“Brother, you don’t want to do this.”
I look from Prez to Tracker then back to Prez again and say, “Like fuck I don’t. I’m goin’ with or without you, Prez,” I threaten while stepping closer, ready to take my leave.
He places his hand on my shoulder forcing me to stop. I stand there trying to rein in my anger. I know he’s my president, but right now, if anyone is going to stand between me and getting my girl out of wherever the fuck she is, is going to get a beating, and that includes prez.
“Rhyder… brother. You don’t want to do this. Put your bag down, now.”
I glare at him and move my head from side to side causing a loud clicking sound. “Prez, don’t mean no disrespect, but you better get out my fuckin’ way, or else—”
“Or else what?” He growls. “You better think twice about the next words to come out of your fuckin’ mouth.”
I blow out a breath, one I’ve been holding onto and drop my bag to the floor. “You have to let me go. I need to go get her. Don’t you understand that the Cartel could have her and are fuckin’ traffickin’ her?”
Prez nods, once. “Yeah, I know, and that’s why we need to do this the right way. What do you think you’re gonna do on your own? Go to Mexico and get your woman back just like that?” he says clicking his fingers. Tate steps in.
“If it’s what I’m thinking, the Clementes will have her, and if they do, you’re gonna need fuckin’ backup. They’re the largest human and drug trafficking business in the damn world. You going in there on your own is not only gonna get you killed, but will also dash all hopes of Lexi getting home in one piece. Is that something you want? Have you got a death wish?”
I know they’re right, and I also know I should think about this and be smart, but goddammit, I need to get her back and safe.
“Rhyder, come on… let the club’s help with this one.”
Tracker steps in. “Rhyder, they’re right. Let’s do this once, and make sure we get her home safe.”
I look between Tracker, Prez and then at Tate, and with great annoyance, I surrender. “Okay, let’s do this… together.”
LEXI
“Are these all the girls?”
I stand in line once again, but this time we’re standing behind a black curtain. We are ushered to another room and are warned not to ask any questions. I tried to get something out of Christopher, but he won’t budge, he just keeps a straight face while holding my arm and walking me through the house, following the other girls to another room.
We wait patiently as whispers and voices sound behind the curtain.
I’m nervous and scared for my life.
I can see Paige ahead of me and wonder if she’s as scared as me. She turns and looks at me, but her male escort whispers something in her ear causing her not to look back again. Her escort looks back at me with a hard stare, then turns back to face the curtain.
I look at the man dressed in a black suit, white shirt, and a red bowtie looking at us girls individually while holding a notepad in his hand. “I’ll take her, please,” he says to Christopher, who grabs my arm and hands me to this stranger.
“No, I don’t want to go,” I cry.
Christopher gives me a stern look, saying, “I told you to behave. Do as I say, or you will be punished.”
Not doubting he means every word, I fall behind the stranger with the red bowtie as he grips hold of my arm handing me to another stranger who looks like a soldier and has muscles of steel.
We continue to walk down the line of women, and he calls out another girl and then another. We are separated from the others and taken to the right-hand side of the curtain. I frantically look at Paige, but she simply stares forward.
The sounds behind the curtain become louder, and I hear men laughing and speaking to each other. My heart’s racing a thousand times a minute wondering what awaits me behind those ominous dark curtains.
In a flash, the lights are dimmed, and music begins. Slow, sensual music—music I have never heard before sounds loudly throughout the room.
An MC on a microphone says, “Welcome, gentlemen. Tonight we have a show full of beautiful girls from all around the world. We have all kinds of tastes to quench your thirst. Our youngest this evening is twelve years old, so don’t hold back your bids because you’re going to want to take this one home. So, with that said, let’s get this show on the road. First off tonight, we have Delight…”
I look to my left noticing that the man in the red bowtie is walking the first girl up the wooden stairs toward the curtain.
“She’s a feisty little one. But that’s all the more fun, isn’t it, gentlemen?”
Fun? What? Why?
I hear men cheer and talk, and once the curtain is opened, she walks through along with red bowtie man.
The MC continues, “Candy is from Russia. She is fifteen years of age, and gentlemen… she is still intact.”
Still intact? Oh God! Does that mean she’s a virgin?
Are they bidding for us?
“Take a close look, gentlemen, and start your bidding.”
Yes.
We are being sold.
I can hear the sound of buzzers being pressed behind the curtain, and the MC is reading out figures. I’m astounded by the pricing I’m hearing as it goes into the millions of dollars.
The MC finally announces, “Destiny has been sold. The owner can pick her up in the Collections Room after the show. Thank you, gentlemen. Let’s move on, shall we? Are you ready for girl number two this evening?”
Swallowing hard, I feel pressure on my arm. The soldier is pulling me forward to head up the steps. I struggle to walk, but knowing I can’t get out of here, all I can do is hope that whoever bids for me will purchase Paige as well, so we can live this nightmare together.
I walk up the stairs on shaky legs, and bowtie man smiles at me, taking my arm. “Come on, dear, we’ve got a show to do.”
I allow him to walk me in front of the curtain, and when he does, the sight before me is not what I was expecting.
Men.
Lots of men are sitting behind tables with buzzers in the middle. It almost looks like a school room with them all lined up. Ladies who are topless but wearing a thong are carrying trays offering drugs to the men. Some accept the drugs, take a sniff, and some rub it into their gums. I notice another woman carrying hard liquor while most of the men are smoking cigars. The women flirt with them, and they tip the girls sliding notes in their panties.
I stare around the room and notice that it dims, while smoke from their cigars is in abundance around the space. I feel sick right to the pit of my stomach at what is about to transpire, and I’m close to throwing up.
I search the room in hopes I can escape, but each door has a soldier with a gun on his shoulder.
There’s no getting out of this.
It is going to happen.
I need to accept it like Christopher told me.
Nausea overwhelms me, and I try to steady myself when I hear the MC speak, “Gentlemen, as you can see to my left, we have our second girl for the evening. Her name is Luscious.
Luscious?
What the fuck is that?
I hear the men whisper to each other, and then all eyes turn on me.
“Luscious is from New York, and although she’s the eldest of our flock being eighteen years, you can see she’s quite the beauty. Unfortunately, Luscious is no longer intact, but gentlemen, I’m sure you can still find good use for her. My God, just look at those breasts.”
My mouth opens wide as I look down at my breasts and quickly cover them. Laughter sounds from around the room, and slowly, I let my hands fall not liking that they’re giving any sort of attention to me even if it is laughter.
“You see what I mean, gentlemen? Luscious would do well at your biddings, a shy one, yet… experienced.” He emphasizes the word ‘experienced.’ I’m assuming it’s because I’m no longer a virgin. If only they knew how I became experienced.
Dammit, the overwhelming fear to run consumes me. I want to get out of there, but I know there’s no escaping.
“Let the bidding begin.”
Buzzes begin to sound, and the men’s tables light up with a number displayed in front of it. My eyes can’t move fast enough as the buzzers sound all around the room. It seems every man here wants Luscious.
Please, this can’t be happening.
I close my eyes, praying that this all just a dream, but when I open them, the men are still there and still bidding. I lick my dry lips tasting the lipstick, and I despair that they’re exposing me like this. I’m standing here in just a silk negligee and bare feet feeling terribly vulnerable.
“Eight hundred thousand dollars,” the MC says.
I blink at the number displayed on the man’s table in front of me.
“Do we have any other bids?”
“Nine hundred thousand.”
I look further back at the man who just bid, and then the man before him bids again.
“Nine hundred fifty thousand,” is displayed on the screen with the MC announcing the number.
My wide eyes land on the man, and I’m sure I see him smile. It’s hard to see him properly because of the dim lighting.
“Are there any more bids tonight, gentlemen?”
It’s quiet now, and my eyes look around the room. My body’s shaking with the fear at who has purchased me.
What will he do with me?
One man, in particular, stands out as he sits up the front with a cigar in his mouth. He’s wearing a white suit with a black and white hat. He has a black beard, and from what I can tell, dark eyes. A pink handkerchief sits in the front of his breast pocket, and I’d say he’s in his late fifties. His eyes are glued to me, and a chill runs through my body under his glare.
There’s something about him that’s unsettling.
He doesn’t have a table with a buzzer, he’s just sitting there with his ankle crossed over his knee wearing shiny white shoes. He seems important like he has this authority about him.
One lady walks up to him handing him a glass of something, and he transfers his eyes from me to her and runs his hand down her back where he rubs over her butt cheeks.
His eyes then focus back on me as his hand runs up her body to her breasts where he pinches her nipple. The man smirks, and I immediately look away, the image making me feel sick.
I’m relieved when the soldier grabs my arm and walks me off the stage where I am again out of the eyes of these men. Christopher is waiting for me, and I’m handed back to him.
“That wasn’t so bad, was it, Luscious?” he teases and then walks me down another corridor where he opens another door leading to a living room. White carpet on the floor and mahogany furniture decorate the room. A brown leather couch sits in the middle with a grand piano opposite it. A bookshelf surrounds one wall with books that are stacked on every available shelf.
“Take a seat.” Christopher points to the couch, and because of my quivering legs, I don’t argue. I sit and rub my arms immediately feeling the adrenaline draining from my body. Christopher removes his jacket and walks over, placing it around my shoulders.
I shrug it off, not wanting any help from that bastard.
He insists, “Don’t be silly, Lexi. You’re cold. You are only punishing yourself.”
I don’t argue because when he places it back on, the warmth does help. He walks over by the corner to where a tray of alcohol sits and pours himself a glass and then another. Walking toward me with two glasses, he hands me one saying, “Here drink this. It will take the cold out of your bones.”
Again, I don’t argue because right now, I could do with alcohol. Lots of it. I swallow the contents of the glass and right away feel my body heat.
“There you go. Now that wasn’t so bad, was it?”
I turn to him, anger seeping from every pore of my skin. “Not. So. Bad? Are you talking about the alcohol or what just happened out there?” I ask.
“I think you did quite well, Lexi. You brought in some good money for Mr. Clemente,” he says with pride in his voice.
“Good money? What is wrong with you people? You can’t treat us as objects of possession. We are human beings, not animals. We have a life just like you, and a family who are worried sick about us. You can’t j-just take all that a-away.” My voice cracks a couple of times, and I begin to cry. I place my glass on the table and sob into my hands needing to let out all the fear that’s been building inside of me.
Christopher sits next to me and clutches my hand in his. “Look at me, Lexi.” Something about his voice has my attention, so I do. “You need to listen to me, and you need to listen to me good. You are no longer a woman free to do as she wants. You now go by the name, Luscious, and your only duty is to listen and do as your new owner says.”
I shake my head. “No, this can’t be happening. It can’t,” I cry out as I fly up off the couch and start pacing the room. “I want to go. I want to leave. You can’t force me to stay.” I turn to face Christopher. “Please, help me? Please help me get out of here?” I stride to him and fall to my knees holding his hands in mine begging him to listen to me. “Please, I’ll do anything, just get Paige and me out of here.” With hope, I add, “My father is rich. If it’s money you want, then he will pay it. Please… just help us.”
Christopher shakes his head and gives me a small smile. “It’s not about money, Lexi. I have money, plenty of it. Mr. Clemente pays me quite well. It will do you no good if you keep fighting what’s happened to you. You must accept your fate.”
I shake my head, now having a complete breakdown. “No. No. I want to go home,” I cry. “Please… let me go home.”
The door is abruptly opened, and Mario steps in, running his hand through his hair while his eyebrows pull tightly together showing confusion. “What’s going on here?” he asks. “I can hear her screaming outside.”
“Nothing I can’t handle.”
Mario makes an annoyed grunting sound, and the same doctor that checked if I were a virgin walks in behind him. The doctor smiles, and I wish it made me feel better, but there’s no way a smile from any of these assholes is going to do anything but make me uneasy. He places his briefcase on the coffee table and opens it. I check the contents, and I see a syringe and a vial of liquid.
“No. Please, no. I don’t want it. Please don’t give me drugs.” The doctor turns around with the syringe now in his hand, drawing up the liquid getting ready to give it to me.
Mario moves in closer, and Christopher stands.
“Don’t fight this, Luscious. It has to be done,” Mario explains while holding my arm.
“No!” I scream and shout when the doctor grabs my other arm, and I try with all my might to fight them off me.
Christopher helps me sit even though I’m kicking him, trying to get him away from me.
“No. Please, no,” I cry again, but before I can say another word, the doctor injects me with the drug, and instantly, I am drowsy. My words begin to not make sense, and now I’m floating in the air.
The last thing I remember is Mario whispering in my ear, “Your sister did so well, she brought in a lot of money.”
Then, nothing but darkness.
RHYDER
I stand with Prez, Tate, and Tracker in his room again. Tracker has the screen on his computer showing Prez and Tate where Lexi’s cell is currently located.
“How do we even know she’s with her phone?” Prez asks, and Tracker replies quite simply, “We don’t. We just have to hope she’s with it. We know it’s switched off, but that’s it.”
“Can you get more intel on the whereabouts of the phone… like an address?” Tate asks.
Yeah, already did that.” Tracker looks at me with dread written all over his face.
“And? Spit it the fuck out,” I growl.
“I searched the address, and the place does belong to Clemente.”
Just as I feared, Clemente bought her.
“We
know what happens from here,” Tracker adds. “We’ve heard stories of Clemente and that he’s the biggest drug lord and human trafficker in the world. Even the police are in on him, but no one can touch him. The man’s a slippery, slimy bastard. He’s got too many people in his corner, and rich fuckers too.
Prez lets out a breath and rubs the back of his neck.
“Listen, Prez,” I state, gaining his attention. “I know this is a lot to ask. Clemente’s dangerous, and I know it’s a long shot to get Lexi back, but I gotta try. I gotta get her home. I can only imagine what she’s goin’ through.” I give him all my attention when I continue, “If you want out, just say the word, I won’t hold any judgments here. Looking at Tate, I continue, “This is not yours nor the Sinners’ fight.”
Prez drops his hand and glares at me, then steps in closer grabbing the back of my neck, so I have his full attention. “Don’t ever fuckin’ talk like that, brother. You are family. We all are. And whatever we do, we do together. There’s no fuckin’ way I’m letting you go in there alone. So, get that shit outta your head. Just know this is not gonna be easy. Probably going to be one of the biggest fights of our lives, and that’s including what went down with my old man. If you want her back, then we’re helping, so don’t give me this shit.”
I nod. “Got it, Prez.”
“Good.” He lets go of my neck and slaps my cheek, then directs his attention to Tate. “Didn’t you mention something about the El Pasos offering your club a job to work trafficking girls?”
Tate smirks. “Yeah, that’s right.”
“You’re going to take the deal. We’re calling in another favor.”
Tate nods. “You know you can count on us. You have our club to help with whatever you need. Let’s get these fuckers.”
“You got a problem with the Sinners joining us, Rhyder?”
“Nah…” I look at Tate. “I’ll appreciate your club’s help.”
“Okay, Tate, see if you can find out details from the El Pasos like where and when they usually do the drop-off, and where they come in from,” Prez adds.
“On it,” Tate says before he exits the room.
Lexi, Property of Rhyder: A Motorcycle Club Romance (Blood Brothers MC Book 6) Page 12
