The Auction Block

by Courtney Lynn Rose

  The door to the conference room opens, and we all get out of our seats as Hyde walks into the room followed by what can only be Blake Mason. Dresden and I step up to flank Jax, and I give Mason the once over, paying close attention to details, as he and Hyde chat.

  He’s definitely built. His clothes are custom tailored. He’s wearing a navy blue suit, which is broad in the shoulders and loose enough in the sleeves that when he moves, it just hints at muscled arms, with a white shirt and tie— alternating stripes of navy, light blue, and white. A Rolex on his left wrist peaks from under his sleeve which are held closed by monogrammed cuff-links. This guy screams money, and a lot of it.

  “Mr. Mason, this is Jax Unnami, Unit Chief for the Human Trafficking Taskforce. They’ve been assigned to protect you for a while.” Hyde steps to the side as Jax steps forward and shakes hands with Mason.

  “Three of you? I was under the impression your team was larger than this. Monroe made it sound like I was getting a small army,” Blake says in a deep, solid tone.

  Jesus Christ. Listening to him talk is like plunging into a hot tub after hours in the snow.

  His eyes lock on mine and he stills, his mouth hanging slightly open. Something in my stomach pulls and involuntarily my body shifts forward. I square my shoulders, holding my breath for a moment.

  Jax laughs, letting go of his hand. “You are actually. Two of our members have already been sent to your apartment to get settled in, and the other 3, including your new driver, will be meeting us later today.”

  "Yes, Hyde mentioned I’d need to let my current driver go," Blake says, raising his eyebrow. "Though, I don't understand why it matters who's driving me."

  "I doubt your driver is as skilled as Jameson Scott. That’s your new driver’s name," I say, stepping up next to Jax. Dresden does the same on the other side.

  "My driver's worked for me for five years and is a dear employee. Your skills don't make me any happier about letting a valued employee go," he says sternly.

  I meet his gaze. "Well, your happiness isn't our problem. Your life is. Jameson's an ex-marine, and can drive anything from a tank to a motorcycle, so when the choice is run or die, you may appreciate his driving skills more than your valued employee."

  "Are all your team members this smart mouthed?" Blake keeps his eyes locked on mine.

  Dresden coughs to cover his laughter.

  "No, sir. She's one of a kind." Jax shoots me an annoyed, but affectionate glance.

  "And does she have a name?"

  I tilt my head up as he takes a step toward me. He's a tall son-of-a-bitch. That annoying pull hits my stomach again and I lock my knees to keep from moving forward.

  "Mr. Mason, this is Lily Williams. She'll be your personal security."

  "Well.” He licks his lips and smirks, the right side of his mouth pulling upward slightly. “It’ll be interesting if nothing else." His voice is low as he extends his hand to me.

  I stand straighter and square my shoulders, trying to use the tension to hide the low roll of shakes that threatens to take over my limbs and swallow the fear that comes with the mere thought of touching his hand to shake it.

  "I expect the people around me to have manners," he says, running his tongue along his bottom lip.

  "Lily doesn't physically touch anyone, sir. It's nothing personal," Jax whispers.

  "Oh, really? And why not?"

  "That's none of your fucking business," I snap.

  His eyes widen for a moment and then narrow. He steps toward me again, lowering his hand, and my whole body tenses, hands shaking at my sides.

  "I wonder if I'll actually be safe with you, Agent Williams." His voice is low and husky.

  "Perfectly safe. Providing you can follow orders and not make things difficult." He stares at me, anger and mistrust deep in his eyes. I sigh loudly and roll my eyes. “Look, man. I’m not gonna shake your hand but I will promise to kill anyone who as much as breathes in your direction in a manner we find threatening. Just behave and don’t give me a headache.”

  He laughs and it's a deep, musical sound. "I'll try to behave myself." He winks and turns back toward Jax. They introduce Dresden, and then head over to the table to discuss some details and our pending trip to Baltimore.

  I stay back, keeping as much distance between me and this guy as I can.

  "You'll have your hands full with this one," Dresden whispers in my ear, startling me.

  "Yeah, no shit."

  After another 15 or 20 minutes, Blake Mason leaves the room to head to his family outing with the reassurance that we’ll join him in a few hours. It’s only ten in the morning and I already need this day to be over.

  Hyde exchanges a few more words with Jax and takes his leave as well. As Jax walks over to Dresden and I, he shakes his head. “This is going to give me a constant migraine.”

  “Not my fault, Jax,” I say, instantly on the defensive.

  He smiles at me. “I never said it was, Lily. This guy’s just used to people following his orders. Now he has to follow ours. It’s going to make the entire mission stressful.”

  I sigh and tuck a few loose strands of hair behind my ears. Yeah, that’s an understatement.

  3

  ~Lily~

  The helicopter ride from DC to Baltimore is hell, but the car ride is more bearable. We're on our way to some wannabe beach in Baltimore County for 'Baltimore's Most Eligible Bachelor'— according to the newspaper— to have his family outing and meet more of the team.

  Dresden sits next to me and I shake my head at his change of clothes. God forbid he isn't showing off his biceps and calves. I used to watch him in training, after the team first formed, and think about how stupid he looked.

  His strength has saved your ass more than once though.

  "Bets that this goes worse than the meeting earlier?" Dresden fishes a twenty out of his pocket. "Any takers?"

  "I got twenty says Lily shuts him up real quick." Rhett leans forward, pulling his wallet from his back pocket.

  I grin at him. "You just like taking Dresden's money."

  "I do. He's terrible at gambling," he says chuckling.

  "Fuck you, hillbilly. I make good bets all the time."

  "Yeah, like that time you thought you were a better shot than Lily?"

  "That was one time, man."

  "She hit the bull’s eye fifteen times in a row. You hit it twice. She owned you, bro," Vlad says laughing.

  Hyde stops at an entrance booth to the park and shows the gate keeper his Interpol badge. She nods, trying to glance through the tinted windows and waves us through.

  "Showtime everyone," Jax says in a stern voice as Hyde pulls into a parking spot.

  I throw the door open and step into the Baltimore sun. It's the end of May, but this weather is tame in comparison to where I live in New Orleans. A cool breeze caresses my face and I close my eyes, tilting my head upward.

  "Don't you look all peaceful and shit," Dresden says close to my ear.

  My body goes rigid as my lids fly open. I glare at him from the corner of my eyes.

  He takes a step back, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Sorry, Lily."

  I shrug, trying to force the fear from my limbs. "It's cool, Dres."

  Jax stops in front of us, rubbing his face with his hands. "You ready for this, Lil?"

  I roll my eyes. "Yes, Dad. I'll be fine."

  He smiles, warm and comforting— a smile that’s gotten me through so many nightmares and bad days. Jax really is the best thing to ever come into my life.

  "Ok, let's do this." He turns on his heel and strides toward the pavilion.

  We follow him and Hyde to a small group of people in the picnic area. The beach is off to our right, a single lifeguard in the tower. We stop just under the tree line and Blake saunters forward with his friends following close behind him.

  "Mr. Mason." Hyde holds out his hand.

  "Good to see you again, Agent Monroe. Welcome to Baltimore."

  "Thank you
."

  "This must be the rest of my new and unnecessary security team." He glances over Hyde's shoulder.

  "Let me introduce you," Hyde says, pulling me back to the present.

  I look up as they walk toward us. He has a very determined walk I hadn’t noticed earlier, as if he's a man on a mission. Blake's brown hair is slightly damp and wavy, stopping just below his ears.

  Water beads across his toned chest and thick muscles accent his shoulders and arms. His stomach is nothing but abs, chiseled to perfection, leading down to toned hips and legs. The baby blue swim trunks contrast nicely with his tan skin and hang off his hips just enough to show the V-shaped muscles. Blake Mason is the perfect instance of the inverted triangle.

  Dresden joins me, hands in his pockets. "Go figure the asshole is rich and built like a brick shit house. He's like a walking cliché."

  "Since when do you notice how good looking another dude is? Something you forgot to tell me?"

  "Fuck you. He wasn’t half naked earlier. You can't tell me you failed to notice."

  "I don't think a person on this beach hasn't noticed him."

  "It’s whatever. He ain't got shit on these guns." Dresden flexes his arms causing the veins to pop slightly.

  I chuckle, keeping my eyes on Jax. He gestures to us and Blake's eyes dart to mine again.

  Jax, Hyde, and Blake stroll to the opposite end of the line we've stood in, stopping in front of Rhett.

  "Lily and Dresden have already been acquainted, but everyone else, this is Blake Mason." Jax's voice commands the space as he glances down the line, shortly locking eyes with me. "This is Rhett Sheldon, Weapons Specialist."

  They shake.

  "I think it's important you know I don't condone the use of firearms in any way," Blake says in his deep, rumbling voice.

  Wow . . . the muscles in my lower stomach clench as a shiver runs down my spine.

  Focus, Lily. Damn.

  "I'll keep that in mind, sir." Rhett gives him a curt nod.

  "Next is Jameson Scott. The one Lily mentioned earlier."

  “Ah, yes. My new driver.” Blake doesn’t bother to hide the sarcasm in his voice as he shakes hands with Jameson and then stares directly at me.

  “Try to sound a little less like an asshole, Mr. Mason and this won’t be as bad as you think,” I say smirking at him.

  Jax sighs loudly, and Blake laughs shaking his head. “Nice to see your attitude hasn’t change on the trip here.”

  “Don’t mind her, she’s not as mean as she seems,” Vlad says leaning forward to look at me.

  “Don’t lie to him, Vlad. That’s dangerous.”

  He laughs and introduces himself before engaging in some small talk.

  Blake gestures for us to join him and his friends in the picnic area.

  "These are my good friends, Miranda and Caleb." Blake gestures to the two people closest to him.

  As he introduces the other people sitting around the picnic tables, I take a moment to analyze his two closest friends. Miranda is short, bleach blonde with green eyes and more jewelry than one woman should wear. She hasn't bothered to look at us. Her eyes haven't left Blake since this entire introduction started.

  Caleb is a little shorter than Blake, but still tall as hell. He's got short brown hair, hazel eyes, and tattoos of tribal covering both his arms and shoulders. He seems more at ease than Miranda, and as Blake makes a joke, Caleb’s laugh is natural, where hers is over the top and forced.

  Something about her annoys me.

  "So that's everyone. You guys are welcome to relax, try and enjoy yourselves a little. I doubt anyone's going to try to kill me today. We've got food and beer, swimming, volleyball, and some other stuff," Blake says, drawing my attention back to him.

  "Time to work for a living," Vlad whispers to Dresden and I as he joins us.

  "Yes, standing around watching a bunch of wannabe frat boys is going to make our day so much fun." I roll my eyes.

  An hour later Vlad, Dresden, and I sit at one of the picnic tables, watching Blake and Caleb wrestle. I'm surprised, he's fast and graceful. Most guys his size lack in both areas, which makes them easier to take down. If this were a real fight, Blake would've been able to end it at least twice. Still, in comparison to how we spar . . . they're pussies.

  "Agent Unnami," Blake says.

  Jax walks over from his post at the edge of the tree line. "Call me, Jax, sir."

  "Jax. Your team ever wrestle?"

  The entire team laughs openly. Blake and his friends raise their eyebrows.

  "I'm sorry, did I say something amusing?" The irritation is heavy in his voice.

  I stand slowly, Dresden and Vlad following suit. We walk forward, stopping a few feet from Blake as the rest of the team joins us. My eyes wander from his face to his feet and back. Meeting his heated gaze, that stupid fucking pull in my stomach happens again— I ignore it.

  "We spar. Not that shit y’all were just doing." I give him a sly grin, only the right corner of my lips pulling upward.

  He steps forward, his body only inches from mine— my limbs and back go taut as my breathing climbs, almost on the verge of a panic attack.

  "What’re you implying, Agent Williams?" His voice is barely audible.

  I swallow the lump in my throat. "I'm not implying anything."

  "Lily. Why don't we give Mr. Mason a demonstration of your skills?" The smirk on Jax's face betrays the amusement in his own suggestion.

  "I don't think we need to show off for him, Jax. I'm not sure his ego could handle a reality check." Dresden and Vlad laugh.

  "I don't appreciate your smart mouth, Agent," Blake says tilting his head to the side.

  "My smart mouth is the least of your worries." My tone is as sweet as I can manage.

  "Lily, Rhett, remove your weapons," Jax says.

  I shake my head as Rhett groans loudly.

  “Why is it always me,” he asks with a little whine in his voice causing several of our teammates to snicker.

  Blake and his friends form a semi-circle around the open grass area, and the rest of my team sprinkle throughout them. Rhett and I step over to the closest picnic table and he pulls off his jacket, un-straps his guns and knife and lays them on the table. He glances up at me, a nervous look on his face.

  "You better take all your shit off, woman," he says turning to walk to the middle of the open area.

  "You don't trust me, Rhett?"

  "Of course I do, but I also know you very well, Lily."

  “I have never used weapons against you!” I feign insult at his remarks.

  “No, but that entire weekend you stayed at my place, I slept with the bedroom door locked and a gun under my pillow.”

  I laugh as I crack my neck and stretch my legs. “Oh, don’t be such a pussy. You know I’d never actually hurt you, buddy.”

  Rhett scoffs. “Buddy my ass. Never trust a woman that can kill with a pencil. Just saying.”

  Blake moves to the side of the picnic table, his eyes glued to me. I steel myself against looking up at him. Unbuttoning my jacket, I take off my shoulder holsters and lay them on the table with a light clink. From my belt, I unhook the black whip I carry, placing it next to my guns. On each pants leg, mid-thigh, I slide down two zippers, reaching in to un-strap the knife bands, and then kneel in front of Blake, pulling off the ankle holster with my last gun.

  "That's one hell of an arsenal," he whispers as I rise in front of him.

  I glance up, immediately regretting it as my stomach tightens.

  His eyes are really pretty . . . like melted chocolate. Fuck, stop it, Lily. Look away.

  "That arsenal will help keep you alive when shit hits the fan."

  "Seems unnecessary considering he just said you can kill someone with a pencil. That’s kind of attractive though, in a sadistic sort of way."

  I narrow my eyes as he lets a slow grin spread across his face.

  I face Rhett, and he regards me with caution. He knows better than to underestim
ate me, spar or not. He does also know I don't need weapons to kill someone. That remark wasn’t a joke. Hand-to-hand sparring gives me the advantage.

  Walking to the middle of the area, I turn to the side, moving my right foot back to take the weight and keep my balance.

  He lunges toward me with a right hook aimed at my temple. I duck under his swing, bringing my right shin into his stomach. He staggers, but keeps himself upright. My leg throbs a little. Rhett's got abs that would make a lesbian drool.

  I shuffle step to the side, my knees bent and fists in front of my face. Rhett takes a stance mimicking mine. Slowly, we circle the ground, our eyes locked on each other.

  He charges, grabbing me around my waist. I dig my right heel into the dirt, lean forward, locking my arms around his midsection. I hold on tight as he pushes against me, until the slight rock of him adjusting his feet tilts us to the right. Before he can get his footing, I lift, hard, and twist my upper body, throwing him to the side. A small cloud of dust puffs from underneath him as he hits a dirt patch.

  I glance over at Blake and the others. Jax is grinning like a schoolgirl, and Blake's eyes are as wide as saucers, watching every move.

  "Had enough yet, Rhett?" I say, crouching down.

  He staggers to his feet, and moves to straighten his upper torso. I take advantage of his slowness. Grabbing his right arm, I pull it out and sweep my right foot into his, kicking his feet out from under him. He lands hard on his back again, his wrist still tightly grasped in my hand.

  I twist his arm, forcing him to roll onto his stomach. His wrist bent inward brings his arm up behind him. He groans through gritted teeth and I twist another half inch.

  "Tap out, Rhett or I'm going to break your wrist."

  "Damn it, Lily!" He slaps the ground three times.

  I let go and stand back as he pushes onto his knees, smiling at me.

  "I really hate you sometimes."

  "I know," I say happily, throwing my braid over my shoulder.

  "Mr. Mason, if you don't mind, could you join Lily?" Jax says loudly.

  I whip around as he walks toward me, each step hesitant. Moving around him, I face Jax and the others.