Rebecca focused on the picture. She’d pick anything as long as it wasn’t white. It showed all the dirt and imperfections. Harrison continued battering her body as she decided on cranberry or maybe blue.
Heaving himself off her, Harrison stood above her as he put on his pants.
“It’s my turn next,” one of the men insisted. “We tossed a coin.”
They roughly flipped her over and set her on her knees. When her limp body refused to stay in position, they propped her with pillows as the man slammed into her, making her insides ache.
Drawing on her training, she slipped back into her fantasy as the second man ravaged her body.Rebecca walked into the dream home, imagining the sunny yellow kitchen, her favorite color. A vase of daisies sat on the kitchen table, and the scent of Julio’s signature dish of pork barbacoa wafted throughout the home.
“Move over,” Jim ordered the second man as he shoved him away from her broken body.The coppery scent of blood filledher nostrils, confusing her senses as she opened the oven door.Julio’s dish disappeared as Jim turned her on her back.
“I want you watching me. You’re our property now,” he said as he entered her in one thrust and clutched her neck, choking her. Rebecca struggled to breathe, the ropes loosened allowing her to claw his hands away. Harrison punched Jim hard. “Don’t fucking kill her, she’s mine,” he growled as she gasped for air.
Julio took her hand and led her to their bedroom. He opened the patio doors and grinned as they viewed the peaceful surroundings. “Doesn’t this seem perfect?”
Yes, it did.
The door slammed, indicating they left her alone. Rebecca curled into a ball and closed her eyes. She needed to stay in the safety of Julio’s arms a bit longer before reality set in.
CHAPTER NINE
Six months later
Rebecca watched as Megan greedily ate the last piece of her bread, while the other two women ate theirs.
“Here, you can have mine,” Rebecca said, passing her piece to the little girl.
Megan smiled and snuggled into Rebecca’s side, taking the offering. “Thanks, Becca.”
“You’re welcome. Do you remember what I told you? Stay in the kitchen when the party starts. Help the women cook the dinner and don’t do anything to bring attention to yourself,” she reminded the seven-year-old.
“Will you try to reach Julio?” the little girl whispered.
“He’s already searching for me. When Julio finds us, he’ll take all of us home,” she assured her.
“Leah says you’re lying. She says nobody’s coming for us. What will happen to me?” the little girl asked, her crystal blue eyes roaming to Rebecca’s face.
She swallowed, choking down the fear she held for the little girl. As much as Rebecca stayed away from Megan, the greaterthe pull to protect her grew. The other females ranged from sixteen on up to thirty. A couple of the older women died after their last transport. One of the teens, Kara, got returned after she bit her last buyer, and he grew sick from an infection. Thank goodness, the man seemed more concerned about getting his money back than about hurting the young woman any further. Her fighter personality drew Rebecca to her.
“Julio and his men will come for us,” she said firmly. “We need to watch and stay ready.”
“What about me?” the little girl persisted. “They shot my daddy. Will they hurt me when you go away?”
“Shhh.” Rebecca pressed her finger to her lips. “If we get separated, you know I’ll come for you. Stay out of Jim’s way and do as I say.”
Megan rose and wrapped her arms around Rebecca’s neck. “I love you, Becca. Please don’t leave me.”
“Never, my sweet girl,” she promised, kissing her forehead and brushing the hair from her face. “As soon as Jim unlocks the door, you go with Tarin and Ebony.”
A few minutes later, the man she despised appeared with a ring full of keys. Megan automatically slid away from Rebecca, knowing any sign of love or tenderness brought down Jim’s wrath.
“Get to the kitchen and help wash the dishes,” he ordered the older women. Rebecca refused to meet Jim’s gaze as he let the women and Megan go and locked the gate.
“Why do you keep lying to her?” Kara hissed. “I know she’s only a little girl, but you’re naïve if you think you can protect her.”
Rebecca smiled wanly at her. “Do you want me to whisper to her the nightmares we endure at these parties? She’s seen her father killed and dragged away. Why tell her things she can’t control?”
The sixteen-year-old glanced in the direction Megan had gone. “They haven’t auctioned any kids lately. They’ll hold something soon. It’s better if she’s prepared. I got lucky. The old man got spooked and didn’t want the police involved and sent me back. Megan won’t stand a chance if she believes they’ll bring her back. They’ll kill her.”
