But regrets wouldn’t help her now. Nothingwould.
The stark reality of her situation was made even sharper by the fact Luis had purposefully allowed her to sober up before the auction. She was hyperaware of the male gazes attached to her breasts and her body. Of every single pinprick of pain on her scalp whenever Luis yanked her hair. Even worse, she was aware of exactly what her fate would be. She’d witnessed it over and over, as woman after woman was auctioned off like a worthless piece of flesh. These women would never be seen or heard from again. They would suffer unspeakable pain andsuffering.
And so wouldshe.
“You have done wonderfully tonight, gentlemen.” The host clapped his hands in appreciation, standing up tall to the microphone as if he were an Olympian about to hand out a gold medal. “I’ll call a brief intermission before we present our next set of beauties for your consideration. The auction will resume in fifteen minutes, so feel free to wander about at your pleasure. Special requests are available for any of you who are in need of assistance. This will be the last break of the evening.” The hostbowed.
Luis’s smooth fingers threaded through Tomi’s hair and jerked her head back with a merciless power that wrangled a cry from her lips. How could she have ever thought him kind or gentle or caring? “You see that? You are the grand prize tonight, Tomi. Every man here wants to buy you.” His calculating tone sent a new wave of terror racing straight to herheart.
Tomi lifted her hands to grab his, but the chains kept her shackled. She could only stare at the metal weighing down herwrists.
Luis chuckled. “Quite constricting, aren’tthey?”
“Please, please let me go. I won’t say a word about any of this,” she begged, hating herself for how weak shesounded.
“I can’t do that, Bonita. I need you. You should be grateful. I could’ve had you killed on the spot. This way, you’ll get to live a littlelonger.”
The soft sob escaped her lips. Tomi balled her fingers into fists on her lap, rage working uselessly through her body, expelling energy she didn’t have. No one here would help her. As a matter fact, every man in this room wanted to hurther.
Luis’s grip eased on her hair and she drew in a shaky breath, thankful for that one small mercy. “I would tell you not to worry, but I won’t lie to you. Francois is a known sadist. He’ll hurt you.” Luis kneeled down so his cheek hovered next to hers. His minty breath fanned across her face in a way that made her skin crawl. “But that will make it easier for you to killhim.”
The small sob trapped in her throat escaped. “You’re amonster.”
In a show of violence she had never seen from him, he gripped her chin and forced her head around so that she had no choice but to stare at his hauntingly beautiful face. “It’s business, Tomi. I can’t have you threatening my business, and while I regret whatever suffering you may incur after tonight, you’ll take it. You shouldn’t have returned. This is your fault. Notmine.”
Luis released her jaw so abruptly her head snapped to the side. Tomi panted, trying to catch her breath, so scared and angry she didn’t know what to do. What could she do? He had her shackled at his feet. After tonight, she would be someone’sproperty.
Tomi dropped her chin and stared at her clenched hands and the manacles locked around her wrists. The thin chain that Luis had strung from those cuffs up to her neck shifted and shimmered with her every shake and tremble. The white chiffon material covering her torso did nothing but draw attention to her breasts. The makeup artist had dressed her as the innocentseductress.
Luis leaned down close to her ear, so that she could smell his sweet tequila laden breath, and held out her phone so she could see the screen. “Tomi, I can’t believe you lost your passport. You’re totally missing out.” Luis emphasized totally, as he mimicked Carrie. “Your friend looks like she’s having a lot of fun partying in my home city. Look at this picture.” He held the phone out for Tomi to see the selfie of Carrie with a very handsome local kissing her cheek. Luis continued, “Manuel can be so convincing. Right up until he slits yourthroat.”
Tomi trembled, her terror a living, breathing monster. “Manuel?”
“Si, Manuel works for me. He’s my insurance policy for you. Do you want me to tell you what he will do to your friend if you don’t comply with my plans?” Luis’s voice was so silky smooth for such a vilecreature.
“What if he figures it out and stops me?” She couldn’t help the break in hervoice.
“Then Carrie dies…after Manuel and his friends finish with her. And believe me, by the time they are done sharing her, she’ll wish fordeath.”
“I-I’ve never killedanyone.”
“It’s easy, especially when you don’t have a choice. I’ll ensure you have the poison strip. All you have to do is place it on his body after you’re in France. It can’t be in the U.S., or I’ll be under suspicion.” Luis typed out a quick reply and then pocketed her phone, reaching out a hand to stroke her bare arm. “Which means you will have to put up a with a little pain,Bonita.”
She choked, fighting the urge to vomit. He didn’t care in the least about Francois defiling her body. If she didn’t give in to the rape, and something prevented her from carrying out Luis’s plan, he’d have Carrie gang-raped and murdered. “How can you dothis?”
Like a whiplash, his hand fisted in her hair and yanked her head back with enough force to bring tears rushing to her eyes. “It’s business, and I will do what it takes to succeed. Do you doubtme?”
He tightened his hold to a point she thought he might rip out her hair. “No,” shegasped.
He let go with a self-satisfied smirk. “I think you do. Let me give you a little more evidence to support my promise.” This time, Luis pulled out his own phone and opened his photos. What Tomi saw made her blood freeze in herveins.
“This is my brother’s family. He tried to go behind my back and make plans for my business. Do you see Manuel there?” Luis pointed to the top of the photo, the cute Latino with Carrie stood in a pool of blood, knife in one hand and the mangled bodies of an entire family at his feet. “That was a quick death because I am merciful when needed. I loved my sister-in-law and nieces.” Luis leaned down close to her once more as she fought the rising bile. “Do I need to show you morepictures?”
“No.” Tomi jerked her head away,horrified.
“Perfect, Francois is approaching. You will do as I instructed, won’t youTomi?”
She glanced up to see a thin, oily looking man with dark, curly hair approach. Her gaze dropped to the floor along with her heart. “Yes,” shewhispered.
