For shit’s sake, he was hard right now thinking about it. His treacherous body had reacted to the sight of her like he’d taken a shotgun shell of aphrodisiac straight to thegroin.
Cole twisted the faucet and a blast of icy cold water flooded the sink, which he desperately cupped in his hands. He splashed his face, trying to shock some sense back into his rattled brain. After a few seconds, he gave up that useless endeavor and instead focused on the facts—logic was his only hope for getting his rattled nerves undercontrol.
Tomi Tomlin wasn’t supposed to be here. No matter how much he hated her, his instincts told him she was an innocent. Maybe she’d been kidnapped from one of the clubs. With her innocent blue eyes and flawless looks, she’d be the perfect bait for any pervert looking to get off. He had to get closer; there was no way around it. He needed to know for sure, and that meant studying her expressions. There was no missing when a woman had been beaten orterrorized.
Cole snatched a towel out of the artfully crafted container on the counter, quickly dried his face and hands, and tossed it into the linen basket. Then, with a mastery only a former Navy SEAL could accomplish, he erased any emotion from his features. His life wasn’t the only one hanging in the balance tonight. There was no option forfailure.
With a casual stride, Cole exited the bathroom, not having to fake a natural air of dominance as he descended the stairs. Tomi was right where he’d left her, only she was no longer facing Luis. He had his hand on the back of her trembling head, petting her like he would a dog. Her wide blue eyes were locked on the floor of the stage, her thick lips parted and slack, terror lining every part of herbody.
Shit. Cole’s gaze drifted down to her wrists, where a pair of large chains shackled her delicate arms. A thin silver chain connected them to the matching collar around her delicate throat. The sadistic bastard had dressed her completely in white, like a virgin sacrifice. And Cole wasn’t the only man noticing. From this angle, he could see more than one pair of eyes trained onher.
This completely screwed their plan to gather intel and possibly purchase Tara if she was put up forauction.
He needed to talk to Adamnow.
As Cole made his way back to his table, a suited man stepped up to the microphone. This one looked like he belonged in a bank. “Gentlemen, we shall begin with the first delicacy on the menu tonight. I would like to present to you Orchid. She was hand-plucked—” The host smiled, waggling his brows at his own jest before continuing. “—with the man in mind whose tastes run to thebold.”
Cole darted down the walkway behind their partition, slid between the crack in their curtain and eased into his seat. Both Chaplinsky and Adam were focused on the stage. A very young female with alabaster white skin and a full mane of midnight hair stumbled into the spotlight. Unlike Tomi, she was completely naked, her full ripe breasts jutting out dark, rosy nipples. She had thick curvy hips and legs. There was no questioning her beauty—or the fact she’d been drugged. She wobbled and the host latched on to her arm, his grip firm. “As you can see, she’s been made very docile for tonight’s auction. However, you should know, she’s been rated an eight on the stubborn scale. This one will be perfect for gentlemen looking for an adventure. We will start the bidding at $300,000.”
Chaplinsky rubbed his fat, stubby hands together, watching the proceedings with glee. Adam leaned back in his seat, appearing completelydisinterested.
Cole had to fight to keep his eyes off Tomi. He needed to talk to Adam…which meant he needed to get Chaplinsky away for a couple ofminutes.
“Very nice, although I prefer not to have to do so much work, eh, Devine?” Chaplinsky elbowed Adam, grinning like they shared an insidejoke.
“Exactly. I typically burn through those too quickly—unfortunately their smaller frames just can’t handle the amount of punishment it takes to mold them into what I’m looking for,” Adam said smoothly. Despite his perfect delivery, Cole could feel the disgust rolling insidehim.
“Just wait, they’ll move through the first set quickly. Then we’ll get to the finer selections, better suited for men of our tastes.” Chaplinskychuckled.
Cole swallowed the bile and threaded his fingers together, daring to steal another glance at Tomi. She had the same terrified expression on her face. Cole’s jaw clenched in response. He couldn’t stomach seeing her likethis.
“Do you think Luis would be willing to part with her?” Cole inclined his head towardTomi.
Chaplinsky tore his gaze from the naked girl on the stage. “Ah, he will save her for the end. He likes to taunt his buyers with the gem of the show, build the anticipation. I don’t think your boss would be willing to expend the amount of cash required to purchase such a fineslave.”
Fuck.
Adam stroked his chin, studying Cole quietly. “What kind of bidding price are you talking about, Chaplinsky? I do intend to reward my mantonight.”
“He never starts the bidding at under a million for the last one. And from what I hear, they’re always worth theprice.”
Adam leaned forward as if mildly interested and Cole had to resist the urge to kick his friend under thetable.
“How worthit?”
Chaplinsky’s thick grin grew. “Very worthit.”
The bidding for the black-haired girl finished up at $400 grand. Two large guards stepped up onto the stage and all but carried her into theback.
Another girl promptly filled her spot, this one just as naked, but with an entirely different body type. Whereas the black-haired girl was generously rounded, this brunette was lean, her breasts small but firm, her features more delicate all the way around. Again, the host had to hold her up by the arm. “This is Rose, gentlemen, an eager little flower ready for what pleasure you can give her. With an aggressive rating of only three, she is being presented for those of you who would like a more domicile companion. She is eagerly compliant and ready to meet your every need. She has a master’s degree in English literature, speaks French fluently, and has an immaculate medical history. We start the bidding at $350,000.”
Chaplinsky surprised them both by sticking his pudgy hand into the air. The host acknowledged hisbid.
“The educated ones are always more fun,” Chaplinsky said with ashrug.
“How so?” Coleasked.
“They like to argue with their mouths, but proper discipline quickly shuts them up. It’s quitefun.”
