Luna
The boat arrives thirty minutes later at a small island.
Greg and Johnny’s brothers get off first, securing the boat to the dock, when Johnny comes up next to me.
He picks up the pearl necklace I’m wearing, playing with the larger pearl at its center.
“You look beautiful tonight,” He says with a soft smile.
If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he’s flirting with me.
“This necklace you have on is a tracking device. Once activated by the key holder, the necklace locks in place.” He presses down on the pearl, and a red light emits from it.
“You can’t take it off, so don’t try. If you try to run, the metal clasp that hangs flush against your neck will give you a healthy shock.
If you run too far from the key holder, the charge could be lethal.
” Johnny holds up his hand, pointing to his newly adorned ring.
That must be the key. “So, please, mingle, drink, try to enjoy yourself, but don’t fly too far, little dove.
” The taste of hopelessness burns in my mouth, but I calm myself, not letting him see any of my fear.
Johnny holds his hand out for me, and I take it, stepping up onto the dock.
Johnny places his hand on the small of my back and leads us up the pier and through the stone pathway that leads to what looks like a big white pop-up tent.
“Party time,” Johnny whispers in my ear as we approach the entrance.
He slides his large hand down from the small of my back over my ass, squeezing it as he does.
“Maybe I’ll keep you to myself.” His hot breath on my neck makes me want to vomit.
He smells of cigar smoke and expensive aftershave, and it’s so overpowering.
We enter the tent, and a boisterous group of men immediately greets Johnny.
They are all well-dressed, and each has a woman by their side.
My eyes lock with the woman in front of me, a blonde with Hollywood waves in her hair, but there's a dead look in her turquoise eyes.
My gaze travels down, landing on the necklace around her neck—pearls.
She’s for sale.
My eyes search the room, and every woman I see wears a string of pearls around their neck, and they’re standing not too far from their Johns. My rage turns into disgust, and the darkness over my heart pulses.
None of these men deserves to live. They are all expendable, and not worth the breath they breathe, so what are you waiting for?
I try to ignore the voice, but it’s growing louder by the second.
Kill them. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill!
Johnny’s fingers catch my chin, pulling my face up to meet his. “Why don’t you go get yourself a drink, little dove? Work the room, make a good sale.”
I force a smile, nodding, and turn to find a server a few feet away. I cross the room, taking a drink off the tray, the server looks me up and down, practically eye fucking me. I move to a vacant spot and find that I’m being followed.
Greg comes up from behind me, his face hollow and emotionless. “You do look beautiful, Elena.”
“Elena is dead. You killed her.” I sip on my champagne, the tingly bubbles dance over my tongue.
“Come on, Elena. I’m sorry, you know how I get.”
You do know. Now, let's see if he wants a taste of it.
The thought settles deep in my mind as my gaze slides to his. Greg steps closer to me, leaning down to speak into my ear. “You don’t have to get on that stage tonight if you come with me.”
A familiar trap of his, grasping at anything to get me back in his claws. Dante may be my stalker, but Greg is the one obsessed. He won’t let go. I’ll never be free of him.
Unless…
Unless I kill him.
Yesssss.
What did I have to lose? My author career is clearly over. Dante is nowhere to be found, and somehow involved with all of this life, seeing as he has friends who can buy me, and I’m about to be walked onto a stage and sold to the highest bidder, with nowhere to run.
No one to save me.
You don’t need saving; you just need to give in. Let go of your past self, kill her as Greg did, and rise from her ashes. You are Luna Stirling.
A man walking on stage catches my attention, and everything shifts. The energy in the room feels tense as he taps on the microphone, calling everyone’s attention to start the auction.
“Come with me,” Greg says, his breath on my skin.
Greg will die tonight.
A gunshot rings out, and I jump, looking frantically around the room. My eyes dart from person to person, looking for an exit. “We have to go now,” Greg says, and he starts to pull me with him, wrapping his arms around me and running out of the tent.
I kick and scream, fighting him the whole time. “Let me go!”
He throws me to the ground, my shoulder breaking my fall.
He climbs over top of me, covering my mouth to keep me from screaming.
More gunshots ring out in the distance. “All those nights on the strip hanging with the pit-pocketers taught me a thing or two.” Greg holds up a black ring, “I swiped it off him when he wasn’t looking.
Now you’ll be my pet, and you’ll never leave me again, because you’re mine. ”
I’m going to throw up. No, no, no no! I won’t be tied to him, not now, not ever. My heart belongs to one person, and if I’m never to see him again, I want him to find my body and know I put up a fight to get back to him.
I want Dante to know I tried.
I shift my weight under Greg, giving me the leverage to kick him in the balls.
He groans, falling to the side of me, and I push out from under him and take off into the darkness.
I flip my shoes off as I keep running, when a shock runs through me so great that I fall to my knees.
“Ahhh!” My ears ring, and my vision blurs.
“Shouldn’t have run, stupid bitch.” A hard thud to my jaw, and my world goes black.