As if on cue, he moaned. Tomi jumped and blindly snatched a garment from the Armoire and shucked her shorts and shirt. She ripped the pale pink and white baby doll over her head, refusing to look down at the completely sheer fabric, knowing it had done nothing to hide her private parts, but it was the only piece of clothing she’d seen in there that would cover more than just her nipples. She felt the soft sheer chiffon skim across the top of her thighs. Her ass would be hanging out, but at least it might survive thenight.
The guard moaned again, and she ran across the room to him. She yanked the black pistol from the holster at his hip and, with an unsteady grip, took aim at his head. She absolutely couldn’t let him leave this room. If he woke up, he’d alerteveryone.
So, what are you going to do? Shoot him? You’ve never even held a gunbefore.
Her aim dropped, and she stared at the man at her feet without really seeing him. If he woke up, it would all be over. He’d beat her and rape her and torture her to death—she’d seen the maniacal gleam in his dark eyes. It was either him or her, and she had no intention of dying in this place. Not when she hadn’t really lived her life atall.
Her grip firmed again as she studied the weapon, her finger dropping down to caress the trigger. She could do this—all she had to do was close her eyes andsqueeze.
She’d be doing the world a favor if she stopped this maniac from hurting any of those other girls out there. The taste of hot metal burned the back of her tongue as bile rushed up her throat. Killhim.
She couldn’t, dammit. She couldn’t shoot him; the thought was too wretched. Besides, no matter how loud the music was in the other room, it seemed likely a bullet would be heard over it. But she couldn’t let him wake up and warn the others. Tomi glanced up at the massive chains hanging from the bed, her gaze narrowing on the thick, blood-coated silver one in the center. She might not be able to put a bullet in the man’s head but she sure as hell could knock him out again. Tomi shifted her hand around the barrel of the gun, her grip awkward and unsure but full of resolve. She lifted her hand high and brought the weapon down on the guard’s temple as hard as she could, targeting the same spot where she’d hit himbefore.
The gun made a sick sort of thud and bounced off the man’s skull in a way that made her stomach roll. He stopped moaning and went completely still, and for a moment, she was scared to death she might’ve actually killed him. She scrambled back on her hands and feet, the gun clattering uselessly to the carpet at her side. Then she ran to the door, leaving the weapon where it lay. Her skimpy, sheer outfit left her with nowhere to hide it, and if she carried it out there, she’d draw as much attention to herself as if she wore the T-shirt and shorts. Someone might shoot first and ask questions later. Tomi grabbed the door handle and paused, the scene beyond replaying in her mind. All those women had been wearing collars and shackles, yet she worenone.
The thought sent her feet running back toward the cabinet. She’d seen plenty of collars and cuffs lying at the bottom beneath the clothing. Like she was shoving her hand into a nest of live snakes, she stuck her hand into the pile of metal and grabbed blindly. Her hand wrapped around the thickest object, which turned out to be a black collar studded with silver spikes. With a silent cry, Tomi dropped the collar and kicked it beneath the dresser. She went in for another one, and this time she pulled on what tiny amount of courage she had left and actually looked through theselection.
Toward the back corner lay a thick ropelike silver choker and two matching silver cuffs, each about two inches wide. She slid the cuffs on first, fighting the urge to claw them from her arms as soon as they were in place. The second she escaped from this place, she would take them off and throw them in the trash. Next, she lifted the collar to strap it around her neck, studying the oddly shaped clasps in confusion. It took a few seconds of experimentation, but she finally discovered it fit together with a jigsaw-like pattern. Moving quickly, she latched it behind her neck, the chain pulled tight across her throat, making her feel like someone was chokingher.
Come on, get your shit together. She only had to wear these until she escaped. Until, not if. She couldn’t accept thealternative.
Tomi was in the process of stepping away when she spied the silver knife set once more. The top blade was tiny, barely four inches long. This was something she could hide in her palm. If she kept her hand down and pressed to her side, the silver could blend in. And she wouldn’t have to go out there completelydefenseless.
Tomi grabbed the knife and rushed to the door, creaking it open. The music was so much louder out here, and its loud, pulsing beat filled her ears as she stared through the cracked door down the empty hallway. She contemplated it for a full minute before easing the door open and tiptoeing outside. The floors were cold and dark here, the hall dimly lit. She passed the doors on the sides without stopping, the moans coming from within taking on an entirely new meaning. Tomi made it to the end of the hall, put her hand on the doorknob, and then froze in place. Out there was Luis’s auction. It was also her only possible escape route. She couldn’t make her feet move; terror snaked its way around her body and locked her organs downtight.
Suddenly one of the doorways in the halls burst open. Tomi plastered herself against the wall, somehow managing to squeeze in between a small statue and a couple of potted plants. Unable to breathe or close her eyes, she watched silently as a man stumbled out of the room, chest naked, pulling up his pants and zipping and buttoning them as he walked. He passed right by her, heading into the crowded club, and then returned a moment later carrying a large snifter of liquor. He went back to his room and kicked the doorshut.
Tomi blew out the desperate breath she’d been holding and inched to the door. I can do this. She grabbed the handle, gave herself a silent pep talk, and then pushed into the pulsating room. Immediately, she hunched her shoulders and looked down, hoping to pull off the submissive pose and wind her way through the crowd without beingnoticed.
Too bad her plan was just crap. She got about two feet before a man grabbed her wrist and yanked her onto his lap. Her knife flew from her hand and slid across the floor, disappearing from view in the crowd. Tomi cried out and tried to struggle away, but he just laughed and turned her so that she lay face down on his lap, pinned in place. His hand slid up her thighs, straight to her nearly naked core. “Yummy.”
“No! Luis!Luis!”
“Luis doesn’t care about you, ma petite.” The man with the accented voice carried on touching her without pause. His thick fingers started rubbing up and down her slit, separated only by her panties. When his fingers tried to roll underneath the fabric, she screamed louder and started kicking with all her strength. This resulted in her being shoved to the floor. “Crazybitch.”
She managed to scramble a few feet away and then take off running for the door at the foot of the stairs. But just like before, a meaty arm hooked her and reeled her in like she was a fish. The man grabbed her ass and squeezed. She got one look at his excited face and knew he’d be more trouble. “Let mego.”
This guy grabbed her face, nearly crushing her jaw in his grip. “Shut up. You don’t speak. You suck.” Before she could process, he shoved her to her knees and unzipped his blacktrousers.
No. No.No.
Tomi lunged away, but he grabbed her hair and yanked her back. Pain cut across her skull and shescreamed.
“I teach you to fight. Take her to my personal suite,” he said, addressing someone over her shoulder. “This one needs a private lesson.” The colossal man rubbed his hands together in anticipation and Tomi almostvomited.
She turned and ran, blindly, straight into a solid chest. “Yes, boss. I take her now. Want me to chain her foryou?”
No! She didn’t want to be chained by these Russian-soundingbrutes.
“Yes, Ivan, chain hergood.”
Ivan hefted her under his arm, fireman style, and headed right back toward Luis’s couch. The music was so loud she wasn’t sure he’d hear her, but she had to try. Maybe he would help her out of love for his son. Maybe. “Luis!Help!”
Luis looked up and met her gaze. His black eyes were dark with passion. The young blonde knelt between his knees, taking him into her mouth. Luis smiled. “Bring her tome.”
The younger girl stopped and he slapped her, hard. “Did I tell you tostop?”
She shook her head and quickly sucked him back into her mouth as the guard pivoted towardthem.
