CHAPTER 28

B idding has closed. The camera has been turned off, and Carlson’s packing away his computers.

I’ve been commanded to stay put on the hard metal folding chair while he and Vince congratulate each other and make ready for their getaway. From the two men’s banter, I’ve gathered that the money will be transferred to a secure, traceless banking account, then released when I’m safely in the custody of a representative of House Konstantin.

I’ve been sitting in silence for maybe fifteen minutes, watching them. After the way Vince used me, the way Carlson, a man I once trusted for protection, treated me, the last thing I want to do is admit to these men that I need something from them. But I do. I need something.

I need to know.

“Why…” I almost bite back the question. Almost force it down because it hurts to say her name. But I’ve resolved to face my problems head-on. This is the first test of my resolve. “Why did Tori help you?” I push the words past a choking tightness that grips my throat.

She betrayed me.

I shot her .

Vince glances up at Carlson from where he’s crouched over an open duffel, stuffing his black mask in with a collection of expensive guns and plas grenades and blades. “Where’d she go, anyway?”

“The Pink? Took off in a huff when Medici lost the bidding war. Didn’t you notice?”

Took off in a huff…

Wait.

“Tori’s alive? She was here?”

I’m half angry at the way my heart leaps with hope. I shouldn’t be glad. She betrayed me. She deserved what she got.

But I’m done repressing my emotions.

I stop and breathe. Let the relief flood me alongside the anger.

It may not make sense, but it’s how I feel.

Vince and Carlson don’t seem to be interested in my questions, but I take another slow, calming breath and try again. “Why would Tori care if my dad won?”

Vince finally looks my way. “You seriously haven’t figured that out? Come on, DJ Girl, you’re supposed to be smart.” He straightens, raising the brow over his one good eye. “That girl wasn’t after the money. She wanted revenge.”

Revenge on the man who abused her… But what does that have to do with my dad?

Wait …

No.

No. No. No.

I cannot accept that.

My father is evil, but not that kind of evil. He never did anything like that to me, at least.

“No. My father couldn’t have…”

Vince shrugs.

Carlson turns to me as he slides the last of his paper-thin monitors into its case. “After serving your father for almost two decades, Giovanna, I can tell you with utmost certainty that he most definitely could .”

-X-

They left me to stew on that stomach-churning revelation. Left me in this windowless, bare-walled room full of abandoned camera equipment, under compulsion-backed orders to stay seated on this stupid chair.

Vince needs to be more thorough with his orders, though. He tried to kiss me when he left. “For old time’s sake,” he said. He must have thought his command to stay put in the chair would be enough to make me acquiesce. But I bit him. Hard. ’Til he bled. Then kneed him in the groin. All while staying put in the goddamn most-uncomfortable-of-all-time metal folding chair.

“For old time’s sake,” I said .

I thoroughly enjoyed watching him hunch, swear, and spit blood, then limp around for a while until his injured nads recovered. But later, when he finally strode to the door, he turned, caught my eye, and smirked.

“I was right,” he said. “I thoroughly enjoyed working with you.” Then he winked and closed the door.

Asshole.

I’ve scooted across the room, technically obeying Vince’s orders since my ass is still attached to the damn seat, and, despite everything, taking a weird pleasure in the clack-screech, clack-screech sound effect produced as I dig my stilettoed heels into the floor and use the leverage to drag the chair.

Now that I’ve reached the door, I stop to debate. I must have been unconscious for several days. Long enough for a surgeon to repair my shoulder, which by the feel of it seems like a Vitruvian Man–style bioengineered joint, as well as install the compulsion implant. Even with the best technology, it would have taken two or three days for me to heal. The surgery must have been done in Hack Town, but during the recovery, I could have been transported anywhere.

So the question is, what’s outside this door?

If I am still in Hack Town, is it wise to leave the safety of a locked room when I’m under compulsion to stay seated? I can’t very well scoot my way down the street in an evening gown, weaponless .

But what am I going to do? Sit here and do nothing, hoping Mitchell finds me? Hope he’s worthy of the trust I placed in him? Without knowing what kind of deal he made with House de la Cruz to combine assets and beat my father’s bid?

As I sit with my hand on the grimy doorknob, debating my options, movement jostles my fingers. Someone’s jiggling the locked door.

Shit.

I clack-screech backward, dragging the chair as fast as I can. I press myself and the chair into the corner next to the hinge side of the door, so it’ll block me if the person on the other side manages to open it. I’ve positioned my legs toward the door so I can kick the big slab of metal into the intruder’s face if they prove to be an unwanted guest.

I get into place just in time. A blaster shot rings out on the other side of the door. The knob on this side clunks to the floor, leaving a small hole in its wake. A blur of black clothing moves on the other side.

My heart races as I prepare to defend myself the best I can while seated and weaponless. The door creaks open. A soft footstep falls. Another. The door blocks my view of whoever’s on the other side.

“Gee?”

Tori steps into view, blaster cocked next to a fall of hot pink hair. She stands even with the door, scanning the room .

Maybe it’s because she has a blaster, or maybe the knowledge of what my dad did to her has dampened the sting of her betrayal… Whatever the reason, I don’t kick the door in her face like I was planning.

“What are you doing here?”

Tori’s pale as she turns my way, her face scrunched with worry. “Oh God, Gemma, you’re okay!” She lowers her weapon and steps toward me.

I glare. “Why would you care?”

“Of course I care!” Tori bites her lip, looking guilty. “I had a plan, but it got out of hand. I’m sorry, Gemma. I’m so sorry.”

“You had a plan, all right. Betray me and sell me to the highest bidder.”

“That’s not—”

I lean forward in my chair. “You’re so damn high and mighty about prostitution. How the hell do you think forcing a person to marry some random guy under compulsion is any better?”

“I wasn’t going to—”

“I thought you were my friend,” I snarl. “I trusted you.”

“Gemma, you never listen. Will you shut up and just hear me out?”

“You don’t have anything to say that I want to hear. I’ve had enough lies from you to last a lifetime.”

Tori sighs and turns her back to me. She stomps across the room and grabs something small from the folding table Carlson left in the corner. A triple pang of sound hits my eardrums as she stomps back.

“Hear me out, Gemma,” Tori orders.

I attempt to yell something unpleasant and my mouth refuses to move. I can’t believe Tori used compulsion on me.

Cursing up a storm in my head, I decide to scoot out of the room, unknown location be damned. But my stupid, traitorous feet refuse to leave Tori. The compulsion’s forcing me to stay and hear her out.

“Fine.” I cross my arms. “Talk.”

She hits the initiator again. “Disregard all the commands Vince gave you.”

Half-expecting to be forced down again, I try to stand. Tori’s negation of the kidnapper’s command seems to have worked. I rise, wobbling in my stilettos, legs tingling after sitting for so long.

I sway and grasp the chair back. “Why are you here, Tor? You leave your integrity on the floor? Come back for it? Sorry, the kidnappers swept it up before they left.”

Tori sighs. “I guess I deserve that. But I came back for you, Gee.”

I roll my eyes. “I belong to House de la Cruz and House Konstantin now. Did you forget that you sold me as a slave?” I stagger over to the video equipment and shake the stand so the camera rattles atop the tripod. “Did you forget you made me perform like a goddamn trained animal?”

“I got in over my head. I was stupid. I didn’t mean for it play out like it did.” Tori collapses into the chair I abandoned, rests her head in pale pink hands, palms scrubbing over her face. “When I found out your dad is Lord Medici…” Tori looks up and she’s got tears in her eyes. “He’s the guy, Gee. Your dad is him.”

My shoulders slacken as anger seeps out of me. “I… I know. I mean, I didn’t know. Vince told me. He said you wanted my dad to win the auction.” I shake my head, more hurt than angry now. “Why would you want that, knowing what he did to you? Why would you want me to be sent back to him?”

Tori squeezes her eyes shut and tears trickle past pink lashes, glistening on her pale cheeks. “I thought I could use the auction to get to your dad. It’s why I agreed to help get you off Varus. They needed you off-planet, somewhere your dad couldn’t track you. Somewhere he isn’t in control, where his private army wouldn’t be able to intervene. They didn’t tell me about the auction, they just said they were going to ransom you to Lord Medici. It seemed perfect. I’d never get close to him back on Varus, with his power and his guards and spies and my tracking chip.” Tori sniffs, wipes the tears away, and looks up at me .

“Your dad was supposed to come to collect you in person. They promised me they’d make it part of the deal. I planned to kill him then. I knew you wouldn’t be happy about me shooting your dad, but I thought you’d forgive me. With him gone, you’d be free to rule both Houses a hell of a lot better than he ever did, and I’d have my revenge. You’d realize I’d done you a favour.”

Tori sniffs again and shakes her head. “I was stupid. Vince and Carlson, they were way too experienced. They were using me. And even if it had somehow worked, I shouldn’t have lied to you. I should never have put revenge over our friendship.” Tori looks up at me again, eyes shimmering. “Can you ever forgive me, Gee?”

Hurt as I am, I see now it’s partly my fault. If I’d trusted Tori with my identity, she wouldn’t have found out who my dad was from Vince. She and I could have worked things out ourselves, and maybe she wouldn’t have agreed to work with him. Maybe if I’d known my dad was the man who abused her, I would even have helped her get revenge.

But I hadn’t been able to trust. Not really. Not even Tori.

I’d like to forgive her. But I don’t think I can ever forget. “I—”

I stop. Footsteps pound, nearing the door.

“What the…” A muffled male voice. Mitchell’s voice. “The door’s busted open.”

A rhythmless jumble of clomping boots pounds on metal—several more people jogging closer. Then Mitchell bursts into the room, blaster raised in both hands. He swings it toward Tori.

She’s on her feet, blaster trained on Mitchell.

“Lower your weapon, Tori. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“I won’t let you take her,” Tori says, keeping her weapon raised. “I’ll kill you before I let you take Gemma.”