The air in the room seemed to thin. The music changed, dropping lower and slower, the bass vibrating so hard it shook her entire body. It was then that she picked up on the low moans in the room. Moans of pain, not pleasure. Before she could make sense of any of it, the guard flung her to her knees on the floor. She caught herself with her hands, jarring her palms and shoulders. “Ow!”
“Carlos, you bring her in here?”
At the sound of the familiar furious voice, she jerked her head up in surprise—and found herself staring in mute shock into the deep soulful eyes of Luis Despasco. He sat on a black leather sofa, next to a beautiful young blonde girl. “Luis?”
He tsked and shook his head from side to side. “What are you doing here, Tomi?”
“I—I forgot my passport,” she stammered out, still too shocked to comprehend the scene around her. “What is this?”
The girl next to Luis cringed away, only to be yanked back into the spot with a harsh command. Luis turned his attention back to her as if nothing had happened. “This is something I’d hoped you would never see. This is my business, the business I like to keep quiet.”
“I thought you sold computer chips or something,” she said in a small voice.
Luis bent down and gently lifted her from the floor, allowing her to shake free of his hold once she was on her feet. He rested his shoulders back against the couch, swinging his arms out across the back with a chuckle. “I do that also, on the side, but I’ve found this trade to be much more…lucrative.”
Luis slowly wound a long strand of hair around his finger, tugging the terrified blonde girl closer. Tomi started to shake.
“I—I’m sorry I interrupted.” She needed to get out of here now. This wasn’t a normal party—not even a normal play party—something was seriously wrong here.
“I’m sorry too. Rafael is going to be very upset when he comes home and finds his favorite nanny missing.” Luis stroked the blonde’s cheek as he said it, as if Tomi were no longer worthy of his attention.
She took a terrified step back and bumped into Carlos. Before she could take another step, his thick arm wrapped around her waist, trapping her arms at her sides. He spoke, his hot breath right at her ear. “Boss?”
Luis’s hand dropped to the girl’s chest, toying with the breasts barely covered by a thin strap. “Take her to my personal holding area. I’ll need to make arrangements. And you – we will have a discussion about your ignorance, Carlos.”
“Arrangements?” She tried to swallow, but her throat had closed off.
“You are too old for this shipment, but we can still get a good price for you at the Golden Auction next week.”
Auction?
“Luis, don’t do this,” she managed to gasp out. “I signed your NDA. I won’t say anything.”
Carlos’s arm tightened, cutting off her words.
“No bruising, Carlos.” Luis finally turned his attention away from the girl and got to his feet in a fluid motion. For the first time since she’d met him, Tomi flinched when he drew near. He traced her cheek with the back of his finger, exactly like he’d done to the girl on the couch mere seconds before. Her stomach rolled.
“You are precisely what I’ve been looking for. François has been begging for someone like you. I really am sorry about this. My son truly cared for you.”
“Then let me go. I won’t tell anyone. We can go on, like before.” Anything to get her out of here, now.
“I’m afraid it’s too late for that. These girls will be sold tonight, and next week, so will you.” Luis flicked his hand and Carlos dragged her even deeper into the subterranean room. They passed a low stage, lit by yellow lights arranged at intervals across the bottom. Five women swayed on bare feet. The thin silver cuffs clasped over their bare ankles were their only covering.
“You heard the boss. You’ll be on that stage soon enough, puta.” Carlos yanked her to his chest and roughly pawed her ass. “Maybe I will be the one to buy you, eh?” He shoved her away with a rough laugh, holding on to her arm as he continued to pull her behind him.
Then they were in a dark hallway, lit just enough to highlight their feet. Finally, he shoved her through a door at the end. Tomi landed on the floor, taking the brunt of her weight on her side.
She scrambled to her feet, horror rolling through her as she took in a giant bed draped in chains and metal cuffs.
Carlos shut the door and then turned to her, an evil grin spreading across his scarred face.
Tomi threw up her hand, blurting out the only sensible thing that came to her mind. “Luis said not to hurt me!”
“No, puta, he said no bruises. Believe me, I can hurt you without leaving a mark.” He shrugged out of his suit jacket as he spoke, the action casual and unhurried. “Luis doesn’t mind if I sample the merchandise every now and then.”
Suddenly, he dove for her. Tomi launched to the right out of instinct. Carlos flew past, but his arm shot out and slammed into her chest, throwing her back with him. She hit the floor with a grunt.
Carlos got his arms underneath him before she could drag in a breath. Blood blasting through her veins, Tomi rolled to the side and up to her feet. She spun to face him, chest heaving. “Let me go.”
“You’ll regret that.” He dove again, grabbed her arms, and threw her across the room. She hit the wall. Pain blasted across her left shoulder and she slumped to the floor.
Tomi tried to get to her feet, but as soon as she shifted, white-hot agony sliced across her shoulder again.
Carlos advanced on her with a gruesome smile.
Tomi retreated in the only direction she could—toward the bed. When her knees hit the back, she stopped, desperately searching for anything to use as a weapon.
“You’re making my life much easier. I might not hurt you for that.” He took another step, shrinking the distance between them by another foot. “Maybe.”
She couldn’t think. Everything was happening too fast. Tomi tried to move her left arm again, but it wouldn’t budge. As if sensing her weakness, Carlos lunged. On instinct, Tomi grabbed the heavy chained cuff on the bed behind her and swung. The metal connected with his temple in a dull thud and he dropped at her feet, out cold.
Weak-kneed with relief, she bit her lip, fighting through her terror to figure out what to do. If he woke up it was over. She would die. No, he probably wouldn’t kill her at first, but he’d make her wish she was dead—she knew that much without question. Tomi gulped air in deep, heaving breaths. He’d almost raped her. Luis wanted to sell her. This was an auction. Oh my God, she was still trapped.
2
Think, think, think, Tomi. But her brain wasn’t capable of it right now. Forget about formulating a plan, she could barely get her numb fingers to move.
How could she have been so blind? She’d naïvely accepted everything Luis had told her about being an electronics millionaire. Now that she knew the truth, there’d been signs. The secrecy. The nights he’d insisted she leave the property. His frequent trips. But his son, his sweet, innocent son, had sold her on the job.
If she didn’t get out of here, though, she would literally be sold.
Tomi drew in a deep, steadying breath that did absolutely nothing to calm her racing heart. Before she could talk herself into hiding like a coward under the bed, she forced herself to her feet, dimly aware of the lurid red plush carpet sinking beneath her tennis shoes. This room was everything she’d ever imagined a slave bordello would look like, handcuffs and chains included. And out there, the music continued to drum with grotesque sexuality.
And that was her only way out, back through the throngof naked women and the well-dressed men holding their leashes. Her T-shirt and khaki shorts would stand out like a flame in a dark room.
On shaky legs, she went to a huge hand-carved wooden Armoire in the corner and pulled the door open. She nearly collapsed with relief when she saw multiple garments hanging inside. Tomi fingered a scrappy black silk get up, not garments really. Garments cover
ed people and these things were meant to reveal. She swiftly moved from one skimpy piece of lingerie to the next, growing more desperate as she searched. She couldn’t wear something that would so fully expose her. Hell, she’d worn skimpy outfits to the club, but they’d always covered the essentials. The thought of a stranger seeing her in something like this made her stomach dive to her knees.
But the other contents of the chest reminded her of the stakes. A row of thin canes lined the back behind the clothes, arranged in descending order from longest to shortest. Three coiled black whips hung from brackets on the inside of the right door, each one looking scarier than the last, and a set of gorgeous knives with what had to be hand-carved opal handles hung from the left. Their beauty belied their ugliness.
Tomi glanced over her shoulder at the unconscious guard on the floor, knowing that he would’ve eagerly used these devices to cause her pain and torture had Luis not ordered him to leave her without bruises.
Her eyes flicked back to the clothing.
But what choice did she have? If she walked out there in her clothes, they’d nab her before she took two steps into the room and then where would she be? She’d be strapped right down to that bed, completely at the mercy of the guard who’d no doubt make her scream in pain for knocking him out cold.
As if on cue, he moaned. Tomi jumped and blindly snatched a garment from the Armoire and shucked her shorts and shirt. She ripped the pale pink and white baby doll over her head, refusing to look down at the completely sheer fabric, knowing it had done nothing to hide her private parts, but it was the only piece of clothing she’d seen in there that would cover more than just her nipples. She felt the soft sheer chiffon skim across the top of her thighs. Her ass would be hanging out, but at least it might survive the night.
The guard moaned again, and she ran across the room to him. She yanked the black pistol from the holster at his hip and, with an unsteady grip, took aim at his head. She absolutely couldn’t let him leave this room. If he woke up, he’d alert everyone.
So, what are you going to do? Shoot him? You’ve never even held a gun before.
Her aim dropped, and she stared at the man at her feet without really seeing him. If he woke up, it would all be over. He’d beat her and rape her and torture her to death—she’d seen the maniacal gleam in his dark eyes. It was either him or her, and she had no intention of dying in this place. Not when she hadn’t really lived her life at all.
Her grip firmed again as she studied the weapon, her finger dropping down to caress the trigger. She could do this—all she had to do was close her eyes and squeeze.
She’d be doing the world a favor if she stopped this maniac from hurting any of those other girls out there. The taste of hot metal burned the back of her tongue as bile rushed up her throat. Kill him.
She couldn’t, dammit. She couldn’t shoot him; the thought was too wretched. Besides, no matter how loud the music was in the other room, it seemed likely a bullet would be heard over it. But she couldn’t let him wake up and warn the others. Tomi glanced up at the massive chains hanging from the bed, her gaze narrowing on the thick, blood-coated silver one in the center. She might not be able to put a bullet in the man’s head but she sure as hell could knock him out again. Tomi shifted her hand around the barrel of the gun, her grip awkward and unsure but full of resolve. She lifted her hand high and brought the weapon down on the guard’s temple as hard as she could, targeting the same spot where she’d hit him before.
The gun made a sick sort of thud and bounced off the man’s skull in a way that made her stomach roll. He stopped moaning and went completely still, and for a moment, she was scared to death she might’ve actually killed him. She scrambled back on her hands and feet, the gun clattering uselessly to the carpet at her side. Then she ran to the door, leaving the weapon where it lay. Her skimpy, sheer outfit left her with nowhere to hide it, and if she carried it out there, she’d draw as much attention to herself as if she wore the T-shirt and shorts. Someone might shoot first and ask questions later. Tomi grabbed the door handle and paused, the scene beyond replaying in her mind. All those women had been wearing collars and shackles, yet she wore none.
The thought sent her feet running back toward the cabinet. She’d seen plenty of collars and cuffs lying at the bottom beneath the clothing. Like she was shoving her hand into a nest of live snakes, she stuck her hand into the pile of metal and grabbed blindly. Her hand wrapped around the thickest object, which turned out to be a black collar studded with silver spikes. With a silent cry, Tomi dropped the collar and kicked it beneath the dresser. She went in for another one, and this time she pulled on what tiny amount of courage she had left and actually looked through the selection.
Toward the back corner lay a thick ropelike silver choker and two matching silver cuffs, each about two inches wide. She slid the cuffs on first, fighting the urge to claw them from her arms as soon as they were in place. The second she escaped from this place, she would take them off and throw them in the trash. Next, she lifted the collar to strap it around her neck, studying the oddly shaped clasps in confusion. It took a few seconds of experimentation, but she finally discovered it fit together with a jigsaw-like pattern. Moving quickly, she latched it behind her neck, the chain pulled tight across her throat, making her feel like someone was choking her.
Come on, get your shit together. She only had to wear these until she escaped. Until, not if. She couldn’t accept the alternative.
Tomi was in the process of stepping away when she spied the silver knife set once more. The top blade was tiny, barely four inches long. This was something she could hide in her palm. If she kept her hand down and pressed to her side, the silver could blend in. And she wouldn’t have to go out there completely defenseless.
Tomi grabbed the knife and rushed to the door, creaking it open. The music was so much louder out here, and its loud, pulsing beat filled her ears as she stared through the cracked door down the empty hallway. She contemplated it for a full minute before easing the door open and tiptoeing outside. The floors were cold and dark here, the hall dimly lit. She passed the doors on the sides without stopping, the moans coming from within taking on an entirely new meaning. Tomi made it to the end of the hall, put her hand on the doorknob, and then froze in place. Out there was Luis’s auction. It was also her only possible escape route. She couldn’t make her feet move; terror snaked its way around her body and locked her organs down tight.
Suddenly one of the doorways in the halls burst open. Tomi plastered herself against the wall, somehow managing to squeeze in between a small statue and a couple of potted plants. Unable to breathe or close her eyes, she watched silently as a man stumbled out of the room, chest naked, pulling up his pants and zipping and buttoning them as he walked. He passed right by her, heading into the crowded club, and then returned a moment later carrying a large snifter of liquor. He went back to his room and kicked the door shut.
Tomi blew out the desperate breath she’d been holding and inched to the door. I can do this. She grabbed the handle, gave herself a silent pep talk, and then pushed into the pulsating room. Immediately, she hunched her shoulders and looked down, hoping to pull off the submissive pose and wind her way through the crowd without being noticed.
Too bad her plan was just crap. She got about two feet before a man grabbed her wrist and yanked her onto his lap. Her knife flew from her hand and slid across the floor, disappearing from view in the crowd. Tomi cried out and tried to struggle away, but he just laughed and turned her so that she lay face down on his lap, pinned in place. His hand slid up her thighs, straight to her nearly naked core. “Yummy.”
“No! Luis! Luis!”
“Luis doesn’t care about you, ma petite.” The man with the accented voice carried on touching her without pause. His thick fingers started rubbing up and down her slit, separated only by her panties. When his fingers tried to roll underneath the fabric, she screamed louder and started kicking with all her strength. This resulte
d in her being shoved to the floor. “Crazy bitch.”
She managed to scramble a few feet away and then take off running for the door at the foot of the stairs. But just like before, a meaty arm hooked her and reeled her in like she was a fish. The man grabbed her ass and squeezed. She got one look at his excited face and knew he’d be more trouble. “Let me go.”
This guy grabbed her face, nearly crushing her jaw in his grip. “Shut up. You don’t speak. You suck.” Before she could process, he shoved her to her knees and unzipped his black trousers.
No. No. No.
Tomi lunged away, but he grabbed her hair and yanked her back. Pain cut across her skull and she screamed.
“I teach you to fight. Take her to my personal suite,” he said, addressing someone over her shoulder. “This one needs a private lesson.” The colossal man rubbed his hands together in anticipation and Tomi almost vomited.
She turned and ran, blindly, straight into a solid chest. “Yes, boss. I take her now. Want me to chain her for you?”
No! She didn’t want to be chained by these Russian-sounding brutes.
“Yes, Ivan, chain her good.”
Ivan hefted her under his arm, fireman style, and headed right back toward Luis’s couch. The music was so loud she wasn’t sure he’d hear her, but she had to try. Maybe he would help her out of love for his son. Maybe. “Luis! Help!”
Luis looked up and met her gaze. His black eyes were dark with passion. The young blonde knelt between his knees, taking him into her mouth. Luis smiled. “Bring her to me.”
The younger girl stopped and he slapped her, hard. “Did I tell you to stop?”
Wild Fury_Fury Security Page 2