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His eyes stay fixed on me, but I see the way he wavers. He’s always wanted to give me the world, but what I’m asking for now is a lot. “I don’t think you know what you’re asking me to do. You want me to fuck you on stage, to treat you like a whore, all for some sick perverts’ entertainment. If I do that, I will be just the same as all the other abusers who used and broke you. I can’t do that, so please don’t ask me to.”

Without another word, he lets go of my hand and pushes his chair away from the table. Liam and Desmond shout for him to stop, but he doesn’t listen. He turns on his heel and heads straight out of the door, without a second look back. Just for a fraction of a second before he turned to leave, his emerald-greeneyes locked with mine, and I could see the tears he was trying to hide, as his soul shattered.

I know what I’m asking him to do is hard, but it’s not at all like what he just said. With Evan, even in front of a crowd of people, it will be consensual. I want to be there with him, and I know he won’t be doing it for his own sick games. He will make sure my pleasure is the most important thing, and that’s why it’s different.

The silence in the room is deafening, as we all stare at the door that slammed shut behind Evan. Everyone looks at each other, wondering who should go after him to calm him down, but I stop them all.

“Don’t worry about Evan, I will speak to him. Just make sure that everything is in place for us to move forward with the plan on Saturday.”

“What about Evan? I don’t think we can move forward until we know he’s onboard with the plan,” Liam says, sounding unsure.

“I will talk to Evan. He’s angry right now, and that means he’s not seeing things clearly. I will explain things, and he will get onboard,” I state firmly, hating how my voice trembles slightly.

“Are you sure? If he thinks going through with the plan will make him another of your abusers, maybe we shouldn’t ask him to do it,” Ryleigh adds, speaking for the first time. “Sorry, I know it’s a good plan, but I don’t want to see Evan hurt because of it.”

It’s weird that the youngest person in the room can suddenly sound like the most sensible. I give her a reassuring smile, and I hope she can see how much I care for her brother. “I would never make Evan do something he’s not comfortable with, Ry. If Evan chooses not to participate, then we can find someone else. Ineedto do this to help the people I was held captive with—that’s my choice. He will have a choice too, and he doesn’t have to be part of this if he doesn’t want to be.”

Ryleigh scoffs. “There’s no way in hell he’s going to let anyone else touch you. If you decide to do this, he will have no choice but to be part of it as well.”

I know she’s right. Evan would never let another man touch me, not now we’re seeing each other again. I know that in a way I’m taking away his right to choose, but it doesn’t change the fact I have to do this.

Bree clears her throat. “I know what you’re saying, Ry. But Evan will still be given a choice, even if it’s not much of one. We’ve spent weeks trying to come up with an alternative plan, but there just isn’t one. We already know that two girls we were monitoring from the auction have lost their lives, so we can’t wait any longer.”

I gasp loudly. “What? Two girls died?”

Bree turns solemn. “Sorry, Tee. I was going to say something at the end of the meeting. Yes, two of the girls we were monitoring have died. Both at different locations with different men. We can’t risk it happening to any of the others, which is why we need to execute the plan on Saturday. I’m sorry we don’t have time to come up with anything better.”

I shake my head, trying to discreetly wipe away a tear that slides down my cheek. I can’t help but wonder if I knew them. Was it one of the girls I talked to often? Would I know their names if Bree told me? Had they helped me in some way?

I push the thoughts out of my mind, focusing on the girls I can save. “Don’t apologise, Bree. You’re doing the best you can. But now it’s even more important. Nobody else is going to die when we can save them. The plan goes ahead on Saturday. If Evan doesn’t want to do it, can you find a back-up?” I ask, my stomach twisting at the thought of having sex with someone who isn’t Evan. As much as the idea makes me nauseous, I’d willingly do it if it meant saving all those women and children. I just hope Evan understands.

Bree gives me a small nod. “We have someone in mind, but I hope we won’t need to ask him.”

“Who?” Ryleigh asks, sounding a lot like the gossiping teenage girl she is.

“Ethan. Without wanting to get into his personal life too much, he’s got a very healthy sex life, and enjoys exhibitionism and public sex. Though he is one of our best security guards, and it’d be a shame to lose him when Evan slits his throat for touching Teigan,” Bree replies flippantly.

Liam growls beside her. “How the fuck do you know that, Princess?”

Kian chuckles. “You only need to spend a short amount of time with Ethan to find out. He talks about sex more than anyone I know, and that’s fucking saying something.”

“Shouldn’t he be a bit more professional around his boss?” Liam grumbles, his possessive gaze flicking over to Bree, who just rolls her eyes.

“Relax, Caveman. He knows I’m very much not interested, but it doesn’t mean I don’t like to hear the stories,” Bree replies as she wags her eyebrows suggestively with a laugh.

Liam groans, and everyone leans forwards a little like they’re going to add to the conversation in some way. I’ve seen meetings fall apart like this, so I step in.

“Is there anything more we need to discuss?” I ask politely, though my mind is already leaving the room to seek out Evan.

I have to explain myself to him, to make him see why we have to do this. I also need him to understand that he could never be like the men before who hurt me. He’s so much better than that.

Iknow storming out of the meeting is the height of rudeness, and Bree will most likely tear me a new asshole the next time she sees me, but honestly, I don’t give a shit. I couldn’t sit there for even a second longer and pretend like what they were saying was a good fucking idea.

I can see it from everyone else’s point of view. Of course, the idea of rescuing all the women and children, who are stuck in whatever hell they’re in is a great fucking idea. The part I didn’t love was what me and Teigan would have to do for the rest of the plan to work.

Don’t get me wrong, fucking my girl isn’t exactly a hardship, but that’s not what they are asking me to do. They want me to get on stage, to use her and abuse her in front of a bunch of sick, twisted cunts, who are wanking in their pants, whilst staring at Teigan.

The idea of people seeing her in that way makes my fucking blood boil, but the thought of me being just another one of those men makes me feel sick.