Page 41

CHAPTER FORTY

“Get inside of this storage box for now, Myles, and then once you’re in the air, Sage will let you out.” He climbed into it. The Rothchilds’ private plane was small but luxurious.

“Is the pilot employed through Declan or Alister?” I whispered to Sage, who kept staring at Myles in shock.

“Declan,” she said quietly.

“I need you to find his mother. If you do a quick search, you’ll find her. I can’t look anything up without being detected, nor can you on Ivory Island.”

“I’m going to give him snacks,” Sage said calmly. “White rice and yogurt?” She was talking to herself as she stood and walked to the back of the plane.

Myles looked at me nervously. “Listen, you’ll be okay. If she tries to keep you, I want you to bite her and run for your life once you’re back in America. Run toward a busy area, okay?” I brushed my hands against his cheek.

“We just have white rice and plain yogurt…” Sage brought a crystal bowl out for Myles. “Declan likes for me to maintain the same diet.”

“Sage, he’s not going to be around to tell you what to do anymore.”

“Mrs. Rothschild?” The pilots voice cut through the intercom.

“Bye, Myles.” I felt sadness and relief as I shut the lid to the bench. “Let him out as soon as you’re in the air.”

“I’ve been notified by Mr. Bradley Ivory that Mr. Rothschild will be leaving Ivory Island by boat to explore nearby islands. We will be preparing for takeoff shortly.”

Sage touched the cake pendant with a grin. “I like your necklace.”

“Thanks, have a piece of cake for me when you get to freedom, will you? Preferably not vanilla…” I wiped away a tear and got off the plane.

For the very first time in my life, I felt a sliver of peace. I wasn’t evil; I was still good.

* * *

I was exhausted, but my mind kept going back to the birth and Life Center. The pregnant women and the children in dog kennels.

I sat on the balcony of the penthouse and stared into the night sky, hoping Myles and Sage were already far away from the island of hell.

I took a bath, hid the necklace Bradley gave me, and put on a set of silk pajamas. Alister would come home at any time. I was already nervous about the possibility that he had cameras and had seen me.

The hours went by slowly, I paced around with no appetite, and I even had dark thoughts about swallowing the pill and killing myself.

But then I thought about my sister, Bradley, and the others.

“My gorgeous raven…”

“Alister.” I was already shaking at his presence.

He immediately hugged and kissed me before tugging his tie off and throwing it to the side. “I’ve missed you, especially after seeing you on camera today…” he trailed, letting his hands trace my neck.

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I looked into his dark eyes. “Camera?” My heart was racing too fast.

He tilted his head and narrowed his eyes at me. “When you teased me from my office?”

“Oh yes, of course. I just missed you.” I nuzzled my face into his neck, hoping he’d loosen the grip of his hands.

“I want to have my own fantasy come true tonight, my love,” he whispered into my ear.

“Okay…” I shuddered at the thought of having any kind of intimacy with this sick man.

“If you do this for me with a smile on your face and no objections, I’ll grant you a wish.” Alister ran his fingers against my lips. “My very own princess Jasmine.” He beamed at me. “I know you want something from me…”

This couldn’t have been a coincidence. What did he know? “I’ll do anything you want. I’ll make your wildest fantasy come to life.” I started as he looked at me. “Anything, my love.”

“Let all the children that you kidnapped go back home.”

Alister’s eyes darkened. “Kidnapped? My raven, you don’t understand. They weren’t kidnapped; many of them were sold by their own parents, much like you and Layla. However, I distribute them to happy, wealthy homes…”

“The children I found in Miami and the rest of them… Are you planning on taking them all?”

Alister tossed his head back and laughed. “As much as I am the best all-inclusive resort with many services, there are a few others that do offer a few similar ones. No one has the Euphoria program, of course. No one has the white and dark therapies or intricacies I do…”

He was proving himself to be the best. There had to be other resorts that were selling children and trafficking women.

“So, no, those children are spoken for. Ask for something else.”

“Let Bradley and Layla go.”

Alister’s breathing grew crass as he scratched his head and rolled his sleeves. “Look, my beautiful raven…”

More tattoos had been added to his forearm. My entire face covered a massive part, and then I was surrounded by a dove, a raven, and a nightingale.

“I love you, but no.” Alister poured whiskey into his glass. “Choose one person.”

I flinched. “You’ll let one go?”

He lifted the glass to his lips and sipped the caramel liquid. “Yes. If you promise me to do what I tell you tonight.”

“I promise,” I whispered.

“Who will it be? Layla or Bradley?”

My hands were shaking as I looked at Alister. “Bradley.”

His forehead creased, and I continued, “Layla is pregnant with the Rothschilds’ baby. We need her to be here and fulfill her duty. I don’t want La Gabbia to lose money over a silly personal connection.”

“I choose Bradley to leave. I’m honestly sick of having him lurking around. It’s uncomfortable for me.”

Alister started at me intently with amusement. “My loyal wife. Your wish is my command.”

He tossed the rest of his whiskey back and then grabbed my hand. “Let’s start our evening, shall we?”

* * *

Alister had me put on a winter coat before we went down. “Where are we going?” I asked.

“A buffet of sorts.” Stepping inside, I stood in the middle of the black-and-white-checkered floors. There were rows and rows of drawers in alternating colors: white and black. A ladder was put off to the side. The scent of formaldehyde and bleach floated around us, and the frigid temperature let me know we were inside the morgue.

An in-house morgue at the lavish La Gabbia resort.

“Choose our girl, Dem.” Alister nudged me. “And then Bradley will taste his freedom.”

“Choose her for what?” I sniffled.

“Each has a tag with her face, race, name, weight, height…”

I looked up at him. “Alister, choose her for what?”

“To spend a night in our bed. I have fantasies, too, Demi. It’s unfair that all of these men come to my resort and make their desires come true, but now, as my wife, and all that I do for you, like let you breathe and survive…well, it means you must repay me.”

I walked toward one wall. My eyes stung with tears as I saw the images from the hallways.

“Oh no…” I said quietly so he wouldn’t hear. Brushing my fingers against them, I saw all the girls I had met here. Karina, Taylor, Sarah, Jamie, Anu… “Alister, they were amazing at their jobs. They were my…”

“It’s a liability to have the same girls know all our business, Demi. They serve while alive, and then they will serve a new purpose.”

Shaking my head, I looked up. “No,”

“Demi, pick a girl and let’s go.” His voice shifted to anger. I knew I was risking Bradley’s exit from this place if I didn’t play by the rules. These girls, some who I considered my friends, were all dead now. I couldn’t fight for them.

“Her.” I pointed at a random girl I didn’t know, and one I had never met.

“A good choice. She’s been here for a while. I’ll call someone to pick her up.” I followed Alister out, but paused at the entrance. There were rows and rows of magazines. Lifting one up, I flipped through but dropped it.

The breath left my lungs. It was image after image with ‘product information’ listed below.

“You know our most high-paying clientele are the men who come here for these ladies. Necrophiliacs are shunned in the real-world, Demi. But truly, we are real men; we’re the ones who have power and control far greater than life. The ones who can appreciate the beauty of a woman in all forms. I mean, you may think we are sick, but think of these women, the ones with all their fake hair extensions and wigs. Demi, the best ones are made from human hair. Do they truly think all those girls voluntarily shaved their heads? The wives who come here leave with top quality hair from these women. Then we have our fun.” He spun around in the morgue proudly.

Please don’t make me do this. It’s what I wish I could say, but I didn’t. Instead, I followed my husband back to the penthouse as grief overcame me. Because I knew if I didn’t obey, I’d be stuffed into a freezer, too.