Elegant Sins - Stasia Black Page 0,74

just wanted to know where the fuck she was.

Good news was all the Elders and members were in the ballroom, so at least there wasn’t some secret Initiation only involving her somewhere, although I wouldn’t put it past them to do something like that.

“109 days is a really long time,” Walker said. “I really don’t know how I’ll survive being locked away from society for so long. You guys have to be going crazy.”

I nodded as I took another sip, focusing on the burning caused by the scotch in the back of my throat rather than the churning in my gut and the warning bells going off in my head.

Beau looked at Sully. “You’re next, my friend. Ready?”

Sully shot daggers from his eyes toward Beau and drank from his nearly empty tumbler rather than answering.

I watched as all the Elders lined themselves in a row in the front of the white room. The lights went out, and an eerie hush cast over us all.

Complete darkness.

A loud staccato of anarchy laced with poison decree.

“Here we go,” I heard Sully whisper to my right. “The shit nightmares are made of.”

God, he had no idea.

As the canes smashed against the floor, members of the Order lit the candelabras flanking the room revealing a single file of women standing before us. Just like the first night we chose the belles, Grace stood in line searching the room until her eyes locked with mine.

Her green, with my blue, we would fight the black together. Our eyes would not break just as our bodies, minds and souls would also remain intact.

Stay strong, Grace.

Stay strong.

“Gentlemen of The Order of the Silver Ghost,” an Elder called out as he took a step forward. “Tonight, is an auction of the belles.”

All the Elders struck the floor with their cane to punctuate his statement.

“Only members of the Order may bid on the belles,” the Elder said. “One night. One belle. Highest bid. When the clock strikes twelve, the belle is no longer yours. Let’s begin.”

No… no… fuck no…

My gut painfully squeezed my inner organs, and bile formed in the back of my throat. I’d had a feeling it would be the auction as the Invitation event tonight. It hadn’t occurred yet, and auctions were a favorite pastime of this group.

I had tried to prepare for this. I had even tried to prepare Grace for this possibility as we readied ourselves earlier today.

But to actually hear the words. To stand and watch and not be able to bid on what was mine… mine… fuck no.

“Oh shame. You mean we can’t be sick pricks tonight, buy a belle, and fuck her before we all turn into pumpkins at the stroke of twelve?” Sully mumbled. His sarcasm was not lost on me.

My ears rang, and the room spun as I watched the belles before Grace be bid upon and then taken away to a guest room, or to a platform for all to watch as they were fucked as a prize. When it was Grace’s turn to be auctioned off, I nearly charged where she stood to swoop her away and to tell all these assholes to go fuck themselves.

But we had a plan. A goal.

We couldn’t mess it up now when we were so close. All our hard work would be for nothing. All this time would be lost. I needed to remember why I agreed to do this in the first place.

Focus on the plan. Focus, focus, focus.

It didn’t surprise me when my father was the first to bid on Grace. Of course the fucker would. But I was also happy to see that Mr. St. Claire was outbidding my father each time. A bidding war had begun.

“Jesus Christ,” Walker hissed. “Why the fuck is my father trying so hard to win Grace? This shit is sick.” He took a step closer to me and leaned into my ear. “I’m sorry, man. I don’t know why my dad is doing this.”

“Better him than my own father,” I said, still keeping my eyes locked with Grace’s. She didn’t move. She didn’t tremble. She didn’t show an ounce of fear.

Good girl, Grace. Show those fuckers they can’t break you.

The Elders were battling it out as if money were no issue. Now it was about who wanted it the most. I refused to watch my father as he fought for his right to fuck Grace however he chose. I feared if I witnessed the evil in his eyes, and the sinister intention painted on