The Auction Block

by Courtney Lynn Rose

  I raise my handgun over my head, tilting the barrel away from where everyone is standing and squeeze the trigger— twice. Two rounds hit the plaster, the blast echoing throughout the room as a dead silence falls over the people in it. Every head spins in my direction, their faces scared and shocked. Yes, it’s a bit dramatic, but it works.

  "Thank you. Now that I have your attention, could you please stop yelling, I have a fucking headache."

  I walk over and lay my gun on the island counter. Teresa appears beside me, her face anxious.

  "Miss Lily, can I get you something?"

  "Yes, Teresa. Tylenol and Tequila, please."

  She smiles at me. Tequila is my new favorite painkiller thanks to her. I turn and enter the living room, leaving a few feet between me and everyone else. They've all turned in my direction. I take a deep breath, calming the anger and nerves building in my veins.

  "So, what's the problem?"

  "We were discussing the bloody screw up that is this team," Hyde says acidly, cracking his knuckles.

  "This team is not a screw up. Agent Unnami and I are at fault, not them."

  "Lily, you haven't done anything wrong," Carmen Mason says.

  "Ma'am, we have. Jax planned an infiltration, which I agreed to without approval from Interpol and without the proper back up from our team. That resulted in my capture and leaving the security details for Blake an agent short."

  "You saved my daughter," she says through gritted teeth.

  "Yes. However, Jax had no knowledge she was in that auction. I discovered that information prior to leaving and made the decision to extract her without approval from my superiors."

  Teresa stops beside me, handing me four pills and a tumbler of Tequila. I smile affectionately. Tipping my head back, I wash the pills down with the alcohol and drain the glass. Wiping my mouth, I hand it back to her.

  "Another?" She raises her eyebrows.

  "Do you think I'll need another?"

  "With this crowd . . . I leave the bottle out." She turns and heads back to the kitchen.

  I chuckle, shaking my head.

  My eyes find Blake's, and he's staring at me with a mixture of emotion I can't place. I raise my eyebrow at him. Vaguely, I realize someone's speaking, but I'm locked in a moment with him, and no one else matters right now.

  He takes determined steps, stopping directly in front of me. I tilt my head back, never breaking eye contact. Softly, he runs his fingertips over my bruised cheek, down the side of my neck until his hand clasps the back on my head. He leans down and presses his lips to mine, sending fire from my lips to my groin.

  God, I missed this.

  His other hand cups the side of my face, tilting my head to the side, deepening the kiss. I tangle my hands in his hair, pulling him against me. He moans low in his throat as our tongues dance in a passion-filled rhythm.

  "Hey, Hoover! Can you save that for later? Got issues to handle right now," Dresden says playfully.

  I slow the kiss and chuckle against his lips. "Stay close to me."

  "Always, baby." He stands up straighter and moves to my side, taking my free hand in his. He notices the cigarettes and lighter. "Since when do you smoke?"

  "Only when I'm really stressed. I keep them in my duffel bag. I was going to go outside and have one, but I wasn't aware we were having a giant disciplinary hearing this morning."

  "You can smoke in here, Lily."

  "Blake, I can go outside."

  "I don't want you out of my sight unless it is absolutely necessary. Smoke in here," he says with finality.

  "I need an ashtray."

  "Teresa!" She appears next to me, handing me a full tumbler of Tequila. I let go of Blake's hand to take it. "Can you get the ashtray out of my office for Lily, please?"

  "Si, Mr. Mason."

  I take a few steps forward, sitting my glass on the coffee table. Pulling a cigarette from my pack, I light it and set the lighter and pack on the table. I take a large swig of Tequila, put the glass back and stand, pulling a drag from my smoke.

  "Alright, Monroe. What's the deal?"

  "Agent Williams, while I appreciate you taking responsibility for your participation in this catastrophe, Interpol has concluded you’re not responsible and won’t face any disciplinary action."

  "Well, thanks."

  "Why don't we all sit down? Dresden, care to help me get some extra chairs?" Blake says walking toward the dining room.

  I groan and stare at the ceiling. This is not how I wanted to spend my morning.

  26

  ~Lily~

  We're sitting around the coffee table in a large circle, waiting for someone to speak. It's like a fucked up meet and greet.

  "So, let's get this over with," Dresden says reluctantly.

  "Agent Williams, we need to know what happened after you left this apartment two months ago," Hyde says.

  I let out a loud sigh. "You know I could just write a debriefing like we do with all the other cases."

  "Yes, you could. But, I think the Masons and your team deserve to hear the truth from you, not a deposition," he says, smoothing back his salt and pepper hair.

  "Once inside the ring they started auctioning girls off in pairs. I got lucky to be paired and sold with Shannon." I meet Hyde's gaze, unable to look Blake or my team in the face. "We were sold to a guy named Bennington for $10 million."

  "Why would someone pay that much for two girls?" James Mason says astonished.

  "Because your daughter was sweet looking and described as a nice fuck, and I can take rough treatment to a whole new level. Best of both worlds for a buyer," I snap.

  "Dear God . . ."

  "We were blindfolded, drugged, and taken to Bennington's apartment." My gaze falls to the floor, my voice hardly more than a whisper. "The first night he bound us, and attached our hands to chains hanging from a torture room ceiling. Over the next two months that was the only place we stayed. He collared us to wall anchored chains, and hung us on the hooks when he came in for . . . you know.”

  I run my hands over my face. "Each night he'd come in, beat the hell out of one of us and leave. Bennington was a sadist."

  "So, how is it you look like someone threw you in front of a truck and Shannon barely has a mark on her?" Hyde looks from me to her.

  I meet his eyes, my resolve hardening. It isn't his business how or why things worked out this way.

  "The second night we were there, he came in and starting hitting me with a belt. Lily got smart with him and he ended up leaving me alone . . . beating her with . . ." Shannon says her voice small.

  "Beating her with what?" Hyde coaxes.

  Tears fall from Shannon's eyes and I sigh.

  "It's called caning," I whisper. "And it hurts like hell."

  "Every time after that, he’d come in the room and move straight for me, but before he could touch me, Lily would do something or say something to piss him off and direct the beating to her."

  "Shannon, stop," I breathe.

  James reaches over and squeezes his daughter's hand in his. "You never told me why, Lily. I asked you a million times . . . why?"

  "Does it matter why?" I say irritated. "I made a choice, end of discussion."

  "It matters to me," she says, scooting to the edge of the sofa. "I need to know."

  Tears form in my eyes as I look into hers. "Because when I looked in your eyes, all I could see was your brother. I knew it wasn't likely for both of us to survive, and I'd do anything and give anything to make sure he got you back."

  "What?" Blake says in disbelief.

  "You all remember I told Jax no at first. Then Sammi did some digging, and found Shannon's original case files and tracked her through face recognition. When I knew for certain she was in that ring, I changed my mind."

  "You came in there just to save me?"

  "Yes. I couldn't say no knowing you were in there. It was my only chance. If I didn't act, you'd have been lost. The ring would've killed you. No one would've found your
body. Your family would've been left wondering what happened. No one deserves to be forgotten." I close my eyes, breathing deep.

  "He almost beat you to death," she whispers.

  "I'd do it all over again if it meant you’d never feel the bite of a cane or the way your flesh tears under a flogger. You're his sister, I care about you whether I want to or not."

  "You almost died! Do you have any idea how hard that was to watch?" She shoots up off the sofa.

  "Not as hard as it was to experience." I try to smile.

  "Oh, screw you and your smart mouth." Her face turns a darkening shade of red.

  My eyes widen in shock. Shannon hadn't struck me as the yelling type.

  "Calm down, it's over." I shrug my shoulders, pushing the pain to the back of mind as I've done so many times before.

  "No, I won't calm down! I watched him beat you and rape you, and then I watched you slit his throat as if he was a god-damned animal, oh, and that was after you strung him up and beat him with his own weapons! I can't even close my eyes without seeing one of those moments replaying in my head!"

  "Enough!" I push out of my chair. Shannon drops to the sofa, her mouth hanging open. My heart pounds in my ears, blood rushing to my face and heating it like lava over a village.

  Breathe, Lily.

  "Saving you was the first truly good thing I've done in ten years. You have a family that loves you. I'd have given anything for that. I don't remember my life before being a slave. My parents sold me when I was eight, and by the time I was seventeen, I'd had enough. Jax saved me, trained me, and gave me a purpose— a promise of revenge. It's all I know."

  "Seventeen," Monroe says with venom, glaring from me to Jax.

  I ignore him.

  "I've killed a lot of people since then and enjoyed every minute of it. If you didn't notice, I had a smile on my face as I ran that knife across Bennington's throat."

  "Lily, stop," Blake says quietly.

  "No, that life is all I know. It was all I knew . . . until you." I round on Blake, gritting my teeth. "With your smart ass comments, warmth, and your inability to just let me be, you gave me the one thing I needed more than revenge, and it took being in that torture chamber for the last two months for me to see it."

  "To see what?" Blake whispers.

  I smile a sad, defeated smile, my anger evaporating.

  "I needed someone to love me enough to not give up. The team's been here, but they've been nothing more than friendships I refused to accept. I never questioned the assignments or being used as bait because I never thought I was made for anything else. And, I don't care if this ends my career or ruins my life."

  I take a step forward.

  "Working for Interpol did more damage than anything else. The last thing I needed when Jax found me was an auction, but that was the only thing he saw when he looked at me. Raw clay he could mold into the perfect weapon." Slowly, I turn toward Jax.

  He stands, his eyes locked on mine, his gaze defiant and pissed. I walk over, standing directly in front of him.

  "I gave you a purpose," he growls, looking down at me.

  "You kept me shattered. Every buyer, every kill, every auction— kept me locked in the past. That's why you tried to take me off this case. I see it now. You know you can't have total control anymore. I don't care why, but I know I'll never do it again. I'll never go undercover, and I'll never stand on another auction block. I'm done."

  I turn and walk toward Blake.

  "You loved it, Lily. Your eyes light up when you kill and you know it. No matter what you think, this is what you're made for." Jax's voice rises with each word.

  "You're right. I loved every minute of it," I stop in front of Blake, gazing up into his eyes. "But I finally found something I love more."

  Blake reaches out and runs his fingers through my hair, leaning in to kiss my forehead. He sits down and pulls me into his lap, nuzzling his nose in my hair. It doesn't matter what else is happening, he makes me feel okay, and I'm not going to spend every minute of my life fighting it anymore.

  Heaving a sigh, Hyde stands. "You forged documents and used an underage child as bait in sting operations. I don't even know what the fuck to do with this. We'll make it simple until I can talk to the proper people and figure this mind-fuck out. Jax you're fired. Dresden and Lily will head the team."

  "Wait, Hyde, I can't run this team," I stammer, sitting up in Blake's lap.

  "Yes, you can, and you will— with Dresden's help. Jax, let's go. You and I will go to DC and see what will be done about your endangerment of Agent Williams and your team for the last decade."

  Jax and Hyde walk to the front door, my eyes following them the entire way.

  What the fuck just happened?

  Jax looks over his shoulder, a sad smile on his lips. "I'll see you again, Lily."

  †††

  By Saturday, I need to get out of this apartment. My head pulses and aches— an atomic bomb looking for a place to go off.

  I force Blake to stay home, placating his worries about me leaving by bringing Hayato with me. We're at the Harbor, sitting on a stone bench. I'm staring out at the water, mesmerized as the waves gently break against the walls and boats nestled around the docks.

  Baltimore isn't so bad.

  "You feel any better, Lily?" Hayato slides his cell phone into his pocket.

  "Not really."

  "Starting something new is never easy, especially for people like you," he says. "But, as my grandfather used to say, the one burnt by hot milk will blow on the ice-cream."

  I press my lips together and tilt my head. "What?"

  "You ever heard the phrase, once bitten, twice shy? Same thing. You been hurt by a man when you were very young, now, you fear all men or you did." He reaches over and places his hand on my thigh, squeezing gently. "You need to breath, Lily. Take it one day at a time. You’re still not healed fully. Don't rush it. Let it happen the way the universe intends for it to." He gives me a knowing smile, his black hair glinting in the sun.

  "Yeah," I whisper, fidgeting with my fingers as I look back to the water.

  †††

  Hayato and I sit for hours as the sun moves overhead, shifting the colors in the water and the glare off the buildings. It's peaceful, and there's no need to fill the silence with pointless chatter.

  Someone clears their throat and we both turn our heads in unison. Dresden is standing two feet away, hands in his pockets. Hayato gets up, shakes his hand, and walks toward the car. Dresden sits down next to me, his leg almost touching mine.

  "You okay?"

  "I think so."

  His eyes are full of concern. "Hyde called this morning. Jax is being sent to a hearing next week."

  "I figured that would happen. Hyde seemed pretty pissed."

  "We all are right now, Lily. You never should've been recruited." He pauses, dragging in a breath. "And while none of us can deny you're an amazing agent, the fact is, we all participated in the undercover stuff and you were a child."

  "Do you regret working with me all this time?" The hurt is evident in my tone, even though I try to hide it.

  He rubs his eyes, sighing loudly. "Of course not. I care for you, very much, Lil. But you were so young. Had I known . . . I never would've got you into an auction."

  "I don't expect you all to understand."

  "We don't need to understand why you followed Jax. There are things we'd like to know, but we have time for that."

  "Yeah."

  "We should head back. You’ve been gone for hours, and Blake's starting to drive us nuts. Caleb's there trying to distract him, but it isn't really working."

  I chuckle. Blake's going to drive me insane with his overprotective shenanigans. I stand, reaching toward the clouds, stretching, my muscles burning from the stiffness. I jerk my head toward the car and Dres smiles.

  "Game of pool when we get back?"

  I scoff. "You really want to have your ego smashed today?"

  "Ha! You wish, weib
chen."

  "Little woman? I'll show you little woman, you fucking German psycho." Lashing out playfully, I punch him in his bicep and haul ass toward the car.

  I beat him by seconds and jump in the driver's seat, locking the doors. He bangs on the window, laughing freely. I know Dresden too well and reach up, flipping the visor down. The keys fall into my lap. I jingle them in his view, grinning.

  "Don't do it, Lily. I’ll kick your ass," he yells playfully through the window.

  I slide the key into the ignition and start the SUV. His eyes narrow, daring me to move. I laugh so hard my sides ache. Finally, I unlock the doors. Dresden stomps around the car, climbing in and slamming the door. He looks like a petulant teenager with his bottom lip thrust out.

  "Let's go before I decide to throw your ass in the harbor," he smirks.

  I laugh harder.

  †††

  Dresden and I walk into the apartment and my stomach sinks. Miranda is sitting next to Blake at the island, touching his arm. Unbidden, images of them together flash through my mind making my blood boil. Everything from the past few days fades away, the urge to remove her hand, in a painful manner, from his body surging through my veins. Jealousy is a new feeling to me, but I kinda like it. Makes me think less. Their eyes meet mine, Blake looks worried while Miranda's face portrays nothing but fear.

  I reach inside my jacket, unraveling the long black whip. I move forward, my eyes locked on her, and a hate fire raging so big inside me it could light up all of Alaska.

  "No, Lily," Dresden yells as the commotion breaks loose.

  Surprisingly, I'm calm . . . on the outside.

  Vlad grabs my other arm as he and Dresden pull me backward. Miranda jumps from her chair and hides behind Blake.

  "Every time you touch him it just makes this worse," I say in an even tone.

  She glances up at Blake and side steps away from him. "Lily, I came to say sorry."

  My eyes narrow. "Fuck your apology."