Luis placed a hand on the back of the head of the girl blowing him and looked at Tomi. “What did you do with myguard?”
“Knocked him out when he tried to rapeme.”
Luis laughed. “Of course you did, my little spitfire. Carlos will be furious. He’ll demand retribution.” He stroked the girl’s hair as she continued. Tomi tried to focus on Luis’s face instead of the luridact.
“I will have to give him something very special to make up for what youdid.”
“What kind of special?” Tomi askedshakily.
“You’ll see. I’ll make sure you see exactly what your carelessness caused tonight.” Then Luis gestured to one of his other guards. “Take her to my bedroom. Chain her. If she escapes again, you pay with yourlife.”
The new guard was already walking toward her. He took her from the other man and dragged her behind him, back down the dark hallway to the last door. He didn’t even give her the opportunity to struggle. He threw her onto the bed and systematically strapped her ankles and wrists to the bed. And then he left and she wasalone.
Dark thoughts flashed through her mind in a non-stop collision course of dread. What would he do? Allow Carlos to rape her? Beat her?Worse?
Tomi yanked on the bindings but didn’t manage to budge them aninch.
Luis opened the door. “Ah, good. Sanchez doesn’t mess around. He actually does what I tell him to do, which is why I reward him.” Luis stepped to the side so she could see Sanchez pulling the blonde behindhim.
“What are you going to do tome?”
“Nothing at all. I am not going to touch you. I want to preserve you for your buyer.” Luis said in a calm, matter-of-fact voice that left her bonescold.
“If not you, then Carlos…” She shook, her terror taking control of her physicalresponse.
“No, Carlos shouldn’t have touched you either. He will be punished for his disobedience.” As if on cue, two men dragged Carlos into the bedroom. He took one look at her and roared, blood covering his face from the wound on histemple.
Luis strolled casually over to his pissed off guard and pulled a slender silver knife from his tux. “You were told not to touchher.”
“Please, senor, I didn’t. She knocked me out.I—”
Luis held up a hand. “You did. And then you allowed her to disable you andescape.”
Carlos’s red face turned ashen in a second. “No, no, senor, I alwaysobey.”
Tomi saw Luis nod at the two other guards, who then lifted Carlos and held him up for Luis. Her boss moved like a snake, striking before she could track his movements. A thin, bright red line appeared across Carlos’s meaty neck. He gurgled. His face turned red. Blood cascaded down hisshirt.
It was like watching a horror movie she couldn’t pause or fastforward.
Luis wiped his blade on Carlos’s arm, then tucked it back into the hidden sheath at his waist. Carlos gave one more gurgle before his head dropped, silent. Tomi let out a horrified gasp. He wasdead.
“Carlos got exactly what he deserved for disobeying me,” Luis said. “He’d served me loyally for over ten years, and I didn’t hesitate to slit his throat.” He waved the men away, who dragged Carlos’s limp body between them. When they were alone, Luis approached the bed and Tomi cringed as far away from him as shecould.
“You will be kept in this room until the auction. No one will touch you. You will remain cooperative when my crew arrives to clean you and fix your hair and make-up. If they fail in any way, they will meet the same end as Carlos—regardless of whether you causedit.”
“How couldyou?”
“How could I not? I must protect my investment. I know you want to go back out there and party. Your background history showed you to be quite the club hopper.” Luis leaned down and stroked the exposed flesh of her arm. “But you must resist this time, Tomi. François likes his slaves fresh and unmarked. You see, he prefers to brand them himself. I think you will find he’s quite the sadistic master. The perfect man to teach you a lesson in obedience. And you will be his eagerslave.”
Her entire body quaked. “Why do you think I would do anything yousay?”
Luis’s dark eyes crinkled, as if he were amused, and he pulled a phone from his pocket, flashing the screen in front of her face. Carrie’s texts including where she was staying were displayed on the screen. “Because if you don’t, my friends in Mexico will scoop her up, too.” Luis swiped across her screen, bringing up the selfie Carrie had snapped of herself in the airport. “She’s not as beautiful as you, Tomi. I can’t guarantee she’d be treated as well as youhave.”
Tomi’s entire body temperature dropped to below zero. Her lips went numb and her tongue grew thick with horror. “No.”
Luis straightened and brushed invisible wrinkles from his jacket. “You have my word I will not touch her if youcooperate.”
“Why?” Tomi cried out. “Why do you need my cooperation? You’re sellingme!”
