Chapter 12
Chapter
Twelve
She barely even registered the arousal because she was so afraid.
When Mateo made it clear that not only were they going through with this, but that he was washing his hands of her as soon as he passed along intel to Prey, Ally decided she wasn't going to talk to him again. She was just going to grin and bear it and hope Prey really did get to her before anything more happened to her than she’d already endured in this place.
But then he brought her to this room.
This small, dimly lit room, and she lost it.
Not proud of how she’d begged and pleaded, or the fact that somehow Mateo still had the power to hurt her even though she’d shut down her feelings for him, now she was alone with her thoughts. Her fears.
Mateo had turned his back on her and walked out the door, ignoring her pleas for him to stop this from happening, to find another way.
It mirrored what had happened to him as a kid, and it felt like things had come full circle for him, because now he was the one walking away, prioritizing himself, leaving fate to do with her whatever it chose.
This was really happening.
She was sold.
It was done.
All that had to happen now was for the man who had bought her from a single photo of her dressed in a skimpy princess dress to collect her.
After that, she might never be seen or heard from again.
Mateo’s entire plan hinged on her being taken to the place where the man who had bought her lived.
But what if he didn't take her there? What if he had a secret location to hide her away?
If he did, even if Prey were able to locate her new owner, arrest him, and do whatever it was they did to try to get suspects to talk, he might never give up her location.
She could be lost forever.
When the door swung open, Ally was still standing right in the middle of the room where Mateo had left her.
Her gaze swung to the large man who strolled inside.
He had dark skin and was short, not much taller than her own five-foot-three frame, maybe an inch or two.
He was, however, a whole lot rounder. She’d been toned before, now she was skinnier than she’d been a week ago, having lost a few pounds from lack of food.
Dark eyes gave her a onceover that made her shudder, and before she dropped her gaze to the floor, she noticed a row of even, bright white teeth smiling at her like they were old friends.
“Even more beautiful in person,” the man gushed.
He had an accent, maybe from somewhere in the South Pacific.
If that was true, it would take hours to travel there, maybe that really would give Prey enough time to follow them and get to her not long after they arrived, minimizing what this man had a chance to do to her.
Although it also left a lot of hours on a plane where she would be completely at his mercy.
“I love this outfit on you,” he continued, stepping forward until his crisp black shoes came into her line of sight.
When he reached out and tugged the plunging neckline down enough to bare her breasts, she stiffened but didn't move. Circling the pad of a finger around one of her nipples, he then pinched it between his fingers, squeezing hard enough that she let out a yelp and tried to pull back.
“Stay still,” the man commanded, still smiling at her. “I don’t tolerate disobedience of any kind. Your profile stated you were perfectly trained and would do everything required of you without complaint. Was that a lie?”
Was she supposed to answer that?
Uncertain, Ally just fixed her gaze back on the floor.
“Very good, little princess.” A thumb hooked under her chin, nudging her until she looked up. “You may answer. Are you going to be my good, well-behaved princess?”
“Y-yes,” she murmured.
“Good. Then spread your legs. Are you wet and aching down there, princess? Needy?”
Now that he drew her attention to the throbbing between her legs, it seemed much stronger than it had a moment ago.
As badly as she didn't want him touching her, her body had other ideas.
It begged for any stimulation, from anyone, anything to give it some relief.
Ally gave a shaky nod as she did as he requested and spread her legs apart, and he beamed at her, all those straight white teeth on display.
“Is this what you want, princess?” he asked as he swatted a hand against her center.
There was a sting of pain, but the stimulation against her swollen bundle of nerves was good too, and she moaned, her hips thrusting forward, seeking more before she could stop it.
“There you go, princess. You love that, don’t you? Do you want to come for me?”
This time, it was clear he didn't want an answer. His hand came down on her center again, and again, and again, until her hips were rocking, her head tipped back, and she moaned as she chased the rush of pleasure building inside her.
Half expecting him to stop when she was about to come, the man didn't. Instead, he grabbed her bud, rolled it roughly between his fingers, and she detonated. As she rode the wave of pleasure, she saw the man bring his fingers to his lips and lick them clean.
“Such a perfect little princess. Come, we have a long journey home,” he told her.
Someone stepped up behind him, another man with dark skin and straight white teeth.
This man held something out to the man before her, and he took it.
It was a collar, studded with diamantes, or maybe if he really was rich enough to purchase her, they were real diamonds.
He leaned in and put the collar around her neck before attaching a diamond-studded leash to it.
Then he took the other end of the leash and began to walk.
With no choice but to follow, she trailed along after him, struggling to keep up with him even though he waddled as he walked, because she was shaking so badly that walking in the heels was difficult.
Ally kept expecting to see Mateo. For him to come running to her rescue. Riding in on his metaphorical white horse to rescue her.
But he didn't come.
Wasn't anywhere to be seen.
Surreptitiously looking about as they walked through a couple of hallways before stepping out into the summer sun, she didn't see him anywhere. Had he already gone to meet with his boss? Or had he just decided that what was done was done and he had already forgotten all about her?
No.
He wouldn't do that.
No matter what else she thought about Mateo, it was clear he’d been struggling with her being sold as much as she was, so she was sure he wasn't going to just write her off, that was just her fear talking.
“In you go, princess,” the man said as he opened a limo door for her.
Since she’d kind of been expecting to be shoved in a trunk, she startled at learning she’d be sitting in the car.
Recovering quickly, not wanting to do anything to upset him, she slipped inside, moving a little awkwardly since he was still holding her leash.
The man slid in beside her, close enough that their thighs touched, and the other one got into the driver’s seat.
“Open your legs for your king,” he murmured as he nuzzled at her neck. “Let him tend to his little princess.”
Arguing would be pointless. This man had paid a lot of money for her, and so far, he didn't seem overly interested in hurting her. All she had to do was hold on for another few hours, and this would all be over. Making him angry would be stupid.
So, to that end, she spread her legs, and he set one of his pudgy hands on her thigh, positioned so that his fingers could sweep across her soaked center.
He didn't touch her hard enough to get her off again, he just caressed her every so often as the car took off, driving away from what looked like a warehouse.
Mile after mile, they drove.
The brushes across her bundle of nerves ensured she remained in a constant state of arousal as the gel did its job, egged on by the fingers of the man who called himself King.
The further away they went from Mateo and the warehouse, the less it felt like she was getting closer and closer to salvation, to freedom.
It felt like she was getting closer to her own demise.
August 20th
1:14 A.M.
Urgency thrummed through his system as he hurried toward the house in front of him.
Mateo cared little that it was one in the morning and that there were two little girls asleep inside. Ally needed him, and that was the only thing he was focused on.
Once again, he’d let her down.
Almost twelve hours had passed since she’d been sold, and he’d only just now been able to get away.
He had no way to know whether Griffin had deliberately slowed things down, come up with excuses to keep him hanging around with meetings and games with the women, to prove that he didn't care the woman from his past had been sold, or if it had just been an annoying coincidence.
Either way, it didn't matter.
By now, he’d hoped to already have a team on a plane, heading toward Vanuatu, which was where Koa Rolland, the man who had bought her, lived. He’d gotten the ping with the intel before she was in that damn limo, but he hadn't been able to do anything about it until now.
In deference to the fact that he didn't want to scare Falcon’s daughters, seven-year-old twins Addison and Adelia, and two-year-old Azalea, at the door, he yanked out his cell phone.
He’d send Falcon a text to let his boss know he was here, and then they needed to get to work, find a team, and plan a rescue.
Before he could start typing out a text, the front door swung open and Falcon stood there, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, so it was clear his boss had been waiting for him to show up.
“About time,” Falcon drawled in his gruff voice.
“Damn, Griffin apparently had a whole afternoon and evening of activities,” he growled, stepping past the other man and into the quiet house.
“You're here now, so we can get started. I assume you have a name?” Falcon asked as he closed the front door behind him.