“Five and six hundred thousand.” Dick’s voice is so low the auctioneer has to strain to hear him. The auctioneer looks between the two of us. I stay quiet.
“Going once, twice.” Dick squirms in his seat. I shake my head.He thinks he’s going to win.“So—”
“Six million,” I say calmly. Dick squeaks, and the auctioneer looks from me to him. He shakes his head slightly, finally giving in.
“Sold, for six million.” I stand and allow one of the ushers to escort me toward the front so I can claim my prize. As I pass the row with Dick and Marcus, I smirk at them and give them a small salute.
Chapter 6
Phoenix
Present Day
All the canvases I had removed from our wedding day are now in their rightful place. Pinching my lips, I stare at the one above the mantle in our living room.
Did she remember I forced her to marry me? Did she remember the second time we had to have sex in front of the council? Does she know the plan was to rescue other girls that were being sold against their will? And the only way to get out of having sex with them was to be married.
I don’t know if she got all her memories back or just a few.
It had to be the night she woke up and said she wasn’t feeling well. I knew something was off with her. I clench the glass in my hand, causing it to groan. Squeezing harder, I don’t react when it shatters in my hand. Blood slowly drips from the gash. I swallow as I watch it drip onto the carpet.
Kenz isn’t going to be happy I’m getting blood on her carpet.I’ll call her McFeisty. She’ll be pissed. We’ll have amazing sex.Squeezing my eyes shut, I replay every moment over the past six months. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted with her. We were in our own little bubble until I had to take her to that last auction.
If she got her memories back, that’s probably what did it. I wanted to forget about The Society, my mom, and her father. But I made a promise when I found her in that godforsaken place, chained up, freezing, and starving. I would make her father pay and whoever else was involved.
Selling his daughter, then kidnapping her and chaining her without nourishment or any other common courtesies. How could he do that? That’s why McKenzie got an IUD when werealized no matter how hard we tried to stay away from each other, we couldn’t. I sure as hell am not selling my first daughter and she was more than willing to agree. She’ll never have a child with me anyway.
“Sir!” Rex’s voice brings me back to the present. Opening my eyes, I watch as he runs to the kitchen and comes back with a towel. He wraps it around my hand, the coppery scent surrounding us. “I’ll call Dr. Chamberland. You might need stitches.” I don’t reply.She left me. She wasn’t taken.
“She wouldn’t have left her bag on the dock,” Anna says from the doorway. She rarely leaves her room, but if Rex is home, she tries. I frown as I wait for her to expand further. She steps further into the living room. “I think she was planning it. She was being unnaturally quiet when we had our girls’ day. I could tell something was bothering her, but I didn’t ask her about it.”
She sighs and sits on the chair closest to me. “We’ve been through a lot and with her having amnesia, I know she was trying so hard to remember things. I thought maybe it had something to do with that.” She rubs the fabric of her T-shirt between her fingers. “I wish I had asked her.”
Rex takes a step toward her. “You’ve been through a lot too, Banana.”
She lifts one shoulder. “It doesn’t matter. She’s my best friend. Instead, I fell asleep.” She clears her throat and lifts her eyes to look at me. “I think you should go look again. Is there someone who lives close by? Maybe they saw her?”
I stand abruptly and share a look with Rex. “Old man Larry,” we both say at the same time.
“Who?” Anna asks.
“He lives down the lake,” Rex explains.
“He wouldn’t hurt her, would he?” Anna asks, rubbing her palms down her thighs.
“No. He’s just a grumpy old man.” Rex tells her. I walk to my downstairs office, grab the gun and extra magazine I keep in my drawer. Right next to it is a picture of McKenzie. I run my finger down it.
“I’ll always find you, love. Always.”
Larry opens the door, but I look over his shoulder looking for McKenzie. I know she’s here. I can smell the pineapple and coconut. “Where is she?”
“Listen here, son. I know you’re used to getting your way, but that won’t work with me,” Larry responds. I arch an eyebrow at him, but he only stares back at me. I sigh.
“Larry, where is my wife?”
He grunts. “You know I’m offended I wasn’t invited to the wedding.”
I roll my eyes. “We got married before I met you,” I tell him. “Not too long after we got married is when we moved across the lake.”
