears come true as James unlocks the door to a cell. An honest-to-God cell, like a jail cell. “No.” I yank my body left and right. He’s stronger. So much stronger. “Don’t—Please, please. I don’t want to die here. Please.”

No one answers me. I scream at the top of my lungs over and over. Throw my free hand up in an attempt to hit James.

Topher ignores my cries for help. James’s grip on my wrist tightens.

Tears roll down my cheeks. They land on my cleavage as I’m being escorted into this twenty-by-twenty cell.

Double bed. Two gray duvets. Metal toilet and sink with one cloth draped over it. This is what I have here, in this dreadful place.

“Please.” It’s humiliating to sob in front of these monsters. More so when I think one of them is attractive. No. No. I don’t.“Please, I won’t tell anyone. Let me go, and I’ll disappear. You don’t have to do this.”

Topher moves aside to let his dad slide the cell door shut. James does exactly that, locking it with a firm twist of his wrist.

“I get that you’re scared. But, for your sake, listen to me.” James rises to his full height behind the metal bars. “We are not going to kill you or torture you.”

When I launch at him, he clasps his hand around my wrist through the bars. Rubs his thumb along my pulse point. Makes a sound at the back of his throat.

And steps out of my reach. “We’re going to auction you off. Your virginity. Your body. Your freedom. None of those are yours anymore. They’re ours now. Tomorrow, a new person will be your owner. You’ll be theirs for life.”

Tremors pummel through my body. My teeth clink, but I still fight. Still stretch my hands out through the bars. All so I can maybe,maybeclaw James’s eyes out. He’s the one closest to me. Topher, the coward, leans against the farthest wall.

“Calm down,” James says. His gorgeous eyes would look so good in my palm.

“No one’s going to own me,” I growl at them both. Topher stares at me blankly. As if I’m already gone. I return to James. “I don’t even have a boyfriend anymore. I came here as a last courtesy. I was going to dump him. So get me the fuck out of here and let me go home. I don’t belong to him. I don’t belong to anyone.”

If Topher cares about the things I’m shouting at him, he does a great job at hiding it. Not a peep comes out of him.

“Denial won’t do you any good.” James levels me with a dark gaze. “Go to bed. Rest. It will upset us if the bids aren’t high because you have dark circles under your eyes. And trust me, you don’t want us even mildly upset.”

“Motherfucker! Let me out of here!”

My screams are useless. My tears are seen by no one since both men leave me there.

By myself.

“I hate you!”

I’m all alone.

Caged like an animal.

At the mercy of monsters.

3

JAMES

Two hours.