Page 16 of Wicked and Bound

“You needn’t concern yourself with them. They’ll be leaving our facility with their new masters shortly.”

“And us?” The brunette woman spoke up. “When do we leave?”

“When it’s time. You’ll remain here until you’ve fulfilled your purpose.”

Haisley’s chest constricted. “Which is?”

He turned a sharp glare to her, brow raised. “You’re breeders. You’ll stay until your new master has ensured you’re pregnant.”

She had to let Jasper, a man who had already lied to her, plant his seed in her womb and then give birth to his spawn?Oh, god.

The room spun, falling silent except for the blonde girl who now sobbed harder. Haisley struggled to breathe past her shock and horror. Through the mirrors, she caught the dancer’s eye. A silent understanding passed between them—they needed to stay alert, strong, and ready.

“Your buyers have paid handsomely for the privilege of breeding you,” Gray continued as if discussing the weather. “A rare few will simply make deposits for our medical staff to handle the insemination. But most find impregnating their prize…entertaining.”

In other words, they enjoyed repeatedly raping them until the biological inevitable occurred. Was that Jasper’s kink of choice?

Haisley felt ill.

“Either way,” Gray went on, “you’ll remain here under observation until conception is confirmed.”

The clinical way he discussed their rape and forced pregnancy made it more horrifying.

“Once pregnancy is achieved, you’ll be moved to the location of your master’s choice, be that in our medical facility or a location of their choice.” His smile grew sharp. “But first, in forty-eight hours, we’ll host a masquerade. Your masters will claim you there, and the celebration will last until dawn. You should prepare yourselves for their…enthusiasm.”

“What happens to our babies?” the dancer asked, her cultured voice barely above a whisper.

“That’s up to your masters. Most sell them and recoup the money they spent on you, so I don’t recommend getting attached.”

Haisley felt gut-punched—and beyond angry at the words that spewed from his mouth. This night—along with the past few days—felt surreal. She braced herself on a nearby chair and fought a wave of nausea that threatened to take her out at the knees.

A guard appeared at Gray’s shoulder and whispered something. He nodded with a tight smile.

“Your suites are ready, breeders. Appropriate attire for our coming festivities will be delivered tomorrow. Think about what I’ve said. Any resistance will be met swiftly and brutally, so reconcile yourselves. Your new lives begin very soon.”

Guards began separating them. One gripped Haisley’s arm like a vise and led her down a different corridor than the others. Into an elevator, up several floors, then through doorways, she glimpsed luxurious rooms with plush beds and silk sheets—beautiful prisons with state-of-the-art locks and ever-present cameras.

She fought to keep breathing. To keep thinking. To memorize every turn, every security checkpoint, every possible escape route.

Two days. That’s all she had before her “buyer” arrived. Two days to figure out how to escape this nightmare. Over the years, she’d listened to Nash, Matt, Ethan, and the others. She’d learned to observe, to plan, and to wait for the right moment.

Because she’d die before she let Jasper, the monster who had plunked down cash for the privilege of raping her, to use her body—her womb—for sport and profit. She refused to carry a child only to have it ripped away and sold as she’d been.

She’d already lost out once. A second time would break her.

Instead, she prayed—for help, for divine intervention, for Nash to come help her escape this hell. Because right now, he felt like her only hope of survival.

As the guard shoved her into a suite that looked like it belonged in a five-star hotel—if five-star hotels had reinforced doors and surveillance equipment—Haisley made herself a promise: She would find a way out.

Or die trying.

The conference room at EM Security buzzed with tension. Nash watched Hunter pace while Logan leaned against the wall, both men’s faces grim. Their stepbrother and fellow owner, Joaquin, studied a tablet with a scowl. Zy bowed his head in whispered conversation with Matt as they reviewed satellite imagery. One-Mile had stepped out to confer with a contact. Trees was at his desk, still pounding away at the terms and conditions. Ethan and Kane looked as anxious for go-time as he was.

The whole team had assembled. They’d need everyone’s expertise for this op.

“So you three are clear on your covers?” Hunter paced the conference room. “Nash?”

“I’m Jasper King, CEO of King Imports. Ethan is Ethan Fischer, my partner in the textile trade. Kane is Keith Manford, part of my security team and a minor investor. The three of us have a long history as friends, and we share specific…sexual tastes.”

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