Page 611 of Rage

A faded bruise, covered up with makeup, on the side of my chin from whenstink breathshoved me into the tiled wall. I feel like I could throw up when my attention is stolen from the mirror above, diffusing as someone behind it comes into view. I can’t see their face, only the outline of the body as they sit in a chair with two men beside them.

“Fifty thousand,” he says as the red light flashes on his screen.

Are they fucking betting?

On me?

The disgust builds even more as I doubt my ability to escape.

“Seventy.” Another man’s voice echoes through my head as his light comes on and his mirror diffuses.

“Do a little twirl and show them that whorish ass of yours.”Stink breathlaughs from behind the door, and I wonder if they can hear us.

“Eighty.” The other man bids again, and I curl my hands in a fist, telling myself to wait for the perfect moment.

It’s not the right time yet, Rue.

“One hundred.” Someone else's light turns on, the mirror diffusing. This time, I can see the man behind it. Dark eyes, blonde hair and a terrifying expression that tells me I need to stay far away from him if I want to live.

“Gentlemen, one hundred thousand dollars...” The woman over the speaker says as if auctioning off a possession. “...once...twice...sold to booth three. Your prize will be transported to your nominated address.”

“Make sure she's wearing that when she arrives.” The man commands, then leaves the booth, my blood immediately freezing in my veins.

I’ve been sold.

Chapter Four

Rue Bennett

The car rumbles beneath me as I hold Hope’s hand. I’m relieved to see her again, but I’m devastated she’s been bought by someone else. At least if she were with me, I could look after her. I see the pure fear in her eyes when she looks at me and I know the fear isn’t because of where she’s heading but what grows inside her.

She squeezes my hand tighter as a man I’ve never seen before sits in the passenger seat, scrolling through his phone, his gun placed in the middle compartment of the car. I’ve never seen our driver before either, so that makes things harder.

“We’re getting out,” I mouth to Hope as a tear glides down her face. We drive on the highway, the brightness of the full moon illuminating the road enough to see that wherever we are is a fucking wasteland. Not a house, petrol station or any buildings in sight. The car in front of us speeds up as our driver maintains speed.

“Catch up to them.” The man in the passenger seat demands, fixing his glasses.

“I’m already doing one hundred and twenty. Do you want to explain to Vaughn if there’s an accident and something happens to them?” the driver retorts.

Vaughn.

That must have been the man behind the mirror.

“Fuck, you’re a pussy.”

The car jostles us every few metres, the terrain uneven and I’m forced to brace myself as a loud pop, then a scrape sounds from outside the car, slowing us down.

“You and your bad fucking juju! FUCK!” glasses yells in frustration, “You better change that fucking tyre quicker than you come, you limp dick.”

The driver door slams as the other man walks out to inspect the damage and my heartrate picks up speed.

This is it, Rue.

I swallow as I slowly reach for the sharp mirror I stashed in my bra earlier, and grip it tight, the edges cutting into my skin, but I can’t feel a thing. The adrenaline so fucking loud, pulsing through me like a waterfall crashing into a pool. I use all the energy I have left to hurl my arms around the passenger seat and plunge the sharp tip of the mirror into hisneck.

“What the fuck!?” he screams and before he can get another chance to yell, I do it again, this time plunging it through his eye, my own voice tearing apart my throat as I do it again, and again, and again.

“Rue!” Hope gasps as I’m yanked from the backseat, my head hitting the dry dirt as the other man rolls me over onto my back.

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