Ruthless Angel (Gods of Ravencrest University #5)

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

CLOVER

The following three days passed in a haze. Every night they came to drug us, just like Daphne said.

During the day, Brady came to harass me. Sometimes he simply taunted me, doing his best to make me break. Other times he groped me and tried to stick his dick in my mouth. He didn’t care that Daphne was in the room with us. He enjoyed it.

Then came the day Daphne was prepped for the auction. They held the auctions on the weekend. Friday night in one location. Saturday night in another. Both locations were known only to those who participated in the skin trade.

A woman I’d never seen before entered the room with Brady and Pete. She didn’t appear to be that much older than us. Late twenties maybe. Her dark hair was clipped up. A burn scar marked the side of her face. She didn’t look either of us in the eyes.

“Get showered and get back here. Hurry up. We don’t have a lot of time.” She barked at Daphne, shoving her toward the men who took her to the bathroom to shower.

I sat on my bed watching the woman lay out some clothes on Daphne’s bed. A little pink dress with matching heels and a few accessories like earrings and a bracelet.

“Who are you?” I dared to ask when she’d continued to ignore my presence.

“My name is Marilyn. Not that it matters. You won’t be here long. We don’t need to make conversation.” Marilyn’s tone was short and clipped.

I had a sneaking suspicion that Marilyn wasn’t here by choice. She was as much a captive as Daphne and me.

“Do they force you to run the house and get us ready for the auction?” I didn’t care if she didn’t want to talk. I wanted answers.

Marilyn scoffed. “Do you think I’d be here if I didn’t have to be? I’m not pretty enough to be sold. Lucky me. So I get to spend my days working here, getting the rest of you presentable so you’ll sell. Now if you don’t mind, I’d rather not talk.”

Maybe she didn’t want to form attachments to anyone since they would only leave. Maybe this life had hardened her.

“How long have you been here?” I pressed.

She made an annoyed sound. “Long enough.”

I didn’t get anything else out of her after that. That didn’t stop me from talking. While she laid out makeup items on the dresser and plugged in a curling wand, I told her about myself. My name and where I was from. I also mentioned that my best friend was a mafia queen in the making and that my lovers wouldn’t hesitate to kill anyone who hurt me.

Marilyn didn’t react to a single word. I knew she listened though. When the men brought Daphne back from the bathroom, Marilyn got busy making her up.

I watched with my knees drawn up, sitting on my bed. Daphne’s eyes were filled with anxiety. I knew that this meant tomorrow night I would be the one sent to the auction. Part of me felt relieved at the thought of leaving this house. Yet I knew that anyone who bought a woman at one of these events was no better than Brady and his companions.

Daphne sat on the edge of her bed stone-faced while Marilyn applied her makeup. She kept it soft and feminine. Neutral shades with pale pink lips. Her hair ended up in gentle curls that fell past her shoulders.

I wondered what kind of people attended these auctions. They might be doctors, lawyers, politicians. Cops and CEOs. People that nobody would suspect in their daily lives of partaking in such shady business. It made every piece of me crawl.

The sun had started to set when they took Daphne from the room. I offered her what I hoped was an encouraging smile, knowing that I’d probably never see her again. She swallowed hard, her face pale as she left the room with Pete.

Several voices floated up from the main floor. They must have been taking the guys from the next room as well. I didn’t know how many people Brady had working for him. So far I’d only seen Pete.

About an hour after Daphne left, I did a double take on the door. The lock hadn’t been slid into place. What the hell? Was this a mistake or a trap?

I had no idea. All I knew was that I couldn’t pass up an opportunity like this.

Shoving off the bed, I crept over to the door. Cracking it open a few inches, I listened hard. No sounds came from anywhere in the house. Was I here alone? Would they take a chance like that?

I slipped from the room, pausing every few steps to listen. When I reached the top of the stairs, my heart surged into my throat. It was now or never.

The creak of the stairs haunted me with every step down. By the time I reached the bottom, I was in a full out run. I rushed for the front door, flinging it open. In only the plain white socks I’d been given, I ran from the house and across the front lawn. Rather than risk running right down the driveway, I veered into the field beside the house.

A man’s shout rang out. I risked a glance back to see Brady and Pete running after me. No, no, please no.

I ran hard, arms pumping as my legs propelled me forward. If I made it to the road, maybe I’d find a neighboring house or come across a vehicle I could flag down. My lungs burned as I forced my body to move as fast as humanly possible.

That didn’t stop Brady and his buddy from catching up with me. He tackled me to the ground, coming down hard on top of me.

“Where do you think you’re going? You’re so lucky you’re up for auction tomorrow or I would beat your ass for this.” Brady dragged me to my feet, pinning my arms behind me.

Pete helped him carry me back to the house. I wriggled and fought, doing my best to break free. When I almost made them drop me, Brady pulled out a syringe and jabbed me with it. I didn’t fight after that.

I was barely conscious when they got me back to the bedroom. My head lolled back so everything was upside down as they carried me along. I was vaguely aware of someone grabbing my breast as they put me on the bed. My limbs were too weak to push them away.

The sound of a zipper being pulled down was my only warning before Brady shoved his gross dick into my mouth.

“Think your boys would appreciate a picture of this beautiful moment?” he taunted. “Maybe I’ll send it once you’ve been handed off to your buyer. They’ll fucking love it.”

My pants were pulled down as the two of them stripped me. The drugs clouding my mind stopped me from reacting. I was barely aware of what they did.

They stripped me naked, taking turns groping and touching me. Brady barked at Pete to leave me untouched. No full on rape allowed if they wanted to sell me tomorrow night. Any bruises or damage would ruin their pay day. That didn’t stop them from grabbing at my naked body while they both hovered over me in some sick circle jerk.

Brady shoved his cock in and out of my mouth while my eyes fluttered closed. I wanted to throw up but my body was trapped in the hold of whatever narcotic filled my system.

When he was ready to come, he pulled out and sprayed onto my breasts. His friend joined in, jacking himself off onto my body. They left me there like that, covered in their nasty cum.

Before he left the room, Brady grabbed my hair and leaned in to whisper next to my ear. “I knew your mouth would feel like heaven. I only wish I could see the look on the faces of your so-called Angels when they get the pictures I took.”

The room spun several times, and then my eyes closed, staying that way. Unconsciousness claimed me, dragging me deep under. Needing to escape this room in this house, I happily succumbed.