Nicolo brushes past me, motioning for me to follow. I do so on unsteady legs while pulling my dress down as much as I can. The two motions combined don’t mix because before I know it, I’m stumbling. Of course, it has to be as I pass the man I’m trying to avoid at all costs.
Lucas twists in his chair and reaches out to cup my waist. If this was anyone else, it might have seemed like he did it out of kindness, but the menacing look in his eyes and the way his fingers dig into my flesh says differently.
He catches me, his hands gripping my upper arms tightly.
“Don’t touch her,” Nicolo orders.
Before Lucas can respond, we are marching out of the dining room. Nicolo’s hand clasps around mine as he drags me back the way we came. I can barely keep up and nearly trip ten times in the process.
When we make it to my room, he shoves me inside. I stumble again and land sideways on the bed. Realizing the predicament I’ve found myself in, I scramble to sit in case he gets any ideas of following me inside.
“I’ll be back for you tomorrow. We have some work to do to get you ready for the auction,” he says, standing only partially inside, leaning against the doorframe.
I stiffen but keep my chin held high and my glare solid.
He continues as if my response is irrelevant, and I guess it is. As long as I’m here, I’m at his will. He can bend me however he sees fit, and there isn’t anything I can do about it.
“Behave tomorrow, or I’ll give you to Lucas to play with, and he’s not as gentle with his toys as I am.”
He doesn’t give me the chance to respond. The last thing I hear is the click of the lock as he twists it into place.
10
Nic
Soo comes strutting into my office and tosses a stack of paperwork down on my desk before I’ve even had my coffee. I scowl at him, but he takes it good-naturedly, as always, and throws himself into a chair in front of my desk. When he tosses his boot-clad feet upon my desk, I shove them over the edge. His feet hit the ground with a thud that leaves him smiling at me. The fucker sure knows how to be annoying.
I shuffle around the papers to put them in order. “What the hell is all this?”
He lays his hands across his belly, relaxing deeper into the chair. “It’s a list of everyone who has paid the auction deposit. Rumor mill is churning, Nic, and everyone is whispering that you’re auctioning off a woman soon.”
The conversation takes a sudden turn of interest, and I toss the papers to the corner of my desk to deal with later. “Well, they’re not wrong. Anything out yet about who the woman is?”
“A few whispers, but I squashed them, since I know you want it to be a surprise. Also, to deter anyone from mounting a rescue at the last moment.”
I nod. “Good, keep it that way. If you need to, circulate your own rumors to lead them in another direction. I don’t want a single soul outside this house to know who is going up on the block that night.”
As if trying to read my mind, Soo narrows his eyes, studying me. “So you’re actually going to go through with this?” When I don’t reply immediately, he continues, “Once we do, there’s no going back.”
“Second thoughts?” I prod.
He laughs and holds his hands open. “You know me. I live for this shit. Bringing down cesspit hierarchies is one of my favorite weekend activities.” His smile clears as he continues, “Just be careful, okay?”
I don’t insult him by asking what he means. Already, the girl occupies my thoughts. Every time I touch her, I tell myself it’s the last time, and yet, five minutes later, I’m craving another taste. Soo is right. I need to be careful and watch all our backs. The moment I slip up, she’ll take advantage. It’s what her kind does.
“What are your contacts on the inside saying?”
Another lazy grin slips onto his face. “Right now, the disappearance of your girl has died down in favor of Gardello’s disappearance.”
Shit. Killing him had been a rash decision. I’d long prided myself on being in control, at least with matters which would affect the outcome of my goals. Marco disappearing could toss many wrenches into our plans.
“What’s the word then?”
Soo’s lips spread wide, and I roll my eyes. “They are saying Celia and Marco ran off together. That they eloped instead of waiting for the marriage.”
I snort. “How does that play out? They were supposed to get married before Marco disappeared, and Celia had left first.”
“I don’t know, man, they’re trying to rationalize and save face. All the houses have their guard up.”