Page 16 of Savage Desires

She's obviously not used to men at these parties not taking advantage of the free pussy that comes with an invitation to these events. It makes me equal parts sad and angry that she expects to be used by any man she's made to cater to. It adds to my determination to shut these fuckers down. Even if Lexis is here willingly, I want to offer her and all the other women here a different life.

I will offer them a spot at Hope House where all the women we've rescued over the years go if they don't have a family they want to go home to. They are offered a place to live, therapy, education, and help finding employment. Whatever they want to do in the future, Hope House helps them. Slade and the Savage Knights set it up to help the women and children rescued from human trafficking rings integrate back into society.

Hope House isn't advertised and gets zero funding from the government unlike other nonprofits that attempt to do the same thing for abused women. Every penny of funding comes from the men who run the trafficking rings and their clients. We not only take down the people who run them but also drain their accounts and use the funds to help their victims.

"Are you dissatisfied with me?" Lexis asks, glancing back at the man she's obviously afraid of.

"No," I growl, sounding harsher than intended.

She swallows thickly and nods. "O-okay."

I grip her hips and spin her in my lap, so she's straddling me. I pull her close so her chest is against mine, her hands trapped between us. She gasps at the sudden move but doesn't protest. I run my hand up her back and grip her hair gently. It will look like I'm manhandling her to the outside world, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Using my hold on her hair, I guide her head to my shoulder so her face is hidden in the crook of my neck. With her hands trapped between us and her face hidden, it looks like I'm taking advantage of my gift even though I'm simply holding her in place.

"Relax," I murmur.

Slowly the tension leaves her body, and she lets out a quiet sigh. She probably doesn't get a break from the life she's found herself in. This is likely the only time she's not been taken advantage of, and she doesn't know how to react.

"Why?" she whispers after several minutes of silence.

"Quiet," I say with quiet command.

She nods and rests more fully against me. She's still and quiet, taking advantage of the safety I'm offering her. She knows it won't last and is uneasy about my unknown intentions, but she's rolling with it. It doesn't take long for the already dim lights to lower further. A spotlight flicks on, showering the stage in bright light. The strippers disappear behind the stage and a large man with a skull mask strides to the middle of the spotlight.

"Welcome, friends. It's time to get the festivities started. We have five women tonight for you to bid on. Each of you has a button that you will use to bid. Each bid is one thousand dollars. Payments are due directly after the auction before you can claim your prize. Transfer instructions will be given at that time. You may bid on as many women as you'd like. They will be brought to your assigned room after payment.

"There are no limits to what you can do in those rooms. They will be thoroughly cleaned when you're done, and the body will be cremated, leaving no evidence of your time in the mansion."

My body stiffens at his words. Lexis lets out a low whimper, and I immediately loosen my hold that reflexively tightened on her the more the fucker on stage talked. This isn't just a regular auction. These bastards are here to murder the women they buy. My jaw clenches at the thought. This changes my plans. I can no longer wait to figure out who buys the women and rescue them at another time.

Without showing my hand, I have to figure out how to get them to safety tonight. I don't know the mansion's layout or where the rooms are. I don't know how many people they have working security. Everything I need to learn before an operation is out the window.

"Now, on with the auction!" the man says enthusiastically, ending his speech.

The first girl comes onstage wearing a white dress that would be conservative if it wasn't completely see-through. Her large breasts and bare mound are on display. The men around me cheer when they see her, and she freezes halfway to the front of the stage. With the bright lights shining down on her, I know she can't see the men in front of her. She knows they are there, but being unable to make them out adds another level of fear.

She's shaking like a leaf and looks like she's seconds away from fainting. Despite her perfect makeup, I can see how pale she turns when the auctioneer tells her to keep walking. She slowly continues until she's standing in the middle of the spotlight.

"Starting bid is ten thousand for this beauty."

A screen that I overlooked before lights up with the starting bid amount. Within seconds, the amount changes. Bids come in quickly, and before long, it's up to thirty-five thousand dollars. A few seconds tick by without another bid, and the man on stage claps.

"Congratulations to number two-four-eight!"

Silent tears fall from the woman's eyes as she's roughly pulled away from the stage. She disappears behind the curtain and another woman is brought out. She's dressed exactly the same with perfect makeup and hair. She's not as outwardly afraid as the previous girl, but her eyes tell a different story. She might be keeping it together on the outside, but on the inside, she's terrified. Not that I blame her. She's probably just learned tonight she's going to die after being tortured and raped.

The bidding starts at ten thousand again and quickly hits forty-seven grand before bids stop coming. I have a feeling that each girl will go for more. It's not so much what the girl looks like tonight since they are being used as a disposable toy. People are more discerning when they are buying a long-term slave. Tonight, it's about one night of depravity. With a limited number of women, the bids will get higher and higher.

The following two women go for sixty-two thousand and seventy thousand. I have not placed any bids, saving them for the last girl. I'm not sure why, but when I don't intend to win a woman for myself, something has held me back. Maybe it's merely the disgust I feel at what they've got planned for these poor women. My time is up though. I have to bid on this last woman so that they know I'm a serious player in this fucked up game.

The final girl comes out and my whole body stiffens. I immediately recognize her as the woman I saved from Todd Mallory's whip at Mecca. Despite her situation, she walks onto the stage with her head held high. She's not crying like the other women and not shaking with fear, either. I'm not sure where my Beauty gets her confidence, but it's fucking breathtaking.

She's more beautiful than I remember. Her blonde hair is curled and falls down her back like a waterfall. Her blue eyes are lined with black, making them stand out. The haunted look she had before is gone. Replaced with fire and determination. I want to ask what's going through her mind right now. She doesn't look like a woman ready to give up like the previous girls. She looks like an avenging angel prepared to fight to the end. My cock twitches for the first time tonight. If Lexis feels it come to life, she doesn't acknowledge it. I clench my fists, pissed at myself for getting turned on by one of the women I've devoted my life to saving.

I don't notice that the bidding has started until it's already up to twenty-five grand. I quickly press my button, my heart pounding in my chest. I came here for information and to get my foot in the door, not to win a woman. Yet, as the price rises to seventy-five thousand, I keep bidding. I can't seem to stop myself. My plans are already fucked since I have to figure out how to save these five women before they are murdered tonight. What's one more wrench in my plans? If I buy my Beauty, I know she'll be safe. If I can't save the rest, at least I can save her.

The bidding stops at ninety-three thousand dollars. The glowing green around my black button says I'm the highest bidder. I hold my breath to see if another bid comes in. I don't care if it goes up to a million dollars. I'm not giving up until she's mine.

No, not mine. Fuck. I can't think of her like that. I haven't been able to get her out of my mind since I helped her last Saturday and it's fucking with my head. Having her in my arms felt so right. Her beauty and pain call to me like no woman has in the past. She's tempted me unlike ever before.

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