Page 24 of Sold Blood
"The guy in charge goes by the name of Ivan. The auctions are held the second Friday of every month. They keep us in a white stucco mansion usually in the middle of nowhere. There was a large angel fountain in the center. It's all I can remember about the house. I spent most of my time inside a white van or the dark basement." Then his eyes light up and his gaze is met with mine. "The smell in the air. It was tinged with fish and lake water. There was a blue water tower behind the house."
I smile with a bit of hope spiking through my body. "Perfect. I'm guessing that's where they have the rest of the boys. They may even take you back there at some point in case my plan doesn't go the way I need it to. Do you know who will be at the next auction?"
He lowers his head. "Yeah. Jackson, Jacob, and AJ. Trenton is somewhere in the mansion. He was in the same van as me. There are others I don't know well, other boys who…"
I frown. "I'm sorry, Little one, but you do know we can't save them all. I know it seems selfish and unfair. I wish things were different. These men are everywhere, and they will never stop. We will get out who we can, when we can."
He nods, gripping the blankets. "I understand. It's just Knowing I will be free and have another chance at living when they don't...it's something that will be hard to live with."
I walk closer to him, sitting on the edge of the bed as he bends his knees to his chest, wrapping his arms around them. I place my hand on his and before I can say anything else a knock comes to the door. I sigh, running my hands through my hair. "I'll see you soon."
He nods, not meeting my gaze. "Yeah. If I'm still alive by then. Everyone in here is a ticking time bomb. You never know when your next blow job will be your last. Especially now that I've been rewarded with a new accessory."
"You are going to make it out of here. I will kill them all if I need to. In the meantime, try to do what you can to convince them to remove the explosive from your ankle. Be sure to remain on your best behavior, but don't over sell it."
"You are one man. You said it yourself you can't go against them all alone, remember?"
"One man with many friends who are much scarier than these men are."
The knock comes again, and I take my time, making my way toward the door. The man with the scar on his face is back and he is staring down at his watch when I open the door. "Good morning, Mr. Masters. We will be taking your toy away for a bit and will have him back to you by dinner time. My boss would like to invite you and the other special guests for brunch down on the second floor in one of the conference rooms. We will all meet down there at noon." He hands me a brochure. "If you'd like a little something extra while you enjoy your meal, there are many options for you to choose from. The sooner you decide the better. The best ones always go fast."
I stare down at pictures of a few different boys listed the way dishes would be on a menu. They are numbers with descriptions, not good enough for names. I swallow back the bile creeping up my throat, trying not to make my disgust apparent. "I prefer to eat with zero distractions if that's okay with you. I'd also like to save up my energy for tonight. I'm not as young as I used to be."
The man chuckles softly the way an old friend would. "Of course. You are always free to change your mind later. Feel free to hold onto that. Sometimes it's good to have something to help you relax while in the company of new friends. Maybe even help you work off all those calories from lunch."
I force a smile on my face trying to prepare myself for the horror that awaits me in my near future. I'll have to find another way to release my anger before I get to the second floor forbrunch or else I'll end up slitting all their throats before even getting the chance to eat my first bite of food. There's no way I'll be able to stomach anything with the things my eyes would be forced to witness. I'll have to try to deliver my best acting skills if I want to get Joey and I out of here alive.
The man smiles, showing off his jagged, stained, gappy teeth. "Come on, boy. Let's get you cleaned up and ready for the next client. You can leave that outfit here for later." He winks. "I'm surprised it hasn't been ripped to shreds."
"That's only because I made sure to bring extras with me. I love to see my toys in pretty silky things after being battered and bruised by my own hands. The combination of the two is always breathtaking. This one doesn't bruise as easily as the others but I see that as a challenge."
He nods. "You are a twisted man, my friend, and you're definitely in good company here."
Joey stands beside me in the same black panties he’d arrived in last night with his hands dangling in front of his body. The man with the scar pulls a pair of cuffs from his back pocket. "Hands behind your back, boy and turn around. Not that you could get very far if you manage to run away with that lovely new bracelet around your ankle. Now isn't the best time to be brave, wouldn't you agree?"
Joey turns around without responding, doing exactly what the man says. The man binds his wrists together with the cuffs and drags him into the hallway. "See you at brunch, Mr. Masters."
I nod, with a closed mouth smile. "That you will." With luck it would be the last and only brunch I’d ever attend at this hell hole. If I can't keep my emotions under control, it may be the last meal these men ever have. Stick with the plan. The most important part of the mission is that I get Joey out alive and back in the arms of the man I’d spent the last ten years wishing was mine.
I pace around my room a little bit trying to get my nerves and frustration under control. I don't want to think about where the man took Joey and what would be happening to him in the next few hours.
After looking up a few things on my laptop and making phone calls, I get dressed in a different suit, another one that belongs to Isaiah. It even still smells like him. Straightening my collar, I hurry out the door and step onto the empty elevator. I fold the brochure and stuff it in my pocket. Maybe it could be of use later when I need to identify which of these boys is Joey's friends.
The second floor is empty as I walk past the bare walls painted a burgundy color. There are double doors at the end of the hallway with a sign that says conference room 202. A large man with a serious expression who looks like he could take me down with one punch stands tall outside the door, making himself appear more threatening. "What's the name?"
"Masters."
He stares down at a clipboard in his hands and nods before spinning around to open the door. "Go on in, they're all waiting for you."
The room is quiet when I enter. All eyes are on me except for the men who are being forced to kneel and continue their task at hand. I bite my tongue as I take a seat at the end of the long steel table.
"So happy you can join us, Mr. Masters," the man with the scar on his face says. "There are menus on the table. We will be ordering soon. We have beverages available if you're thirsty and a few appetizers as well." He gestures toward some of the men shaking in a corner, forcing their eyes on the ground.
"I'll just take some coffee for now please. No cream or sugar."
The man nods and clicks his tongue. "You, boy in the corner. You'll be taking care of Mr. Masters this afternoon with whatever he may need."
The boy nods, with his bottom lip quivering. He struggles to move his feet and when I get a look at his sprained ankle, it makes perfect sense. He also wears a bracelet around his ankle similar to Joey's with a blinking red light. His feet drag across the carpet as he carries the pot of coffee in his hands. His hands are unsteady the whole way and the liquid swishes around in the glass from his trembling hands. I place my hand on his when he's about to pour the coffee in my cup. "I can take care of it from here, thank you."
