Page 52 of Claimed By the Enforcer

She did as he instructed. Once she turned back to face him, he gave her one more once-over before smirking.

He took a loose strand of her hair and rolled it between his fingers, letting the hair slip slowly through his gasp as he followed it down her neck.

He abandoned the hair and trailed one large finger down her collar bone. Her breath caught in her throat, and it was everything I could do not to put a stop to the whole charade right then and there. I couldn't stand by any longer and opened my mouth to speak when he stepped back.

Mira sagged with relief, and I spoke through my clenched jaw. "See anything you like?"

"A couple of things, actually," he said casually.

"A couple?" I tried to hide the surprise in my voice because that wasn't what we had discussed.

"Yes. But I do think my favorite here, and the one I would be willing to purchase, would have to be the second girl."

There it was. He'd chosen Giulietta.

"What?" She cried out in panic. "No."

The man ignored her, instead, choosing to focus his attention solely on me. "I'll need to make arrangements for her transport. Could I pick her up tomorrow morning? Before the sun comes up."

"Only if you put down a deposit. A good-faith payment of sorts."

"Certainly. I assume you take crypto?"

"Prefer it, actually."

"Good. Then I will send you five now, the other ten when I come to collect her."

"Perfect. Why don't we head upstairs and finish the deal while my men re-cage the product?"

I led him up the stairs, nodding to my man as we passed. "Lock up the girls, then feed them. Make it something good to celebrate."

He gave a nod back before barking orders at the girls while I ascended the stairs.

Chapter 19

Mira

The little production Luca had been putting on was starting to feel too real. I didn’t have to fake my trembling hands or shaky legs as one of his men forced each of us into our cells. The man pretending to be a buyer was way too good. He looked at me as if I was nothing more than property to be bought and sold. He’d barely touched me, but I felt like I needed a bleach shower to wash away the filth of his stare.

Luca’s man locked our cells, except for mine, which he left the lock barely unlatched as if it had jammed when he tried to lock it. It was all planned out, but I was having a hard time shaking the feeling that line-up had left behind.

I can use these emotions. I assured myself before taking a deep breath and doing the best that I could to clear my mind. I waited for the man to leave to get us dinner, listening for the familiar sound of the basement door clicking shut before turning to the girls.

“We’ve got to get out of here.”

“No shit,” Giulietta snapped at me from two cells down. “He’s coming back to get me in the morning but how do you suggest we get away tonight when we haven’t been able to the whole time?”

“I don’t know but there’s no telling where he’s going to take you once you leave here. You could be in a worse situation than this, and I can’t go through another line-up like that, knowing that next time it could be me.”

“What could be worse than being locked in a cage in a dank basement with a bunch of men who want to sell you?” Alessia asked.

“Off the top of my head? Being in the bed of whatever man was sick enough to actually buy you.”

Her face blanched. “How do you suggest we get out?”

“I don’t know but I do know that this is one of the very rare moments that we are left alone. They are all excited about the sale, so they aren’t thinking about us escaping. If we don’t take this chance, we may not get another one.” I hesitated, looking around my cell. “I just wish...this stupid lock...”

I angrily yanked on the lock with all my strength. It popped open the first time, but I pretended to try a couple more so that it didn’t seem so easy. I stopped suddenly and pulled my hands away from the lock as if it had shocked me.

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