Page 19 of Auctioned to the Devil

I don’t need to look.

I know.

Caleb crosses the lodge.

Slowly.

No rush.

No anger on his face.

Somehow that’s worse.

People move out of his way without being asked.

He stops beside the auction table and looks at Archer.

“How much?”

Archer clears his throat. “Current bid’s a thousand.”

Caleb reaches into his pocket.

Richard laughs nervously. “Auction’s over, Mercer.”

Caleb ignores him. He pulls out a folded check, writes something, tears it free and drops it into the clear charity bucket.

Archer picks it up.

His eyebrows shoot toward his hairline. “Jesus Christ.”

Someone laughs.

A man named Knox leans over his shoulder. “Holy shit.”

“What?” Another demands. “How much?”

Archer looks at Caleb. “You serious?”

“Wouldn’t have written it otherwise.”

Richard steps forward. “This is ridiculous.”

Caleb finally looks at him.

Richard stops.

“How much?” someone calls.

Archer raises the check. “Twenty thousand dollars.”

The room explodes.

My mouth falls open.

Twenty thousand?

I march toward Caleb. “Have you lost your mind?”