by Brooke Page
“This is the Cage, where the auctioning takes place.”
I held my composure together. This was where we’d make the bust. I’d have to mentally map out where this room was in the building.
We made it back to the front where Christina was, her lust filled gaze trying to catch mine. Only this time Marcus went to her, grabbing her ass then making his way to a hallway on the opposite side as where the sanctuary was.
“Your client is here,” she purred, watching Marcus and I as we passed by.
“Excellent, assume he’s waiting for us?”
“Yes, I brought him back to your meeting room.”
“He’ll want to make a pre-sale so no one else throws out an offer, but we don’t allow them. He’ll have to wait until the auction in a week. No matter how much money he’ll try to throw at us. Do you understand?”
I nodded.
“Good. This won’t be necessary for future girls. We’ll do it the traditional way, I’m only allowing this because I want you to get a feel for how this works.”
“Okay.” I took a big breath through my nostrils, staring at the grains in the wood door.
He turned the handle, revealing a dimly lit room with abstract paintings of birds on the wall, a set of cream chairs with a dark coffee table between them.
A man was sitting in one of the chairs, his leg crossed over the other while his fingers twirled the goatee on his chin. His hair was white, tied back in a ponytail. Maybe in his fifties and held a lean stature. No one would ever suspect him to be purchasing a human being for his own pleasure. It was fucking sick, and I had to work extra hard to keep my hands from strangling him.
“Mr. Tarby, welcome. Did my assistant offer you a drink?”
He nodded. “Yes. Let’s get to business, shall we?”
The irritation in his voice was obvious. Maybe it was because it was past two in the morning. I was right there with him.
“I’d like to introduce you to Vance, the Dove’s seller.” Marcus nudged me forward.
I held my hand out for him to shake, offering him a smile. He remained passive, eyeing my hand before cautiously shaking it. His hands were as cold as an iceberg, and his grip was weaker than an elder on their death bed.
“So you’re who I’ll either be cursing at or thanking come next week?”
I laughed. “I can assure you, you’ll be pleased with the woman I’ve found for you. She matches the description Marcus gave me.”
He didn’t bat an eye at my smile, and making it tough to keeping my expression easy and from faltering. was tough. He didn’t give much away by his mannerisms and appearing more pissed off than intrigued. He was a creepy mother fucker.
“If you’re unhappy with the girl, they’ll be plenty more to choose from,” Marcus added.
Mr. Tarby’s gaze moved between Marcus and I, and finally, a wide grin spread across his face. “I’d be disappointed if there weren’t multiple women. In fact, I’m interested in two.”
Did he want two women with the same profile?
The wheels in Marcus’s heads were turning. He was on the same wavelength as I was.
Mr. Tarby cocked his head to the side, both his hands resting on his knees. “I’ve got this twin fantasy…”
I swallowed. “Twins aren’t easy to come by.”
“They don’t have to be by blood, a pair with similar features and hair color will do.”
The sweat on the back of my neck returned.
Marcus’s grin widened. “Not an easy task, it’ll cost you.”
“I planned on spending a pretty penny on these women to begin with, money isn’t an issue.” His arrogance was apparent, and by the way his lip curled, it was obvious he was offended.
The gleam in Marcus’s eye was sickening. “It’ll cost you triple.”
Tarby didn’t flinch. “Does that mean you can make it happen?”
I cut Marcus off before he could make a guarantee. “No, it doesn’t.”
Marcus glared at me. “Yes, it does.”
“Not within a week,” I muttered under my breath, my brows narrowing in his direction.
“Excuse us a moment, would you, Mr. Tarby?” Marcus smiled, but murder was in his eyes once we were in the hallway.
He pushed me against the wall, his breath hot on my face. “You’re bringing Owens in Friday morning. This is too big of an opportunity.”
I snorted. “Opportunity? To sell two for the price of three? Are you hurting that bad?”
He glowered, his words hissing out of his mouth. “When are you going to learn? Why aren’t you money driven? Get that pussy off your brain and get into the game! There are thousands of sluts on The Shore you can dip your cock into. After Friday, you’ll find another sad little girl whose mom and dad hate her, and you can fuck her until your dick falls off. But right now, you need to focus and bring in the girl laying in your bed, otherwise you’re going to regret taking part in this family business.”
My jaw clenched, and as badly as I wanted to punch him over and over as if he were a boxing bag, I kept my cool. “She’s leaving town.”
He furrowed his brows. “What do you mean, she’s leaving town?”
I stepped forward, causing Marcus to move backward. “She’s going back home to help her mom recover from her overdose.”
“Get her ass in before she’s gone,” he snarled.
I shook my head in disbelief. “And when she doesn’t come back to her mother? What’s going to happen? Cops will be all over this town.”
“I’ll take care of her mother.”
My brows narrowed. “You’re being absurd and fucking insane.”
He grabbed a hold of my chin, the devil in his eyes. “Watch your mouth, boy. I know how this works, you don’t. Now go back in there and tell him we’ll deliver, whether it be Owens or another lanky blonde you find.” His thumb and fingers dug into my jaw, and by the painful pressure, fresh red marks would be on either side of my chin from his fingers.
I grabbed his wrist, yanking it from my face. “Don’t fucking touch me,” I growled. “I’m not a little boy anymore.”
His eyes stayed glued to mine, the fury and rage seeping from the dilating of his irises. I bit the insides of my cheeks, anxiously awaiting his wrath. Pretending to give a shit about him and his empire was fading fast, and I wouldn’t be able to hold it together for much longer. I was about to knock him to the ground, but a broad grin spread across his face and a hackle released from his mouth.
“You’ve got some real balls, kid. I raised you right.”
My brows furrowed in confusion. He really was insane.
And dangerous.
Once Marcus regained his composure, he fixed his suit jacket and waved to Percy who was standing outside the door to the room Tarby was in. “Now, go in there and tell Tarby what he wants to hear.”
I ground my teeth and walked passed Marcus into the room.
Mr. Tarby was sitting with his legs crossed now, his posture perfectly poised. The glasses he wore hung low on his nose, and he tilted his head downward so he could see through them to focus on me.
Marcus was quick behind me.
I didn’t bother to take a seat. “I’ll do my best to bring you two Doves, but I won’t make any guarantees.”
Marcus didn’t blink once, but I knew he wasn’t happy with my response to Tarby.
Tarby bit his bottom lip, pulling it inside then releasing it. After a few agonizing moments of silence, Tarby opened his mouth to speak. “Guess that will have to do, unless I want to cross the border.”
I held my breath, only releasing it once Tarby flashed a smile.
He stood and slapped both Marcus and I on the shoulder. “I was joking, gentlemen. Don’t be so uptight. I’ll be back on Friday, fresh and as ready as a teenager.”
Marcus laughed and shook his hand. “We do have rooms for that, if you’re interested.”
He shook his head. “I prefer to enjoy my women in the comforts of my own dungeon.”
&nbs
p; We all laughed, but I knew he wasn’t speaking hypothetically. He most likely had chains and drugs and all things necessary to keep the poor women slaved to him.
Stepping between us, Tarby made his farewell. “I’ll see you two next Friday,” then disappeared.
I bit my tongue, failing to keep my lip from quivering when I smiled and waved goodbye.
Marcus’s grin snapped to a scowl the moment Tarby left. “You’re lucky that went well.”
“I was honest with him. You’d be surprised how far telling the truth can take you.”
Marcus narrowed his eyes at me, his tone low and threatening. “The truth won’t set you free, son.”
I met his hard stare, my teeth clenching. He only studied my face, the wheels turning in his head. He was searching for something, and I wasn’t sure what. Then to my surprise, he gently cupped my cheek. “We’re family, Vancy. Our honesty to each other will always come first. This is why I let you into this side of the business. I want you to be a part of this family and to be successful by my side. Remember, blood is thicker than-”
“The mud the world will drag you through,” I finished his sentence.
Tapping my cheek, he gave me a nod. “Now, go bring me another girl.” He turned to leave, mumbling something to Percy on his way out.
Releasing a deep breath, I put both of my hands on my head. If I hadn’t blown my cover yet, I would soon. I couldn’t do this for much longer.
Taking a few deep inhales, I contemplated my options. I already felt terrible targeting Abby and having to put her through the drugs. Who knew how long Riley’s team would take to come in and burn the whole operation. What if Tarby left with her before they made the sting? I’d have to talk to Riley.
My feet couldn’t move fast enough to get out of there and back to my shop. I needed to figure out what the fuck I was going to do. I didn’t make it very far, though, because I big fist clobbered me right in the eye when I turned to go down the hall.
My hands instinctively covered my eye, the throbbing unbearable. I bit the insides of my cheeks to keep from yelling in pain, but the next blow to my stomach was even worse. I thought my insides were going to explode from the hit dropping me to my knees. I coughed to catch my breath, but was greeted with a shoe to my jaw, clipping my lip in the process.
“Fuck!” I shouted, unable to control myself. Now my face was on fire, pure pain covered all of my features.
“Boss wants you to remember your roll, and to not defy him again.” Percy’s deep timbre rang over my grunts of discomfort.
“Fuck you, Percy,” I spat, scrambling to my feet, doing my best to fight the pain spreading throughout my body.
“You’re welcome,” he chuckled, slapping my back with his massive hand. “Come on, I’ll take you home. You’re gonna need to ice that,” he laughed, motioning to my fat lip and swelling eye.
I snarled at him, covering my face with my hands. Marcus had it coming to him, and I couldn’t wait to see his ass behind bars.
Chapter Fourteen
Lauren
“Have you heard from Vance?” I asked Colt, who was price tagging a box full of surfboard wax.
“No, he’s always tied up when he’s meeting with product buyers. Don’t worry if he isn’t answering your calls.” His response was passive, and I should have believed him, but the awkward feeling in my gut wouldn’t go away.
“We’ll see him tonight, Lo, don’t worry.” Marcy sighed, flipping through a magazine by the cash register. “At least we better.” She glared in Colt’s direction, her eyes burning into him enough to stop what he was doing.
“What? I’m not his keeper.” He scowled.
Marcy cocked her head and widened her eyes at him.
“I mean, I’m sure he’ll be there. He misses you, too.”
I sighed, continuing to fold a stack of t-shirts. “I wish he would tell me,” I mumbled.
He was so confusing. When we were together, it was as if I couldn’t leave his side. He was constantly paranoid and checking over his shoulder. He treated me how a boyfriend should, but the moment we were apart, it was like he had fallen off the face of the earth and become unreachable.
I didn’t want to be the obnoxious girlfriend who constantly called and texted, so I kept my hands in my pockets and only stared at my phone, willing him to respond, but he never did. He didn’t even text me goodnight last night. He had messaged me every night since our epic day at the beach, but I didn’t receive one text from him all day.
“Come on, Lo, let’s go get ready for tonight,” Marcy sang, skipping toward me and grabbing my arm. “I’ve been looking forward to going out all week!”
Her ecstatic demeanor was infectious, and smiling happened instantly when I looked at her. She was glowing, and the happiest I had seen her in very long time.
“Yeah, you girls go ahead., I’ll close up shop and pick you up in a couple of hours.”
Marcy squealed, leaving my side and sprinting to Colt. She hugged his arm and pulled so he would lean down to kiss her. He smiled like an idiot, kissing her over and over, then peppering them rapidly across her cheek. Marcy giggled, loving his attention.
Marcy left Colt’s side and ran over to me. “Let’s stop and get new dresses!”
I shrugged, unsure if I should spend the money. She narrowed her eyes at me, knowing what I was thinking before I spoke.
“We just got paid, and I know it was more than enough to last us the next week and then some. Come on, I saw a white flowy sundress that will look amazing on you, and I bet Vance will like it, too.” She wiggled her eyebrows, and I shook my head while laughing.
“Alright, we’ll check it out,” I considered, grabbing my keys from the counter.
Colt brought the price tag machine to the counter and gave us a grin, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a wad of cash. “Here, it’s the end of the month and Vance likes to give bonuses.”
I frowned, and Marcy grinned.
“Well, thank you very much, Vance! Come on, Lo, I think we need to grab a new pair of shoes, too.”
Marcy yanked on my arm and dragged me to the car. “I hate how he gives us money for no reason,” I grumbled.
Marcy hopped in the passenger side. “Why? He likes to provide. It’s a good quality for husband material.”
My breath caught in my throat. “Now let’s not get carried away,” I stammered, tucking my hair behind my ears. “We’ve barely known each other. It’s been what, a month?”
“So,” she flipped her hair and rolled the window down, sliding her glasses up the bridge of her nose. “You’ve been more interested in him than any other guy, including Colby. Not to mention you’ve actually been happy. You’ve got this glow that screams, I’m in love.”
My heart skipped a beat. “Maybe, but I don’t know, Marcy. He’s so wishy washy.”
“How?” She glanced in the review mirror, her lips curling downward.
“He’s so hot and cold. When we’re together, he’s interested, almost feels invested in the idea of us, but then he falls off the face of the earth. He didn’t even text me yesterday, and only a few times the past three days, and only because I’ve initiated.”
She leaned forward, adjusting the mirror. I frowned, slightly annoyed she was touching it when she wasn’t even driving. “Maybe I’m being sensitive and over-thinking it, but then I see you with Colt. He rarely keeps you out of his sight.”
Marcy’s jaw began to clench while she looked in the mirror. “Yeah, he’s fucking behind us,” she muttered, then slammed her body back against her seat, crossing both of her arms. “I told him he needed to give us girl time, yet there he is, going behind my back and spying on me. Watch, when we park at the store, he’s going to linger behind us. He’s been creeping on me, Lo, and it’s starting to freak me out.”
I glanced in my side mirror. “Is he really behind us? Who’s at the shop?”
“He probably turned the open sign to closed! I’m telling you, it’s like he’s watching me
twenty-four-seven!”
Sure enough, it was Colt’s car, traveling a safe distance behind us. “Maybe he’s paranoid. Both him and Vance talk about how The Shore isn’t safe.”
She took her glasses off and glared at me. “We’re together in broad daylight. What could really happen? I didn’t want to tell you this, but I’ve seen cars staked outside of YaYa’s place every night, and I think it involves Colt. It’s like he doesn’t trust me or something.”
I shrugged, not sure how to take this new information. I didn’t have any enemies, at least none here would be watching. The only time I was being watched was in school by the system. If I had to guess, the social worker kept in touch with Child Protective Services regarding my relationship with my mother. I even remember a woman who would check in for a while. It’s probably why my mother was so paranoid about leaving her stash out in the open and attempting to keep the trailer somewhat clean. It stopped by the time I reached middle school, and she spiraled even worse through my high school years.
“Watch him,” she muttered as we pulled into the shop. “He’s going to park in the lot across the street.”
As she predicted, he turned in the parking lot, parking a safe distance away.
“Ugh! Whatever happened to privacy?” She groaned, swinging her door open and tugging her purse over her shoulder.
I followed her into the store. “Are you going to talk to him about it?”
“Eventually. Part of me wants to play with him a bit. Do something to piss him off. Maybe there will be a super hot guy I can flirt with in the store.”
“Do you think he’ll actually come inside?” I assumed he’d stay in the car.
She bit her lip when we walked through the door. “I’m not sure.”
We found a rack of dresses, thumbing through them. Marcy was distracted, constantly watching the door or looking over her shoulder. She really needed to confront him about his stalkerish ways, or if anything, ask about the cars parked outside of YaYa’s house.
“Is this the dress you were thinking?” I asked, holding up a beautiful strapless sundress that would flow a few inches above the knee, with white imprinted flowers down the length of my hips and thighs. I couldn’t wait to try it on along with a few others.