A man entered the frame and in a quick movement pulled the long covering from the figure and swept back out. Meredith gasped, forgetting about practiced indifference when she realized it was a young girl who stood under the lights. Her eyes were vacant and glassy as she looked about her, her feet unsteady in four-inch heels.
And she was completely naked.
“On behalf of your host,” a man announced in a clipped British accent, “I’d like to thank you all for participating in our event tonight and hope you’ll find the wait well worth it. Without further delay, we’ll start with item number one from your catalog. A seventeen-year-old certified pure with dark chestnut hair and brown eyes. English-speaking with some Spanish. The bidding starts at fifty thousand.”
At the bottom corner of the screen, Meredith could see a flag appear. Followed by another. Bids. Somewhere, somehow, there were people actually bidding on this young girl. Horror rose in her chest, and she brought her hand to her mouth.
“Ah. So you’re not as impervious as you pretend.” Peter chuckled. “You sure you wouldn’t like a drink?”
“You are such a vile, disgusting man. Hell is going to be too good for you.”
He laughed and rested his hand on her knee. “There you go again. Right into the dramatics.” This time she shoved his hand from her knee and tried to scrunch up against the farthest end of the couch.
“The bidding is now at one hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars,” the voice on the screen said. “Two hundred. Two twenty-five. Do we have any final bids? Item number one is sold.”
The man from before returned to the screen and guided the wobbly teenager from the light. Another man appeared with a new cloaked figure. With relish, the man pulled the cloak, once again revealing another nude girl, this time blonde, but with the same vacant look. The brief introduction followed, telling her the girl was only sixteen years old.
“This is a new experience for me,” Peter said and set his glass on the table next to him before closing the space between them. “I don’t normally entertain guests during the show, and I have to say, I love sharing this moment with you.” He leaned over, his hand caressing her cheek. “Usually I jack off alone, imagining what will take place in a few short hours while my own bank account swells. But I think tonight I might treat myself to a little more salacious entertainment. You have, after all, been whetting my appetite for many years, Meredith. I’d hate to miss my opportunity to experience the wonder of what sliding between your thighs feels like.”
Meredith held completely still. His fingers slid down her cheek, her jawbone, and then her neck, sending her skin crawling. He leaned farther over, his breath reeking of tobacco and bourbon, and she fought the urge to gag. She kept her eyes ahead, refusing to flinch.
“You’re taking this ice maiden act to an all-time high, Meredith. Come on, where’s the fight?”
?
?What would be the point? We both know that would only excite you further.”
He smiled. “You do know me well. But I’m sure I can manage a little excitement, with or without active resistance on your part.”
He’d been so slow and purposeful in his attentions, it took her by surprise when Peter suddenly pressed her back against the couch and settled himself between her thighs. On the screen, the bidding continued. And she waited.
His pants loosened, Peter grabbed the top of her gown and pulled it down with force, ripping the fabric across her shoulder. His hot mouth bent down and bit her nipple, finally earning a cry despite her efforts. “Don’t worry. I can’t leave any permanent marks on you, as that would decrease your value. But that doesn’t mean I can’t have some fun.”
His hand went to the front of his pants, his attention focused on drawing himself out. She was grateful for the distraction as she slipped her hand down the outside of her thigh, searching.
Her hand reached the handle, and without hesitating further, she pulled the knife from the sheath Travis had wrapped around her leg earlier tonight.
She settled the edge of the blade against his neck.
The look of surprise as his eyes widened made his groping almost worth it.
Chapter Eighteen
Having stealthily circled the perimeter around the warehouse, Travis counted five men, all armed, outside the building. Six if he included the driver of the black limo, who still remained in the car. One man standing guard outside the front entrance, three sitting inside the delivery trucks at the back of the warehouse, one guard waiting outside the loading dock.
He had no idea how many might be inside. Nor did he know where the hell Meredith was. But the limo was Peter’s, which meant she was here somewhere.
“Where are we, Meems?” he asked her again, his microphone and earpiece back in place. “I’m not waiting much longer. With or without access to their security footage.”
“Give me a minute…”
He kicked into the ground, not wanting to alert anyone to his presence but needing to let off some frustration.
Damn. What the hell had Meredith been thinking? Putting herself at risk like this?
She had to be alive.
“I’m in. Okay, looks like it’s started. There’s a feed that’s being broadcast right now. Oh my God. It’s disgusting. You’re going to have to hurry.” He heard her take in a long, even breath before continuing. “Too much activity in the back. Go through the front. There are two men at the door, but then there’s a stretch as you go through two hallways where it’s clear. Meredith’s in an office in the back. Close to the auction.”