“You’re right. I don’t understand that. Is that it?”
“I don’t know if Forest’s medical team is still on the island or not.”
“Who?”
“Forest. He’s a computer geek.”
“That’s a lot of people.”
“I suppose, but like I said, I think the medical team left.”
“I’d like to be a fly on that wall,” she said.
“Which wall?”
“The one where the medical team got together to figure out how to fake a person’s death and revive them. That’s pretty intense.”
“Maybe you’ll have a chance to meet them someday.” If I had it my way, Clara would never be anywhere near these people again.
Forest had a bug up his butt about Snowden, and he was clearly gearing up for a major operation to take the man down. I wanted nothing to do with that. My participation in this shit show ended with the safe return of Wu’s children. After that, I planned on disappearing. My family didn’t need me around as a constant reminder of what I’d done.
“You ready?” I kissed the top of her head. There was only one staircase and two hallways to traverse before we arrived at the central courtyard and a very odd dinner.
“Absolutely.”
With her hand in mine, I led her the rest of the way. The last people to arrive, everyone stopped what they were doing and looked up. Not one damn smile, not that I expected any.
They were all there, sitting around a massive table, breaking bread and shooting the shit. At least, they had been. I took one step into the space and the entire vibe shifted.
My hand tightened on Clara’s hand.
“Tough crowd.” She reached over with her free hand and gripped my bicep.
Her comment brought a smile to my face. Only Clara could break that tension.
“Good evening everyone.” I pulled her into the room. “May I introduce Clara.”
Xavier shifted in his seat at the head of the table. Raven sat in a chair immediately to his left. Jake sat to his right with Kate beside him. I expected Xavier to say something. As host, it was his right. Mitzy sat next to Kate and Chambers was across the table from her. There was only one place setting left at the foot of the table
My brother fixed me with a glare. “Your slave is not required at this meeting.” He couldn’t have given a stiffer brush off, but I was prepared. “Send her away.”
“Clara is not my slave.” From the expressions on everyone’s faces, that got their attention. “Furthermore, she knows.”
“Shit, Josh!” Kate slapped her napkin down on the table. “This is not what we discussed.”
“I don’t give a shit what we discussed. Clara is free to do as she pleases.”
Xavier coughed into his fist. “Miss Clara, one day I hope you forgive what happened to you. In the meantime, I’ll arrange for your immediate departure. We have a process—”
“Oh, I know about your process.” She hugged my arm. “Josh told me all about it. Thank you, but it won’t be necessary.”
“Excuse me?” Xavier said. “You’re free to go. We’ll help you start over.”
“I’m staying with Josh.” She glanced up at me with absolute adoration and gave a loving wink. I couldn’t help but grin. My girl was having fun with this.
“She’s deranged,” Kate said. “Hun, you’re suffering from Stockholm syndrome.”
Raven glanced at Xavier and gave a soft smile. He reached out and took her hand in his. Yeah, they understood. But Xavier said nothing.
Meanwhile, Clara’s voice rose, but her tone held steady. My girl was on a roll and I couldn’t love her more than I did at that moment.
“I’m not suffering anything, and I’m most certainly not deranged. Josh explained everything. I’m staying with him.”
I wanted to give her the biggest high five and follow it with the sloppiest kiss in the world. She was the first person who ever stood up for me, or stood by me.
“Well, your role in this is finished,” Kate said. “And once you figure out what kind of monster he is, you’ll regret your decision to stay.”
“I don’t think you understand. I’ve forgiven him. I love him, and I’m going with him tomorrow. It’s what Carson expects.”
“Absolutely not.” Kate pushed away from the table and shot to her feet. “That’s not happening. The only reason we used you was because we needed the honest reaction of a woman Josh brutalized. Carson will know the difference. You can’t go.”
“Well, at least we got that out of the way,” Clara said. “And as for being brutalized, you’re the one who set me up. Not Josh. He wanted nothing to do with any of this. He would have been happy leaving that prison and disappearing to lead a quiet life, but you coerced him into doing it. You stole his money…”
“We did no such thing.”
“Bullshit. You took his money, bullied him into helping you, and left him no choice. If anyone is a monster, it’s you.”
“Me?”
“Yes!” Clara’s shoulders rolled back, and she puffed out her chest. “You knew I’d been abducted, along with the others. You could have rescued us. Instead, you let the auction proceed. I was nearly raped that night.”
She clutched my arm. “But he saved me.” Clara pointed to my brother. “Your brother saved me from being raped the night of that auction. He did that. You and your little crew here would have let that happen by your negligence to rescue me when you had the chance. And not once did Josh force himself on me. I ask this…who in this room are the real monsters? Because from my standpoint, it’s all of you.”
“Clara…” I tried to hush her, but the look she gave me told me everything I needed to know. Clara was on a roll and she had something to say.
“Although Josh had ample opportunity to rape me, he didn’t. And that’s not the end of it. You forced Josh into a position where he had to make me a slave. It wasn’t something he chose and not something he agreed with. He knew what that would do to me, but you left him with no choice. You’re the monsters, not him.”
She let go of my hand and crossed her arms over her chest, defiant, proud, and ready to take on the world. “And tomorrow, Josh and I are going to end this…together.”
“This is insane.” Kate turned to Xavier. “Aren’t you going to say something?”
Xavier took a moment to study Clara. His gaze dipped to her hand and the way she clutched my arm. He had to have noticed how she stood beside me, with no gap between our bodies…by her choice. Not because I threatened her. Not because I forced her. But because she chose me.
My heart tripped a little.
Clara chose me.
Despite everything, she found it within herself to look beyond the mistakes of my past and see me. Forgave me, the man who deserved nothing.
“I think this is something we should discuss.” Xavier tapped his finger on the tablecloth.
“There’s no discussion,” Clara said, “I’m going.”
“I didn’t say you wouldn’t, only that we needed to discuss it. Kate has valid concerns. Carson knows the difference between a true slave and an act. That puts your life in danger.”
“It won’t be an act.” She jutted out her chin.
“I didn’t say it would be, Miss Clara.” He gestured to the table and the empty place setting at the far end. “Chambers, please set another place.”
“Yes, Sir.” Chambers jumped up, obeying instantly.
“Please, let’s enjoy a civil dinner, then we’ll discuss what happens next.” Xavier gestured to the empty chair.
“You’re not the boss of me,” she said.
“Clara…” I leaned down to whisper in her ear. “This isn’t the time to force the issue.”
“But…”
“We’re Xavier’s guests.” I threaded my fingers with hers and gave a tug toward our seats. “Let’s not disrespect him in his house.”
Xavier heard me and gave a slight nod of respect. He was the one Clara had to convince, not the oth
ers, and I had a pretty good idea he would be eating out of the palm of her hand before the evening was done. He understood what Clara had been through, and maybe he understood a little about me.
Either way, there was no doubt in my mind whether Clara would join me.
Chapter 49
I’d entered a fresh, new level of hell. Unlike Xavier’s tropical island, none of this was pretend. Early in the morning, Josh and I boarded Xavier’s jet and flew somewhere in Bangladesh.
Covered head to toe, I respected local custom while transferred into a dark SUV and traveled bumpy roads until we arrived in a compound surrounded by ten-foot concrete walls; a compound with an ornate estate and a series of warehouses.
We sat in one now; the others housed the slaves.
Carson treated us like royalty. Or rather, he treated Josh like royalty.
I was nothing.
Not that Carson didn’t spend an inordinate amount of time staring at me. The heat of his gaze lifted the fine hairs on my nape and made my skin crawl. Josh kept a hand on me at all times, and I played the role of meek slave perfectly.
All those weeks of training made it easy to slip back into that mode. I kept my head bowed, refused to make direct eye contact, and replied Yes, Sir to every command and every response.
We sat on a raised platform. I’d call it a dais but it wasn’t that ornate. A boxing ring sat in the middle of the space with bleachers all around, and there was a crowd of over fifty men who shouted at the boys in the ring. Women circulated amongst the crowd, delivering beverages and smokes to greedy bastards.
Meanwhile, I shuddered at the ghastly sight of children forced to kill.
Josh didn’t want me here. I should have listened. I should have obeyed. I never should have forced him to bring me with him.
This is something I can do without you.
He had tried to protect me from this vileness, but I foolishly thought we should continue pretending. How real, or fake, that might become in the future wasn’t something I was ready to face, but I could pretend. And from the way Carson kept looking at me, I made the right choice.
Those were problems for another day.
For now?
A hushed shock permeated the crowd. The savage fury of the previous participants still rang in the air. The fight lasted far too long, and yet at the same time had been incredibly short. The victor swayed on his feet, moving back and forth, panting and confused. Almost as if he didn’t believe he’d taken a life. Or maybe, he was surprised he still lived?
His first life, if I could believe what Carson said. This boy was fresh off the streets, pushed into a battle with only one survivor. The other boy’s body lay bloody and still. His dead eyes stared at the ceiling.
Panic overwhelmed me. My decision to be here turned into a fit of doubt, but there was no going back. I trusted Josh. I believed in him and what he was trying to accomplish. He warned me.
We can’t save them all.
What I wouldn’t give to reverse time, save that poor boy’s life, and save the victor from the knowledge he was now a killer.
The boy teetered back and forth, his gaze vacant and his face expressionless. When he realized what he’d been forced to do, what would it do to him? He may be the victor, but he was also a victim.
My heart went out to him.
“Impressive,” Carson said, “I didn’t think he would win.”
“People can surprise you,” Josh said. “Did you bet against him?”
Carson shook his head. “That kid is fresh. Plucked off the streets not two days ago. I figured he would be easy meat. He took down one of our up and coming fighters. I guess that’s a surprise, even if it cost me ten thousand.”
Ten thousand?
I tried not to react, but he’d bet ten-thousand dollars on that kid’s life? Did the man have no humanity left within him? Strike that question. I knew the answer.
“How do you find them?” Josh asked.
“The same as you. Runaways with no family to miss them.”
That hurt more than it should. There would be no one to mourn these children. The boy wobbling in the middle of the ring came from nothing, and he’d been used as nothing other than sacrificial meat for men willing to pay to watch him die.
Or live.
Today he lived.
“This is a fresh batch.” Carson said. “We’ve recently expanded operations.”
“They look Taiwanese.” Josh glanced down at the girl huddled by Carson’s feet.
Carson wrapped his fingers in the girl’s hair and gave a tug. Tears pooled in her defeated eyes, and she didn’t resist as he manhandled her into his lap and stole a kiss. A slip of a girl, she couldn’t be legal. Although, why I thought age meant anything to these men, escaped me.
The poor thing looked to be in her early teens.
I clutched Josh’s hand and trembled at his feet. As his slave, I dutifully knelt beside him.
The boy in the ring swayed while the crowd around him buzzed as they settled their debts or collected their payouts.
Two men entered the ring. One dragged the dead boy out, while the other slapped handcuffs on the boy and pushed him out of the ring. The boy stumbled and was bodily lifted back to his feet. He shuffled between a set of raised bleachers, while those in the stands craned their necks, whispering about the victor. The boy disappeared behind a set of metal doors and I let out my breath.
Josh placed his hand over mine, saying nothing, but providing all the strength I needed to get through this.
Something ate at him. He kept looking to the girl in Carson’s lap. The corners of his lips twitched.
Disembodied logic ran through my mind. This charade was necessary because Carson didn’t work alone. Josh hoped to meet Carson’s business partner.
I shut my eyes, thankful the worst part of this night was over.
But then the doors reopened.
Two more boys were pushed toward the ring. One of them looked eerily similar to the girl sitting in Carson’s lap.
The boy’s attention shifted to the girl. The scowl on his face deepened as fury bunched his muscles. Carson yanked on the girl’s hair. Her scream made the boy stumble and his fists curl.
“That one…” Carson pointed to the boy, “is this one’s brother. What do you think about that, slave? You ready to watch your brother die? Or, do you think he’ll win again?”
Again?
That boy had already survived the ring?
My soul wept for the horrors inflicted on these children. And clearly, the evening was far from over.
“A brother and sister,” Josh said, “that’s unusual.”
“It’s fucking brilliant.”
“I only meant it’s unusual for siblings to runaway together.”
“Oh, these didn’t run away.”
“Is that so?”
Carson gave a snort. “These two are paying for their father’s arrogance. A man who thinks he’s untouchable.” He yanked on the girl’s hair again and tears trickled down her cheeks. “What do you think about that, slave? Your father knows I have you. All he had to do was take one step back. Instead, he did nothing. That’s what you mean to your father. You mean nothing.”
The girl whimpered. From the extensive bruising on her body, and the various stages of healing, I understood the torture she’d endured.
Josh looked pissed. “That seems reckless. Kidnapping brings the wrong kind of attention.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that. Sometimes it brings interesting results.”
The boys reached the ring and were prodded to enter. I was certain they understood what happened next. One of them would be bludgeoned to death. The other would be stripped of his humanity. I could already see it in the brother’s eyes.
He was resigned.
“This is not his first time in the ring then?” Josh asked the obvious.
“This is his third fight. He barely survived the second. I think this will be interesting. Are you willing to place a bet?�
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“Maybe later.”
“But I thought this is what you craved? You look like you’re going to be sick. Maybe this isn’t for you?”
Josh’s body tensed. “You’ve seen what I’m capable of…”
“Yes, I have at that.” Carson pushed the girl out of his lap and settled back into his chair. “I think this will be interesting.”
The size of the crowd surprised me, not that the room was overflowing with men, but there had to be over forty people in the stands. How much did each of them pay to secure a seat? Let alone the betting pool.
My heart vibrated in my chest, rattled up my neck, and pulsed in my skull as the officiator of the fight read out the boys’ statistics. They had both survived two previous matches. It was cruel to pit them against each other, although why I thought this was worse than the previous fight didn’t make sense.
I think my mind struggled to make sense of an insane situation.
The idle chatter in the stands rose in waves, reaching a crescendo as the officiator came to the end of the stats for the boys. There wasn’t a single woman with the men, although there were several working the stands, selling refreshments. They had to be slaves as well.
A sense of anticipation built to a crescendo as if this fight held more significance than the previous one. Why that may be, remained a mystery. There would be the same blood spilled.
The crowd began chanting. Their excitement grew as my guts twisted with the depravity of it all. Shame filled me that humans could be this evil and take pleasure in the destruction of others.
The air vibrated against my skin with the thrum of anticipation for blood. Perspiration beaded on my brow, and I couldn’t help but shiver.
The boys in the ring tightened their fists. Any moment now, they would begin. I looked at them and saw the moment a switch flipped inside of them as they mentally prepared to live or die.
Evenly matched, my gut told me this wouldn’t be quick. The moment the bell clanked, the boys launched at each other, flinging fists and feet in a desperate attempt to score early hits.
The noise of the crowd rushed through me, slamming into me with what felt like a physical force. I clutched my stomach.
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