ISABELLA
Ana and I have been sitting in silence for the last hour. I keep replaying the failed operation over and over in my mind.
Letting out a sigh, I shake my head for the hundredth time.
“There were too many men,” Ana whispers. She’s just as disappointed as me that we couldn’t free the girls.
“It makes everything a million times harder,” I mutter before letting out another sigh.
We’re avoiding talking about the next step because it’s exactly what happened to Ana. I have to wait until after the auction, and there’s no way I’ll be able to get to all the girls before they disappear, which means I’ll have to choose who to save and who to leave.
My eyes drift shut at the thought.
How do I choose?
For the first time ever, Ana places her hand on mine. My eyes snap open, and I stare at where she’s touching me before slowly lifting my gaze to hers. She tilts her head, the pain that’s ingrained into every fiber of her being, clear on her features. “We help who we can.”
Shaking my head, I ask, “What about the ones we don’t rescue?”
Tears well in Ana’s eyes, then she repeats, “We help who we can, Isabella.”
This is the first time we’ve failed so badly, and it’s weighing heavy on us. The ones we can’t rescue will be subjected to rape and torture until they’re killed.
Lifting my other hand, I rest my forehead in my palm and close my eyes again.
What am I going to do?
Ana pulls her hand away from mine, then says, “We can’t avoid it.”
Nodding, I lift my head, and then I swallow hard and meet Ana’s eyes. “We’ll wait until after the auction.”
“Save the youngest first,” she says, and I grab onto the out she’s giving me of making the decision.
“Okay.” My tongue darts out, wetting my lips. “I’m going to need you close by. As I free the girls, you need to pick them up so I can go after the next one.”
Ana nods. “I’ll be there every step of the way.”
I stare at my friend for a moment then ask, “We can do this, right?”
The corner of her mouth lifts slightly. I’ve never seen her smile. I’ve never seen Ana happy.
“You can do this, Isabella,” she offers me the encouragement I need.
Feeling emotional from the failure, I lower my gaze from Ana’s, then I whisper the words I’ve never said out loud to her, “I’m sorry I didn’t get to you in time.”
Ana quickly shakes her head, and then she gets up from the chair and hurries toward the stairs. I stare after her, wondering if I’m even making a difference in this depraved world.
Just like with all the other auctions, I’m wearing a red dress. It’s my silent way of protesting the blood that will be spilled and the innocence that will be stolen.
My mind keeps racing, trying to come up with a way I can free all the girls tonight. But there’s no way, and it makes me feel frustrated and worried, which are emotions I’m not used to.
Coming down the stairs, I hear Hugo talking to my mother. “It was definitely a woman who’s been attacking us, but there’s more. Look.”
Walking into the living room, I see as he turns his phone so my mother can see the screen, and then her eyes widen as she hisses, “Alexei Koslov.”
I sit down on one of the plush couches, faking boredom while my attention is one hundred percent focused on Hugo and my mother.
Hugo grins at my mother. “The woman could be Winter. She’s trained.”
Shit.
Winter Vetrov is the Blood Princess and married to Demitri’s younger brother, Damien. The last thing I want is for my mother to go after Winter.
If there’s a woman I respect, it’s Winter. It’s because of her that I’m fighting back against my mother. When I saw Winter training at St. Monarch’s and how she faced off against her enemies, it made me want to do the same.
Then again, Winter has all the Vetrovs and Koslovs behind her. My mother won’t stand a chance against those two families.
The thought has me relaxing, and pulling out my phone, I pretend to check my social media accounts.
“It would make sense,” Mother says, anger lacing her words. “Which means Alexei’s declared war.”
“Probably because we’re moving into his territory,” Hugo reminds her.
Which was a stupid move, if you ask me.
“Let’s focus on the auction, and then we’ll form a plan of retaliation,” Mother says, too confident. Yes, she’s powerful, but taking on the Vetrovs and Koslovs is just reckless.
“Do I have to attend?” I mutter, injecting a world of boredom into my voice.
She waves her hand toward the elevator, impatience tightening her features. “Don’t start, Isabella.”
Letting out a huff, I get up and follow my mother into the elevator while Hugo stays behind to welcome the guests.
Fifteen minutes later, I watch as the guests start to fill the chamber, and it feels as if a tight fist is gripping my heart.
Youngest first, Isabella.
I keep reminding myself of what Ana said, trying to detach myself from the moment. It doesn’t help because as the bidding starts and the first girl is led onto the stage, I feel my heart crack.
Once again, regret bubbles up in me from failing to free the girls at the harbor.
I’m so sorry.
I stare at the pale face framed by black curls. The girl stumbles to the side as she’s forcefully turned for the bidders to see all of her naked body.
I swallow the bitter taste down that the sight leaves in my mouth, and lifting my chin, I take a deep breath.
Keep your shit together. You’re of no use to these girls if you’re dead.
Time crawls by, and as each girl is put on display and sold, the weight on my shoulders increases until it feels like the world is bearing down on me.
The last girl is brought onto the stage, and seeing how young she is, makes my fists tighten by my sides.
God, single digits?
My eyes dart to my mother. She has a pleased smile on her face as she watches the bidders go crazy, and the amount rockets through the thousands and well into the millions.
Looking back at the little girl, I think about the offer Alexei made. It will get rid of my mother, stopping the terror she’s spreading instead of me trying to save one girl at a time.
Shoving the idea to the back of my mind, I focus on the girl.
‘I’ll save you first.’
I turn my gaze to the bidders, and when the girl is sold for three million, my eyes settle hard on the man who just bought her. He also purchased another girl, and clearly, he likes them way too freaking young.
If I go after him, I’ll be able to save two girls at once.