“Okay, what is it? A halfway house or something?” That would explain why there are so many other people here.
“More like… well, let’s just call it what it is. It’s a brothel and a very profitable one. Some of the girls stay here all the time, while others pass through on their way elsewhere.”
No, this can’t be. “And Nash knew about it?”
“Why wouldn’t he? The family runs it. We have a lot of little businesses like this.”
“But why would Nash send me here? Of all places?”
He tips his head to the side. “Wow. I always heard you were sort of dim, but I didn’t know you were flat-out fucking stupid.”
I can’t help but recoil in horror. “Excuse me?”
“Excuse me?” he taunts before laughing. “My brother knew what he was doing. He told you to go here so you could earn the family money. What, did you think he actually gave a shit about you?”
“That’s not true,” I insist, but he only laughs louder. “It’s not!”
“Sure. Whatever you need to tell yourself. Anyway, you’re here, so you might as well get used to it.”
“No way. I’m not staying here!”
“That’s where you’re wrong. You are staying here. This is where you live now, and this is where you will service any and all men who come through this door. But don’t worry about it,” he adds, snickering when I gasp. “Sometimes, some rich guy comes through and decides he wants to buy one of the girls to be his personal sex slave. It could be a step up.”
He reaches for the doorknob, looking me up and down. “Get some sleep. You look like shit. Nobody is going to be willing to pay for you when you’re like this.” With that, he leaves me alone, and I’m too stunned to rush to the door before the lock is engaged again.
It can’t be true. It can’t be. Nash loved me, and I loved him. He wouldn’t have done this to me on purpose.
Would he?
I slide down the length of the door, landing in a heap on the floor as the world comes crashing down around me.