But I would still do everything in my power to save her. To outbid the others. It would be extremely dangerous. It was possible someone might recognize me. I would have to use a disguise of some kind to hide my true identity.
I really had no idea what might happen at the auction.
Or even if I could save Shannon.
But it was my fault she’d been captured. I’d driven off and left her alone.
So it was up to me to save her.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Shannon
The two days before the auction dragged on…and on. They kept me locked up in the tiny dorm room with nothing to do all day. A young Mexican woman would bring me breakfast, and later, dinner, but other than that, I was left alone. I barely touched the food they brought me. I was too anxious. My mind was alive with turmoil, alternating between the horror of what was to become of me and how I might possibly escape this nightmare.
Then Saturday arrived. I was led from my room and down the hallway to a bathroom, where other women prisoners had been rounded up. We were told to shower and get dressed in the clothes they’d left for us—sexy, revealing dresses.
The first woman who refused to shower suffered a severe beating in front of everyone. I cringed, vowing not to suffer the same fate. Wrapping an arm around her quaking shoulders, I gently led her into the shower, trying to comfort her, even though I was as scared as she was.
“Be strong,” I urged her. “Be brave. Don’t let them beat you down.” Honestly, I wasn’t sure if the words were for her or for myself.
Along with the other twelve women, I quickly showered and dressed in the black dress one of the thugs thrust at me. Ignoring their leering eyes, I obediently went back to my room where they again locked me in.
Time passed as I waited in nervous anticipation for what was about to happen.
The thugs returned and ushered all the women down the hallway. We were each secured with zip-ties, and tied to each other in a long line, ensuring none of us would escape. Several of the woman sobbed with fear.
“Be brave, ladies,” I encouraged them all. “Don’t let them take your spirit.”
We went across campus to a theater, where they locked us in a room in the back. My heart pounding with dread, I waited along with the other prisoners.
Then the sounds of activity penetrated through the walls. Screams and shouts and excited whistles.
The auction participants had arrived. And they sounded like a lewd, rowdy bunch. I cringed, squeezing my eyes shut in fear.
I will escape. I will escape. Somehow, I will escape. If not from here, then from my buyer.
The thugs returned, and one by one, the women were untied from the group and led out of the room to be auctioned off.
Eleven of us remained.
Then ten.
Nine.
I tried to block out the sounds of the auction, the whistles and catcalls, the shouts of excitement. But it was impossible.
Eight of us remained.
Seven.
Six.
Five.
Oh God. When were they going to usher me out of here? The longer this went on, the more my apprehension built, until I was a nervous wreck. My heart galloped out of control, my skin grew clammy. Fear snaked tightly around me, squeezing me in its grip.
Four.
Three.
Two.
One.
I was the only one left in the room. All the other women had been auctioned off.
I could barely breathe, I was so terrified.
The thugs returned and led me from the room. I followed numbly, my heart thundering, the blood roaring in my ears so loudly it drowned out the ruckus of the auction around me. They led me onto a stage and two thugs stood on either side of me, ensuring I wouldn’t try to flee. A bright light shone down on me, highlighting me in the slinky black dress for all to see. I cringed back as hundreds of eyes gazed at me with lust. My vision blurred as I tried to block it all out. The auctioneer’s voice shouted out, and the raising and lowering of number cards indicated men were bidding on me, though I didn’t hear any of the words, didn’t see any of the faces in the crowd.
Please, let this all be a dream.
The auction dragged on, or maybe it was just my fear that made it appear longer than it was. I tuned it all out, too stunned, too frightened of my fate to want to know what was happening.
Then, suddenly the word, “Sold!” penetrated my senses, and the thugs led me off the stage.
I’d just been sold to the highest bidder.
They ushered me to a different room, pulling on the rope that bound my wrists, then thrust me inside where all the other women waited. I imagined we would remain here while the buyers paid for us and each transaction was finalized.
Who had purchased me? What did that man have planned for me? How the hell would I escape?
Minutes passed. The thugs opened the door and called out numbers, one by one, as each woman was led off to her new “master”.
Numero sesenta y tres.
Numero sesenta y cuatro.
Numero sesenta y cinco.
That was me. Number sixty-five.
My heart slammed into my ribs, racing so violently I feared I would pass out. The thugs dragged me from the room and led me down a dark hallway toward the back of the building where several men waited in silence.
The buyers?
A tall man stepped forward from the shadows as I entered the room, a hoodie pulled over his head and dark sunglasses covering his eyes. I gave a start, snapping out of my frightened trance, and glanced around. Most of the men wore “disguises”, dark sunglasses, hoodies, and some even had kerchiefs covering their faces. If they were all disguising themselves, then that could only mean they didn’t want anyone to know who they were. Who were they? Doctors? Lawyers? Cops? Teachers?
I cringed back in terror as the tall man paused before me. It was dark in the room, lit only by a small lamp in the far corner, casting everyone in shadow. Intentionally, I imagined. I felt the man’s gaze studying me through the dark lenses. Was he checking out his purchase? Contemplating what he might do to me?
“Fue agradable hacer negocios con usted,” one of the guards said, handing my “leash” to the stranger.
It was a pleasure doing business with you.
I’ll just bet it was. Assholes. How much had this man paid for me? I’d been in shock during the entire auction, not paying attention to what was going on around me, so I had no idea how much my buyer had paid for me.
The man nodded at my guards, then pulled on my “leash”. I pulled back, standing my ground, refusing to make this easy for him. I didn’t care how much he’d paid for me. He would soon learn I wasn’t giving in without a fight.
“Come,” he said harshly, yanking on my leash again. I stumbled forward, crashing into him. Letting out a soft gasp, I lifted my bound hands to steady myself against his rock hard chest. The man was built like a brick wall, his muscles like stone beneath my fingers. Another wave of fear crashed over me.
His scent penetrated my nostrils then, a hint of spice and pine and mint. Familiarity pinged in my brain. Something about his scent, something about him was familiar. I reared back, trying to make out his features. But the semi-darkness of the room, combined with the sunglasses and the hoodie over his head, made it impossible to see his face clearly.
He lowered his head and whispered in my ear, “Don’t fight me, Shannon. Just come along quietly, and I won’t hurt you.” His familiar voice rang in my ears as his minty breath floated over me.
And bam!
It hit me.
I knew him!
My breath snagged in my throat.
My buyer wasn’t a stranger. A street thug. A gangster. Nor a doctor or lawyer or teacher.
No, my buyer was the same person who’d probably killed my father. The one who’d thwarted my investigation. The very man I’d never expected to see again.
My buyer was a dreg.
The Hac
ker.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Noah
I’d survived my first flesh auction, and I vowed never to attend another one.
The bidding had gone on longer than I’d expected because Shannon had garnered a lot of interest. I was surrounded by sickos who wanted to do vile things to her. Just because I had outbid the others didn’t mean she was safe yet. I still had to get her out of this building and away from all these perverts. I had no doubt many of these men would come after us and try to steal Shannon away from me. So Ryan and Luke were waiting outside, ready to help if necessary.
As the auction dragged on, men had dropped out of the bidding one by one, until it was only me and another guy left. The tension in the air had been thick with menace, with the threat of violence that grew heavier as each man dropped out of the bidding. I was surrounded by criminals, their evil floating around me like a heavy fog. Since the room was dark—intentionally, I was certain, to help hide people’s identities—and the other bidder was clear across the room, I wasn’t able to get a good look at him. All I saw through the crowd was his number card that he flashed again and again in an attempt to outbid me.
Finally, he dropped out, but even clear across the room, I sensed his frustration. His anger. He was pissed that I’d outbid him. I had to be very careful now. I had to get both Shannon and myself out of here alive. Most of these bastards would love to take me out so they could steal Shannon away.
I went to pay for my “purchase”, then the thugs led me to a back room where the other buyers waited. One by one, the women were led out and handed off to their buyers. This entire thing sickened me, but there was nothing I could do for those other women. Right now, I had to concentrate on saving Shannon.
I perked up as Shannon was led into the room. I sensed her fear, but when she fought back, pulling away from me, I praised her inwardly. I was glad to see her spunk, her fire inside. She hadn’t been beaten down yet.
“Don’t fight me, Shannon,” I whispered in her ear. “Just come along quietly, and I won’t hurt you.”
She reared back, recognition flickering in her eyes. “You!”
The thugs sniggered as I dragged her toward a back door, wanting to get her out of here as quickly as possible. The thugs shoved open the door and ushered us out into the night, slamming it behind us.
I urged her across the dark campus grounds, heading toward the parking lot where I’d left my Jeep. Shannon stumbled after me, repeatedly pulling back, trying to halt our departure.
“No! I’m not going with you. I refuse.”
Dammit. Didn’t she realize I’d just saved her?
“You don’t have any choice in the matter. Now come on. If you draw too much attention to us, if someone recognizes me, then you’ll be totally fucked. Is that what you want? We need to get out of here. Now.”
A bullet slammed into the side of the Jeep next to my leg, a loud crack echoing across the dark lot. I dived to the ground, dragging Shannon with me, covering her body protectively with his.
“Dammit. We’ve been spotted. Stay down.” I turned away, firing back.
More bullets whizzed past—crack, crack, crack!—several of them slamming into the Jeep. Shannon screamed and flattened her body on the hard ground. I crouched beside her, using my body as a protective shield as I fired back. I wouldn’t beat the enemy hiding like this. I needed to move in and take them out.
“Stay put,” I ordered. “I’ll be back.”
Pressing the button on my mic, I spoke to Ryan and Luke. “You guys hear that gunfire? It’s directed at me.”
“We figured,” came Luke’s response.
“Heading your way,” Ryan said. “Got your Jeep in my sights.”
Knowing my dreg brothers were moving in to help, I lunged to my feet and went to deal with the threat.
But would Shannon still be waiting where I left her when I got back?
Or would the woman only get herself into more trouble?
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Shannon
The Hacker crept away, quickly disappearing into the darkness.
I lay still for a moment. Confusion swept through me. If The Hacker wanted me so badly, then why did he let me go the other night instead of taking me with him? Why come here and spend thousands of dollars on me now, when he could have had me for free then? I didn’t understand what was going on here.
You’re alone now, Shannon. He’s gone.
That’s right. I was. I slowly rose to my hands and knees. This was my chance to escape.
Fighting sounds came from somewhere off to my left, approximately twenty feet away. Was he attacking someone?
Then more gunshots.
Run, Shannon! Now’s your chance!
I bolted to my feet and ran.
It was dark, but not pitch black, and with my hands still bound in front of me, it was difficult to get momentum. As I made my way around the cars in the lot, trying not smack into any of them, I glanced back, spying movement where I suspected the fight was underway. Not about to hang around to see who won, I skirted around the next car, and raced toward the street.
Two strides.
Three.
Freedom was so close.
A whisper of sound came from behind me.
Oh God! Someone was chasing me. My heart lodged into my throat. I urged my legs to move faster. Faster…
An arm wrapped around my waist—a band of steel—hefting me off my feet and yanking me back against a hard body. I screamed and squirmed and bucked, trying to break free, but I was no match for the sheer strength in that arm. A hand slapped over my mouth, silencing me.
“I told you to stay put,” a familiar voice growled in my ear. “Do you have a death wish? Don’t you know you were the main attraction back there? They all want you. And every single one of them will jump at the chance to take me out so they can steal you away. Is that what you want? One of those thugs to get a hold of you? If you don’t stop drawing attention to yourself, that’s exactly what will happen.”
I went still as the truth of his words sank in.
“Come on,” he said more gently. “Let’s get out of here.” He set me down, pulling on my leash, and dragged me back to his Jeep. I followed meekly, too stunned, too confused to fight any more.
A sob burst out of me. I’d almost gotten away. I’d been so close to freedom. What did he want with me?
We reached the Jeep and he yanked open the passenger’s side door, motioning me in. I hesitated. If I got in that Jeep, I might never get out.
He sighed. “Either you get in, or I physically pick you up and put you in.”
The threat hung between us like a thick fog. I swallowed hard, staring up into his face, wishing I could see him better in the darkness.
“I promise you I’m the lesser threat. There’s more thugs out there,” he warned. “And I can’t kill them all. So make up your mind, or I’ll do it for you.”
I lowered my head and slid into the car, vowing to find a way to escape later. He slammed the door and marched around to the driver’s side.
He started the Jeep and screeched out of the lot. I turned away, glancing out my window as we headed down the street. In all fairness, The Hacker hadn’t harmed me at all the other night. Instead, he’d let me go. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t hurt me now, but so far, he hadn’t done anything to hurt me tonight, either. So what was going on here? Why had he bought me?
He lifted a hand to his left ear. “I got Shannon out,” he murmured. “You guys can leave now. Thanks for your help back there.”
I stared at him. Who was he talking to?
A mic. He must be wearing some type of communication device. Who the hell was this guy?
We drove for several minutes in silence before he asked, “Are you all right? You didn’t get hit by any flying bullets or anything, did you?”
I turned back to him. “No.”
Then the realization of what had just happened began to sink in. I had just been sold at an illegal f
lesh auction. The Hacker had bought me. Now I was his to do with as he pleased. Or so he thought. He would soon learn I wouldn’t give in willingly. I would fight to the death if I had to. I would not be any man’s slave. I would not be any man’s whore.
“I have no intention of harming you.”
His softly spoken words jarred me out of my thoughts.
I turned to him warily. “What?”
He cleared his throat. “I said I have no intention of harming you. I only bought you tonight to save you. Nothing more.”
I stared at him. Was he joking? “You expect me to believe you spent thousands of dollars just to save me?”
“It wasn’t just thousands, Shannon. It was nearly a quarter of a million. And yes.”
I gasped. What? He’d spent a quarter of a million dollars just to save me?
A headache throbbed behind my left eye, a fierce, persistent pounding. I clutched my head and turned away. Who was this guy? Why had he saved me? What was going on?
We traveled another ten minutes before he drove the Jeep into a garage at a condominium triplex across the city. He shut the car off and climbed out. I stayed where I was, fearing what was to come. Though he’d said he had no intention of harming me, no one spent a quarter of a million dollars and expected nothing in return. What did he want? If I offered to pay him back, would he let me go? I had plenty of money in my trust fund. Could I buy my freedom with it?
He came around to my side of the vehicle and opened the door. Then he stepped back and waited. He was giving me a chance to climb out on my own. If I refused, I had no doubt he would drag me out of the car.
Holding on to what remained of my dignity, I lifted my chin and slid out of the vehicle.
He snagged my leash and led me up the back steps and into the house. He flicked on a light just inside the door, illuminating a large kitchen area. The cupboards were dark wood—walnut, I think—and obviously expensive, the appliances all name brands. He closed the door to the garage and ushered me farther into the house. I paused near the entryway into the living room, glancing around. It was a newer condo, the furniture a mixture of Lexington, Bernhardt, and Broyhill. Though not nearly as elegant as my parents’ estate in Atlanta, it was obviously not cheap. If this man had spent a quarter of a million dollars on me, then I imagined he could easily afford the rent on this place. How long had he been living here? How long did he intend to stay?
The Hacker Page 9
