Page 42 of Dark & Deceitful

Emitting a loud, unhappy sigh, crooked nose man retakes his chair, where he slumps as if he lost the magical key to the sex traffickers’ World of Wonder.

A cruel smirk claims Dark’s lips as he nods in appreciation at the guy for bowing out.

It becomes a battle of wills. By ten million, I grow more uncomfortable and tap my foot on the rubber mat behind the bar as my ex continues to bid with a wicked cockiness only Dark can muster. This wasn’t what we discussed. Is he going off-script because of her beauty, or is this part of the script I wasn’t informed of? Where does this leave me if he wins?

By fifteen million, glasses man concedes. “Too rich for my blood,” he announces, and I watch in horror as my ex saunters to the center of the room, kisses the girl on the cheek, secures her by the elbow, and steers her from the makeshift auction space directly over to Darmond, who’s still seated.

“For you,” Dark offers, pushing the blonde forward.

My boss’s eyes widen to the size of the moon as the girl smoothly drops to her knees at his feet. “Max,” he gasps in genuine surprise, shaking his head at Dark’s generosity.

“Consider this a gift,” my ex explains. Nother,a gift.This.An object. A thing.

Darmond scoots forward in his chair and cups the beautiful blonde’s cheek as she kneels on the floor between his parted legs. Ellie leans into his touch as if it’s second nature. All the men watching fall madly in love with her submission while I’m trying not to throw up at how genuine she looks in accepting his affection. Ellie’s lashes flutter before her eyes drop to a soft close as the smallest of smiles warms her porcelain face. She acts as if she’s home, and that’s when I realize most of these girls believe these men are their saviors. That they are on their way up in the world. This is what they trained for—to be bought.

Not questioning Maxim Drake’s motives because, apparently, Darmond knows something I don’t, my boss covets his new prize by ordering his goons to escort Jasmin and Dee back into the room. Opening the fly of his pants, my boss pulls out his hardening cock and snaps his fingers at my coworkers. “Clothes. Off.”

Not missing a beat, the auctioneer carries on with the next commodity as Dark reclaims his seat, fifteen million dollars lighter. I can’t believe he did that. Remind me to ask him why when I get a chance. There must be a reason other than blondes being Darmond’s preference.

Having been our boss’s sexual outlet for the past month, Jasmin removes her clothes without protest as Dee looks to me for help. Knowing I’m of no use to her right now, I shrug and busy myself with another round of drinks for the men.

“You. Eat her pussy, and you, suck my dick,” I overhear as I lift my tray laden with drinks. With a sensual sway of my hips, I round the bar to reenter the auction ring.

“Your wine, sir.” I carefully pluck the glass from the group. One wrong move, and I’ll have a floor covered in broken glass and alcohol. Good thing this isn’t the first time I’ve served drinks to a group of men.

The businessman accepts his merlot with a pleasant smile as he pets the hair of the Indigenous woman curled naked at his feet.

“May I get anything for your companion?” I offer, not wanting to cross any lines.

“No, thank you. That will be all for now.” The man cuffs his hand around the back of his purchase’s neck as I float about the room, delivering each man’s preferred beverage and asking if his companion would like anything. All of them decline the offer.

Passing over the foursome as they’re in the throes of debauchery, I quickly deliver Dark’s drink and move on toElden, who stands as I approach, takes my tray, deposits it on a table a few steps behind his chair, and retakes his seat, where he pats his lap. “Sit,” he orders.

Wringing my fingers in front of me, I chew the inside of my cheek, worried this is the worst idea yet. Elden hasn’t purchased a woman. Elden was waiting for me to return. With sexual tension thick in the air and the tight state of his pants, that’s all I need to know about his intentions. But I have to sit, even though I don’t want to, because nobody here will come to my rescue. Not even Dark, or he risks blowing his cover.

Smiling as if I’m pleased as punch to be picked, I lower myself onto Elden’s knee, and the man moans, actually moans, as my ass settles on the firmness of his muscled thigh. Like a creeper, he presses his nose to the side of my throat, and I giggle cutely as if I love him sniffing me.

Kill me now.

“You’re gorgeous.” He licks a stripe up my neck to the shell of my ear, where he nibbles there, and I gasp, not from pleasure but discomfort. Though, I do my best to act like I’m interested when I rest my hand on his other thigh and quell the urge to sock him in the dick.

“Fuck,” he groans, removing my hand from his leg to place it over his erection. “I’m gonna have fun with you tonight.”

Like hell, he will.

I say nothing as he manually uses me to rub his cock over his pants.

Another woman is sold as I fall into myself, disassociating from what I’m doing in favor of peace. I play Hannah, the submissive employee, and make sexy little noises when he gropes my breast and continues to stroke his member with my hand. It’s average as wetness blooms through the fabric, coating my palm with precum.

“I can’t wait to fuck you,” Elden moans at my throat, on the cusp of making a sticky mess in his slacks.

Someone roughly clears their throat, and I glance over my shoulder, expecting to see a pissed-off Dark about to cause a scene. Instead, I find my boss standing beside our chair, and he looks like he’s about to commit murder.

“Hannah, you may go.” Darmond dismisses me with the swish of his hand, and I do just that. Head hanging low as if I’ve been scolded, I retrieve my discarded tray and scurry to my place behind the bar, secretly grateful for the interference.

I wash my hands in the sink and scrub them until they almost bleed as Darmond puts Elden in his place. “Did you buy her?” he seethes.

Elden says nothing.

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