"How did it feel?" I ask before he can speak.
"How did what feel?"
"Listening to them discuss my breeding potential while I stood there like a fucking mannequin."
He sets down a dinner tray I have no intention of touching. "The viewing went well. Both buyers expressed serious interest."
I laugh, but there's no humor in it. "Is that what we're calling it?"
"That's what it was."
"No, that's what you want to call it because you can't face what it actually was." I stand from the window seat, my hands clenched into fists. "Tell me, Renato, when Kozlov asked about my pain tolerance, what was he really asking about?"
"You heard the conversation."
"I heard him ask if I'd been tested to see how much suffering I can endure before I break. I heard you answer like you were discussing the horsepower of a fancy sports car you're selling. What I want to know is how that made you feel."
"I didn’t feel anything."
"Bullshit." I move closer, noting the way he averts his eyes from me. "You looked like you wanted to put your fist through his throat.”
"You're imagining things."
"Am I? And when Al-Rashid asked about my breeding potential? When he discussed my ability to produce children for him? With him? How did that make you feel?"
"It told me he’s a serious buyer with traditional expectations."
"It made you want to throw up. I could see it in your face. Tell me something, when they come back for the dinner party, and don't pretend they're not coming back, what exactly will they expect to do to me?"
"It will be standard evaluation protocols."
"Stop hiding behind your fucking protocols and tell me what they're going to do. Don’t sugarcoat it. I’m sick of this and I’m sick of you."
His hands clench at his sides. "They'll want more detailed assessment. Physical condition. Responsiveness. Compliance."
"For fuck’s sake! Say exactly what you mean, Renato. With regular street talk."
"I just did."
"No, you used pretty words to avoid ugly truths. When Kozlov wants to assess my physical condition, what's he really going to do?"
"Examine you,” he finally says.
"Will he want to see me naked?"
"Probably."
"Will he want to touch me?"
"Yes."
"Where?"
"Wherever he feels is necessary for proper evaluation before the purchase."
"Will he want to put his fingers inside me to verify I'm still a virgin?"
The pulse in his neck muscle ticks. "Possibly."
