11. Eleven

Joey

I wake up in a dark moving vehicle. The same sobs and cries I"ve grown accustomed to surround me. We bounce up and down as the van travels over a bumpy road. When the van comes to a halt, the engine goes silent the way it always does.

The boy next to me covers his mouth, trying to muffle his sounds. It hasn"t been an easy day. None of them were, but today"s events are another reminder that we"ve been here way too long and it doesn"t matter how well behaved you are. Milo did nothing but mourn the loss of his friend and got punished for it. What had happened to Archie was anything but inhumane. He didn"t deserve to have his body mauled by a pack of hungry, unhinged dogs. It was used as a lesson.

The man with the scar loved watching all of our faces go pale and many of the boys quiver with fear after having the pieces of what was left of Archie laid out in front of us. I had to swallow down the bile that ran up my throat more than once. They will pay for what they"ve done. Every single one of them.

The van"s doors slide open and the man with the scar snaps his fingers. We all rise to our feet, some taking longer than others. He doesn"t tie us together this time. We are too surrounded that he doesn"t need to, and most are too shaken up to make any wrong move anyway.

We head into the back door of a large house. It"s bigger than the last one, maybe five floors. We get pulled in different directions and Trenton reaches for my hand. I shake my head at him with my face hardening. I want to promise him we will be back together soon, but I can"t. Who knows what will happen in the rooms we are taken to?

I get shoved into a brightly lit room full of men in fancy suits—all clearly with money to burn. There are already a few boys in here, dancing around poles and between men"s legs on the floor. The man with the scar pushes me to the ground. "Don"t try anything tonight, boy." He turns away from me when a man with blond hair and a sharp jawline whispers something in his ear, pointing at me. The man with the scar nods with a forced smile on his face. "He"s all yours."

The man with blond hair takes a seat on one of the black chairs, pulling out a wad of cash and handing it to the man with the scar before shooing him away.

"Come here boy, let me get a good look at what I"m purchasing for the next hour." I walk closer to him, taking my time, not in a hurry to have this vile man"s hands on me. I don"t say anything and kneel to the ground when he snaps his fingers and points to where his feet are.

The hard slick floor digs into my knees as I slide between his legs. He yanks at my hair, pulling my head back. "You are a beauty, aren"t you? Not as young as I usually like, but you"ll do." He uses his other hand to unbutton his black slacks and pulls out his cock. "How about you show me how good that mouth of yours works."

I swallow hard, clenching my jaw with a rancid taste in my mouth. I know what I have to do to get through this alive even though I don"t want to. I"ve always been a survivor and need to buy myself some more time. Closing my eyes, I think of Isaiah and our life together. I revisit old memories of when we'd first fled home, not knowing where we"d go. It didn"t matter as long as we had each other. We were so starved and desperate for one another that we'd spent weeks locked up in an old, secluded cabin barely taking the time to eat and breathe.

I replay each kiss and touch in my mind until it"s over. Until the man yanks me off his cock and tucks himself back in his pants with a satisfied grin. "You can go back to where you came from now, boy. I"m done with you." He kicks me to the ground with his leather shoe. "I said fuck off, whore."

I get to my feet, wipe my mouth with the back of my hand, resisting the urge to vomit. The man with the scar on his face grabs me by the neck and shoves me down a hallway into a bathroom. "Get in there and get cleaned up. You"re not done yet. I don"t want any funny business, you hear? You got two minutes."

I hover over the toilet, shoving my finger down my throat to force myself to puke. Afterward, I stick my face under the sink with my mouth opening around the running water. I gargle and spit down the drain. I hate that I can still taste that creep on my tongue. I pour soap on my hand, coating my mouth in it. I rub it all over my tongue until there are suds and the taste is strong in my mouth, overpowering everything else.

The door pushes open and the man with a scar has a scowl on his face. "Times up. What"s taking you so damn long? Get back out there. More clientele just entered the purple room. Maybe you"ll catch someone"s attention."

He pushes me back into a different room full of men fucking. Some are enjoying themselves while others can no longer be recognized as people, all drugged up and lying still like pieces of furniture.

"Go kneel in the corner and lock one of your wrists in one of the cuffs. Remember you don"t eat if you don"t bring us in the right amount of money tonight. Everyone earns their place around here."

I do as he says, burying my strong will deep down inside me and resisting the urge to fight back. I have to keep playing my cards right until they transfer us again and remove my cuffs with fewer people around. Being locked in this small room surrounded by men carrying guns offers me no leverage. I"d be dead before I reached the door.

I huddle in the corner, keeping my gaze on each man entering the room. One man stands out more than the rest with his hard gaze, stiff shoulders, and focused eyes. He glances around the room in a different way from the others. He looks more like a man on a mission than someone shopping for his next plaything.

The others walk in wearing relaxed expressions as if they"re finally getting a chance to prop their feet up in front of the television for the night. This is all this is for them. A way to unwind and fulfill some sick fantasy before returning back to their partners and family. A lot of them were men you'd see daily on their way to work or on their phone in the line at a grocery store.

My stomach shifts when I take notice of a man choking someone nearby while getting his rocks off. He doesn't care if the other man struggled to breathe and is turning a shade of blue. He isn"t doing it for anyone else"s pleasure, but his own. It doesn't matter what they do to us or even if they kill us as long as they pay the right amount of money. That"s what all this is about. The lengths people would go to in order to make a quick buck has always left a bad taste in my mouth.

No, I am not a good person. What I do for a living might have taken lives, but usually those people choose their own fate. They purchase the drugs and willingly put it into their own bodies. In a way I didn"t choose what I did for a living, it had chosen me.

The cartel life was ingrained in me ever since I was a small child being taught how to tell the difference between cheap and high quality products. I was never one for human sales, trafficking young kids and treating them worse than most dogs by slowly draining them of life.

These guys didn"t choose to be here. They probably spent their free time playing Nintendo DS and going to the movies with friends, never realizing what had waited for them outside the safety of their homes. I"ve been preparing for moments like this my whole life. They haven"t.

More men walk into the room as others exit before even fully fixing their clothing. These men have no shame with the satisfied smiles on their faces and their heads held high as if they were some kind of gods. The power trip these men get from being in places like this and having their way, forcing men into submission didn"t cure their hunger, it increased it. All it did was feed the monster living inside.

Each time they came here, their inner monster took over more and a few days a month here turned into a few days a week. Eventually, it wouldn"t be enough to keep it satisfied. They would unleash their inner darkness on the people closest to them. I"ve seen it happen many times before.

All the new men had already found their toy, either for the night or the next hour. All except one. The man who had caught my eye earlier. The one who didn"t look like he belonged. He sat up straight in a chair in a secluded corner, drinking a glass of expensive whiskey while observing his surroundings. It doesn"t take long for his gaze to be back on me.

The man with the scar on his face starts toward the handsome stranger with his hands crossed in front of his body. It"s hard to make out his words over the loud music and all the moaning. The more I stare into the stranger's eyes, the more familiar they become. I"ve been lost in these eyes before or maybe my delusions are starting to get the best of me. I"ve been here for too long, and reality is starting to get away from me.

I close my eyes and open them again to see the man pointing at me. The man with the scar nods with a smug expression. He hands the man something that shines under the dim ceiling lights. The closer the man gets to me, the more apparent the item in his hand becomes. It"s a key. "Hello there, no need to be frightened. I plan on taking good care of you tonight. I"ve booked a private room so we can have a night alone together. Looks like you"re mine all mine until morning and I hope you make the cost worth it," he says, glancing between me and the man with the scar.

"Oh, I"m sure you"ll have a real good time with this one. Just be careful, he"s a sneaky little shit and likes to occasionally put up a fight. Sure does keep us on our toes."

"I"ve always been a fan of the feisty ones and I don"t think you"ll have to worry about us. I"m happy to take this one off your hands for the night. I have a feeling he will be just what I need." The handsome stranger smiles, though it doesn"t reach his eyes. This may not even be noticeable to the average person, but I"ve always been an excellent people reader. It's a useful skill to have in the business I"m in—or was in.

He grazes my cheek with the bed of his thumb, trailing it down my neck. It should make me want to crawl out of my skin the way the others did, but instead sparks dance along my skin and I have to bite back a moan when his lips hover over my ear and his warm breath heats my skin. "It will all be okay soon," he whispers in my ear. "You"re safe with me, Little Roo."

My eyes widen at that name and the gleam in his eyes tells me he can see the recognition. This guy isn"t a stranger. He didn"t pick me at random. He knows me and a tug at my chest tells me I know him too.

He stands up, straightening his suit. "Have him cleaned and delivered to the room I reserved in fifteen minutes."

"He"s already clean," the man with the scar says.

The handsome man shakes his head. "I"m not talking with a few napkins and bathroom soap. I want him properly cleaned and I want two orders of wings sent to my room. Or I could always take my business elsewhere."

The man with the scar swallows hard. "That won"t be necessary, sir. We will have everything taken care of for you just the way you want it. The customer"s needs are always top priority here."

"They should be with these prices. I have a feeling this one will be worth every cent. I might want him again tomorrow t."

"That won"t be a problem. I"ll make sure you have everything you need for the night. It will be almost like you"re staying at the Hilton, but with better entertainment." The man with the scar winks before bending down to uncuff me from the post. "Don"t try anything funny. You remember what happened to your little friend, don"t you? Let"s not let history repeat itself so soon." He grabs me by my hair, forcing me to my feet. I nearly trip over my own feet when he shoves me forward. "Move, we don"t have any time to waste."

I don"t stare back at the stranger and keep focused on the large red door instead. I can feel the man"s eyes on me, burning a hole through my skin. The man with the scar shoves me again and we walk down the long dark hallway, moving further away from the loud room, passing a few others along the way.

We get on an elevator and I watch the numbers move until the doors ding, letting us know we have reached our floor. "Come on, stupid boy. Keep going. You should be lucky you are being brought up here for the night. Not many whores get this opportunity. If I were you, I"d enjoy it while it lasts."

The air in the private room is much cooler than the last one we were in. It isn"t overcrowded with heated bodies and roaming bright lights. There"s a large bed covered in fancy white bedding that probably costs more than a night with me. He digs his gun into the back of my neck. "Get in the shower and clean yourself. The buyer bought something special for you and laid it out on the bed. You"ll put it on once you"re dry."

He pulls something from his pocket that resembles some type of bracelet and kneels to the ground to slide it over my ankle. "Don"t worry, it"s waterproof and it will only go off if I press the magic button." He fastens it snugly around my ankle, and pulls out a remote, hitting a few buttons until the bracelet lights up. My eyes grow wide. "What did you put on me?"

"Relax, it"s only temporary. I don"t need you messing up a transaction for us. This man has a lot of money and if you satisfy him enough tonight maybe he will keep giving us more of it. Behave yourself tonight and you won"t have to know what it"s like to explode into a million pieces."

He slides the remote in his pocket, pointing to the bathroom. "I"ll be out here waiting for you. Don"t take too long. We only have minutes now."

I get in the shower, turning the hot water on. My body buzzes with excitement at the thought of being able to have a real shower and not being sprayed by a hose with cold, hard pressurized water that stings my skin. Even though hell is waiting for me outside the bathroom, I plan to take pleasure in the small things. Even if they don't last very long.

I lose track of time, running suds over my body and leaning into the warm sprays of water. My heart pounds from panic and my gaze darts toward the blinking bracelet when I realize I"ve been in here too long. I shut off the water and practically jump out of the tub, hitting the ground too hard with my feet. There"s a towel waiting for me on a rack and its warmth covers my skin when I wrap it around my body.

Someone paces around the room with their shoes tapping against the wooden floor when I exit the bathroom. I swallow hard when the stranger from before is standing in front of the large open window with his arms crossed. "You will wear what"s on the bed and you will not speak until I tell you to."

I grab the lingerie on the bed, immediately recognizing it. I run my fingers through the soft lace of the white negligee that"s missing the tag on the inside that Isaiah had cut off for me knowing it would irritate my skin. I choke back my words not wanting to disobey the stranger so soon with the ticking time bomb attached to my ankle.

What if the man with the scar has a camera in the room? What if he gave him the remote? What if they gave him this and got it from my home somehow? I pull the soft material over my body, closing my eyes and imagining it"s Isaiah standing behind me with a wicked smile on his face. I keep my eyes closed as I spin around, not ready for the fantasy to disappear so soon.

Isaiah"s face fades away the moment the man touches my cheek. "Open your eyes. I need you to see everything that happens next." His touch is as gentle as his softening brown eyes. He takes a step back with his eyes circling the room and he pulls something from his pocket, waving it around.

"No cameras or microphones hidden anywhere. They are men of their word when they promise their clientele complete privacy." He moves toward the windows, closing the curtains. "Listen to me very carefully, Joey." He turns around facing me with his lips formed into a thin line and I gasp at the use of my name. "I"m here to get you out safely, but it won"t be easy. We may have to play a part for a while. I was told to do whatever it takes to get you out of here safely and I"m going to do just that, but I need your help."

I nod, still unable to speak. He walks closer with his eyes raking up and down my body. His gaze drops to the blinking bracelet and his jaw tightens. "First things first, we need to get that off you. Were you wearing this device the whole time?"

I shake my head, unable to get the words to escape my lips. He sighs, running a hand through his hair. "You can speak now. I just wanted to make sure it was safe first." He stares at the door and at the clock radio on the nightstand. "Hold on, a little extra noise to drown out our voices never hurts. Who"s to tell who has their ear pressed to the other side of that wall."

He quickly reaches the nightstand, pushing a button until jazz music plays on the radio. "There, that"s better. Tell me Joey, did you have the ankle bracelet on this whole time and who put it on you?"

"No. It was only put on me when I came into this room and it was the man with the scar on his face who did the honors. I don"t know his name. No one ever says it around us like it"s some kind of secret none of us are supposed to know. He has the remote and says he can push the button at any time."

He grunts in frustration, pinching between his brow. "Fuck. That could be a problem, leading to another delay. I"ll have to get that remote without anyone noticing. He can"t die yet, or many people would notice. He seems to handle all the main transactions. I"ve been watching him the last few days at different clubs and massage parlors. Luckily, he doesn"t recognize me which helps give me the upper hand here."

I tilt my head to the side, still confused about what"s taking place, and wanting to know what this man"s plans are. Is he really planning to get me out of here or is this some kind of test? "He said it was only temporary and as long as I satisfied you enough to bring back your business, I could get it removed. He wanted to make sure I didn"t try to get away. I wouldn"t bother trying in a place like this while surrounded by men with guns. I"d be powerless against all of them."

"We both would be. Which is why I won"t take you away tonight. We would both die if I tried, but I don"t think that"s something I have to tell you. I"m sure you already know."

I nod. "Does this mean you have a plan set in place for how you will get me out?"

He runs his fingers through his beard. "I wish I could tell you I knew exactly how this would all go down, but it"s hard to set an exact plan for situations like this one. I knew how I"d get here and what would get me in safely, but that is as far as I"ve gotten. Whatever we plan to do, we need to move fast."

"We? I don"t even know who the hell you are or if I can trust you. What if I go with you and I die anyway? What if what you have planned for me is much worse?"

"I want to tell you who I am, but I think for now it"s safer that I don"t. I think deep down you know who sent me and I also think you know anywhere is better than in this shit hole."

"They rotate us after a few days, I heard the man talking about it. They transport us to different clubs to make sure their clients get a variety and not the same options."

He sneers with his nose flaring. "We will have to make sure they don"t send you to the next location. Have you been here long?"

I shake my head. "No. They only brought us here today. There are others ... they are only boys. I can"t...I won"t leave without them."

"You"ll have to. We won"t have time to save the others and that makes this operation more dangerous. Taking one of their boys will be hard enough, but taking multiples will start a war."

"Fine, then don"t help me. I"ll do it alone. I won"t leave them behind. The next auction is soon and no telling what will happen to them afterward. I won"t be able to live with myself if I have the chance to save them and do nothing."

"You won"t be able to save them all. There will always be more auctions and boys."

"I know," I whisper, lowering my head. "But getting them back home to their families is a start and I promised them we will leave here together. I never break a promise."

"I promised a friend something too. I promised to not make a bigger mess than needed and I promised to get you out. Nothing more. I will not have a whole sex trafficking ring coming after us when we leave."

"Either you take all of us or none at all."

He huffs out a breath. "You are as stubborn as he said you"d be. This was not in the plans and I"m never one to step outside of them."

"What plans? You said yourself, once you got here and found me, everything would practically be made up as you go. These men who took me, I will not leave them here alive. Every single one of them will pay. I didn"t just make those boys a promise. I promised the man with the scar and all his friends they would all get their just desserts. Like I said before, I"m a man of my word."

"I can tell you won"t let this go. This won"t be easy, and it will also take longer than planned. I don"t have enough money to buy all these boys."

"Then we will get them out another way. I thought you were this huge client with endless amounts of funds. Your clothes say you are."

"That"s what I want them to believe. I want them to think I"m a man in search of the perfect boy, and after tonight I was going to negotiate a price to purchase you. Telling them you"re exactly what I"ve been looking for, someone strong who can take my harsh punishments."

"And if it didn"t work?"

"Then I would have to take some time to fabricate another fool proof plan. There"s no reason they should say no. The man with the scar seemed to already have his fill of you. I don"t think your presence will be missed judging by how quickly he was willing to be rid of you for one night. You causing them trouble may work in our favor."

"I don"t know if you"ve noticed, but I"m pretty sure my causing trouble days are over now that I"m wearing a new accessory." I stare down at the gown, bringing my hand in front of my body when I remember I"m naked underneath. "Why did you have me put this on?"

"I thought you might like to have something from home. He said it was your favorite and that you"d know where it was from right away. He thought it may help you trust me more and I didn"t think a pair of sweatpants would fool the men running this operation. It isn"t out of the ordinary for a buyer to want his escort for the night to wear something special. If you check in that bag in the closet, you"ll find a pair of white panties. Don"t worry, I won"t be touching you. Not tonight anyway."

I arch a brow. "What do you mean by that?"

"By what?"

"What did you mean when you said not tonight?"

"Look Joey, this is a tricky situation and we must make this as believable as we can. I may be able to get more money to buy more boys, but that may mean you playing the role of being mine for the next few days or however long it takes until the auction. I was told to do whatever it took and you wanting me to do a whole rescue mission is limiting my options."

I nod, swallowing the lump in my throat. He"s right and I know he is. I know I"m making things more difficult for him and me, but I won"t leave without them. I won"t be able to live with myself knowing I got out free, able to go back to my life while they are stuck with some awful monster making their last few days of life a living hell. These men are never looking for forever boys. They are usually searching for temporary toys and toss them to the side when they think they are too broken to be of any more use. "We will do whatever we need to do then."

"Good. Tonight, we will get some rest. You can have the bed and I"ll take the floor."

"What if someone comes in here when we"re sleeping? They do have the key, so it"s possible. If we do this, we have to do it right just like you said. You can sleep in the bed with me as long as you promise to keep your hands to yourself."

He nods, smirking. "You know I never did get it before. I get it now."

"Get what?"

"What he sees in you. You have this fight and passion in you that"s hard to look away from. I can see why he was able to get lost in it." He takes off his coat, hanging it over the nearby chair and unbuckles his dress slacks. "I sure hope you have enough of that bite in you when the time comes that we"ll need it. Keep letting that anger build up inside and remember who you"re saving it for. Let"s eat and get some sleep. Tomorrow"s already looking to be a long day."

A knock comes to the door and he opens it, letting a man come in with a tray. He sets it on the table without even looking my way, telling the handsome stranger goodnight. As soon as the door shuts behind him, I hurry to the closet and slide on the panties I find at the top of the bag. "You never did tell me your name."

"Brian, that"s what you can call me while we"re here."

"Is that your real name?"

"As long as I"m here, it will be. Whoever I was before I came here doesn"t exist."

"Why you? What if I refuse to go with you?"

He takes a seat at the table, pulling out the food. "You should probably ask him that once I get you home safely. Remember we always have a choice. It's up to you to make the right one. I think you will now."

Those words hit me hard like deja vu. I"ve heard them before. Isaiah wouldn"t send just anyone to save me. This man had to be someone important to him or perhaps an old friend.

Brian slides a fry between his lips, chewing slowly. He leans back in his chair whistling a familiar tune. The same one Isaiah had always hummed, the same one the man from ten years ago whistled at the hospital down the long orange hallway.

Those dark, sensual eyes are familiar, because I"ve been lost in them before. This man isn"t a stranger. He"s the same one who had helped Isaiah fake his death all those years ago. The same one who gave me hope when I was breaking on the cold hospital floor, on the verge of giving up. He"s older now, with shorter hair and a full beard, neatly trimmed.

Carlos Castaneda sips on his drink with a wicked grin. "I"m glad we"re finally on the same page. Whatever happens, I won"t leave here without you. My word means just as much to me, and I never break my promises. I"m going to get you out of here and back to the man you love most in this world. I won"t give my condolences again. There will be no funerals this time. When we are done with these men, there will be nothing left to bury."