Page 16 of Reckless Desires

As he laughs, I glance at the stage, watching one woman come off. She heads to a curtain in the back, looking absolutely terrified of what's going to wait for her there. A man peels off from the crowd, trailing behind her. There have been seven or eight women since the first now, all of them selling quickly. You'd think men with this much power wouldn't have trouble getting a woman.

“And now for the final prize for the night. We have a twenty-three-year-old brunette bombshell. She might not be a virgin like some of the other girls, and might be the oldest one here tonight, but that just means she knows how to show a man a good time, don't you think, fellas?” The man standing behind the podium leers at all the people laughing and grinning. “The most interesting part? She's Tommaso Andretti's daughter.”

What did I just hear?

The room goes silent at that. I don't think there's a man in here who doesn't know Tommaso Andretti and the work he did for the Costellos that put them on the map over here. From my understanding, most of those opinions are good as long as they don’t turn into an enemy.

My head snaps to Nico, whose smile lights up his whole face. If one of the Andretti sisters is missing, then Darius and Cameron would surely have reached out for my help. “How did you manage that?”

With a shrug, he says, “You’ve got your resources and I’ve got mine.”

But when Nico stands up and leaves the table, I know that he's going to make a play for her. And if he gets his hands on her, he's going to make a show of it. He's going to take his time slowly breaking her, and he's going to make her family suffer in the process. Something isn’t clicking, though. If Nico wanted to keep a girl, he would, so if he’s betting on her, it means he’s spending money that isn’t his. Was he buying her for someone?

“Here she comes,” the man says, motioning to the curtain that opens.

I watch as a woman with short hair strides out with her head held high like she doesn't have a care in the world. Her posture would make you think she’s the one running the show as her eyes circle the crowd like she's looking for her first victim. Nobody would know she was scared to be up there if they didn't look for the slight tremble in her hand and the way the bottom lip was pulled into her mouth for just a second before she plastered on a smile. It’s smart on her end. I wonder if she knows that most of these men are looking for fear, and if she doesn't show it, she'll eliminate half the room from purchasing her. The more brutal half.

There’s not a chance in hell that it’s Darius’ wife. She’s too feral to fall victim to trafficking. It’s not Cameron’s wife either. She doesn’t have a big set of tits on her like the one on stage. It’s one of the younger Andretti sisters. It’s not uncommon to change the appearance of the woman after they have been kidnapped. It could be as simple as cutting their hair or dyeing it another color. If it wasn’t announced she was an Andretti, I wouldn’t have been able to tell off the bat. She stands in the middle of the stage, her black lingerie contrasting with her tanned skin that’s covered in baby oil. The lace cups of the breasts barely hide her dusky nipples. The thin strip of fabric between her legs also leaves very little to the imagination. And those long, toned legs seem to go on for a mile.

“We're going to start the bidding at fifty thousand given her name,” the man says. “Would you look at that? Fifty thousand. Anybody want to go fifty-five? Sixty. Sixty-five. Seventy?”

The numbers keep climbing higher and higher. I watch as men's hands go up and down, ping-ponging around the room.

When it's just Nico and one other man left, I raise my hand. “Two hundred and fifty thousand.”

The man behind the podium's eyes go wide. “Two hundred and fifty! Is anybody willing to top that?”

“Two hundred and sixty,” Nico calls, glaring over at me, one eyebrow raising. He gives a slight shake of his head, a clear signal to step down and let him have her.

If I keep pushing, I'm going to make an enemy. An enemy I don't know and don't understand. At least with the Russians, I know their moves. I know how they play the game. Nico and his people are a different ball game, though. We both grew up in Romani households, and we were raised to be as savage or manipulative as necessary to make ends meet.

The Andretti girl’s eyes are wild before they dart to mine in the crowd. Her lips part slightly. That’s when I realize which one of them it is. Liliana. Part of me is eager to save her because Cameron is a friend of mine, but the larger part of me knows I could use her to my advantage.

“Two hundred and seventy thousand,” I shout, the room going wild, men leaning to each other and whispering.

I hate the way my cock twitches as Nico’s hand shoots in the air.

“Two hundred and eighty,” he says, his voice echoing around the room, more whispers going up.

“Five hundred thousand dollars.”

Nico's jaw hits the ground. He doesn’t have to purchase her; he could have left her alone, but he is prideful, and this is an ego boost—selling off an Andretti girl. Now he pays the price of that ego of his by losing to me.

“I have five hundred thousand,” the man behind the podium says, waving toward Liliana. “Is anybody willing to top that for a night with her? Could be a month, could be a year. What you do with her is none of my business. Only your money is.”

Nico looks like he's coming up with ways to get more money. He says something to one of the men beside him, his jaw tight, his hands curling into fists at his sides. When the man shakes his head, Nico stands up quickly, his chair clattering against the ground. He looks at the man behind the podium, giving a tight shake of his head.

“Sold for five hundred thousand to you!” The man's eyes lock on mine. “If you'll proceed over behind the curtain, we'll have her ready to go for you in a moment.”

As I stand up, Liliana gives me a look as though I’ve come to save her.

Silly little girl.

Chapter Ten

Lily

His gaze has me frozen in place. My muscles won’t move even though I keep telling them to. I have to go behind that fucking curtain with him. I have to watch as they sign over the rights to my body. I could barely see anyone in the crowd as the spotlight directly hit my line of vision. I can only hope he has his guard down so I can escape. When he stands up, his head blocking some light, I’m able to see his face and recognize him. I’ve seen him before… at Selene and Cameron’s wedding and baby shower. A wave of relief hits me. My family knows where I am and I’m being saved.