Valentina.
I’d barely gotten a breath to steady myself when the man’s hand grazed my cheek, rough and uninvited.
His smile made my stomach churn… a vile blend of pride and entitlement. But when his fingers traced my jaw, slowly, possessively, as if he was claiming every inch of me already, I forced myself to meet his eyes.
“You’re mine now.” He repeated.
I bit down the urge to spit in his face, swallowing the disgust that ran up my throat. “You don’t know what you’re getting into.”
Those words seemed to excite him as his smile widened, and he leaned in closer, his voice low enough for only me to hear.
“Then maybe you can show me.”
Luca would have to place a bullet through my skull for that.
My skin prickled as he let his fingers trail down my arm. All I wanted to do was pull away, to run, to do anything but stand here, helpless and powerless.
Dressed like a hooker.
But with nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, I did what I did best.
I held my ground.
The man by my side interrupted, a snug smirk on his face. “Mr Reed, she’s a feisty one. You sure you can handle her?”
Like he hadn’t just told him that I was a good choice.
The man… Reed laughed, his fingers still wrapped around my arm. “I’ve handled worse. But…” he turned his gaze back to me, his eyes narrowing. “.. something tells me she’ll be worth the trouble.”
I glared daggers at him, willing myself not to look away. “I’m not some price to be won.”
He chuckled, clearly unbothered by the spite in my tone. “Not yet,” he said, his voice dangerously low. “But I can change that.”
Before I could respond, he leaned in, close enough that I could smell the faint scent of whiskey on his breath. “And just so we’re clear,” he murmured, his eyes never leaving mine. “Fighting will only make things worse for you. But if you cooperate…. maybe I can make things a little easier.”
“And what if I don’t want your help?”
He raised an eyebrow, a flicker of something I couldn’t quite describe crossing his face. “Then you’re a bigger fool than I thought, and you’re not going to last very long in this place.”
His grip on my arm tightened as he pulled me toward the exit. I stumbled, barely keeping my balance, but I couldn’t let him see my struggle.
As we moved down the dimly lit hallway, I found myself struggling to piece together what I knew about him in this short time. To find something I could exploit for my own benefit.
Once we reached a quieter part of the corridor, he slowed down, his eyes moving around as if checking to see if we were alone.
I hope he wasn’t thinking….
He pulled me close, his voice a harsh whisper in my ear. “You don’t have to trust me, I don’t need you to. But if you want to escape, you’ll follow my lead.”
I scoffed, yanking my arm free. “Why should I believe a word you say?”
“Because someone almost died to find you,” He replied. “And if you’re smart, you’ll keep that in mind.”
I studied his form, eyes narrowing. “What do you want?”
A muscle in his jaw twitched, and for a moment, he looked away. When he met my eyes again, his expression had hardened. “I want you to meet him again. Everything that happened from leading you to that warehouse to you being sold now was because of me.”
Wait…
He was the man that I saw in the woods at the safe house.
Was he seriously trying to help me after leading me to my doom? Was I going to blindly trust him again?
“How do I know this isn’t a trick?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
“You’d be in the room I got, doing what Luca thinks made me buy you,” He shot back, his smooth voice cold as ice. “I’m taking a risk just by talking to you like this.”
I swallowed, feeling the weight of his words settle over me. He wasn’t wrong.
“You don’t sound like him.” I crossed my arms after saying that. “But what’s your plan?”
He released a slow breath, glancing down the corridor. “First, you have to make them believe you’re actually being tortured. Make them think you’re broken since those bastards thrive on power more than anything. They’ll start to relax.”
My stomach twisted. “You want me to… pretend?”
“It’s the only way we’ll get a chance to move you out of here. If you keep fighting, they’ll keep you under constant watch. But if they think they’ve won, they’ll let their guard down.”
“And then what?”
He hesitated, glancing over his shoulder as if to check if anyone was coming. “I have another contact outside. Someone who misses you badly. When the time is right, we’ll make our move.”
I bit on my lower lip, the realization sinking in. I’ll be putting myself entirely at his mercy if I go along with this.
But did I have a choice?
I couldn’t survive this alone, and Isabella.. she wouldn’t last much longer in this place.
“Alright.”
This time, the smile on his lips held warmth. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
He reached out, his hand resting on my shoulder now. “One more thing,” he added, his voice quiet. “No matter what happens.. don’t show fear.”
I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat. “I’ll try.”
“Good.” He pulled back, his expression hardening. “Now let’s go. We don’t have much time.”
We walked in silence down the corridor, each step heavy with the weight of the reckless decision I’d just made. I felt the eyes of Luca’s men on me as we passed. Their leering gazes like knives against my skin.
But I kept my head high, my expression blank.
At the end of the corridor, Reed stopped, glancing back at me one last time. “You look beautiful, by the way. Absolutely gorgeous.”
If he doesn’t…
I rolled my eyes at him. “Let’s just get on with it.”
He held my gaze for a moment, something I couldn’t describe flickering in those eyes of his. Then he turned and opened the door, ushering me inside.
We were in another room now. Dimly lit, with a low hum of conversation filling the air. Men sat around a large table, their eyes fixed on me the moment I stepped inside.
I forced myself to take slow, steady breaths, keeping my face as blank as I could as I felt their gazes rake over me.
“Gentlemen,” Reed announced, his voice smooth and unbothered. “This is Valentina. She’ll be joining us tonight.”
The men exchanged glances, their expressions a mixture of interest and hunger.
I forced myself to keep my expression neutral, forcing back the bile rising in my throat, his hand resting on my shoulder in a possessive, almost protective way.
One of the men, a tall, thin figure with sharp eyes, leaned back in his chair, studying me with a smirk. “So this is Luca’s latest acquisition,” he said, his voice dripping with disdain. “She doesn’t look like much.”
I shot him a glare, my emotions getting the better of me. “I’m more than you think.”
That only made his smirk widen. “Feisty one, isn’t she?”
Reed chuckled, his grip on my shoulder tightening just a fraction. “She’ll learn.” He shrugged, but his tone carried an edge I didn’t quite understand. “They all do.”
I felt a flicker of anger, but I swallowed it, forcing myself to stay silent. I couldn’t afford to let my emotions get the better of me. Not here.
Reed’s voice lowered, his gaze fixed on the men around the table. “Enjoy yourselves tonight, gentlemen. But remember, she’s mine for the next three days so don’t get any ideas.”
I had just three days to find a way to leave this place.
The men laughed, their amusement grating my nerves. But I held my ground, keeping my expression blank as Reed guided me toward a single seat at the other side of the table.
He took his seat first, spreading his thighs wide enough to accommodate someone else.
“Sit.”
I could feel the men’s eyes on me, watching me.
So I sat.