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“The auction,” Wilson told me.
“The auction?” I repeated.
For a moment all Wilson did was stare at me with a frown. His eyes roamed my face, becoming unhappier as the seconds ticked by.
“This afternoon you need to call your boss and call in sick,” he commanded.
That wasn’t going to happen for a variety of reasons ranging from this was a new job and I couldn’t risk looking unreliable to I had bills to pay and my salary alone wouldn’t cover my mortgage. The majority of my income depended on tips and Martin wasn’t my only client.
“That’s not happening,” I voiced.
“It is, Atlee,” Wilson contradicted. “Martin Jackson is in town to auction women. That’s happening soon. The SOIB has been tracking him for over a year. He only travels for the auctions. If this was just another one of his sex parties, he’d send Eden in alone. She rents. He sells. I told you this last night. I thought you understood.”
I felt my stomach tighten.
He had explained but part of me hadn’t believed.
Or maybe it was denial. I wasn’t so naïve I didn’t know this kind of stuff happened. I was a single woman in Vegas, I was very aware I needed to be careful. I knew bad stuff happened all the time. But like most people I never thought I’d ever come face-to-face with the real thing. Sex trafficking was abstract. It was something that sadly happened but never to me.
“I can’t call in sick.”
“Atlee—”
“I can’t, Wilson. My promotion is new. The best I can do is stay away from Martin and Eden the best I can. But when they call, I have to answer.”
The man looked displeased.
“This works to our advantage,” Cat offered.
Wilson’s scowl deepened.
“Cat’s right,” Jack put in. “With Cat working Martin, you working Eden, Atlee has insider information of his movements.”
Wilson was working Eden?
What did that mean?
I pushed aside the nauseous feeling.
“I was being honest, I don’t know anything about Martin.” An idea hit. “He gives me the creeps so I’ve been steering clear. But I could—”
“No,” Wilson grunted.
“No? You didn’t even let me finish.”
“Princess, the man sells women. If you think I’m letting you get any closer than you already are you’ve bumped that pretty head of yours.”
I heard Jack chuckle.
“My job is to make the man comfortable. Be at his beck and call. Eden’s, too. The casino’s been pushing me to get him to a table. Every time I’ve mentioned it to Martin he tells me he’ll play when I sit with him as his good luck charm. I could—”
Wilson’s hand came up and he pointed to Cat.
“She’s his good luck charm.”
Oh, right.
“Well, then I can make the arrangements and tell you what room he’ll be playing.”
