Chapter 12
Addison glanced around the room while she sipped her wine. Every woman in the room screamed money and class. A few of them looked vaguely familiar, but without knowing who they were, she couldn’t have said why. Most of them seemed to know each other and had greeted like long-lost friends. Yet they were all here to buy another human being.
She set her wine glass down on the table before she snapped the stem.
Tsarevna joined their group, sitting on the very edge of a chair and crossing her legs at the ankle. Like fucking royalty.
Maybe she should snap her wine glass. Then she could stab the bitch in the eye and be done with it.
“How are you settling in to your rooms?” she asked.
“The rooms are lovely,” Connie said. “I was wondering though—are they equipped with video cameras?”
Tsarevna regarded her closely. “No. Why do you ask?”
“Oh, that’s too bad. I was at a private house party a few months ago, and some of the rooms had video cameras in them, and guests could tune in to watch live. It was very…titillating.” She waved a hand. “Anyway, there are a few guests I wouldn’t mind peeking in on. You know I’ve always been more of a watcher than a performer.”
“I might have to look into that for my next gathering,” Tsarevna said.
“Do you have Wi-Fi anywhere in the castle?” Paige asked. “Unfortunately, I have some paperwork to complete and send back to my office, but I wasn’t able to find any access points. Just once, I’d like to take a real vacation where I don’t have to work while I’m away.”
“I believe in keeping everyone free of distractions while they’re here. But if it’s pressing, I’m happy to let you use my personal office if you need to.”
“I suppose I could transfer the files to a thumb drive and email them. Thank you, that would be very helpful.”
A bell chimed, and Tsarevna looked over her shoulder as two large, hulking men entered the room. She stood and addressed the room. “Ladies! Your attention, please. It’s time to view the merchandise.”
Addison’s breath sped up while her stomach cramped. The only merchandise they were there for was her brother and Michael.
One of the men went to the far corner of the room and pressed on the wall. A panel popped open, and he pulled it the rest of the way, revealing a hidden stairwell, reminding Addison of the secret doors and corridors in Versailles. The chatter in the room picked up as the women’s excitement increased.
Tsarevna led them down the cool, dimly lit stone stairs. The man ducked his head and followed her.
The uneven steps wound down clockwise, and Addison heard a few of the women complain about wishing they had known they’d be exploring so they could have worn different shoes.
The stairs ended in a large chamber of stone and brick. Glancing around, she couldn’t help but be impressed by the architecture. The stone ceiling was vaulted and the outline of a bricked-up archway was visible on the far wall. The flagstone floor probably wasn’t original to the room.
In front of them were four doors. Large windows took up most of the wall beside each door. Tsarevna stood at the far end of the gallery, and her voice carried across the room.
“This used to be the old castle dungeon. I refurbished the space and created fantasy suites—one even still looks like an old dungeon room.” Her laugh echoed off the stone walls, and Addison’s hands fisted on the metal handrail.
“Is everyone here?” She craned her neck to look back toward the stairs. “Lovely. Andrew, if you would.”
The man who’d opened the door turned a dial on a wall panel, and the lights lowered until it was almost completely dark. Some of the women expressed their unease until two of the windows lit up slowly, then many of them gasped.
Including Addison.
Her hand flew to her mouth. Braedon was in the room directly in front of them, sitting on a narrow bed, his back against the wall. He was shirtless, in loose lounge pants, and had lost weight. Under his short beard, his cheekbones protruded, creating hollows in his cheeks, and his muscles were less defined than the last time she’d seen him. His eyes were glassy and he stared straight ahead without focusing on anything, but he appeared to be physically uninjured—at least from what she could see. His head rolled, and he looked right at her. Tears stung her eyes and saliva filled her mouth.
She tensed to step forward, but Paige squeezed her hand—hard—bringing her back to the moment. “Keep it together,” she whispered.
Addison nodded sharply and blew out a breath. He was alive. They’d work through everything else when they got him out.
Connie excused herself and moved to look in the other room, then approached Tsarevna.
“How many steps?” Paige asked in a low voice.
“What?”
