“Twenty million.”
Pulling myself back to reality, I saw the surprised looks on some of the dons’ faces as they tried to figure out who had bid so high on me.
“Don Valentino,” the woman said, clearing her throat. “Are you certain?”
I watched with bated breath as the man from the back of the room moved forward, his arms now loosely at his sides.
“Twenty million for Carmine’s daughter.” His voice was rich, like a fine wine that had been aged to perfection, and now I could see the sharp features of his face, the ice-blue shards of his eyes as he coolly assessed me. They had a practiced blankness to them. There was no warmth but I shivered regardless. This man was here with apurpose. I knew I wasn’t just dealing with a horny middle-aged Don here.
The entire room went silent, and I noted that some of them were glaring at this Don Valentino with looks of disgust on their faces. It wasn’t a name I recognized, and it was clear that he wasn’t popular with the others.
“Well then,” the woman replied after a moment. “Are there any takers for twenty-one million?”
Suddenly I wanted someone to outbid him. I could tell that he was dangerous. There was no expression on his face, not even the tic of his jaw as he waited for someone else to speak up.
When it was clear that no one was going to attempt to outbid him, the woman clapped her hands. “She’s yours, Don Valentino.”
I fully expected him to come on stage and throw me over his shoulder, but his lips curved into a cruel smile, and I felt fear trickling down my ribcage as he turned and walked away.
That was it. He bought me.
“Come,” the woman stated as conversation started to buzz around us, grabbing my arm. “It’s time to get you ready.”
A laugh nearly escaped through my lips. Ready for what? Ready for my death? What were they going to do with me? Put me in another dress and lead me to whatever Valentino had planned for me?
She took me to the room where I had first gotten dressed, where the older woman was waiting. “Valentino bought her,” the woman said. “Make sure she’s ready for him. He paid a hell of a lot of money for her.”
“How much?” the older woman asked the moment the door was shut.
I couldn’t speak, the events of the last hour barely sinking in. I had been bought. I had been purchased. For twenty million, but it was still apurchase.
I would rather have been married off as had been my father’s original plan.
“Take that off,” the woman sighed at my silence and pointed at my dress. “It’s not his favorite color.”
“What?” I asked. “What are you talking about?”
The woman shuffled through the rack of clothing. “Don Valentino, of course. He has a particular taste.” She looked back at me, her eyes narrowing. “Are you a virgin?”
I blushed. I wasn’t about to share my personal information with a complete stranger. “I—”
She turned back. “Never mind. It’s written all over your face. That should make him happy. Makes all of them bastards happy.”
My mouth opened, but no words came out. Make him happy?
“Here,” she finally said, thrusting a black sheer negligee at me. It was sheer. Really? I might as well just go naked at this point.
“Put this on.”
“I don’t understand what’s happening,” I said instead, already slipping out of my sandals. “Please tell me what’s going on.”
“Are you dumb, girl? You were there. You saw it with your own two eyes and heard it with your own two ears,” she said. “You’ve beenbought, and they don’t like to wait for what bought. Keep your head down and do what they say, and you might make it out of here with all your parts intact.”
Her words didn’t help me feel any better about this situation.
“Who is he? Don Valentino?” I asked as I stripped off the dress I was sold in.
There was no use in fighting, but wherever I was going after I got dressed, maybe I could escape from.