Page 115 of Hard Limits

“Indi?”

Meera’s voice wasn’t close, but it was unmistakable. She was at the far end of the barn, but she was here, and she was alive.

This was why I’d come.

“Meera?”

“What are you doing here? How did you—”

Another crack of flesh on flesh, this time hers. A man spoke in English this time.

“You will be quiet, all of you, or you will suffer the consequences.”

His tone carried authority, as did his footsteps when he headed in my direction. Was this the beast who called himself Casa Nova? He was smaller than the guard, an inch shorter with a lighter build. Dark hair, dark eyes, dark soul. A male version of Jerry. His clothes were casual—jeans and a V-neck sweater, expensive-looking—and when his tongue darted out to lick thin lips, he reminded me of a snake.

Silence had fallen, so I had to assume that Meera and the others understood what the consequences would be, and they didn’t want to antagonise him. He studied me, a beast sizing up its prey, and when he whirled one finger in a circle, the guard spun me roughly around.

“Yes, you’re prettier than your sister.”

That seemed to please him, probably because I’d fetch more money. I only hoped Meera hadn’t heard his words. They weren’t even true. She had a nicer smile, and Karam wouldn’t be asking her to get a boob job, that was for sure.

“You can’t just keep us here. What did you do? Drug me? This is kidnapping.”

“Oh, I don’t intend to keep you.”

“So what do you intend to do?”

He ran a finger down my cheek, and when I jerked my head away, he grasped my chin so hard it hurt.

“You’ll be sent to a man who can teach you some manners.”

“What man? Sent where?”

“You’re not in a position to ask questions.” He turned to the guard. “Get her changed. I’ll see her tonight.”

“Tonight? See me for what?”

But he didn’t answer. As he walked away, the guard pointed at a dress laid out on a mattress in the corner. There was also a pair of high-heeled pumps, a hairbrush, and what looked like a make-up compact.

“You will wear this,” he told me.

“And if I don’t?”

He cracked his knuckles. “You will.”

Now I had a choice—I could resist or comply. Until I’d gone to college, I’d spent my whole life doing what others told me to do, and although I’d later rebelled, I’d chosen to run rather than fight. And I couldn’t afford to fight now. I only had to survive for two or three days—why risk injuring myself?

My skin crawled as I stripped out of my jeans and sweater. The guard watched me, his gaze dripping over me like slime, but he made no move to touch. Did Casa Nova have rules? A warped code of ethics his men had to obey?

The dress was a brand I didn’t recognise, elaborately beaded with a plunging neckline. This was for my promo pictures, wasn’t it? The ones they’d post on Amber Road for the auction? I hated that Brax would see me this way, but at the same time, I was proud of myself. A year ago, I wouldn’t have been strong enough to do this. Living my own life, despite its many challenges, had changed me for the better.

And in a few short days, it would change Casa Nova’s wretched existence for the worse.

CHAPTER 41

BRAX

“His name is Cássio Elvyn Arruda Novo,” Alexa said. With only Brax, Priest, and Chase in the house, she’d forgone the cartoon avatar once more, and the screen showed her sitting in a bright room with a view of a swimming pool through the French windows behind. “He’s thirty-three years old, and property records indicate that he bought the place in Vila Real seven years ago.”

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