Page 15 of Wicked and Bound

“I’ve just received Kaylee’s coordinates,” Ethan added. “Same island. I have forty-eight hours to retrieve her in person.”

“We’re going.” Nash’s voice was raw. “And I’m going to burn their whole fucking operation to the ground.”

No one argued. They’d all seen the auction. All witnessed the horror.

And they’d all sworn to end it.

“As soon as you receive your instructions, I’ll arrange Kaylee’s release so we can rescue both women.”

Nash hated to leave the girl in there a second longer than necessary, but better to have strength in numbers…just in case. “I’ll let you know as soon as I’ve got the info.”

“Madison is so relieved her bestie is one step closer to home. Haisley sure held it together up there,” Matt praised her quietly. “She stayed strong.”

“Yeah.” Pride mixed with fury, roiling in Nash’s chest. “She did.”

Now he just had to get to her before those bastards harmed her any further.

Because he’d die before he let them break her.

CHAPTER FOUR

Haisley’s legs trembled as the beefy guards escorted her from the stage, the auctioneer’s voice already concluding the evening. Her skin crawled where his eyes had lingered, where the cameras had broadcast her body to God knows how many twisted perverts willing to buy another human being for their pleasure.

And one of them had caught her attention: JasperTheDick.

The name nagged at her. Could it possibly be JasperThePrivateDick from her Crime Solvers International forum? The username she’d chatted with for hours about cold cases and investigation techniques?

No. That must be a coincidence. Or was it? The timing was awfully perfect. Too perfect. Somewhere along the way, she’d heard a quote that had stuck with her: That’s too coincidental to be a coincidence. So…

Either Jasper had been playing her all along, pretending to be her friend while sizing her up as merchandise, or after her disappearance, he’d somehow traced her here and was trying to help her escape. She didn’t know which scenario to hope for—that a supposed friend had betrayed her, or that her onlypotential ally was walking into this nightmare thinking he could save her.

She tucked that worry away when a flash of familiar dark hair caught her attention. Amy, her former cellmate, was being led down an intersecting hallway. Their eyes met for a brief moment. The terror in Amy’s expression made Haisley’s heart clench.

Without thinking, she reached out, caught Amy’s hand as they passed. Squeezed. The guards didn’t stop them—probably thought the gesture pathetic rather than threatening.

“Stay strong,” Haisley whispered.

Amy nodded. Then she was gone, another victim being led away to whatever horror awaited her—with no end in sight.

I’ll find a way out. And when I do, I’m coming back for you. For all of you.

Instead of returning her to her cell, the guards steered her through a maze of corridors to a large, empty room with marble floors and gilded mirrors that reflected her barely covered body at every angle. Two other women in similar scraps of silk were already there—her fellow “breeders” who had been auctioned tonight. Their faces showed varying degrees of fear and despair. The honey blonde couldn’t be more than nineteen, terrified and struggling not to cry. The other, a willowy brunette with a dancer’s posture, maintained a mask of cold dignity despite her trembling hands.

The door opened again. A man entered—tall, forty-something, and distinguished looking in an expensive suit. He carried himself with the easy confidence of someone accustomed to power. The guards straightened, suddenly alert. Haisley cataloged every detail about him, storing information she might need later. The way he favored his left leg. The bulge of a shoulder holster under his jacket.

“Ladies.” His smile never reached his cold, reptilian eyes as his gaze swept over them. “I oversee this facility’s…special programs. You may call me Mr. Gray.”

Smarmy bastard with a fake name. Haisley’s stomach turned as she noticed cameras tracking their every move from the corners of the room.

“You three are very fortunate,” he continued. “You’ve been selected for our premium program. Your buyers are extremely successful men who appreciate quality and are willing to pay handsomely for it.”

The Jasper she’d known online had just seemed like an average, everyday guy. But clearly, he’d already fooled her once. Shame on him. If she fell into the same trap twice? Well, shame on her.

“Oh, my god,” the honey blonde sobbed quietly.

“Now, now.” Gray’s voice held mock concern. “There’s no need for tears. You’ll be moved to private suites shortly. Luxurious andmuchmore comfortable than your previous accommodations. In the next couple of days, we’ll host a gathering where you’ll meet your new masters. Together, you’ll join our most exclusive festivities. A celebration of our community, if you will. Until then, you will rest—unless you’re taken to our onsite spa for procedures in accordance with your masters’ wishes. Above all, you should begin accepting your life of submission.”

“What about the others?” Haisley asked, desperate to know Amy’s fate. “The women who weren’t in this…program?”

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