When he saw me, it wasn’t like I’d expected. He was angry as his eyes took me in, and then that cold, expressionless face pulled down over him. He never spoke a word to me as he got changed then took me to his fight where I tried to ignore the stares of the men as they panted over my body like animals.
“Emily.” Logan had changed from his fighting shorts into a pair of black slacks and a white button-down top. He looked different, contained, formal, and I didn’t like it. He grabbed my hand then chin-lifted to Dave who’d stayed with me until Logan came back. “Three days.”
Dave nodded.
“That last shipment ... two were dead.”
“I heard,” Dave said. I didn’t even want to imagine what they were referring to, but I remembered when Logan told Alfonzo not to crate and ship me.
“Something goes wrong ...” Logan began.
“Yeah, man. I know.”
Logan gave an abrupt nod then we left Dave as we made our way back to the main house where Raul was holding the celebration. Not once did he look at me, almost as if he couldn’t—like he was disgusted. I was disgusted in myself, humiliated being emotionally degraded in front of the other men. I was an object to them. That had become my reality.
I wanted to scream and hit and freak out, but stupidity had no place in my life. I had to be harder than them, unaffected and colder. Like Logan.
All my self-control vanished the second the sounds hit me. The moans of pain, the groans of pleasure, the grunting, the crack of the whip, the laughter, and then the sobbing.
I hesitated at the doorway, and Logan’s hand tightened on my arm. “Block it out,” he whispered in a harsh growl. “Keep your eyes closed if you have to.”
He yanked me forward, and I stumbled further into the room. My chest heaved in and out as I tried to control the panic. There was no escaping this, but I did squeeze my eyes closed until I heard Raul’s voice.
“There he is.” A chair scraped over the stone tiles. “Sculpt. My prized fighter.” There was a loud applause. Logan stopped, and despite having my eyes closed I knew Raul was near me from the scent of garlic and cigarettes. “I made a lot of money tonight. That is reason enough for a celebration. You fight better than I expected.”
“I won because my opponent can’t control his temper, and I was fighting for something I wanted—a slave who is a damn good f**k. I now realize why they are in such high demand.” His voice was strained, and I could feel the tension in his body.
“Ahh, yes. She is your first slave. You’ve done well with her. I wasn’t certain you had it in you, Sculpt.” I opened my eyes just as Raul put his finger under my chin and forced me to look at him. I swallowed. “She is very beautiful. When you tire of her, I will find a buyer for her who appreciates a woman with—spirit.”
“That won’t be for a while.”
Raul laughed as he stared at my br**sts. “No, I suspect not.” He slapped Logan on the back. “Enjoy your evening. I look forward to many more of them as should you.”
Logan nodded and then led me away to a table in the far corner of the room where four men were sitting. I cringed when I saw there were two girls kneeling beside their owners; both wore collars and were naked. The other man had a male slave standing behind his chair wearing a black leather collar with studs and then a leather bra type thing that had criss-crossed straps and metal rings. When we approached the male slave looked directly at me and smiled. There was nothing in his handsome young face that said he didn’t want to be exactly where he was.
I tried not to look at anyone else, but it’s like when people slow down as they pass an accident on the highway. They have to look, it’s an irresistible reaction, and when I glanced at the girl Logan made me kneel next to, I knew exactly who she was. Well, not her name or anything, but it was the girl who made my dreams into nightmares.
She never moved an inch as I knelt beside her; Logan’s hand was on top of my head as if he was making certain that I didn’t get up and run for my life. Which did cross my mind for two seconds. But Logan was right; fear of the consequences was what would keep me alive here.
“Sculpt. Good fight.” The deep voice was controlled and sent shivers down my spine, and they weren’t good shivers. “Kai.” I didn’t look up, but I assumed they were shaking hands. “I have no interest in the fighting circuit, but I was rather impressed by your ability. And I lost a lot of money tonight.”
Logan began stroking my hair. “Raul mentioned your name in passing. I’m curious, why is it that you’ve travelled all this way for a fight you’re not interested in?”
I tensed when I saw the man’s hand reach down to the girl beside me and grab her by the chin and raise her head. “Her. I was curious when Raul sent me the invitation to the fight. I declined, however. Raul must have known I would, and he is intelligent. He also knew if I refused to come many other of my acquaintances wouldn’t either, so he offered me her. Alfonzo’s latest.”
I quickly put my head down and covered my mouth with my hand to stop from crying out. I couldn’t even imagine what Alfonzo’s training meant. I didn’t want to, and I was horrified with what the girl must have been through. Without moving my head, I glanced at her dead eyes. Alfonzo must have dug his filthy paws into her soul and ripped it out leaving this girl with nothing but a shell willing to do anything asked of her.
Logan’s leg nudged me, and I lowered my hand from my mouth. “He is giving her to you? Raul doesn’t like to give anything away.”