This Is War, Baby - K Webster Page 0,26
an addiction.”
I swallow. “What do you do with them?”
His eyes flicker with something dark and evil. He’s nothing like Brandon. “I hurt them. Just like I’m going to hurt you,” he says in a matter of fact tone. He winks and grins at me as if his words aren’t awful. “Your pale skin is so perfect and untouched. I’m about to come just thinking of all the nasty words I’ll carve into your skin. You’ll wear my name and other words like cunt and whore on your flesh for the world to see.”
I stumble back away from him and gape at him in horror. “You’re a monster!”
He sneers. “Where’d you think you were, sexy? A fucking fundraiser?”
“I, but, I…”
“You’re in the den with some of the biggest monsters on the West Coast. You are nothing but a meal purchased to be devoured with greed and no restraint. Some of us are into sex. Others are into more deviant acts. I’m into the deviant with a side of sex. They won’t recognize their precious beauty by the time I finish with you. But then, it’ll be too late. You’ll bleed out all over my Persian rug and I’ll drag your ass outside to dump you in the goddamned ocean.”
Tears stream down my face and I start to bolt from him. His tight grip is around my arm before I can move though. “The name’s, Edgar Finn. Remember it because you’ll take it to your grave,” he threatens. “See you soon, Gardenia Lee.”
He releases me and I push through the crowd away from him at breakneck speed. I need to make my escape now. There’s no way I’m going home with that lunatic.
As I hurry away from him, I try not to make eye contact with the leering men along the way. They’re all the same. Monsters just like Gabe. I’d been an idiot to believe otherwise. There is no finding the nice side of this world. The only thing I need to worry about finding is the way out of it. Now.
“There you are, baby,” Gabe’s deep voice both calms me and rattles me in a contradictory mix of emotions. “The bids are insane!”
I shudder but let him tug me into a warm embrace. “P-Please don’t let that man buy me. I can’t go with him. He said he’ll kill me!”
Gabe pulls away and glares down at me. He’s pissed but thankfully not at me. “Who the fuck said that to you?”
“Edgar Finn.”
His fury dissipates and he smiles. “Too bad. You’ve already been bought. Come on, let’s go meet who owns that pretty little pussy now.”
I attempt to jerk from his gasp to keep him from dragging me to my horrendous fate. “No! I can’t go with him!” I screech and ignore the wide-eyed gazes of those witnessing my meltdown. Several of the women to be sold meet my stare with tears in their eyes and sympathy written on their faces.
Gabe’s impatient stare assesses me, as though I were a petulant toddler causing a scene at the grocery store. He sighs in frustration and takes a step closer to me, snagging me by the elbow in a brutal grip. I’m yanked forward and enveloped by the heat of his angry breaths. Suffocating me. “Cut the shit, Baylee. Let’s go. These people won’t save you. I won’t save you. Come willingly or I’ll knock you out and drag you with me for everyone here to see. What’ll it be, baby?”
I sob in defeat and let him guide me through the throng of bodies. This is happening. Soon, I’ll be in the clutches of the man who bought me for one point two million dollars so he can get off on carving me like a pumpkin.
Gabe lied.
He’s not going to save me.
I’ll already be dead.
“Where are we going?” I demand once we make our way into an elevator.
Gabe pushes the button for the lower level garage and turns to face me. “Your buyer is waiting for you in his car.”
My heart flares to life and I start to panic. “Wait? Like I’m about to leave? Gabe, please don’t let them take me!”
He frowns and leans in. I cry harder when he kisses my lips. “Baby, I promise, I’ll be back for you. You’re strong now and you’re ready. You can hang in there until I come for you. Then it can be just us.”
His words only calm me marginally. Edgar was vicious and serious about wanting to hurt me. He seems the type