Page 169 of The Vigilante's Lover

“I’ve seen enough,” I said.

“Are you sure?” Jovana asked. She touched her hands to her shoulders, unfastening some clasp, and the dress puddled around her knees. She was completely naked beneath it.

She didn’t want me to discard her. This made sense. The girls were probably expected to make the sale. Perhaps they were punished if they weren’t accepted.

My eyes skimmed her. She seemed healthy and unmarked. Even though it was inadvisable, I walked over to her and knelt next to her. “I’m getting you out of here,” I said. “You won’t belong to anyone.”

She took my hand and slid it between her legs to show how slick and wet she was. “I want to belong to you.”

I stood up, my anger with the people who had put her in this position reaching a fever pitch. I was ready to find out who was in charge of her. Who had done this to her.

And take him out.

“I want this one,” I said to the ceiling. “I’m ready.”

Jovana didn’t move, surrounded by the cascades of her discarded dress, as Fredrick returned from the door.

“Jovana will give you many years of pleasure,” he said. “Shall we meet in our business offices?”

I did not glance back at the girl. There was no way to ensure that she would live if the men here got wild with firepower. But I would do my damnedest.

8: Mia

The dash voice affirms my request to shut off the cloaking level to Mark’s Vigilante car. “Cloaking levels removed.”

“Cancel!” Jovana shouts. She turns to Mark in the driver’s seat. “Jesus Christ. Why did you let her have a command line?”

The dash voice says, “Please clarify the command to cancel.”

Mark stabs at the screen. “Restore cloak.” He looks at Jovana. “Car control is automatic when the system registers a Vigilante or a special.”

“You shouldn’t have let her be scanned,” Jovana snaps.

“If I had refused, it would have blown the cloak anyway.” Mark almost veers off the road as he punches the screen a second time. We’re approaching a major highway.

“I don’t see why this is such a big deal,” Mark says. “Everyone knows we’re headed to Washington. Who cares if they track us?”

“I don’t want them to track the special,” Jovana says.

I know she’s lying. Sutherland has cut her off and probably doesn’t want her in Washington. She must not want this Mark guy to realize she’s been left out.

And they still haven’t revoked my command privileges.

“Remove all cloaking,” I say.

“Cancel!” Jovana shouts again.

But still, the car says, “Please clarify the command to cancel.”

“It’s like you’ve never used a damn car,” Mark says angrily.

“I don’t let insolent people ride with me,” Jovana shoots back.

Mark slams his hand on the wheel. “I told you we had to kill her command line first. She’s just going to keep saying commands.”

“Revoke Mia Morrow command,” Jovana says.

“Revoking command,” the voice responds. “Reminder: revocation access of a special must be reported to headquarters.”