Chapter Thirty-Four
Sterling continued to come closer, while the other two men hung back.
“This was not the ending I’d hoped for,” Sterling said when he stopped close. “You’re the first woman in years I wanted to keep for myself. Unfortunately, that wasn’t in the cards.”
He leaned forward. I jerked back but didn’t get far before his hand went to the back of my neck and he yanked me closer.
“Get her out of here,” Sterling ordered.
“Mr. Blackwell, please—”
“I knew you’d sound pretty when you begged,” he cut in to tell me.
I heard Poppy moving next to me, her cry of pain, but I couldn’t look at what was happening because Sterling’s grip was iron.
“Let me go, asshole!” Poppy screamed.
“Don’t do this, Sterling,” I begged. “Please tell them—”
“Enough.” Dex calmly entered the fray. “Get her upstairs.”
Upstairs.
Up . . . stairs.
What happened upstairs?
Laura hadn’t explained.
I wrenched free from Sterling and turned to see the unknown man dragging a struggling Poppy toward the door, with his hand over her mouth.
Without thinking, I ran to help Poppy. The thoughtless part of that was, to get to her I had to pass Dex. He easily hooked me around the waist. When he had me tight against his chest, I felt something hard at my temple. I’d seen enough movies to know what it was.
I heard the door slam. Dex let me go with a shove.
“Undress.”
Dex’s order hit my brain, and it was then I understood. Fully understood with blinding clarity what Ryan had meant when he’d talked about all the ways this could go wrong.
I had a watch, a necklace, earrings, and a ring, all with tracking devices embedded. As did Poppy. But a tracking device wasn’t going to help me. A tracking device wasn’t going to stop what was about to happen.
“Now, Chloe. Undress,” he ordered again, this time with a thread of impatience.
I kept my eyes on the floor in front of me and begged, “Please don’t do this.”
“Do it. Now. Or I’ll have Poppy brought back in and we’ll see if watching my man break her in makes you more agreeable.”
Oh God.
My stomach revolted, and saliva filled my mouth.
I lifted my gaze, ignored Sterling standing off to the side—not close but close enough he could get to me before I made it more than a few feet. I turned to face Dex, blocking my path to the door and holding a gun. He’d shoot me before I could escape.
Fuck, yeah, I understood.
I stared into Dex’s eyes, thinking he was a dead man. When Ryan heard about this, he was going to tear his head off.
I reached for the hem of my blouse and tore it over my head and dropped it onto the floor.
“Hurry up,” Dex demanded.
I unbuttoned my slacks, my eyes locked on Dex’s cold, dead eyes, and shimmied out of them, kicking my heels off before the waist fell to my feet.
I did this wondering where Beck was. If he’d find Poppy in time.
If he’d come running into the staff house before something happened that would scar me for the rest of my life.
I could take this, standing in my bra and panties in front of these two assholes, and get over it.
But I wasn’t sure I’d live through what I was afraid came next.
“Take off your jewelry.”
Shit.
I couldn’t take it off. Ryan told me not to take any of it off no matter what.
Dex lifted the gun. “I’m losing patience, Chloe, and trust me, you don’t want to find out what happens if you piss me off.”
Fuck you! I screamed in my head.
I started with the watch. Next the ring. But when I reached for the necklace, I asked, “Please let me keep this. It was my grandmother’s. It’s special. The only thing I have left.”
Dex wasn’t moved by my impassioned plea. Suddenly he was in front of me, the gold chain with the diamond pendant in his hand. With a vicious tug, he ripped it off and carelessly tossed it away.
Dex look at Sterling and asked, “Is everything ready?”
“Yes.”
Dex’s bland, uninterested gaze roamed my body. I wasn’t sure what that meant—if I should feel relief at his indifference, or if it should scare the shit out of me. When his eyes hit my face, I knew what I should feel. Fear. So much fear my body shivered with it.
I’d been right the first time I laid eyes on him. He had no soul.
“Earrings.”
My last hope.
I reached up, unscrewed the back of one, and dropped it.
Dex’s attention went back to Sterling. “Muriel’s become a problem.”
“I know.”
“You have a week to handle that situation.”
“It’s being done as we speak,” Sterling said.
Dex dipped his chin. I had the second earring in my hand. Before Dex turned back to me, I quickly put it in my mouth, dropping the backing on the pile of my clothes.
“I don’t care what’s done with the girl,” Dex went on. “But I’ll expect my cut.”
“You’ll get it.”
I couldn’t throw up. If I did, I’d lose the earring safely tucked in my cheek.
Dex’s hand wrapped around my upper arm, and he announced, “Time to go.”
I yanked to the side, tripping over my clothes still at my feet. I didn’t go down, but only because Dex had held on tight.
“I’d rather deliver you unharmed. But you keep fucking around, I’ll take the hit. But you should know I’ll take that hit by delivering you bloody. I don’t like losing money, but I like stupid bitches less. So do as you’re told and let’s fucking go.”
I didn’t go. I stared up at Dex, thinking when Ryan found him—and I had no doubt he would—I hoped he didn’t tear his head off.
At least not until he had this motherfucker on his knees, begging for his life.
Though I suspected a man as soulless as Dex wouldn’t beg, he wouldn’t care that death was upon him.
He wouldn’t care his life was about to blink out the same way he didn’t care about what happened to Poppy, or me, or anyone.
“You understand what I’m saying to you, bitch?”
“I hope you die a painful death,” I whispered.
Dex lowered his face to mine and snarled, “Death would be a relief.”
“Well then I hope you find relief soon.”
Dex straightened and tugged me toward the hall.
“Such a shame,” Sterling said.
Dex stopped and looked over at Sterling. “Name your price.”
Sterling’s lip curled in disgust. “I don’t pay for pussy.”
“You don’t?” Dex clipped. “You seem to have forgotten where you are and who you are. I’ll ask one more time—you want her, name your price.”
Name your price.
Bile swirled in my stomach.
I didn’t need any more clarity, but there it was, flashing in my face.
Ryan was right. So very right. There were so many ways for this plan to fail.
When Sterling didn’t say anything else, Dex went back to pulling me down the hall.
I had a choice.
Fight and possibly die.
Or do what I was told, and in doing that, die inside but still be breathing when Ryan found me.
I love you that much, Chloe. Love you enough to ask you to make that promise to me, knowing that if shit goes sideways, I’m asking you to put yourself first.
I promised I’d keep myself safe—no matter what.
The problem was I didn’t know what safe was.
Not anymore.
We got to the end of the hallway. Dex stopped in front of a door. My vision blurred with possibilities. All the ways this was going to hurt. I’d be breathing, but I’d never be the same.
Never.
Name your price.
Dex opened the door, and I decided I’d rather die than live through it.
I’d rather die right here and now than make Ryan live with knowledge of what was about to come.
It would torture his mind. He’d mourn my death, then avenge it, then eventually move on.
But he’d never be able to live with what was coming, because it would shatter my soul.
Splinter my mind. And break me in ways from which I’d never recover.
Name your price.
I knew what that meant.
I knew it.
Ryan did too.
Poppy.
I couldn’t even think about where she was. My last thread of hope was that Beck would be here soon and he’d save her.
I’m asking you to put yourself first.
I had to put myself first.
And I’d rather die than live through what was coming.
I threw my body to the side, knocking Dex off balance. I made it two steps before his hand wrapped around my throat.
“Fuck, I hate stupid bitches,” he spat.
“Just do it,” I taunted.
His grip tightened, and I came up on my toes, my body’s natural reaction to fight for air.
But I didn’t want to breathe.
“Stupid bitches do nothing for me, but I’m thinking before I put you out to bid, I’m gonna teach you a lesson.”
Out to bid.
Name your price.
I forced myself not to struggle. The less I fought, the quicker this would be.
I love you that much, Chloe.
I closed my eyes, felt Dex’s hand around my throat, but saw Ryan’s smile. I heard his words flow through me. Over and over as my lungs started to burn.
I love you that much, Chloe.
Love you, too, Ryan. So much. So, so much.
Lightheadedness turned into dizziness. The burning in my chest lessened. I felt no fear, only sadness.
Out to bid.
I shoved that thought away.
I need my last thought to be Ryan.
I love you that much, Chloe.