Page 132 of Into the Woods

He pounded a fist on top of the car, right next to my head. “You will not disobey me. When we walk into that warehouse, you are my pet. My prize. You will behave the way a woman is supposed to behave. You will be quiet and do exactly as I tell you. You represent me, dove. Don’t forget that.”

Holy shitballs. Did he really think that was how women were supposed to behave? Like we were dogs that could be made to heel?

Eff that noise. This bitch would totally bite back.

Just maybe not at this moment.

Seething, I pushed my rage down deep and reminded myself I needed to hold on. Court was coming for me, and I wouldn’t want to be Eric when he got here.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, lowering my lashes and trying to look as penitent as a Catholic schoolgirl who’d been busted smoking by the nuns.

He rolled his shoulders. “That’s better. Truly, I think you like provoking me, pet.” He stroked my head, toying with the curled ends of my hair.

I shook my head. “No.”

His smile was predatory. “Now, let’s try this again.” He held out an elbow and gave me an indulgent smile when I slipped my arm into his.

My heels clicked against the asphalt as I let him lead me to the warehouse, my gaze roving over the structure and drinking in every detail. Aside from the windows, there was an emergency fire escape with rusted bars leading from the roof. Other than the single door at the front, there was a small door near the back right corner. Probably another emergency exit.

When we reached the door, it opened again, revealing two men in suits with guns. When they saw Eric, they gave him a nod and let us inside.

Inside wasn’t much better than outside. It was better lit, but the concrete floors and cinder block walls were cold and stark. There were walls partitioning the space, but they didn’t reach all the way to the exposed, industrial ceiling. A metal catwalk lined the outer walls with guards positioned in several locations, and I spotted more men with guns walking around the main floor. The entryway split to the right and left ten feet ahead.

No one seemed to be in the entrance area now, but I could hear loud conversations coming from the other sides of the partitions.

Eric pointed left. “Look in here.” He pulled me forward, and when we rounded the left corner, I was stunned by what I saw.

A large stage, complete with a podium and spotlights, took up the far wall. In front of it were rows of seats. To the right, a bar had been set up. A few people were sitting, and several men were gathered at the bar. To the left a staircase led up to a more private area with mirrored walls as its front, and I suspected it was one-way glass.

“That’s my office, where we monitor everything,” Eric told me, following my gaze. He pointed to the front of the seating area, where a section had been cordoned off with honest-to-crap red velvet ropes and gold stanchions. “Our VIP section.”

Next he showed me a series of tables and laptops at the back. “We also stream the event for those who can’t attend in person.” Half a dozen men wordlessly manned them, never glancing up at us.

“Wow.” It was all I could manage to squeak out without asking him exactly how many times he’d been dropped as an infant. Seriously, how did a person get this fucked in the head?

I mentally counted the rows of seats. It was at least ten deep and seven across. Were they really expecting seventy people to attend?

My grip on Eric tightened as the room seemed to tilt. I gasped for air, feeling like the world was collapsing around me.

“Come with me.” Eric didn’t give me a choice, pulling me with him like an errant child. We crossed back through the foyer, where more people were entering, and paused at the opening of the next space. The entryway was covered by a black velvet curtain that partitioned off this room from the other.

A ball of ice formed in my gut as I caught my breath. I could hear muted conversations, and somehow, I just knew that I wouldn’t like whatever was on the other side.

With a flourish, Eric grabbed the edge of the curtain and pulled it aside for me, revealing the large space all at once.

“Holy shit,” I whispered before I could stop myself.

Eric chuckled. “Impressive, isn’t it?”

Honestly, yes. It was impressive.

Impressive that people could be this freaking cruel to other people.

Women and children were assembled in lines, chains wrapped around their wrists and ankles, all attached to each other and locked into eye bolts welded into the concrete floor. There were maybe a couple dozen, all shapes and sizes and races. Some as young as maybe ten and others old enough to be my grandmother. But the vast majority were near my age. More than a few had vacant, glassy eyes and looked like they’d been drugged. They shivered on the unforgiving floor, barefoot and dressed to show off maximum skin, most clad in skimpy bikinis, but several were just flat-out naked.

And all around them? Men and women, dressed to walk a red carpet, wandering down the line, surveying them. A few even had notebooks and were writing as they walked by.

Armed guards were stationed throughout the room, watching everything with blank expressions, but four of them stood in a row near the back wall in front of another black curtain.

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