Page 54 of He Will Come for Me

“Yes. For those who were bought,” he replies. I bring my hand up to my throat.

“Do we have to watch?” I ask. I don’t know if I’ll be able to do that.

“We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.” I sigh in relief. “There will be two couples that are coming today to help with the setup process. Just to remind you, the white masks mean they’re selling, the black ones mean they’re buying. The red ones mean they’re for sale, the black and red ones mean they’re taken, but willing to share, the silver means they’ve been purchased and not up to sharing. Gold means they are an owner and aren’t buying.”

I’m thankful again that Phoenix doesn’t share. I couldn’t do that. The doorbell rings and I suck in a breath. I didn’t think to ask who was coming.

Phoenix turns to me. “Are you ready?”

I shrug. “I guess?”

“Don’t forget the signal if you become too overwhelmed.” I nod. He intertwines his fingers with mine as we walk to the door to greet our guests.

It’s two men and two women. One man is in a dark gray suit and his face is covered by his white mask. The only thing I notice is his brown eyes, his mask covers his entire face. The woman who is with him is wearing a black, skintight dress. I wonder if that’s a requirement for those who are to be sold, since she’s also wearing a red mask that looks identical to the one I wore.

The other man is wearing tan slacks, a navy button-up shirt that matches the dress of the woman he’s with, and a silver tie that matches his mask. The woman is wearing a lace navy dress with long sleeves. She turns and places her hand on the man with her, giving me a glimpse of her bare back.

Their masks don’t cover their entire face and from the look on the man’s face, he has absolute devotion to her. She purchased him, but maybe it was an arrangement similar to Phoenix and I.Did she save him from something as well?

The other man is selling, and the woman is for sale. Everything in me wants to know if she’s being sold willingly. Phoenix said some do it willingly.Does that mean they sell themselves? How does that work?I stay quiet as I put the questions in the back of mind.

“Welcome,” Phoenix greets. There are no introductions. He places my hand on his arm and leads the tour, telling them what will happen in each room. I wish he had introduced them, but maybe I’m supposed to know them already. Or maybe introductions aren’t done.

I keep eyeing the woman in the red mask. I want to know if she’s afraid. I know I was afraid and I only remember being in the car with my father and having to go to the room to have sex with Phoenix.

When we get to the kitchen, Phillip goes over the menu and makes adjustments as needed. I barely pay attention. I feel like I’m walking through a fog.

Am I ready to do this? Why do I have to do this? Phoenix tried to stop this from happening. But why wasn’t he successful?

Phoenix wraps his arm around my shoulder, pulling me into his side like he can tell I’m becoming overwhelmed. I know he told me to do the signal, but it’s not to the point where I can’t handle it. I don’t speak the entire time and no one speaks to me. We walk them out. Phoenix says his goodbyes, and it’s over.

After they drive away, I snatch my mask off and walk into the kitchen. Phillip hands me a glass of wine as I walk outside and sit on the patio. I sip my wine and stare at the fountain in the middle of the courtyard.

I have to come back to this place tomorrow and participate in an auction. I don’t even know how the night will go. What all am I expected to participate in?

Disappointment settles in the pit of my stomach when I realize we were supposed to have our date tomorrow. I guess we won’t be doing the Riverboat cruise this weekend after all.

Phoenix joins me outside with a glass of whiskey, his mask pushed up on his head. “You okay?” he asks as he sits next to me.

Sipping my wine, I shrug. “I just realized we won’t be able to go on our date tomorrow.” It’s something so dumb to be focused on, but I was looking forward to having a day with just him. He doesn’t respond, but I feel his eyes on me. When his finger trails from the crook of my arm to my wrist and back, I have to stop myself from pulling away.

“What if we go tonight?” he asks.

I turn to him in surprise. “Really?”

He cups my jaw, his thumb rubbing my bottom lip gently. “Really.” That lightens my mood some as I take another sip of wine.

“No one talked to me. I don’t know why I was expecting some kind of acknowledgement.” He intertwines our fingers, squeezing my hand gently.

“It’s the way things go at the majority of these. Whoever is considered thealphais the one who’s spoken to.” I don’t respond as I continue to sip on my wine.

Something feels off. Something has felt off since we left the house and I can’t put my finger on what it is. I hate going into this, not knowing what to expect. Phoenix has prepared me the best he knows how, but I still feel at a disadvantage.

“Hey.” He turns to me, releasing my hand, so I give him my full attention. He runs his finger from my forehead down to my chin. “Everything will be okay. I know this is scary, but I’ll be by your side the entire time.”

Staring into his eyes, I search for something that will give me answers. He grabs my hand gently, pulling me up and into his lap. Settling into him, his nose brushes the shell of my ear. “Is that a maze?” I ask as I look at the high greenery beyond the outdoor area.

He nods as he rubs his fingers up and down my arm. “Want to go home?” he asks. I nod immediately.I can’t believe we used to live here.

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