Page 8 of Selling Innocence

Would I ever manage a full night’s sleep without waking up like this? Without a nightmare yanking me awake?

An odd sound drew my gaze toward the door to my room. It took a moment for my brain to sort through it, to identify it.

Footsteps.

Could it be the Quad? Maybe Jarrod had decided our earlier conversation needed a more immediate solution? Or maybe Colton wanted to prove a point about the window? I wouldn’t put it past any of them, and they weren’t the sort of people to knock or the kind that a locked door would keep out.

I got out of bed, straightening my nightgown. None of us needed the embarrassment of them catching a glimpse of something they shouldn’t.

“You know, normal people knock.” I walked into the hallway, ready to give whoever it was a piece of my mind.

Except, instead of any of the men I expected, I found six men in black masks standing in my living room. They all turned their faces my way, drawn by my question. My gaze went to their weapons, a history of being around such things making me take note of them without delay or thought.

Finally, my brain snapped into motion and I turned, ready to rush back to my room, to lock the door and go for the gun in the safe. Why didn’t I grab it to start with? Because I hadn’t really thought I’d be in danger. No matter how dangerous I knew the world was, how much violence I’d seen, I never thought it would find me here. Or maybe it was better to say I refused to consider it might find me here.

I didn’t make it more than two steps before a large hand caught my arm, yanking me to a stop. A rag covered my mouth and nose, and the slightly sweet scent of chloroform filled my senses.

I had no chance to do anything before darkness took me.

* * * *

Present

I blinked back the tears, refusing to let myself cry. Not a chance.

Doing so would prove that I was the little kid people saw me as, the spoiled girl with no brain or backbone of her own.

Instead, I reminded myself that Nem and the others were always overprotective. They’d looked out for me my entire life, no matter how much I’d fought against it. Now that I actually needed them, I had no reason to believe they wouldn’t come.

I missed my life from yesterday, but if there was one thing I’d learned well, it was how fast life could change. From one day to the next, a person could lose everything and gain something entirely different in its place.

The only real goal was to get to tomorrow, to stay alive long enough for everything to settle, to hope things got better.

A new man walked up, dressed in a well-made suit, an air of power radiating off him. It was easy to tell who was in control usually, and there was little doubt that this man was. “You’re awake in time,” he said.

I dropped my gaze, fear eating away at me, unable to bring myself to look directly at him. His dark eyes intimidated me too much, and I feared doing something to make him mad.

“You are going to have a very difficult time if you’re this weak.” He continued to speak as though it wasn’t one-sided, as though we were having any normal conversation. “Do you know why I avoid selling certain things here? Because I dislike seeing them harmed after purchase. Things bought should be well cared for. It is why I rarely allow animals sold for meat or fighting purposes. Many people bought here go on to still have good lives, but you? You seem far too delicate to survive whatever comes next. I hope you prove me wrong, however.”

The echoing of steps had me lifting my gaze to find the man walking away, his back to me as though I were no longer of any importance to him.

“You’re up,” a man in a nice suit, but nothing like the one the boss had just been wearing, said before clicking the locks off the wheels under my cage. He started to push the cage, the action knocking me backward and into the bars. Since my hands were still bound behind me, I couldn’t brace myself. “Wonder how much you’ll go for. We don’t get many women sold, and most of the ones we do get are a lot prettier than you. Then again, having someone you can do anything you want to? That usually fetches a pretty high price.” His chuckle was dark, as though he imagined every humiliation and depravity that could befall me with absolute glee.

What an asshole.

Bright lights blinded me for a moment, and murmurs from a crowd filled the silence. The cage came to an abrupt stop and I forced myself to my feet, the action difficult because of the way they had bound my hands behind me still. The higher position, however, let me look out as my eyes adjusted.

I was on a huge stage, as if this were some play, and every seat before me was filled. Booths lined the space as well, up above the regular seating, but they remained dark so I couldn’t see into them.

“Now, our special item for the evening. A twenty-one-year-old female. She has a clean bill of health other than a well-controlled diagnosis of type one diabetes, comes from a wealthy family with access to a trust fund, and is entirely unbroken. We will start the bidding at five hundred thousand dollars.”

I fought against the way my body shook and reminded myself of the plan.

Just survive long enough for someone to save you…

Chapter Two

Kenz

---