A shiver of fright almost made her knees seize. The man who held her, maintained his tight hold, forcing her body to bow even more.
Not that she wanted to be beaten, but the look on Allison’s face convinced her that breaking and revealing her location couldn’t happen. But she was lucid enough to know the consequences. “How much is she worth?”
Men all around boomed with laughter at her question, but in her current position, she could only look forward.
“You’re funny, Doctor. Even with your salary, I doubt you could ever repay me what she’s worth. That girl was a nice, prime piece of ass. I had her booked with exclusive, very high-end clients, from now, ’till her tits started sagging.” And the monster cupped her own breast, squeezing hard. “You have what it takes, although you’re much older than she is. Maybe we can market you differently.”
At his leering mouth so close to her, the awful smell of his breath, her body reacted, and she kneed him. He was too close to get enough velocity, but the sound he made was satisfying.
When he straightened with a string of foul curses, he slapped her even harder. The man who was holding her pushed her to the ground and with her hands bound behind her, there was no way to protect herself. The shock of hitting the concrete rattled every bone in her body, and through the pain, she was glad that her head didn’t hit first.
Trying to get her bearings, Tessa heard voices above her. “You’re going to pay for that, bitch. By the time me and my crew are done with you, you’ll respect me.”
“I never thought you were the kind of man to pound on the goods, Luther.”
Now rolled into a tight ball, ready for the first blows, Tessa froze at the newcomer’s voice. And from the silence in the room, she wasn’t the only one surprised. Was the new man with an army for this group to be on its guard and waiting? Maybe if she didn’t move, they would forget about her. And if she was really lucky, they would all kill each other so she could walk away.
“I didn’t know you were coming tonight, Locke. I swear you go through girls like nobody I know.”
“What can I say? I love to fuck.”
The men around laughed again, but she recognized a certain level of discomfort. They feared him. Or was it respected him? There was a fine line between the two. She heard someone walking toward her. It wasn’t rushed, but calm and calculated, but assessing. “You promised me a girl. Is that her?”
Luther almost spit his answer. “I wish. No. She stole the girl away from us, stashed her away and won’t tell me where. Not yet at least.”
More silence.
“I love her hair. Is she for sale?”
“They are never for sale. You know I only do rentals.”
“And yet, I always end up buying them from you.”
Luther sniffed. “This one is not for sale. She owes me a debt. A big one.”
More walking around. “Is this a way of making me pay a higher price?”
“No, not at all. I would never do that to you, Locke.”
This time, she definitively heard something in Luther’s voice, yet Tessa wasn’t reassured. If that monster was cautious about the newcomer, what should she think about him? She had to find a way out, an escape and quick, and preferably without getting acquainted with any more dangerous criminals.
Her head much clearer as her pain receded to a manageable level, her eyes fell on a pair of black boots inches from her face. She prayed they wouldn’t notice her, but knew that wasn’t possible, so there wasn’t anything to do but wait.
Tessa flinched when the man before her crouched and pushed her wealth of curls from her face. Squirming away, she prepared to defend herself even with her hands behind her back when her gaze slid to the man’s face. Her entire being froze as she met the sea-green eyes that had filled her mind so much lately.
It was like a punch in the heart, although she shouldn’t be surprised. He had given her a false ID from the start. What hurt her the most was that her internal alarm hadn’t rung when she was with him, but instead, her hormones had blinded her.
The way he looked at her was calculating and cold before he pushed himself up again. Immediately, two men grabbed her arms and pulled her upright.
“I’m interested, Luther. How much?”
“I told you, Locke, she’s not for sale. She’s not even broken in yet. I can’t do that to you. I just got her. What kind of man would I be to sell you a girl that hasn’t been tested and groomed by me?”
The man called Locke turned his gaze to her again. “I like a challenge, and you’ve given it to me. Can’t ask for more than that. So how much, Luther?”
His hand rubbing his chin, it was obvious Luther was making a show of it, but it was his eyes that gave him away, there was apprehension there, which make her wonder what power Locke yielded over the men. A part of her had been tempted to trust him at first sight.What was wrong with her?Just because he’d let her stitch his wounds didn’t make him trustworthy!
But if she had the choice, Tessa knew which devil she would choose.
“You’ve taken me by surprise, Locke. I need to think about it.”
Locke slightly bowed his head. “As you know, I don’t play games. I don’t have time for that. If you find my proposal unsatisfactory, I shall withdraw it. Good day, Luther.”
Tessa felt her knees tremble and weaken. All that kept her upright were the two men holding her. All was lost. And even that strange thought made her wonder if fear hadn’t turned her completely mad. Danger filled the room and her options were being burned to ashes.
“Would you agree to pay her debt, Locke? After all, that’s what you do, isn’t it? I’m sure that we can come to some kind of arrangement…”
