Page 133 of Depraved Desires

I swallowed thickly. I didn’t havethatmany questions. It was pretty obvious what was going on here. Women were brought here for slave work and to be sold.

“Follow me,” she continued.

I blew out a breath, casting a wary glance at the guards positioned along the wall. Their eyes were just as cold and distant as Jeremy and Michael’s had been. I suppose you had to be a heartless bastard to be in the line of work.

I followed her across the room, slipping through a pair of double doors on the opposite side of the entrance. My breathcaught in my throat as my eyes ventured around the hallway. There were doors lined up on either side, giving it the illusion of a run-down motel.

“These are the rooms for the new girls.”

I sucked in a breath, attempting to calm my racing heart. “You told me you’d let me see Foster,” I reminded her.

A smile hooked the corners of her mouth. One that sent chills careening through me. If he was dead…

I grimaced, not even wanting to think about that. We might not have been the bestest of friends, but that didn’t mean I wanted to see him dead. He got shot because of me. It was impossible not to feel guilty about.

“Where do you think we’re headed?” she countered, arching an eyebrow. “The infirmary is just through those doors.” She pointed to another set of doors located at the end of the hall next to a staircase.

My heart started pounding violently in my chest and I couldn’t even focus on anything else. There had been a few other things I wanted to ask her, but none of it mattered anymore.

“He’s been well taken care of,” she continued, ushering me through the doors.

My lips parted in disbelief as I took in the hospital set-up that had to have costed thousands if not more. Beds were lined up on either side with equipment near them, the steady sound of a monitor beeping, permeated the room.

Relief whooshed out of me when my eyes landed on Foster, tucked into one of the beds. I hurried over to his bedside, frantically searching for his pulse with two of my fingers. The steady thrum that greeted me had me choking back a sob. I cupped his face between my hands, noting how warm his skin was against my fingers.

“He’s warm,” I pointed out.

Talissa shrugged, not at all worried about it. “He’s probably due for some pain meds soon.”

Foster’s dark lashes casted a shadow over his sharp cheekbones. He looked…peaceful. I hated that he got roped into this mess because of me. There was no telling what Talissa had in store for him. Did she plan on selling him, too? I hadn’t noticed any other guys lurking around aside from the guards. There was no doubt in my mind that he’d be used as leverage in order to keep mecompliable.The thought was bitter in my mind.

The double doors opened again, but I didn’t bother turning around. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. The urge to kiss him was strong, but I didn’t want Talissa knowing that there was anything more between us than friendship. Not that there was…

I was just happy to see him alive.

“Here,” a familiar voice rang out, causing my entire body to go rigid. My breath caught in my throat.

It couldn’t be…

“Thank you,” Talissa replied to the stranger.

My curiosity got the better of me and I whirled around, surprise punching through my chest. No. No. No. No. I was hallucinating. That was the only realistic explanation, because…

It was impossible.

Her eyes fell on me, a soft smile curling the edges of her mouth. “Hi Aspen. It’s been a minute.”

I stumbled backwards, the world titling on its axes all around me. My legs hit the hospital bed as my eyes roamed over her, trying to process exactly what I was seeing. There was a scar on her neck going from one end to the other, the raised flesh still relatively red.

“Raven,” I huffed out.

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The End… for now.