Page 3 of Soul Of A Villain

“Mere curiosity. I’m not in the market for a pet.”

“Ah,” Lee chuckled, running a hand through salt and pepper hair. “Wait until you see the offerings before setting that statement in stone. I hope to find a suitable replacement for the last one, myself. Rumor is this is an exquisite group of girls. Of course, I’m also intrigued by the special surprise the ranch has planned. It’s my understanding she’s a last-minute addition.”

Oliver sipped his scotch. “Like I said. I’m not interested in the auction.”

Lee’s reply was cut short by the beginning of the auction. The music’s tempo slid into a slow, seductive grind that screamed of sex. A beautiful blonde girl wearing a scarlet silk teddy and high heels to match sauntered onto the stage and into the spotlight, a smile curving her lips.

“Gentlemen, welcome Item Number One--our first offering of the evening. Blonde hair. Blue eyes. One hundred and ten pounds… she enjoys shopping, sunbathing, and catering to your every need. Bidding starts at the standard two hundred thousand. Do I have a bid for this lovely creature…?”

The auction continued until the fourteen women listed on the program were placed. Winning participants could claim their new companion immediately or in a more intimate setting. More than half of the men in attendance vacated the chamber, ready to take possession of their prizes. Oliver frowned as Lee Barlow approached him and clinked his glass to his.

“Gorgeous girls, but none truly caught my attention. I hope the final one is worth the wait.”

“I wish you luck,” Oliver murmured, preparing to duck out of the chamber. His lack of interest in the proceedings surprised him. He’d spent the past hour shifting from one foot to another, hoping one of the girls offered in the voluntary auction might pique his attention. It was disappointing none had. Maybe it was because they were too fucking excited to be selling themselves.

Hopefully, someone would whet his appetite in one of the scene rooms. A beautiful, reluctantly willing girl ready for a long, hard fuck after a bit of impact play. His fingers itched for the feel of a sturdy whip. Or the smooth hardness of a paddle’s handle.

When the doors to the chamber clanged shut, Oliver cursed under his breath. Any thought of escaping was cut off as the armed security previously loitering in the background now sidled in front of the exit.

“Gentlemen, we apologize for the temporary inconvenience. Diamond Lake Ranch has one final auction tonight,” the disembodied voice of the auctioneer rumbled over the sound system. “This sale necessitates extra precautions, and special parameters must be strictly adhered to. Two bidders with the highest offers will be entered into the next stage of the auction, which will consist of a hunt. The initial bid and the hunt must be completed before the sale is considered final. Win the hunt, and you win the item. All bidders understand and agree that the customary thirty-day contract associated with Diamond Lake Ranch auctions will not apply. The item is completely and irrevocably yours upon completing the final stage. The winner is free to do whatever he wishes, for as long as he wishes with the exception of a secondary sale. Secondary sales will be conducted through Diamond Lake Ranch only. The winner of the initial auction has the right to end possession of the item with the extermination of the item if desired. No penalties will be assessed if extermination is selected.”

Oliver could not help the tingle that raced inside his veins.A hunt? This could be interesting.

An excited murmur rippled through the thirty men occupying the chamber. Oliver recognized many of them despite the masks. Like himself, those pressing closer to the stage boasted extreme wealth and power. A familiar tension swelled inside the room, a stench reeking of violence and depravity. It was one Oliver knew well. It had permeated every fiber of his being for longer than he could remember.

A door opened in the back corner of the chamber, and two large, muscular men clad in black suits with simple black facemasks entered the room. Anchored between them was a stunningly beautiful girl. She wore a black lace bandeau-type bra, matching thong, and a thick black leather collar encircled her slender throat. Attached to the collar’s ring was a glittering length of chain, its length clutched in the fist of the man on her right. She looked no older than twenty.

The girl stumbled as the men dragged her forward, her bare feet digging into the slick floor and finding no purchase. Dark, chestnut-colored hair tumbled to her waist in a riot of messy, loose curls, and her hands were cuffed behind her back. Once she was wrestled onto the stage, Oliver realized that although he could not see the color of her eyes, the flesh below one was shaded black. Her full bottom lip was split, a trickle of blood marring the corner. In the soft stage light, there was no mistaking the multiple, fingerprint-shaped contusions dotting the creamy white skin of her thighs. One high cheekbone bore evidence of a bruise where someone must have struck her.

Every man in the room pressed closer to the stage and the girl, except Oliver. He did not move from where he leaned against the chamber’s rough stone wall. The coil deep inside the pit of his stomach wound tight.

“Gentlemen, it would be remiss of this organization if we did not explain the unusual circumstances of this sale. During transport to this auction, Item Number Fifteen killed an employee of the organization. Because of this, the directors removed her from the voluntary auction and placed her for sale in this format. Tonight’s hunt winner will assume full responsibility for her care and disposal. There will be no records of the transaction once all financial obligations are fulfilled. There is also no recourse should you encounter difficulties with said item. TheVirgin status of Item Number Fifteen has been confirmed and certified. Additionally, a clean bill of health has been established, and birth control is in place for one year. Those of you interested in satisfying a breeding kink will want to sit this auction out.”

“Spin around. They want to see you,” one of the men holding the girl’s arm stated impassively.

Item Number Fifteen appeared frozen with fear, her bottom lip trembling as she scanned the sea of anonymous, mask-wearing men. She was terrified, as any rational girl in her position would be. The scene before her—strange men all wearing devil-inspired and ghoulish skull masks—was something out of a depraved nightmare. But her eyes flashed with foolish defiance; it was like waving a hundred red scarves at a herd of bloodthirsty bulls.

“Go to Hell,” she snarled, the words slurring a little. Whatever drug they’d given her as a means of ensuring compliance was not having the desired effect.

One man released her arm and, with frightening calmness, reared back and punched her in the stomach.

Oliver’s hands tightened, squeezing the crystal tumbler of scotch with such ferocity it was miraculous that the glass did not shatter.

The girl gasped, her body doubling over as she absorbed the blow. Her shoulders quivered as the one who struck her tried jerking her upright. She resisted until the man gripping the chain attached to the collar gave it a vicious tug. Eyes glistening with helpless tears, pained puffs of air escaped her lungs as she wobbled back into an upright stance between the two brutes holding her aloft, only to have them abruptly force her to her knees. The brute holding the chain yanked it again while grasping a handful of her hair to push her head back. The position mimicked how she would look while giving a blow job. Oliver’s blood surged as an aroused murmur swept through the crowd of men.

He wasn’t the only one imagining how delightful it would be to fuck this girl’s mouth. To be the one holding the leash and commanding her submission.

Stupid girl.She had no idea what was in store for her after that pitiful display of disobedience. Now, she would become a meal for one lucky man in this pack of wolves.

Oliver’s eyes narrowed behind his mask, a sigh of resignation escaping him.

This was going to be averyexpensive evening—expensive but far more satisfying than anything he would have found in any of Diamond Lake Ranch’s scene rooms.

“Item Number Fifteen possesses a stubborn streak. Which one among you will be the lucky one to break it?” The auctioneer chuckled, then announced, “The bidding begins at three hundred thousand dollars.”

ChapterTwo

One month before…

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