Chapter 34

“Item number twelve,” the voice of the commentator called. “This is a house special—a fully trained Noxxan virgin. This item has been trained by the madam of the house personally. This rare piece would make a fine addition to any collection.”

The young Noxxan girl skipped along the stage, turned, and performed a perfect cartwheel. She could not have been more than thirteen or fourteen. Dante was tempted to bid on her simply to set her free.

She had been made up to look like a sexy schoolgirl. It made him feel sick to his stomach when she bent forward, deliberately revealing her knickers to the audience.

The audience went mad with catcalls and whooping.

“Yes, sirs, a fine specimen indeed, and she could be yours to take away tonight for the right price. I’m opening the bidding at ten thousand credits. What do you say?”

The bidding went through the roof. At least four parties all tried to outbid each other as the girl pretended to play with a ball on the stage.

Dante caught Bran’s eye. Bran was obviously having as much trouble with this display as he was. He noticed the look of disgust on his first mate’s face. “Should we bid on her, do you think?” Dante whispered.

“With all my heart I want to get her out of here,” Bran whispered back, his voice choked with emotion. “But we have to focus on Tinsley. The authorities will have to deal with shutting this place down and rescuing the rest of the girls. We can’t save them all today.”

“It eats me up. That’s all.”

Dante’s fists clenched in a tight ball. He would have torn the place down with his bare hands if he could.

The girl appeared to be playing up to the audience. The poor creature, Dante thought. She has no idea of the life that awaits her. He had seen the old prostitutes begging for a fixon the backstreets of Noxxa. He hoped fervently that this young girl wouldn’t meet a fate like that after these rich businessmen had stopped using her as a plaything.

Finally, the bidding ended, and the girl left the stage. He noticed a few people from the audience getting up to leave. It would seem the girl had been the top attraction.

“Honored guests, please be seated. We have more delights for you. Our next feature is a Terran woman. The specimen is fresh, unadulterated, and extremely clean,” announced the emcee through the mic.

Some of the audience members sat back down at hearing this. Humans were obviously rare.

Dante could barely contain his anger and disgust as Tinsley was dragged onto the stage struggling between two guards.

“As you can see, this one has a bit of fight in her. I know how some of you like the wild ones.” Dante heard the nasty turn in the commentator’s voice. “Bidding starts at five thousand credits, a mere song for this wildcat.”

Bran had to lay a restraining hand on Dante’s arm. “Calm down. You’ll blow our cover,” he said through gritted teeth.

Dante knew he was right. But the sight of Tinsley’s scantily dressed form struggling between two guards incensed him. He could hear a low growl in his own throat that threatened to become a bellow of rage.

“Dante, you have to keep your cool,” Bran tried again. “They’ll kill her in front of you, and then they’ll kill us if you’re not careful.”

With an iron will, Dante got himself under control. The bidding was already up to ten thousand credits. He pressed the button for twenty thousand.

The audience gasped. “I see you like a live one, sir,” drawled the commentator. “Twenty thousand credits!”

To Dante’s shock, the screen in front of him flashed twenty-two thousand. Someone was bidding against him. He scanned the audience to try to see who it could be, but the other bidders were not discernable in the gloom.

He turned back to the stage. Tinsley had stopped struggling and was glaring defiantly at the audience. He was proud that even though they had tried to degrade her with lurid makeup and skimpy clothes, she still had her spirit and her head held high.

The bidding was still going up. There was not an option to back out. His woman was coming home with him.

“Thirty thousand credits! Thirty-five thousand! Anyone going to beat thirty-five thousand credits?”

Dante was the top bidder. He willed the other person to stop bidding.

“Thirty-five thousand credits, going once, going…” The screen in front of Dante flashed forty thousand. “Forty thousand credits!” exclaimed the commentator. “This is a house record for a human specimen, gentlemen!”

Dante hit the fifty thousand button on the screen. “Fifty thousand credits!” The commentator was ecstatic. “This is unprecedented! Any higher, good sirs? Do I hear fifty-five?”

A hush settled over the audience. Tinsley looked like she was fighting back tears as she stood dejectedly on the stage.

“Bidding closes at fifty thousand credits!”

“I have to leave now!” Dante hissed in Bran’s ear.

Bran didn’t need any second telling. He was already getting to his feet.

They had just reached the door when the commentator’s voice stopped them in their tracks. “And finally. The jewel in the crown!” he called. “A true Lorr princess!”

Dante’s blood ran cold, and his feet turned to stone where he stood. It couldn’t be. Could it?Could his sister really have ended up here? Being sold as a sex slave?

He turned slowly, and the sight of her made his blood boil.

There was his sister, virtually naked, with a crown on her head. He couldn’t even hear the commentator drawling on. Only Bran’s restraining arm prevented him from marching straight up onto the stage to claim her.

Bran calmly led him back to their bidding spot and sat him down. “Dante,” he hissed. “Dante, listen to me!” The urgency of the whispered command filtered through to his angry, fizzing brain.

He turned and looked at Bran. “I’m going to kill them all.” He growled.

“And I’ll be there at your side when it happens. But right now, we’ve got to get Maraliza and Tinsley out alive.”

Dante forced himself to calm down.

The bidding had already started. He badly wanted to hit one hundred thousand and get the hell out of there. But Bran was right. He couldn’t blow their cover.

He bid steadily until all the others dropped out one by one. It was going to be difficult to line the pockets of these despicable people with his money, but a silent cold resolve had crept over him.

Once the bidding was finished, he stood mechanically and left the room. He was led by an attendant back to the reception area, where Tinsley and Maraliza were waiting for him. They each had a flashing metal control collar around their necks.

He felt like he was in a dream as he paid his credits and took the control pad for their collars. He couldn’t even bear to look at them, half-naked and vulnerable as they were. Maraliza gasped. Tinsley pretended her tears were out of fear and rage, not out of relief. Tinsley took Maraliza’s hand, giving her a look telling her to play along. If the auction house had known it was a rescue mission, they might have voided the sale

Every step to the waiting pod was an eternity. He took Tinsley by the arm, and Bran took Maraliza. Dante whispered to both of them as quietly as possible to look miserable, fearing the possibility that someone would follow them and take them back.

“I’ll look as miserable as I am happy,” Tinsley said. But finally, after a long walk, the pod door shut behind them and Dante heard the engines start up. They all let out their breath after what felt like days of holding it.

They were safe.