Page 34 of Unhinged

Luna swallows. “What do you mean?”

I know that telling my friends about our training will freak them out, but at least it’s better than leaving them to find out on their own. “Apparently, they’re going to train us as sex slaves.” I pause when both Blake and Luna gasp. “And then sell us to the highest bidder.”

“Fuck,” Luna says.

Kali clears her throat. “Do you know who has us?”

“The Navarro Cartel.”

“Shit,” Luna says, running a hand through her hair. “You don’t reckon they’d reconsider if I sold them my hacking services, do you?” She shrugs. “I mean, I’m one of the best hackers in North America, even though I don’t do that anymore since I almost got caught.”

Luna spent her high school years taking jobs to hack into organizations and even the government. She made a lot of money, which she stashed in off-shore accounts, some of which she had to use to pay her college tuition after her parents found out and kicked her out of the house. The rest, she won’t touch for fear it will get tracked. She’s good. But I’m unsure how she’d broach that subject with the men who will train us.

“I doubt it, Luna. They probably make more money from us as sex slaves,” Blake says.

Luna crosses her arms over her chest, looking determined. “No, I could bring them endless money if it’s about that. I’m going to suggest it. What’s the harm?”

I swallow hard. Taren would consider it, but what about Ileana?

“These people are dangerous. They’d murder you without a second thought,” Kali says, her eyes wide with fear. “That’s the harm.”

“Kali’s right. Even if they agreed, why would they let all four of us go? Surely it would just be you, Luna,” I say.

Luna shakes her head. “I’d demand they let us all go if they want me to hack for them.”

I sigh heavily. “Something tells me you can’t make demands of the Navarro Cartel.”

“Agreed,” Blake says.

Kali nods. “I’m sorry, Luna, but I agree with them. It might put you in more danger than we’re in now.”

Luna sighs heavily and walks over to the hay in the cell’s corner, dropping onto it. “I can’t believe we’re in this shit all because we wanted a cheap holiday.” She rests her forehead on her forearms.

I can. I should have trusted my gut.

When Kali suggested the resort, I knew it was a dangerous area. I even told the three of them it was risky, but they wouldn’t listen.

I glance through the gaping crack in the wall at my two other friends. “I guess we just have to wait now.”

Blake and Kali nod as I go to sit with Luna on the hay. I place a hand on her shoulder and squeeze. “We’ll find a way out of here. I’m sure of it.”

Luna looks at me. “Do you realize what kind of shit they’re going to put us through?”

I shake my head. “No, not exactly.”

Luna shudders. “I hacked for a guy who wanted to take down a North American sex ring that was selling girls. And let’s just say some of the shit I found was sicker than you could ever imagine.”

“Like what?” I ask.

“Rape, necrophilia, cannibalism, somnophilia, and more. You name the sickest thing you can think of, and I’ve seen it.”

The horror of what awaits us feels jarring compared to my thirty-six hours spent with Taren. My heart wants to believe that he can get us out. That somehow we’ll make it through this. Because the alternative is too fucked up to dwell on.

She’s right.

Men that buy women from the Cartel are going to be sick fuckers. For a start, they think it’s okay to buy women, and that’s all we need to know to work out the type of men they are.

“At least we’ve got each other,” I murmur.

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