by Lindsey Iler
Those three words should never be linked to the sick shit these people are doing. I squash the urge to stop what’s happening right in front of me.
“Now, please raise your glasses. Bid well, bid high, and as always, bid as if your spouse isn’t watching.” He chuckles as if he’s said the wittiest of things, before melting into the crowd that has doubled since I arrived. They follow his lead, a small roar of laughter grinding on my nerves.
“Sick fuck,” I whisper under my breath.
I take a long sip of the bubbly alcohol before setting the glass down. When I turn, girls in beautiful gowns are entering the room. Several look into my eyes, begging for help. Everything inside me is screaming to stop this, to break these girls free, but in the same second, I’m utterly helpless.
“Hey!” A young brunette stumbles over to me. “I’m Lola. You’re Marek Hawthorne, right?”
Lola can’t be much older than fifteen. Childlike face with round cheeks, and as far as I can tell, once clear eyes. How did she find herself in this position? What do they have on her at such a young age?
“It’s nice to meet you.” I reach my hand out, offering it to her. “You’re a freshman, huh?”
“Nope, no personal questions, Marek. Those are the rules.” Henry pokes his head into our conversation.
“Maybe you should get me a set of these said rules.” I glare at him, forcing a fake-as-fuck smirk onto my face.
“Sure thing, first thing in the morning.” He claps me on my shoulder before sauntering off to act like the villain he is.
“Are you okay?” I ask Lola.
“Of course, baby.” Her lashes flutter on her cheeks, making her appear more young than sexy. “How can I make your evening better?”
I cover my face with a single hand, brushing at the tension and distress flooding my system. Everything in me says to run, but I can’t leave a girl like Lola alone here.
“Lola, I’m good for tonight.” I cover her hand with mine and squeeze, hoping she’ll understand I’m not planning to take anything from her.
“He’s all good, sweetheart,” Henry says matter-of-fact. Is he always going to pop up to interrupt me? Without any consideration, he dismisses Lola. “Because we have the sweetest treat for you, Marek. As a first-timer.”
Henry moves to the side, and the air is forced out of my lungs when my eyes land on Delaney. Her head is low with her long, blonde hair cascading down her sides. The black dress is tight on her body, but nothing keeps my attention quite like the bruises on her arm and the slit on her cheek.
“Delaney,” I whisper her name, hoping to breathe life into her.
“Oh, that’s right, you two know each other quite well,” Henry says, humor lacing each of his words. He’s using her against me, as a means of breaking the last of my resilience.
“Not too well,” Delaney whispers.
“Well, let’s change that tonight.” Henry places his hand on the sharp edge of Delaney’s shoulder blades, presenting her to me. It doesn’t take a smart person to notice her body retracting from his touch. “You’re his for the night,” he says to Delaney. “No bidding necessary. Consider this a present.”
She relaxes at my side. I slowly lift my hand to place it on her waist, hoping to show her I’m here to help. How did she find herself wrapped up in this? Is it because of Palmer and me? Or is she here because of something they know about her? Are there things in Delaney’s life she’d do anything to keep secret?
“I got you, Delaney, I promise,” I whisper. Her eyes water at my words. “Nothing is going to happen to you. You’re safe.”
I’ve never felt someone’s body shaking as much as hers. Her head lifts, allowing her eyes to do the talking. They’re rimmed with red and clouded with fear and tears.
“Delaney.” I twirl her around, wrapping my arms around her waist. She melts into my chest, squeezing my body.
“What are you doing here?” Her words are muffled as she speaks into my coat. “Why are you here?” Her fingers dig into my spine. Her rattled voice tells me she doesn’t trust me, but fortunately for me, she trusts me more than she’ll ever trust anyone else in this room.
“Putting an end to this, hopefully.”
“Palmer was with me.” Her blue eyes lift to mine, and my heart races. Is Palmer the next one they’ll drag into the room? “No, she isn’t here. We did something stupid, and they took me once I was alone.” She hiccups through her tears. “Marek, what if they got her, too?”
“Shhhhhh.” I run my palm over her hair, hoping to calm her. “If I know Palmer, they won’t get close enough to touch her.”
“How are we going to get out of here?” At her question, I spin her away from everyone’s eyes, giving the room my back.
I check over my shoulder to see an angry Declan Dumas waltzing in the room. He argues with Henry, pointing in my direction. I stole his prize.
“Delaney, I’m going to need you to trust me, fully,” I whisper in her ear, making a show of affection I don’t feel but know I need for her survival. “Do you understand me?” She nods in answer. “Okay, good, because we’re going to need to sell this. They think I’m here to become one of them. I need them to believe I’m here for that.”
“You’re doing this for Palmer, aren’t you? They’ll always be after what she has.”
“We haven’t figured out what it is yet, but yes, I’m doing this for her. I’m doing everything for her.”
“Including saving me.” Her lips tremble as she says it.
“Did they hurt you?” I run my hands over her bare arms. To everyone else, it seems as if I’m being affectionate, but what I’m doing in reality is seeing what I’m up against.
“Not more than you can see, but the only reason they didn’t is because Henry would be mad if they damaged his merchandise. Their words, not mine.” She shakes her head, stuck in her memories. “I fought them.”
“Shh, I know, but you don’t need to fight anymore. I’m not leaving your side. Now, plaster on a smile and pretend for a little while longer.” I spin her around, facing her towards the growing crowd.
“They’re going to open up bids, Marek.” Delaney nudges her chin at Henry as he leads a line of girls into the room. They each have a black, cloth sack over their heads.
“We may know some of them. Stoic expressions. Don’t let them see you rattled.” I lead her to the front, trying to prove I’m a happy participant.
The girls are kicked until they succumb to the silent command to fall to their knees. Their bodies shake and tremble as they await their fate. It will never be possible for me to put myself in their shoes. What must be going through their minds?
“Before we begin, I want everyone to meet someone special to me,” Henry announces. His eyes scan the room and stop on me. Our stares lock as he continues to speak. “She’s played a big part in my success, and if I’m being honest, I once was a man who didn’t believe in love, as many of you are, but she’s proved to me that love can be wicked and loyal.”
The far doors of the ballroom fly open, and Henry wiggles his fingers, eager to have his girl at his side. Blocked by the crowd, I ease Delaney through the sea of bodies until we’re within eye shot of the front.
A girl in a long, glistening emerald green gown has her face tucked tight into Henry’s neck as he hugs her. She leans away, gleaming at him. When she turns to the crowd, my throat starts to close. The familiar eyes of a girl who once owned pieces of me, searches the crowd, presenting me with a wide smirk.
“Reed,” I whisper.
As if she can hear me, she walks away from Henry, holding the train of her dress as she approaches me. Everything about her is alluring. A timeless beauty is what some may call her. She and I both know that there is nothing beautiful about her.
“Why?” I ask, knowing I don’t need to expound on the question. She knows exactly what I’m asking.
Reed’s hand cups my cheek like one does with someone they admire and adore. “Oh, Marek. You’re so naïve.�
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“Was any of it real?” I jerk away from her touch.
Her fingers wrap around the lapels of my dress coat, tugging me close to her. “The only thing real that came out of the glass house was the power you handed over to me.” She taps her hand against my cheek. “Now, you have a choice to make. You join this power, or you get discarded by it.” When I don’t answer, she smiles. “You always were the smartest of your little crew.”
The years of our relationship run through my mind. Hundreds of moments shared between Reed and me are now erased by the truth. As if she needs to taunt me, she plucks a chain from under the neckline of her dress. The key.
“Look around. We all have a key.” Reed scans the people around us. A key, identical to hers, dangles freely for everyone to see. A token of loyalty. “It’s like freedom, dangled from your neck for a whole year, and you had no idea.” She winks and strolls to the front.
In the middle of this ballroom, I am surrounded by evil. Every person around me focuses their attention on Henry and Reed. They idolize them, placing them on a pedestal that is unreachable. Reed proved that the moment she faked her death. She used her emotional power to manipulate us. Every single thing that has happened since the moment the four of us walked into her bloody dorm room has been part of her plan.
Why would someone do that? What purpose does it serve?
“Ladies and gentlemen, for those who don’t know this beautiful creature, let me introduce you to Reed Weston, the love of my life,” Henry announces, tugging Reed close to his side.
Instead of keeping my eyes on the two of them, I shift my glance around the room. Delaney’s eyes are wide. While the other guests see a happy, powerful couple, she and I see the truth.
“That’s a plot twist I wasn’t expecting,” Delaney whispers. “I think I’m going to be sick.” She clutches at her stomach.
I catch my mom’s reaction over her shoulder. She isn’t affected by it, and here I thought those two were in some sort of sordid affair.
“Let’s start the ceremony!” Reed bellows, creating an electric excitement that courses through the crowd. “First up is Reagan Waterstone. She’s a fresh sixteen. Also, a bit of a fighter.” She laughs as if she’s discussing the strange weather and not an actual human being. As Reed removes the black hood, Reagan’s eyes squint, trying to make sense of her surroundings. “We’ll start the bidding at one thousand.”
That’s what they believe their worth is. I slip through the crowd, Delaney’s hand tight in mine. When I’m where Reagan can spot me, I nod my head at her. “Hold tight,” I mouth, hoping like hell I’m right.
I don’t know much about this girl, but what I can tell from the time I’ve spent with her and how she’s handling herself tonight, the world has another think coming if they think she’s going to take this laying down.
Paddles lift several times until the bidding ends at fourteen thousand. A girl’s worth.
Completely helpless, I feign agreement and complacency, as eight more girls are auctioned off for well over ten thousand dollars each.
A million questions run through my mind. I already know how they get the girls here and their ability to give them no other choice. The real question is how many girls have been in this exact kind of firing line. Girls I’ve sat next to in class? Maybe girls I’ve hooked up with? I’m no saint, but what’s happening here is enough to make me want to shed blood. How often are they running this operation?
“The last one of the evening’s festivities, folks,” Henry says. “Declan, you better have your paddle ready, because I suspect she’ll be our highest earner of the night.” He gestures to Reed. “Would you like to do the honors, Reed?”
“It would be my pleasure.” Reed’s stare cuts to me and Delaney as she crosses the small space. She stands directly behind the girl, pressing her hands into her shoulders, holding her in place as if she would have a fighting chance to escape. They’ve created a system where that isn’t an option. “I think you’ll enjoy this one.”
Reed isn’t talking to the crowd. She’s directing her amusement at me. Everything about me slows down, including the breaths leaving my lungs.
Hands I once adored, wrap around the black fabric, exposing my worst nightmare.
Chapter Twenty-One
Palmer
Darkness. I am surrounded by darkness. Soft whimpers sing out around me. A body trembles beside me, so I reach out, even though the zip ties don’t give me much mobility. A set of hands wrap around mine.
“It’s going to be okay,” I whisper, barely believing my own words.
“How is any of this going to be okay?” the girl beside me says, squeezing my hand a little bit tighter.
“She has a point,” another girl says.
It could be the small space we are in, or the disorientation from the blinding black cloth that has my senses heightened, but that last voice is familiar.
My mind runs through my memories.
“Reagan,” I whisper, shifting my body in the direction the voice is coming from.
“Palmer,” Reagan whispers. “What the fuck are you doing here?”
“It’s a long story. One I’ll tell you about when we get out of here,” I emphasize.
“If we get out of here,” the girl next to me says.
“What’s your name?” I ask.
“Kelly.” A cry escapes her mouth, flooding the space with fear. An actual shift in energy takes place, and we feel it. “Kelly Hamilton.”
“Kelly, why are you here?” If I’ve learned anything from the Glass House Boys, it’s that asking questions is necessary to getting information. Sometimes, if I’m lucky, they’ll let something slip they never meant to.
“There’s a sex tape of my girlfriend and me,” Kelly reveals.
“And that’s a problem because?” I encourage her to finish.
“Reverend Hamilton is my father, and they believe I’m an abomination. So if I fight this, or go to the authorities, my family and I will be exposed. Their congregation won’t accept a reverend’s daughter who likes to eat pussy.”
“They threatened to out you,” I say, matter-of-fact. “Kelly, you do know that who you love doesn’t define your worth. Your love is beautiful, no matter who you decide to give it to.”
“Tell that to my God-fearing father,” she quips. “He controls everything in my world.”
“The beauty of growing older is you’re no longer shackled by what people believe you need to be. And hear me when I say that we’re going to get out of here without a single finger being placed on you. That goes for every single one of you,” I declare.
“And how do you expect to keep that promise?” another girl asks.
“I don’t know, but you aren’t alone,” I promise, resting my head on the hard surface of the van walls.
Unsure of where we are being taken, and how long we’ve been on the road, I rest my eyes, trying to come up with a way to get us out of here. Breaker and Dixon have to come up with something. It’s the only way.
“I’ll ask you again, Breaker. Where. Is. Marek?” I race behind him, following him into Dixon’s room.
“Where’s Reagan?” Breaker ignores my question to offer his own to Dixon.
Dixon eyes us from his computer chair.
“She was supposed to come here after class, but she’s nowhere to be found. Her dorm room is empty. Cell phone turned off.” Dixon clicks something on his keyboard. “Last place it pinged on the satellite was on Bravo Highway.”
“What’s the route you’d take to get to North View Lane?” Breaker leans past me to look at the screen, boxing me out of the conversation.
The sound of Dixon’s fingers hitting the keyboard becomes more deafening with every passing second.
“Bravo Highway,” Dixon announces, spinning in his chair.
“What’s North View Lane?” I ask, stuck between their passing glances. My nerves are on immediate high alert. Something is going on. “Whatever the hell is happening, you two need
to spill it, because I’m starting to freak out. Delaney got stolen, quite literally off the streets, yards away from me. Marek is MIA, and you two asshats know something, so fucking spill it.”
“You have to promise not to freak out.” Dixon stands and grabs my arms. Lightly, he guides me to the edge of his mattress.
“Telling her not to lose it will only end with her doing just that,” Breaker adds, pushing Dixon out of the way to make space for him to crouch in front of me. Once he’s at my level, his eyes widen like a parent’s does when they have bad news. “Marek is at one of Henry’s properties.”
“For what?” I sit up straighter, preparing myself for the worst possible news.
“This is the part we need you to not freak out about.” Dixon doesn’t look at me as he speaks.
“Marek’s been spending time with Henry,” Breaker announces.
“He’s trying to infiltrate his world,” I whisper. Marek inside that world, with those people, makes my stomach roll over.
“Not trying, baby girl. He’s in.” Dixon chooses this moment to put himself in front of me.
“Why would he do that?” I push off the mattress and stand, pacing across the room.
“Why do you think?” Breaker says, moving into my path. When I look up at him, his finger points right at me. “He couldn’t let it go on anymore. He doesn’t want you living a life glancing over your shoulder at every impasse.”
“So, what’s the plan then?” I clap my hands together, trying to come up with something that makes sense. “We can’t let him be there alone.”
“He has it under control.”
“What about Delaney?” I rush her name out.
Breaker’s stare cuts away from me, proving whatever he’s about to say is a complete lie. “If Marek is there, he’ll find a way to keep her safe.”
Breaker is protective by nature. If you’re one of the chosen in his life, then there’s not a world where he’d abandon you. Unless a certain someone asked him to.
