Layla lagged behind, pale but determined, her lips pressed tightly as if holding back every ounce of pain.
At the top of the stairs, Hector was waiting. He wore a mask of gold and black, the face of some ancient god twisted into a sneer. His suit was flawless; his presence commanding. He looked at us like a king about to parade his spoils of war.
"Perfect," he said, snapping his fingers.
The guards yanked the doors open. The music swelled, laughter spilling into the night. Beyond the threshold, chandeliers blazed overhead, golden light cascading over a ballroom filled with predators in masks. The smell of perfume and cigars hit me like a slap in the face. It was completely overwhelming. My eyes flicked across the room. Almost every mask was black and gold.
Maybe a symbol of evil, I don't know.
"Welcome to the party, my beauties," Hector murmured, leaning close enough that his breath skated across my neck. "Time to show the world what you're worth. Only the highest-paying customer takes you home, green eyes."
Before I could even process anything, we were shoved into the ballroom, on display like lifeless porcelain dolls. Every eye turned toward us. The noise of the masquerade crashed over me like a tidal wave.
Light, laughter, music—too loud, too bright, so very wrong! The crystal chandeliers threw golden fire across the ballroom, catching the walls, every jewel, every champagne glass and every creepy mask.
Dozens of them.
Men in silk and velvet, their faces hidden behind demons, beasts, and kings. Hollow laughter, and voices dripping with greed. I could feel their eyes on me, Becca and Layla.
A hundred hungry stares raked over bare skin beneath our thin Roman dresses. We weren't human to these monsters.
All of us, including the girls from the cottages, were nothing but product.
Hector led us into the spacious area, his mask glinting under the glow of the room, his voice booming like a master of ceremonies.
"Gentlemen!" he called, spreading his arms wide. "Welcome to my home. Tonight, I give you the finest treasures Mexico has to offer."
The crowd erupted in loud applause and lewd laughter. My stomach twisted, and my heart fluttered.
We are so fucked!
Guards shoved us forward, making us follow Hector across the shiny floor. My leather sandals slapped against the polished stone, each step a humiliation. Becca tumbled beside me, her arm brushing mine, her breaths short and shallow. Layla limped just behind us, cradling her bandaged ribs.
He wasn't selling her, so I wasn't sure why he ordered her to attend. Hector led us in a slow circle throughout the room, presenting us like prized mares.
"Rare eyes, rare beauty," he bragged, gripping my chin and tilting my face so the crowd could see.
"My green-eyed jewel."
The men leaned closer, eyes grinning behind the masks, voices dripping with hunger. One reached out and touched my arm. His fingers were damp with sweat. I jerked back, but Hector only laughed. "Easy, gentlemen. All in good time."
He pushed Becca forward next.
"And here we have icy blue fire. Innocence broken, but not lost. Look at her spirit, trembling but alive. She has an interested buyer, but he hasn't come forward with payment yet, so she is still on the market. Her specialty is knife play. She has been trained well in that area."
Loud applause echoed throughout the entire room.
The fucking bastard was making Beck pay for my deceit.
Her eyes darted to mine, wide and terrified. She bit her lip hard enough to draw blood, refusing to cry here in front of all these creeps. I wanted to scream, to rip Hector's mask from his face, but I couldn't. The wolf was in his den surrounded by many guards. I'd be foolish to attack him, and all it would bring me is a beating or worse.
Layla was last. Hector gripped her arm, lifting her bandaged wrist for display.
"This one knows how to handle pain," he crooned.
"She's endured more than most could survive. That makes her valuable, but she isn't for sale. I brought her here tonight to show you what we train our girls to accept. All of them can take a beating and large amounts of abuse. We want to make sure you get what you pay for."
The room erupted in sickening applause again, not for us, but for Hector and what he could offer all these monsters tonight. He ordered Layla to mingle with the guests. As he led Becca and me to the stage near the orchestra where the cottage girls stood, he bent low, his words for us alone.
