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Did she even recognize me?

“Are you okay?”

A man with a mustache walked up to the woman with a tray of drinks. “Tea to calm your nerves.”

One girl refused, saying she felt sick, but Bo gripped her chin and forced her to finish every drop.

Goosebumps grew on my body as my heart thundered with fear. I knew the drink would make me lose control of myself. But if I refused, they’d pour it down my throat.

So I drank most of it, holding the last swallow in my mouth.

Music boomed and startled me.

The mustache guy smiled and cheered. “Time to see how much money we’ll make tonight.”

What did that mean? Was he gambling with us?

Olivia wobbled and dropped to the floor. When I bent to help her, I spat the liquid from my mouth into a pile of clothes inside boxes on the floor. The music grew louder, and no one paid attention to me and Olivia. I shoved a finger into my mouth, forcing myself to vomit the drink out as much as I could.

The booming music drowned out my gagging sounds.

“I got you.” I told Olivia and stabilized her.

“Thanks,” she muttered. “Don’t know why I can’t even walk right.”

My mouth tasted awful, but I didn’t care. I could feel my body weakening, but I knew it would have been worse if I had let the drink stay in my system.

Bo gave me a wristlet with a number on it. I was number two out of the ten.

“You listen to what the host tells you to do,” Bo said. “When your number is called, you walk across the stage, turn, pause, and walk back. No talking. If you don’t listen, you will be missing a limb once you get off stage. Understand?”

Everyone nodded. It was strange how my mind didn’t want to listen to him, but my body was too weak to “defy” him. What kind of drink was this? It was no healing tea for damn sure.

Nerves churned in me, but my body didn’t feel as scared as it should have been.

We entered a wide stage with soft lighting. Gasps came from the audience hidden in the dark lighting. I couldn’t see anything in front of me. I made out a few silhouettes. Or were they mannequins?

I blinked because my vision blurred for a second. Sparkles flowed like fireflies around me. But they disappeared after I blinked a few more times. The floor felt unstable too. I knew this was the effect of the drink, so I took a deep breath and tried to concentrate by picking a spot in the audience to focus on.

A male voice announced. “Gentlemen, look at these beautiful women. They could be yours forever. Infinite pleasure for all your needs. Make your bid into the handheld devices.”

Oh my God, we were being sold at an auction.I suspected we were being trafficked, butthis? Did people really auction off humans like this? Bile rose in my throat, but I forced it down.

More recess lights lit up the audience. Men sitting at tables stared at us. I swallowed down the lump that had formed in my throat and tried to study the audience. I needed to see who was here bidding. There were fifteen to twenty men. It was hard to tell because my vision was playing tricks on me.

After blinking a few times, I flicked my gaze back out to the audience and landed on a face that had my heart leaping with hope.

Someone laughed, and I turned to a table with two men dressed in expensive suits. One of them brought on a horror that made my legs wobble.

So I turned my attention back to a man who made me feel safe: Forrest Navarro.

CHAPTERFORTY-SIX

FORREST

Shock, fear, and relief slammed into me. My first gut reaction was to run up to the stage and take her away. But I knew that action would probably get us both killed. I didn’t know who was watching this auction. How many men were backstage, ready to shoot me?

Think clearly. Think carefully.