Ruby’s expression had shifted and was now unreadable. Greyson was on her own. A knot formed in her stomach. She knew she was about to be tested and she had no idea what to do.
Greyson did her best to appear unconcerned as she approached the gruff-looking man. “What’s up, Uncle Dan? It’s not like you to make social calls.”
“Shut up, foolish girl. If you keep your mouth shut, you might learn something.”
Greyson’s confusion grew. “Why is everything a riddle with you? Why can’t anyone in this godforsaken place just answer a question?”
“Put out your hands,” he ordered.
Greyson obeyed. It wouldn’t do any good to protest at this point and she was anxious to learn something, anything that might help her.
She stood still as the old man clasped handcuffs made of zip ties around her wrists. He took her arm and led her through the door. His grip was firm and steady, letting Greyson know he was much stronger than he looked.
“Where are we going?” Greyson asked.
“The boss wants to see you.”
The knot in Greyson’s stomach tightened. She couldn’t imagine there was anything good coming her way.
“Does this boss have a name?” she asked, keeping her tone casual.
The man glared at her. “You can call him the Recruiter.”
“That sounds more like a job title than a name,” Greyson replied, trying to keep the fear out of her voice.
As they traveled through the corridors, Greyson noticed a change. The walls and floors in this section of the building were newer. They didn’t have the old smell of decay like her cell or the training rooms. They climbed a set of large stone stairs that came to a landing where two long hallways intersected. He pulled her to the left just as a man in a black suit carrying a briefcase stepped out of one of the many doors, closing it gently behind him. He looked like any other businessman leaving the office.
“What the hell are you doing up here, Polk?” The man took an aggressive step toward them, his eyes like daggers as he stared the older man down. Greyson took an involuntary step back, expecting to be struck.
“Boss’s orders,” Uncle Dan growled, holding his ground.
The man in the suit glared down at them, his pockmarked face making him look like a villain in a horror story. But of course, that was exactly who he was.
“Since when do you retrieve the girls? And since when are they brought to the executive level? You wouldn’t be trying to pull a fast one now, would you, Polk? Have you gone soft?”
Greyson didn’t miss the animosity between the two men and wondered how she could use that to her advantage. At least she had a name for the old man besides Uncle Dan, but was Polk really his name?
Polk’s grip on Greyson’s arm grew uncomfortable as fingers squeezed her bicep.
“Last I heard you weren’t on the need-to-know list,” Polk sneered. “Climb a little higher out of the shit hole, Marty, and I’ll bother answering your questions.”
The bigger man towered over Polk. “Don’t use my name.”
Polk laughed. “Get out of my way, bean counter.”
The big man straightened. “You best watch yourself, Polk. Your days are numbered here.”
“Unless you’d like to explain to the boss what’s taking us so long, you need to move. I won’t tell you again.”
Marty laughed. “You going to make me, Grandpa?”
A door at the end of the hall opened. Both men straightened and stepped aside as a third man stepped into the hall. By their deference, Greyson assumed this was the Recruiter. “Is there a problem, gentlemen?”
Polk pulled Greyson down the hall. He glared at Marty as they passed.
Marty nodded. “Just making sure the old man could handle the girl.”
“Stop dicking around, both of you. I’ve got shit to do.”
Marty glared at Polk. “Later, old man,” he grumbled as he walked away.
Greyson shifted her focus to the Recruiter, assessing the new threat. He was up to something, and she knew she wasn’t going to like it.
“Ah, our star pupil has arrived at last,” the Recruiter said as if she was some kind of kid on his debate team. He lifted a glass of amber liquid toward Greyson. “Have a seat, Greyson. I have something very special for you today.”
The room looked a lot like the conference room at her office. A long mahogany table stood in the middle of the room with plush leather chairs along both sides. Greyson studied the man. There was something vaguely familiar about him, but she couldn’t remember ever meeting him. He was well dressed and looked like he had recently had a haircut. His eyes lingered on her as if he was appraising her.
Uncle Dan removed the bonds from her hands.
Greyson rubbed her wrists as she glanced around the room, trying to figure out her own strategy for the meeting. She casually moved across the room to the wet bar, picked up a glass, and filled it with amber liquid. She lifted the glass in the direction of the men in mock salute. “You look like I could use a drink. Do you know that song?” Greyson downed the drink. “I hope you don’t mind,” she said as she refilled the glass.
Uncle Dan, or Polk, or whatever his name was, made a move toward her but the Recruiter waved him off.
“In this case, I’ll allow it.”
Greyson was shocked. She had been trying to unsettle him, but she was beginning to wonder if that was possible. So far, she had only succeeded in deepening her own sense of foreboding. She decided to bring the bottle with her to the table. She had a feeling she would need it.
The Recruiter waited for Greyson to take her seat before taking the chair across from her at the table. “To your health,” he said, raising his glass to Greyson. “And a long partnership.” He smiled over the rim of his glass, his eyes glinting with evil.
Greyson took a gulp of her drink, trying not to choke as the liquid fire burned through her like gasoline. She wanted to throw her glass at him to shatter his smug face but held back, allowing the whiskey to act like a painkiller as it spread through her. She hoped it would numb the sting of what was coming.
“My Employer has very high expectations of you. He’s eager to see what you can deliver.”
“Your Employer?” She made air quotes. “Who would that be? What does that even mean? And what’s up with these stupid titles?”
He sat back in his chair, wrapping his fingers behind his head, showing her who was in charge. “It’s simple really. It’s a matter of supply and demand. An Employer places an order and I recruit the girl to fill it.” He smiled. “You were a very special order. Not the usual fare, not easy to find. But I thoroughly enjoyed the hunt.”
Greyson swallowed. “So you kidnap women for a living.” A statement, not a question.
He nodded. “Among other things. An Employer will be visiting us soon for a demonstration. I know these things can be difficult in the beginning, and up to this point you’ve chosen not to cooperate with the system. But I can assure you, there’s no point continuing this pathetic resistance. To prevent any further delay in your progress, I’ve brought you a present. It’s something I believe will give you the incentive you need to succeed in this program.”
The Recruiter nodded to Uncle Dan. The old man opened a small door to an adjoining area, and Olivia was led into the room. Greyson took a gulp of her drink trying to burn away the shock and rage and uncertainty and confusion filling her, but the alcohol soured on her tongue and made her want to puke.
Olivia glanced nervously around the room, her gaze falling on Greyson.
“Greyson Cooper, I’d like you to meet Ms. Olivia Danner. Oh, but I believe you’ve already met. Thank you for joining us, Ms. Danner, you can have a seat.”
Olivia sat on the end of her chair as if she was ready to spring up at any moment. Her hands were bound and Greyson could see fear in her eyes as sweat glistened on her cheeks and neck. She looked frail, as if she had missed too many meals. Bruises decorated her face and neck. Greyson was certain she co
uld make out the imprint of a hand on Olivia’s throat.
“I have to thank you for leading me to this beauty, Greyson,” the Recruiter boasted. “It was brilliant, really, a clumsy act of chance, but thanks to you, I got the girl.”
Greyson frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“You remember,” he said in a playful tone as if they were old friends. “It was that day in Market Square—you weren’t paying attention and Ms. Danner ended up wearing her coffee.”
Greyson stifled a groan. Of course she remembered. She had thought of Olivia every day since. She had counted the days until she could see her again. But not like this. What did Olivia have to do with anything?
He smiled a wicked smile. “Thanks to you, Ms. Danner has been added to my personal collection.”
Olivia turned her attention to Greyson. “You? This is your fault? You did this to me?”
Greyson could feel the hatred across the room. “No. I have nothing to do with this. This asswipe kidnapped me. I have nothing to do with any of this.”
Olivia eyed the class of Scotch sitting in front of Greyson. “Right. I can see how hard up you are.”
“No, you’ve got this all wrong,” Greyson protested.
“That’s enough,” the Recruiter said with command. He nodded to the old man who took Olivia’s arm and led her out of the room.
“I’m sure you’re wondering about my little demonstration,” he continued. “Let me explain. My Employer is planning to make a little visit here to see what his money bought. He’ll expect to see the fighter he ordered. That means the next time you step into the pit, you will fight, or I’m afraid I’m going to have to get to know Ms. Danner on a much more personal level.”
“You son of a bitch,” Greyson yelled as she lunged across the table. Before she could reach him, he grabbed her by the hair and slammed her face against the table.
“That’s better,” he growled through gritted teeth. “I’m glad to see we understand each other. But I’d save the fight for the pit if I were you.”
He let go. Greyson shot back in her chair, almost knocking it over.
He leaned forward, taking his glass in his hand. “I want you to think of yourself and Ms. Danner as a pair. I’ve decided not to bother trying to break you. I’ve come up with a much better plan. I might not be able to break you, but I can break her. Every time you step out of line, she’s going to pay for it, and I’ll make sure she knows it’s a special gift from you. It’s one of my special talents. I know just the right way to treat a woman. I can do things that will have her begging to die, a mercy I will leave up to you.”
Greyson’s heart sank. What was she going to do now? It was more important than ever for her to find a way out. She knew she wasn’t responsible for Olivia, but she couldn’t let this be her fate. Somehow, she had unknowingly brought Olivia into this mess. She couldn’t imagine Olivia going into the pit to be mutilated, and whatever this guy had planned for her sounded far worse. Her stomach churned, the Scotch in her belly turning to acid.
When Greyson didn’t respond, the Recruiter laughed. “Good. I’m glad we understand each other.” He nodded to the old man. “Take her back to the dormitory. I want her fit and ready to fight this weekend.”
Greyson didn’t say anything as her hands were cuffed. She followed the old man out. As the door closed behind her she noticed Marty standing at the end of the hall, waiting for them, his gaze shifting between her and Polk.
“What was that about?” Marty asked when they were almost beside him.
Greyson leaned close when she spoke, so he wouldn’t miss the smell of alcohol on her breath. The Recruiter wasn’t the only one who could play mind games. “What’s wrong, Marty? Sad because you didn’t get invited to the party?”
He shoved Greyson, pushing her into Polk, causing him to stumble against the wall. Greyson grabbed his arm to steady him, as if she was trying to help.
“You okay, Uncle Dan?”
He shoved Greyson’s hands away and glared at Marty. “Watch yourself, bean counter.”
“Or what?” Marty growled.
The old man glanced at Greyson, then back to Marty as if considering his options. “Come on, girl, stop wasting time.”
Greyson smiled at Marty. “See you soon.”
Marty flinched. It was almost imperceptible, but it was a flinch, Greyson was sure of it. She had hit a nerve. She wasn’t sure what to do with it yet, but even this small victory gave her something to hang on to. If she was inside this guy’s head, she would play it for all it was worth.
Polk had her by the arm again, leading her away.
“Oh yeah, haven’t you heard?” Greyson said back to Marty. “There’s something special planned.” Greyson laughed as she walked away. She could feel his eyes boring into her back as they descended the stairs.
Greyson turned to the old man, who was showing a slight limp. “Are you okay?”
The old man replied through clenched teeth, “Keep moving.”
Greyson slowed her pace. He was definitely favoring his left leg. “So, do I call you Polk now, or are you still Uncle Dan?”
He glared at her.
Greyson shrugged. “I think I like Uncle Dan better.” She took a few steps when he nudged her onward with a push to her arm. “Why do you let that big lug talk to you like that? He’s clearly got jealousy issues. I mean, come on, could he be more obvious? It was like he was mad because you got more attention from Daddy or something.”
A muscle jumped at the side of the old man’s jaw. “You need to worry about your own problems. It’s none of your business,” he growled.
“I’m just saying you need to watch yourself. You know what happened with Cain and Abel. You don’t want to end up like Abel, do you?”
They stopped outside the door to the dormitory. “Your mouth is going to end up getting you killed.”
Greyson shrugged and held out her hands so he could remove the cuffs. “Yeah, you could be right, if someone’s fist doesn’t get me first.”
Greyson glanced around the room. Everyone was staring at her as he released the cuffs. Greyson rubbed her sore wrists. “Thanks. See you at dinner.”
He closed the door without a word.
Greyson turned to face the women anxiously waiting. She had held her calm as long as she could. “Who wants to teach me how to fight?”
* * *
Olivia was still seething when she was let back into her room. She cursed the day she had run into Greyson Cooper. Everything in her life had gone to hell since the moment that woman had spilled coffee on her. And what was that stupid trick with the dress? Greyson had been so sly about it. Olivia should have seen right through her fake apologies, her romantic dinner. She’d even kissed her good night, for crying out loud. For weeks she’d had fantasies about Greyson’s return from her trip. What a fool she had been. How could she have fallen for it? She couldn’t imagine hating anyone as much as she hated Greyson. How could she betray another woman this way, knowing what this life would be?
She threw herself onto the bed and punched the pillow. I hate you, Greyson Cooper, I hate you, I hate you, I hate you. She was certain Greyson was getting quite the laugh at her expense. Well, she hoped Greyson choked on her filthy whiskey.
Olivia stopped her tantrum when she heard someone at her door. Liz peeped her head inside.
“Are you okay?”
Olivia sat up and let out a frustrated huff. “No.”
“What happened?”
“I just got to meet the woman who set me up.”
Liz frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I mean I just met the woman responsible for me being here. I ran into her a few weeks ago and she played some stunt to trick me.”
“She told you that?”
“No. That man…I mean, the Recruiter did.”
“Oh.”
Olivia held up her hands in frustration. “Well, it doesn’t matter—there’s no way it’s not true. She was just sitting there d
rinking her whiskey or whatever it was as the Recruiter told the story. I’m sure they’re both getting a big laugh.”
“Huh,” Liz said noncommittally.
Olivia stopped and stared at Liz, realizing she hadn’t expected to see her. “Why are you here?”
Liz jumped as if she had been caught at something. “Oh, I almost forgot. I have bad news, I’m afraid. They’re going to take you down to general population today.”
Olivia flinched. “What? No. Please, no, don’t let them take me there.”
Liz shook her head. “There’s nothing I can do.” She took Olivia’s hand. “I’m really sorry. But don’t worry—I’m sure it’s just to show you what it’s like down there. He never leaves his girls there for very long.”
Olivia felt a lump form in her throat. “General population? Am I going to have to fight?”
“I don’t know. There’s some big event coming. I’m sure this is just part of your initiation training.”
The whole thing made Olivia feel sick. She wasn’t a fighter. The most athletic thing she did was milk cows…and a little yoga. How was she ever going to get through this?
“What do I do?” she said, panicking.
For once, Liz looked lost. “I have no idea.”
“Great, I thought you were supposed to be my mentor or something.”
Liz shrugged. “I am, but this is a new one for me. I have no idea what’s going on or what they’re up to. But there’s another girl down there, one of us. Her name is Audrey. She might be able to help you. I’m not sure how much longer she’ll be in general pop, but she’s your best bet.”
“Okay.” Olivia sighed. “At least that’s something. Thank you.”
Liz hugged her. There was a harsh knock at the door, and they pulled apart.
“Time to go,” Liz said. She squeezed Olivia’s hand. “Good luck.”
As usual, the guard was waiting for them at the door. Olivia glanced at him nervously as she passed. His expression was pinched as if he had just eaten something sour. Maybe he wasn’t too keen on her going into general population either. Or maybe that was just her own wishful thinking.
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