Page 108

Overcoming my fears interested me the most. I remembered being able to control my dreams by willing the men to release me, and the power of the Chococat blood drops healing my body. “How do I induce this kind of dreaming?” There was another world beyond fear.

“Spontaneously.” He lifted a shoulder. “There’s not an absolute method. There are some devices that help, but I always like the natural route. Start with a dream journal. Train your brain to remember your dreams. Then it’ll start happening more often for you. You planning on dreaming of me?”

“I’ve already dreamed of you many times.”

“Were they kinky?” His eyes gleamed.

“Maybe.” I wasn’t going to admit it, but he knew based on my smile.

“Then I want to know about them in detail. Better yet, I want you to demonstrate them when you’re feeling better.” He skimmed his fingers along my arm, sending chills down my body.

He was the only man who could make me forget the trauma I’d just experienced, making it less important.

“It must have been the acute anxiety and then seeing you. How long was I asleep?”

“Sixteen hours.”

“Whaaat?” I detached from his arm, straightening up. I’d never slept that long before. My body probably needed it.

Forrest placed a hand on my forehead. “You’ve sweated out all the toxins. You just have to wait for the body to purge and heal itself.”

He brushed a hand down my hair. “While you were out, I made an executive decision and took a sample of your blood for testing. I hope that’s okay.”

I nodded. “You can be my healthcare proxy and decide for me when my mom can’t.”

“You’re going to live a long and healthy life. I’ll make sure of that.” His eyes warmed, but soon turned cold. A complete switch in emotion like the unpredictable weather in New England, where it could rain, snow, and embrace the sun all in one day.

“What did you find in my bloodwork?”

“They gave you Ayahuasca, which is a brew with hallucinogenic properties found in thePsychotria viridisshruband theBanisteriopsis caapivine.It can make you drowsy or cause hallucinations. Different people react differently.”

I’d never heard of that drink before, but it was now etched in my brain to avoid.

“My body felt weird, and they threatened not to give us the antidote if we didn’t behave.”

A muscle ticked on his jaw. “Like any medication, the wrong dosage could kill you, but your blood work showed small traces of it. They needed to control you so you’d behave at the auction. They didn’t want you dead or injured because nobody was going to pay for damaged goods.”

The idea of humans being sold sickened me. I’d watched the news and heard horrible stories about human and sex trafficking. Others had gone through the same, or worse. My chest tightened, wondering if someone would come to rescue them the way Forrest had saved me.

People with wealth had the power to contribute to society, and yet some of them hurt people. I’d never understand why people would choose that.

“Did you bid for me?”

“Ten million dollars.”

“WHAT?” I gaped at him, my heart pounding at the number. “Are you out of your mind?”

“I had to make sure every man in that room knows you belong to me.” He brushed his finger across my lips. “But don’t worry, after the authorities arrived, the show became obsolete, which means there was no official transaction.”

I sighed with relief. Ten million dollars was a lot of money. I didn’t have anything close to one million in my savings, which were slowly dwindling. I felt guilty for having him pay that much to save me. My mom’s condition flashed across my mind. That amount of money could certainly save her too.

“Will they look for me?” Concern twisted my gut.

“No.” His eyes hardened. “They’re not getting anywhere near you. They’re probably not going to do anything rash right now.”

“Who’s they? I mean, I only know the men who captured me, but who runs the show?”

“Powerful and dangerous people. I don’t want you worrying about them. Save your energy to recover.”