Page 46 of Unhinged

Gaston chuckles a sound that grates on my nerves like sandpaper. “Spirited, eh? I do enjoy a good challenge.” He moves closer to Alice, reaching out to lift her chin.

I ball my hands into tight fists, the knuckles white.

“But the spirit can be broken, can’t it, Taren?” His eyes meet mine, a smirk playing on his lips. He knows. How, I couldn’t say. He’s baiting me. I know he is. It takes all of my willpower not to rise to it. Not to reach out and snap his neck right here and now. He drops his hand and turns to Kali. Matias’ obsession.

The fury still boils beneath my skin, the need to protect Alice and shield her from this world. But I can’t. Not yet. Not without risking everything.

Gaston checks over each girl, but his attention remains on Blake the longest. “And who’s this?” He asks, his interest piqued.

“Blake,” I answer, my voice flat. He doesn’t need to know more. He simply needs to move on from Alice.

“Blake,” He says, his hand moving to her chin as he lifts it and searches her eyes. “She’s the one. I’ll take her.”

Kali gasps beside her. “No!” She breaks all protocol and falls out of line. “You can’t take her! You sick son of a bitch.”

I walk over to Kali and slam my hand into her face, forcing her to the floor. “Apologies for that, Gaston. We’ll sort out the paperwork over dinner. I’ll have Pedro prepare her for you.”

A dark side glance catches my attention as Gaston’s laughter fills the room. It’s Alice. Her eyes, normally so vibrant, hold a biting glare as sharp as a dagger. Her gaze is locked on me, full of accusations I can’t deny.

Her hands form into tiny fists at her sides, shaking with suppressed fury. Blake is her friend. And I’m selling her friend to a beast. I’ve got no choice.

In this wicked game, choice is a luxury I can’t afford. There’s no room for sentimentality or morality in a world that thrives on exploitation. I told Alice I’d get her friends out. Perhaps that was a mistake on my part. I’m a player bound by invisible chains, condemned to make unthinkable decisions.

I condemn Blake to a life she didn’t choose, just as I was condemned. It’s a cycle of despair. I’ll break the cycle soon, and once I do, we can rescue her friend, but we’ve got to play along for now.

Her gaze is a silent scream of betrayal that drowns out everything else. I look away, the weight of her stare too much.

“Perfect,” Gaston says. “I look forward to playing with you, my pretty little vixen.”

Blake looks up at him right in the eyes. “Fuck you,” she spits.

The smirk on Gaston’s face widens. “I’m going to have fun with this one, Taren. Aren’t I?”

I nod. “It would seem so.”

Without another word, I turn on my heel, leading Gaston away from the holding cells. The lock clangs behind us, echoing through the corridor like a death knell.

We return to the dining hall, the air thick with anticipation. Ileana is waiting, a false cheerfulness plastered on her face. Her gaze flits toward us, and she rises from her seat. Her movements are always so calculated and smooth. “Gaston, Taren,” she greets us with a smile that doesn’t reach her eyes. “How did you find our girls?” she asks, looking at Gaston.

Gaston runs a hand through his chestnut brown hair. “Beautiful. I selected one of them.” He tilts his head. “Usual price?”

Ileana clears her throat. “These are more expensive, as I explained on the phone.” She pulls out a seat at the table. “Come, sit, and eat, and we’ll discuss the details.”

Gaston nods, easing himself into the chair, his gaze fixed on Ileana. “We can negotiate,” he says, his tone dismissive.

Alice is angry because I couldn’t protect Blake. When will she realize how little power I’ve got over operations here?

Ileana sits at the head of the table, smirking. Every fiber of my being hates the woman before me.

Gaston is a pig. The kind of man I wouldn’t want to call my friend. However, it’s not him that I hate. Normally, we get on okay. He’s intelligent and quick-witted and often can decipher my riddles. I guess he’d have to be smart to own a billion-dollar software company he built from the ground up. The headquarters are in Mexico City, where Blake will end up.

“I want fifteen million and not a penny less,” Ileana says as she sips on her glass of wine. “Agreed?”

He chuckles. “That’s five million more than your standard fee.”

Her jaw clenches. “I’ve seen the girls. All four of them are worth five million more because none of them arestandard. They’re more beautiful than any girls you’ve purchased from me before. Fifteen million, or I’ll sell them to the highest bidder.” Her eyes narrow. “I’ll get over fifteen, I’d expect, for the one you want. Blonde, right?”

Gaston leans back, still smirking, but his eyes have a dangerous spark. “Yes, and tall.”

---