Chapter 35

Phoenix

Ikeep my head on a swivel, studying every person. Part of me wants to drop my guard a little so I can play with McKenzie, but if I do, it's likely I'll get so wrapped up in her I'll forget tonight's purpose. We sit near the front like we always do, but Victor's friends are scattered throughout the crowd, as well as our security.

I showed them all a picture of Dick, a picture of my mother, and the one I had drawn up of her when McKenzie saw her at the fight. To be safe, I also sent them all a text with a picture of my father and told them he called right before we came in. I don't know if he would come and try to stop us, but it's a very real possibility.

My mother has an uncanny way of making men do crazy things. I grab McKenzie's legs and place them over my thighs so she's practically sitting in my lap. We'll have to turn our head pieces on in just a few minutes and I want some time with her before we do.

She leans forward and licks my neck. My chest rumbles with a moan and she giggles. "So, I was thinking when this is all over, I'd like to get my first tattoo," she murmurs in my ear, her fingers combing through the hair at my nape.

"Oh yeah? What kind of tattoo?" My fingers swirl around the delicate bone of her ankle, tracing the line of the anklet she wears all the time now.

She hums. "I'd like for us to get matching tattoos in the same spot." Her hand rubs down my arm and chest. "But you don't have very many spots left." Her raspy voice and hands are making me hard. I shift, trying to get comfortable and rub against her leg.

She chuckles, her laughter washing over me. "Does the idea of that make you hard?" Her hand on my chest lowers, and I let her cup me over my pants. We're in public, but there're all kinds of foreplay happening around us, so I don't care. Not here.

I turn and face her so she can see the heat in my eyes as I wrap my hand around her throat, squeezing slightly. The vibration of her moan tickles my hand and everything in me wants to lift my mask and kiss her. I'm beginning to regret choosing this mask. Her eyes dance with laughter as she catches on to what I'm thinking.

She leans forward, allowing my hand to press even tighter against her throat. "Where should we get matching tattoos?" Her hand squeezes even tighter around me. She places her lips just below my ear and begins to suck. I loosen my hand around her throat slightly, but she shakes her head, so I tighten it again.

"What about here? It's our favorite spot on each other." She sucks again and I know she's giving me a hickey. I love it when she marks me, her territory. I release her throat and she whines in protest. Later I'll choke her all she wants while I pound into her, but right now I want her soft side.

Wrapping my hand around her hair, I pull on it slightly and she lifts her mouth from my neck inspecting her work before sitting back and looking at me. I rub my thumb just under her ear and smile at the thought of a tattoo being right there where I mark her.

"What kind of tattoo?"

Her smile widens like she's been waiting for me to ask. "I was thinking, a king and queen chess piece or a king and queen crown." My stomach heats with how right that sounds.

"We'll ask my guy to draw both and see which one we like. But I have one small request." Someone rings a bell, letting us know there's five minutes until things begin.

"What's that?"

I rub my thumb across the spot under her ear, imagining the tattoo there. "Yours says his and mine says hers underneath it."

Her smile is bright and beautiful. "I love it," she exclaims.

"I love you." She leans forward and kisses me where my mouth would be on the mask. I chuckle and shake my head slightly.

She sits up and puts her legs back on the floor. She kisses me on my jaw and lays her head on my shoulder. "I love you, too."

Victor's friend Julian helped hire a few undercover detectives to stay in the back with the girls that are bought to keep an eye on who comes and goes. As soon as someone is purchased, the buyer goes and meets the one they bought, but they are to stay in the back until the time comes for the ritual of having sex with them in front of everyone.

After a very lengthy meeting over several days with the council, many changes have been made that haven"t been announced yet. One being, the ritual is no longer a requirement. We're all going to gather downstairs to see who all comes if we don't find my mother and Dick beforehand. All of this is very risky and I'm nervous about what could happen.

Another reason we asked Victor to host the auction is because there won't be a second ritual the council is expected at. When Victor sent out the invitations, he made sure to mention girls that just graduated high school would be attending. Dick's flavor of choice.

McKenzie's spine goes ramrod straight, and she places her hand on my knee, digging her fingernails into it. I don't flinch. I lean toward her, making it look like I'm flirting with her. "What do you see, love?"

She swallows and relaxes a little. "Your mother. She's here."

I force myself to stay relaxed. Running my hand along her shoulder, I run my fingers through her hair, trying to get her to relax a little as well. "I'm not going to leave your side. You're safe." I assure her. She relaxes a little. "Where is she?" She begins to turn, but I stop her. "Don't look. She'll know we're talking about her."

"In the back, near the door." We all have our earpieces in, so I know Rex is listening.

"On it, sir. I'll report back shortly," Rex says.

It's taking a lot of self control not to turn around and see where she's at. What she looks like. But I keep my arm around McKenzie's shoulder and pull her tighter into my side.

"I think I've spotted the dean." I think it's Lincoln that says that. I'm still unfamiliar with everyone's voices.

"Is he bidding?" I ask, leaning toward McKenzie so it looks like I'm talking to her.

"Not yet," another voice chimes in, female this time. His wife, Ansley. There's twenty women and ten men for sale this time. We've gone through five women and three men so far, but the women have been in their late twenties.

"He wouldn't, I suppose. He does like them young." Anytime he bought in the past, the women's age were usually just out of high school. McKenzie was the oldest he ever bid on. When I bought her, he didn't show up again. It makes me wonder about Anna, if she was the one he was always after. Somehow, my mother got her nails in him and let him have her.

"So does Julian," Bailey says.

"And Victor," Bec chimes in.

"Bec!" Olivia chastises her, but she's laughing.

McKenzie laughs and I shake my head. "The difference is their women are willing."

"So willing," Bailey says.

"Jesus," Julian replies.

McKenzie and I share a look, both of us smiling. The auctioneer brings out the youngest woman so far. He says she's twenty, but I made it very clear no one under twenty-one could be bought. Even though the invitation said differently. I sit forward, trying to figure out who she is.

"I told the auctioneer her age was twenty," Jason says in my ear. "Since you said he likes them young, maybe this will encourage him."

"That's one of the UCs," Julian says.

I settle back in my chair. I hate not being completely in control, but everyone is playing their part perfectly.

The auctioneer begins to take bids, starting at half a million dollars. Dick doesn't bid first, but he does follow up with a million. The bid gets up to three million, and I wonder where Dick gets his money. Probably on my mother's payroll with the extra-curricular activities she does. It wouldn't surprise me.

There's some shuffling behind me of someone trying to get to their seat, but I focus on the bidding to see if anyone will outbid Dick. No one bids higher than three million. Dick wins the bid. I suck in a breath as he stands and is escorted out to go meet who he purchased. Now we just have to get my mother and him in the same room.

I rub my fingers along McKenzie's shoulders to her neck, where the collar rests beautifully against her sun-kissed skin. She smiles up at me and it hits me square in the chest; I'm a lucky son of a bitch. I don't deserve her, yet here she is.

"Boss," Rex's voice sounds in my ear. "Your mother just sat right behind you and Miss Kenzie."