my God.
“If I don’t?”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a syringe. “Would you rather not remember your last night?”
My head shook. “Ruby?”
“Will be waiting for you when you complete your assignment.”
As I turned toward the door where we’d stopped, he once again gripped my arm. “Have them ready in two hours. I’ll send someone for you. Then you will present them to my men—their main attraction. This loyalty will show them that you can be trusted.”
I looked up to his dark stare. “I don’t want to do this.”
“Is that a concern of mine? Your wants and desires are comprised of Ruby. Is that not true?”
I took a deep breath. “Yes, Andros. It’s true.”
He shrugged. “These women, they can know your name. They won’t be alive to tell another soul.”
My breasts pushed against the bodice as I gripped the doorknob and turned.
The room was empty except for three bodies upon the floor. All three were without clothes.
I brought my hand to my nose as the stench of their bodily fluids floated through the air.
All three had various bruising that led me to believe the men hadn’t fully waited to share. One with red hair lifted her head. Drool pooled on the floor as her enlarged pupils came my way.
“Help us.”
I went to the side door to the attached dressing room and opened it. Inside was a bathroom with a large two-stall shower. Unlike the opulence of most of the compound, this was very generic, like locker rooms I’d seen on television shows. Upon hooks on the wall were gowns and shoes.
How did they know their sizes?
There was a long mirror with three stools and a counter filled with cosmetics.
I turned back to the women. “I’m here to help. My name is Madeline.”
The other two women were also looking my way. “You’re going to help us?” a blonde woman asked as she slowly sat up. Wobbling, she pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs.
It was the way I remembered sitting in the cell-house basement. I took a deep breath, taking in the stench. “Yes, I’m going to help. First, let’s get you cleaned up.”
Slowly the women began to stand. The heroin must have affected their coordination. I didn’t know anything about drugs. Other than what I’d been given during Ruby’s birth, I’d only once had a glass of wine when Andros brought it to my suite. They teetered as they tried to get their footings.
I rushed to the redhead who had spoken first and offered her my hand. “Let me help you.”
“Are we going to be released?”
The blonde began to cry. “They killed our men. Mine was my husband.”
“I’m sorry,” I said sincerely. “You’ll feel better after you’re clean.”
The redhead gripped my hand. “Can we trust you?”
Trust.
I nodded, picturing my beautiful six-month-old daughter. “Yes, trust me. Tonight will be your last night here. After your showers, you will get dressed and apply some makeup. It will make you feel better.”
The redhead wrapped her arms around me. In an instant I was transformed back to the basement within the cell house, the odors, the damp concrete floor—at least they were on what had been clean tile—and the cold hose shower.
I took a step back, still offering my hand. “Come with me. Let’s get the water warm. Warm water makes everything better.”
“Miss Madeline,” Natasha, one of Andros’s staff, said, bringing me back to my suite and away from my memories. “Are you all right?”
I sniffed as I realized I was sitting on the edge of the bed, and around me gowns lay scattered, pulled from their hangers, balled up, and tossed around the bed. “I guess…” I took a deep breath. “I’m sad, Natasha.”
“Why, miss?”
“This suite is all I’ve known and Ruby is next door.”
“Yes, but Mr. Ivanov wants you to move to his suite. It’s beautiful. You’ve seen it, right?”
I shook my head. “I haven’t.”
“Oh, miss, you will be happy there. And in all my time, he’s never moved anyone into his suite. It’s an honor.”
An honor.
My gaze went to the pocket door leading to Ruby’s room. “I’ll miss my daughter.”
“You will still see her. And Irina is moving into this room. Miss Ruby won’t be alone.” She began picking up the gowns from the floor. “I will have these pressed for you and have them brought to Mr. Ivanov’s suite.”
“Thank you, Natasha. I’m going to go to Ruby for a bit before I have to leave.”
“I’ll take care of this for you,” she said,