Page 14 of Charlotte's Reckoning
“Think of it however you like,”she replied. “Thereis nothing artful about seeing your husband shot before your eyes, getting kidnapped at gunpoint,thenbeing beaten and molested by a disgusting pig along the way.”
The woman sounded amused when she asked, “You’reusuallyso popular with the ladies, my friend. Are you losing your touch?”
“Justgeton with it, Heloise,”he demanded, his amusement vanishing as fast as it came. “I’ve got another job togetto and two days of hard riding ahead of me. How much for the bitch?”
“So impatient,”she muttered, laying her palm against Rowie’s bruised cheek. “Butyou’re correct; under all the filth, she’s a beauty with the most incredible green eyes.”
Heloise’s hand moved down her body, fingers stroking, squeezing, and prodding in averyintimate and mortifying inspection.Stillbound, Rowiewashelpless to prevent any of it. Her touchwasn’tgentle, but she wouldn’t describe it as cruel. Itseemedpracticed and impersonal, like the times her physician examined her whenshe’dbeen sick—but she’d never had to disrobe fully, and nothinghe’ddonehadbeen anywhere near as thorough.
Whenshe reached her thighs and pushed them apart, Rowie closed her eyes, guessing and dreading what would come next.Whena finger slid inside her, a keening, pitiable whine rose from her throat.
“This isn’t a virgin cunt,”the crude woman announced. “Butit’sniceand tight.Gentlyused, I would say. How old is she?”
“Fuck if Iknow,”was Emmett’s charming reply.
“Eighteen, nineteen at the most, is my guess. Let’sseeif her husband left anything intact. Flip her,”she ordered.
While still processing that a woman had touched her there, Rowie found herself facedown on the bed. From somewhere deep inside, she marshaled the strength to scream, but it lasted only a second before a hand on the back of her head pushed her face into the pillow.
“Quiet, girl,”the woman demanded. “You’ll disturb my patrons.”
She kicked her legs as she struggled to breathe, but harsh hands pinned her down. Her mind exploded in horror when her bottom cheekswereseparated, and a probing finger inspected the hole in the back. Itwasshocking, humiliating, and hurtunbearably.
“Excellent,”the older woman hummed. “No one has tilled this little arse. It’s tighter than Dick’s hatband. With a little coaching, she’ll play the part of a trembling virgin perfectly.Spread the news, gentlemen,”she crowed. “This Friday night, we’re having an auction.”
“No!”Even muffled by the pillow, her scream of protest was unmistakable.
“None ofthat,”Madam Heloise warned. “OrI’ll send someone to fetch a gag. You’re not ready forthat—yet.”
Once the rough hands released her, Rowie turned her head to the side and gasped for breath. It was in time to see the woman drop a money pouch into Emmett’s outstretched hand. The sum was considerable from the sound of the clink and the broad grin on his bearded face.
Johnson stood beside him, gaze locked on her, a blend of emotions, pity, and an almost-predatory hunger revealed on his youthful face. She closed her eyes, shutting him out. Having an audience while shewasinspectedand sold like a horse intensified her shame.
“Alwaysgooddoing business with you, Heloise,”Emmett said, sounding quite pleased. “Nexttime, I’ll stick around to sample your new whore.Onceyou’ve got her trained, and I don’t have to put up with her tears and other bullshit.”
A shudder wracked her body at the repulsive thought of him touching her in intimate ways.She’drather die.Fornow, shecouldpush those worriesaside because the floorboards creaked, and the jingle of spurs preceded the resounding thud of the door closing.
When silence followed, she breathed asigh of relief, thinking shewasalone.Butshe caught a waft of perfume as someone sat beside her.
“The bastard’s got a heavy hand,”Heloise commented.
Rowie didn’t bother opening her eyes. “Why do you care? Do damaged goods reduce your profit at auction?”
The madam’s frank response was chilling. “I doubt anyone will be interestedin your face.”
When she rose, Rowie cracked open her good eyelid and watched her cross to a cart by the door upon which sat an almost-full bottle of whiskey. She poured a healthy portion into a glass and glanced over her shoulder.
“Care for a drink?”the madam offered. “Given your black eye and the company you’ve been keeping, I figure youcoulduse one.”
Whenshe didn’t answer, the woman shrugged, tossed back the generous shot, and studied her at length.
Rowie returned her regard. Heloise was not unattractive. The kohl around her eyes and the cherry stain on her lips were too heavy, but she imagined that came with the territory in a place like this. What caught and held her attention was the low-cut neckline of her red satin dress, revealing the upper curves of the most enormous breasts Rowie had ever seen. Her cleavage alone had to measure eight inches. The tightness of her corset had them essentially spillingover the top, but without it, her chest would still be impressive. Slight of frame, itwasa marvel how she kept from toppling over.
“You work for me now, and I don’t tolerate slackers,”she informed her sharply. “You’re shocked by the turn your lifehastaken, but you’ll have togetoverthatfast. I have bills to pay and customers who need servicing.”
The wordsshe’dspokenwereplain and straightforward, and after whathadtranspiredin this room in the last half hour, she nolongermisconstrued the soundsshe’dheardin the hallway for pain. Thiswasn’ta bad dream. The outlaws, the madam, and Carson’s deathweren’tfigments of her twisted imagination.Thatdidn’t mean she couldn’t close her eyes and hope when she opened them again,she’dbe back home, safe in her bedroom at Eldridge House.
She gripped her chin, nails digging into her skin. “You don’t shut me out. Do youhearme, girl?”Heloise demanded. “I paidgoodmoney for you, which means I own you.Ifyou eat, where you sleep, and when you piss are all up to me. Ialsodecide who fucks you and how.”
