“I mean, when you realize what an awful man your father is. I’ll be there to rescue you. I promise.”
It’s the closest I’ll ever come to warning her. I want to tell her that her father is going to sell her. He’s going to try to sell her to the dean of this school. But I know she won’t believe me. She still holds onto the hope that her father is a good man. I can see it in her eyes.
She sucks in a breath and glances around again. “I should probably go. My father should be here soon.”
I don’t want to let her go, but I nod anyway. She walks away and I know this is the last day I’ll see her until the day her father sells her at an auction. But I will find her again one day. I will always find her.
Five Years Later
“Dad, please stop talking to me.” McKenzie’s voice comes from behind me and it takes everything within me not to turn around. She’s here, which means she’s going to be sold tonight. I have been waiting for this night for five years, but I still feel unprepared.
I was accepted as an initiate into the council almost one year ago. They said I had to make a purchase within three years to become a member. I’ve paid more than my share of fees and dues trying to get in their good graces, and it’s worked. Once I buy McKenzie, then we’ll have to have sex tonight, we’ll have to have sex one more time in front of just the council. Hopefully, she’ll forgive me one day.
I greet the host and hostess and make my way into the area they’re having the auction. I sit in the middle and force myself not to look around. Marcus avoids me at all costs at these things when he attends. He doesn’t come to all of them, but I do. Mainly because I never knew when he’d show up with McKenzie.
Dick sits a few rows in front of me. I want to strangle him. He has no idea I’m going to outbid him tonight. All bids start at half a million dollars, sometimes they’re more. Usually, that’s for virgins.
Marcus shows up and sits next to Dick. “You ready?” he asks. Dick nods enthusiastically. I ball my hands into fists to stop myself from strangling them both.Marcus is an idiot to trust this man.
Dick comes to every auction as well. He’s bought two other girls. Where he gets the money, I don’t know. And I haven’tcared to look into it. When Anna was sold a few months ago, he tried to buy her, but a senator who most likely will be our next Vice President outbid him. If I had known Rex at that time, I would have bought her.
The auctioneer comes up and tells how many are up for auction tonight. There’s more than usual. Part of me hopes McKenzie is one of the first, so she doesn’t have to wait, but the other part hopes she’s toward the end to give me time to come up with an explanation for her.
Five people have been bought so far, but I stay focused. After tonight, she’s going to be mine.
“The next person up for auction is McKenzie Knight. She’s twenty-three years old, recently graduated from NYU, and is an excellent baker.” Someone escorts McKenzie onto the stage. The fear in her eyes makes my stomach clench.
How the hell am I going to have sex with her in front of a group of people when she’s terrified?I grind my teeth and force myself not to focus on that right now.
“The starting bid is seven hundred fifty thousand dollars.” Dick raises his hand. “We’ve got seven hundred fifty thousand.”
“One million,” someone says from the back.
“One and a quarter million,” Dick says quickly. Too quickly.
“One and a half,” the person from the back says. I want to turn and look, but I keep my eyes focused on McKenzie. She keeps wiping her hands down her dress.
I know she has to feel uncomfortable in that. It doesn’t look like something she’d wear willingly. At least not the girl I remember from high school. The one that always made sure her skirt was long enough and her buttons were all done up. I’m sure her father made her wear it. The majority of those who are being sold wear revealing clothing to make them more appealing.
The bid gets up to four million. A third person has joined in on the bidding. I stay quiet and wait them out. Every auction I’vebeen to, no one has been bought for more than four and a half, so it’s almost time for me to throw in my hand.
“Four and a quarter,” Dick says. It’s silent after that.
“Going once, twice.”
“Four and a half,” I call out. Dick begins to turn around, but Marcus puts a hand on his shoulder to stop him.
“What do you say to that, sir?” the auctioneer asks.
Dick looks from him to Marcus. “Four and three quarters,” he says, but it’s strained. The auctioneer looks at me.
“Five.” I sound bored, but I’m anything but. I have been preparing for this for over five years.She will be mine.
“Five and one hundred thousand.” Dick replies, sounding strained.
I snort. “Five and a half.”
Dick shifts in his seat, and Marcus runs his hand through his hair. They were expecting the bidding to stop around four and a half. If my suspicions are right, I’m sure they were counting on it.I’m going to win.
