Page 76 of Love Me in the Dark

“I need you to oversee the rest of the auction. And send Dobri’s most loyal men to the office.”

She blinked at me.

“Now!” I barked, and she jolted, grabbing her clipboard and darting out the door. I flicked my cigarette butt into thewastepaper basket, snatching up the laptop and left the door slightly ajar as I followed Charlotte back into the warehouse.

Nik: I can take them out the back door here, but I need that distraction.

Me: I’ve got the security feeds. Leave the door open.

Having some of the women escape would provide cover for my theft and allow them to gain their freedom. Not that I was anyone’s knight in shining armour; I was still a monster.

6

Angelina

After seeingthe handsome man in the corridor, we were led through a much larger room with tall ceilings. A cloud of smoke lingered above a crowd of suited men. They were chatting in various languages and smoking, but they came in close and circled us. Some were old enough to be my grandfather, and Elena’s words floated through my mind. They had loomed around us like grotesque caricatures brought to life. It was lucky that I’d already vomited, because when they’d poked and groped at us, I’d wanted to throw up all over again.

My gut still churned with a hopeless kind of dread, and despite rubbing my arms firmly, I didn’t think I’d ever get the feeling of their hands and eyes off me. Now we were all in another room. It had high-slitted windows like the shower block, which meant we were probably at the back of the warehouse. The darkness told me it was nighttime, and if only a guard hadn’t been stationed at the door on the back wall, I might have tried to escape.Except, you can’t. A nasty voice reminded me of Elena’s words about Rada. I closed my eyes again and prayed to God tosave me from this situation. It didn’t matter that I’d let my faith lapse years ago; I still begged for a miracle.

The door suddenly burst open, and a tall, skinny man in a suit strode in. He moved directly to the guard at the door. They exchanged words, and the new guy took up his post at the door while the original guard walked out—just a change in captor.

The new guy glanced around, his eyes landing on me and sweeping down, though not in a lecherous way like the men before. I averted my eyes. When I looked back, he was texting, his gaze still on me.

An alarm blared, startling everyone, including me.

“Fire! Fire!” shouts came from the corridor outside.

“Everyone outside,” the tall guy said, opening the back door.

A strong breeze of cold air rushed inside, and we huddled together.

“Let’s go!” the guy barked.

Stumbling forward, we moved towards the door and the darkness of the night beyond.

“Run.” The guy shoved the first girl out into the night, and she froze, staring around.

He shoved the next girl out after her in the same direction, and she took off at top speed despite her bare feet. The other girls surged forward after that.

A hand closed over my arm as I reached the door. “You're coming with me, princess."

The guy flashed me his gun, and my gut lurched. He hustled me quickly along the side of the building. I watched helplessly as the girl I’d held hands with emerged into the night. Our eyes locked, and she looked stricken.

"Go!" I gestured for her to follow the other women who had fled into the trees behind the warehouse.

Indecision flickered on her face, but the guy holding my arm opened the vehicle door, and the tinted windows obscured my view of her. I hoped she escaped.

I was roughly pushed inside, and the door closed. The seats' leather was soft and smelled much nicer than inside the warehouse. The guy got into the driver’s seat and tossed a blanket onto my lap.

"Cover yourself up," he said, his eyes darting around outside and down to his phone.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked through chattering teeth.

"Blanket," he said firmly, and I pulled it around my shoulders.

It smelled new and felt rough, yet it was comforting to cover up. My feet were freezing cold, but they began to throb now that we were inside the warm car.

I wanted to tell him to drive away and get as far from this place as possible, but I had no idea who he was. He was clearly waiting for someone, though, as he looked up from his phone and gunned the engine.