Page 48 of Morally Gray Daddies

“Did you hear them mention the Godwin family? Poseidon enterprises?” He continued to grill me.

I had, so I nodded.

“We got the right boat,” the man standing behind us spat. “It’s Poseidon’s sex ring for sure.”

“How did you get here?” the first man, still glaring at me, asked.

“I think you know the answer to that.” I swallowed back my sour disposition and took a deep breath. Acting sassy or righteous wouldn’t help any of us. “We were all… sold to someone who is waiting for us once we arrive.”

“But you have never met these men waiting?” he asked with what appeared like genuine curiosity.

All of us shook our heads in answer.

He glanced at the dead men. “And these men?”

“They were just getting us to the States,” I answered.

“From where?”

I looked at the other ladies, and assumed they came from Russia like me, but couldn’t be sure. “Moscow.”

“Lookee here, boys. We got ourselves some Russian princesses,” said the other standing next to the man who was still staring me down. “Not much of a haul on this piece of shit boat, but we got ourselves some princesses out of it at least. One for each of us.” He chuckled, clearly enjoying his own sick humor.

The man couldn’t be serious, but it was enough to terrify Dabney all over again. She clutched her cross and began crying. Her little whimpers were the only sound unless you considered the waves slapping the hull.

The man from behind walked around and stood in front of us. “No need to cry. We aren’t going to hurt you. Well… unless you give us a reason. I’m Pasco Cullen, and these are my two younger brothers Erik and Shay.” Erik was the one who hadn’t taken his eyes off me, yet I still refused to back down from his stare. The depth of the brown in his eyes threatened to swallow up my soul, but I held steady. “Hell, if it weren’t for us, you all would be sold at some fucked-up sex auction or be added to some sex-slave group.”

“What do you have in your belongings?” Pasco sized up the boxes stored in the hold. “Any valuables?”

I shook my head. “Just clothing.” I didn’t know if that was the truth for the other women, but admitting to jewelry or family heirlooms wouldn’t do them any good.

“No money?”

I shook my head. I didn’t have a cent to my name, and based on the fact that both Dabney and Rue were being sold to some unknown situation in the States, I assumed their financial situation was the same as mine.

Erik stepped into the hold, tossing the boxes up to his brother Shay. “Get what you can carry, and dress warm. We’re heading toward the northern part of the island of Heathens Hollow, and the nights get cold, so this isn’t the time to take your vanity into concern. If you got thick shoes or boots, pack those as well.” His voice was deep and husky, no nonsense laced every syllable he spoke.

“We’re going with you?” Rue stared at me like she needed a translator.

“Where the hell else are you going?” Pasco asked with a smirk. “You want to wait here and hope your buyers, or whatever they are, will come find you?”

“But they paid our family for us. A deal was made. They will expect us to arrive,” Rue said with the rising panic inside her obvious in her tone.

Pasco laughed. “Fuck ’em. The poor fools who are waiting for you will just have to keep waiting. You ladies now belong to us.”

“But—”

Pasco went up to Rue and grabbed her firmly by the arm. “Finders keepers. My brothers and I own everything that is on this ship, is the way I see it. It’s not the first time we stole from Poseidon, and it sure as hell won’t be the last.” He glared at her and didn’t even soften when tears fell freely from Rue’s eyes. “If it weren’t for us, you women would be in a far worse situation. You don’t think you were being delivered to luxury, do you? Trust me, we know what was waiting for you.” Pasco looked at me. “Now be polite and tell us your names.”

“My name’s Maya,” I began. “And the woman you’re hurting is Rue.” I then pointed at Dabney, who still cried and had turned the shade of crisp white linen. “This is Dabney.”

“We don’t have all day,” Erik called, coming from down below. “Poseidon might have boats meeting these guys. And our piece-of-shit fishing tin can can’t outrun anyone. So get busy.”

I led the way to the boxes, knowing the other women would follow me. The men weren’t harming us yet, and they had a point. We weren’t exactly heading to a good situation, regardless of how much my father had tried to convince me the arranged marriage I was heading to was a beneficial arrangement.

I opened my small box, knowing there was no way I could take the entire thing with me. I wasn’t really sad about leaving it all behind as I could see that Rue and Dabney both seemed to be. I had no family heirlooms or anything of my mother’s that meant anything. Abandoning it would be fine by me. I rummaged through my clothing and pulled out a gray wool coat that had kept me warm in the harshest of Moscow weather. Russia had winters that could make any bone so brittle it could break like a twig, but this coat had always provided me warmth. I also pulled out thick leggings to go under my pants, a heavier shirt, and a lace bra that had been one of the few luxuries in my life that made me feel feminine and pretty. I also grabbed a pair of thick-soled boots I wore often back home while helping my father with outdoor chores. They did a good job at keeping the wet and cold out.

Erik had found some burlap bags and tossed each of us women one. “Fill these up with what you can.”

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