Kimani hesitated. She didn’t have enough story material yet. When she had discovered the bruises Marissa had tried to keep hidden a month ago, Marissa had refused to admit anything at first. Kimani had persisted, but though Marissa had finally relented and told Kimani the truth, she had refused to say anything on the record. No amount of badgering, cajoling or bribing from Kimani could change her mind because she was convinced she would have to repay the twenty thousand dollars she had made from her participation in the Scarlet Auction.
“I didn’t go through that for nothing,” Marissa had told Kimani angrily.
At that, Kimani had backed off. It was obvious Marissa was in a lot of pain and just wanted to move on with her life.
But Kimani couldn’t let it go. It wasn’t right. It wasn’t right that a man could beat Marissa up like that and get away with it. After a few more days of failing to convince Marissa to speak up, Kimani had decided that if Marissa wouldn’t come forth, she would find someone who would.
Taking a deep breath, she got in the limo.
CHAPTER THREE
“You missed out, cuz,” Jason said over the phone. “The women at the auction were dope. I got myself a little Thai hottie. We’re heading up to Jake’s cabin in the morning. You wanna ride with?”
Ben stared out the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city from the bedroom of his penthouse in Pac Heights. “I’m not up to spending a week with Jake and Derek. I just spent a month overseeing the plans for our new luxury resort in Thailand and visiting our investments in Germany. I’ve got this political committee to set up for our uncle.”
“Oh, right. What’s he running for again?”
“Mayor of Oakland. I don’t have the patience to dick around with Jake and Derek.”
“But Jake signed some amazing ballers, and if your dad is serious about recruiting foreign talent for the Golden Phoenix, Jake’s your best bet.”
The Golden Phoenix basketball team was sponsored by the Lee Family Corporation, and Ben’s father was intent on building the team into a contender for the Chinese Basketball Association title.
“And dicking around with them is fun.”
“They’re overgrown teenagers,” Ben said. “You’re a Lee. You don’t have to hang out with dipshits like them.”
“You’re starting to sound like an old fart.”
Ben groaned. He didn’t want to have this conversation with Jason, who was almost six years younger and the closest thing to a brother to Ben.
“Come on,” Jason urged. “It’s going to be a fun week, and if you’re tired from working, you need a vacay. If you don’t have a girl, maybe Jake will lend you one of his.”
“Jake has more than one?”
“Totally! I didn’t know you could bid on more than one. If I had known that, I would have gotten a second one. There was this pretty hot Korean...”
Ben tried to ignore the tug at his groin. He needed a good fuck and had contemplated making a visit to the pretty blond who lived three floors below, but she reminded him a little too much of his mother, a German Russian his father had met on a diplomatic trip to Berlin.
And Ben, who liked to spend most of the year in San Francisco, didn’t want complications with neighbors. He had that in common with Jake. Sometimes he just wanted a fuck for fuck’s sake and nothing else.
Maybe he should have gone with them to the Scarlet Auction.
Jason made a final pitch. “Besides, I rarely get to see you anymore, so it’d be great to hang together.”
Pinching the bridge of his nose, Ben recalled what his uncle, Jason’s father, had said to him once:
“You are the eldest of the number one son,” Uncle had said. “It is your duty to look after your siblings and cousins.”
“I’ll go,” Ben decided, “but I’ll get myself up to this cabin.”
“Awesome! See you soon.”
Ben hung up and threw himself on his bed. Fuck. A week with Tweedledee and Tweedledum.
Unzipping his pants, he pulled out his cock and tugged. It wasn’t as good as pounding pussy, but it would have to do for now. Tomorrow morning, he’d call his security detail, Bataar, and arrange a sparring match. That would alleviate some of the pent-up energy and frustration. Fucking was more soothing, but like masturbating, sparring would have to do.
KIMANI COULDN’T SHAKE the queasy feeling building inside her as the limo headed north on US 101. Marissa hadn’t mentioned being whisked away directly from the auction to her bidder’s place of choice. She talked about being locked up in a nice house and submitting to sexual acts she wasn’t comfortable with. Sex, and even BDSM sex, was part of the bargain, Marissa had explained, but there were no safe words, and even if there were, she doubted her ‘Master’ would have cared.