“I’ve got to ask, Crewe,” Bones said. “Where does the price tag come from?”
“Glad you asked.” Crewe drank his scotch before he continued. “You know Joseph Ingram?”
“Vaguely,” Bones said. “Name sounds familiar.”
“Well, this idiot paid me with counterfeit bills. He was stupid enough to think he could get away with it.”
Bones groaned quietly, his form of a smile. “That’s insulting.”
“If he had succeeded with an intricate plan, I might actually have some respect for him,” Crewe said with a shrug. “But he did something so amateur. Within five minutes, we knew we’d been taken for a ride.”
“Maybe he thought you wouldn’t be able to track him down,” Bones suggested.
“Well, it only took us two days. We brought him and his men to my headquarters in Glasgow. After a good beating, he doubled the amount he owed me. But, obviously, he never paid up. I couldn’t get the money from him. Instead, I took his sister.” Crewe wrapped his arm around my shoulders. “He knows all the horrible things that will be done to her, and that’s enough revenge. But I’m selling her for the price he owes me—two birds with one stone.”
Bones nodded slowly then lifted his glass to Crewe. “I commend you, Crewe.”
Crewe clinked his glass against his. “Thank you.” He threw back his glass and poured the scotch down his throat.
Bones did the same. “Perfect punishment. But I need to think about it. In the back of my mind, I can’t stop thinking about the number of whores I could get for the same price. Now that I know her backstory, I’m much more enticed. I’ll give her greater beatings just because I know someone is hurting for her.” He stared at me, his cruel gaze piercing my skin. I could feel arousal leaking from his skin with all the unsaid things he wanted to do to me. “I’d love to break both of her knees and watch her try to crawl away. I’d love to break her arm and command her to serve me. But she won’t last as long as the others. She’ll be buried in the yard within a year.”
I forced myself not to shake, not giving in to my fear while Bones was present. But I’d never been so scared in my goddamn life. The sobs pounded in my chest, and I was on the verge of fainting. This man was a monster, far worse than Crewe could ever be. All he ever did was slap me—and that was because I slapped him first. When I asked him not to fuck me, he listened. Crewe wasn’t evil at all—not in comparison to Bones.
When Bones finally left the house, I dashed into my bedroom and covered myself with clothes, my body finally shaking with terror. I couldn’t catch my breath because I was gasping too hard. If I had to submit to that psychopath, I’d kill myself.
That was the much better alternative.
Crewe walked into my bedroom without knocking. “That went well.”
I’d normally respond with a smartass comment, but I didn’t have it in me.
“He’ll be here with the cash in three days.”
“He said that?” My one hope was the price might be too high. I thought I would be too expensive to buy, especially if I wasn’t going to last long.
“Yeah.” Crewe stood with his hands in his pockets, still looking handsome despite the evil sale he’d just made. “He just needs to get the funds and travel back. When you’re always on the move, it’s hard to get your finances together.”
I didn’t care about the explanation. “Crewe…don’t do this.” I begged once before, and he listened. Maybe he would listen again. “Please.”
He looked down at me, nearly bored.
“I’ll get you the money, okay? Your debt will be paid.”
“You’ve got four million dollars lying around?” he asked with a cruel smile.
“No, but I’ll find it.” I’d sell drugs if I had to. “You’re selling me to get your revenge. Let me buy myself.”
He shook his head. “Even if you had the money, I wouldn’t take it. Giving you to a madman like Bones is part of the plan.”
“No…” I felt tears bubble in my eyes, but they didn’t escape. “I’m begging you.” I moved to my knees on the floor. “Please don’t let him take me. I know you have compassion. I know you have sympathy.”
His eyes darkened the moment I got to my knees. “I don’t.”
“Yes, you do. I’ve seen it.”
“The only reason why I didn’t fuck you is because I didn’t want to tamper with the goods. Your pleas have no effect on me.”
I didn’t believe that. Or perhaps I chose not to believe that. “I’ll do anything. Don’t give me to that psychopath. He’s insane.”
“That’s the point,” Crewe said coldly. “He’s the craziest man I’ve ever done business with—and that’s saying something.”
I brought my hands together, not caring about how pathetic I’d become. I was on the ground like a rat, but I didn’t care. I’d do anything to save my life, to save myself from eternal suffering. “Crewe, there has to be something you want. I can give you anything you need. Anything.” My meaning was clear. I never thought I would offer something like this, but I was willing to sleep with him just to avoid Bones. I’d take Crewe over Bones any day.