“I hope you’re not in a hurry.” Mia pressed her breasts against Jared’s side as she stared at him with hungry eyes.
Paxton felt her anger boil as she watched Jared mold his hand around her buttocks.
“It depends if there’s someone to take care of my growing hunger, little girl.”
“Oh yes,” she beamed at him. “I know just how to satisfy your needs... Daddy.”
“Oh, lord help me,” Paxton mumbled. Her eyes bore holes into the lithe woman’s back. She snorted angrily as Mia pulled Jared’s head down to lock lips with him. Before she gave in to the desire to claim what was hers, she strutted with the same seductive sway toward the hallway where she’d seen various men disappear.
“He’s playing a role and so are you,” she reminded herself sotto voce. She needed to find Kezlin before one of these bastards chose her as his meal. Jordan had confirmed that she had been among the sex slaves that had arrived not too long ago. From what she’d said, Kezlin appeared to be heavily drugged and had been led inside between two men holding her upright.
Paxton tapped her ear once to activate the comms with Jordan and Knox.
“Jordan, you identified Kezlin via the drone satellite upon arrival outside the house. Were you able to follow where they took Kezlin with the heat sensors from there?”
“I tried. The sensor picked up too many at the time to know for sure but there was only one signal with three bodies moving to the top floor. It did appear that they turned into the left wing. There are five rooms on that side. Hold on, let me check the current body count on that floor.”
Paxton kept walking with a confident stride. To anyone watching her, it would appear like she knew where she was heading. She hesitated as her eyes caught two men at the end of one hallway.
“Well, look who's here,” she murmured as she recognized Thomas Serra, the same man who’d first alerted her to a business association to Bastian Conti. Now she realized it was a very specific type of association the two had. Serra must be a regular customer at these parties. She alerted Jordan about his presence as she took the two flights of stairs. She’d leave him to Jared and his team. For now, her focus was to find Kezlin.
“Hurry up, Jordan. I’m at the top floor,” she said looking up and down the hallways. All the doors were closed with no one in sight. “I passed a couple of people on the way here but this floor is empty. Something tells me it’s reserved for the VIPs.”
“Like the bastards of The Commission,” Knox sneered.
“You could be right,” Jordan said. “From the heat sensors, there seem to be two bodies, one in each of the first two rooms on the left of that hallway. Start walking, Paxton, so I can check if we’re heading in the same direction.”
Paxton headed to the left.
“Got you. Okay, the first door on your right only has one heat sensor. That’s your first check.”
“Keep an eye on the stairs, Jordan. If I’m caught snooping, the entire raid will be bust. Jared will have my ass if that happens.”
“He’s gonna have your ass for being there, period.”
“Yeah, there is that possibility.” Paxton leaned against the first door to her right. She glanced over her shoulder as she pushed it open and quickly slipped inside. “Oh, god, she’s a baby.”
She struggled to control the anger boiling inside her at the sight of the young girl cowering on the bed. She stared at Paxton with wide eyes. Her gaze was too sharp to have been drugged but the chain cuffed to one ankle told its own story.
“Hi there, little one. What’s your name?” Paxton’s voice was filled with warmth as she approached the bed. She stopped as the dark-haired girl shuffled back against the headboard. “It’s okay, I’m not here to...” She swallowed hard. “I’m here to help you.”
“Help me?” She clasped her hands together on her lap. The long locks of her hair fell over her shoulders as she shook her head. “No one can help me... any of us. We belong to them.” Her voice sounded bitter. “I know the kind of help you’re offering.” A lone tear trickled over her cheek. “All of you are the same. You think that I... that I want this. That I should be thankful to be looked after! Just get it over with. I won’t even fight you.” She bit her lip. “Except if you want me to. Most of you do, so I—”
“Stop.” Paxton found it difficult to keep the tears at bay seeing the torment in the young girl’s eyes. “I’m not one of them. I’m going to get you out of here... all of you.” She walked closer. The little girl couldn’t be a day older than twelve. “What’s your name?”
“They call me Chloe.” She lowered her head. “But my real name is Evelyn.”
Paxton sat on the bed and checked the cuff around her ankle. The skin was already turning red.
“I need you to stop struggling, Evelyn. If you keep pulling on the chain, the cuff is going to cut your skin and you’ll bleed.” Paxton looked around but there was nothing she could use to try and pry open the lock. “I’m going to check the other rooms but I will be back, I promise.”
Evelyn didn’t respond but watched with a resigned expression as she left. It was evident she didn’t believe she’d see Paxton again.
“Brock just confirmed the arrival of the five Commission leaders, Paxton. You better hustle. If the top floor is for VIPs, you’re running out of time.” Jordan’s voice was brittle with concern.
The next room produced a young boy. She judged him to be about fifteen. He was big for his age and muscled, which probably had been the allure to his abductors. He stared at her with a vacant look as she opened the door. Paxton imagined he was a fighter who refused to give in and had to be drugged into submission for the party. She didn’t bother to talk with him. He was too high to resist, let alone be of assistance in any way.
“Hurry the fuck up. Paxton. There are bodies heading up the stairs.” Jordan’s voice sounded stern in her ear.