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She yanked her arm free, her face pinched. “And who exactly are you?” she scoffed.
“I’m Giancarlo Vitale.”
All the color drained from her face in an instant. She unfolded the arms she’d quickly folded a moment before as her mouth opened and closed. I raised a brow waiting for her to get her shit together.
“O-oh, Mr. Vitale. We weren't expecting you tonight.”
Looking her up and down, I frowned.She must be new.The auction house was a recent purchase, one we kept under the name of a shell corporation. That way, it was easier to be anonymous. The only people who really knew we owned it were the manager and the person she chose to be underneath her. Clearly, I’d met the little underling that she hadn’t clued in. One that was about to get her neck snapped if she didn’t get out of my face.
I shrugged. “Didn’t announce I would be here,” I said evenly. “Where is Calahan?”
She shuffled from one foot to the other. “He’s, um, sitting out there.” She pointed to the crowd sitting down to await the auction.
My neutral expression turned into a scowl. “He’s bidding on someone when he owes us so much money?”
“No,” she said quickly, shaking her head as dark brown wisps of hair whipped around her head. “Tonight, he’s offering something up. I think it’s to pay you off, sir.”
I held out a hand. “Tablet.”
She quickly passed it over. “His name is Ash. Twenty-two. Light brown hair. Dark eyes,” she muttered, rattling off the details. “He’ll be one of the first ones up. It’s a commodity to have a well-refined male to sell.”
I stared at the picture on her tablet. The guy she described was staring back at me. However, his face was innocent, as if he hadn’t been exposed to the ugliness of the world. I swiped a finger over the screen, looking at his stats.
“Hefty price,” I muttered. “What makes him so special?”
“Virgin,” she whispered. “They’re so rare these days.”
“How do we know that?”
Her ears tinged red. “Well, he was examined. Trust me, no one’s touched him. His father kept him locked away for much of his life. Besides going to school and coming home, he hasn’t been around much of anyone.”
“What’s your name?” I asked.
She stiffened. “Teresa, sir.”
“Teresa,” I said. “You should tell the manager to keep you clued in on who owns this place. It would be a shame ifyouended up on that stage.”
She swallowed thickly. “I-I’m sorry, sir. I had no idea, but—”
“That’s all I want,” I said, smiling. “Goodnight.”
I handed the tablet back to her before I mixed in with the crowd. I stayed tucked into the back, keeping an eye on Roger as he laughed and chatted with the people around him.
I’m going to wipe that smug smirk from your face.
As the auction started, the noise of the room quieted down. Everyone took their seats, and I took mine.
“We’re starting off with this one,” the auctioneer called. “He’s pretty young and kind of fit for his height and weight. His best attributes are his obedience, willingness to please, and his soft demeanor. Come on,” he called.
The kid was pushed onto the stage. He stumbled forward, arms cuffed behind his back. When he turned to the crowd, his eyes were wide, darting all over the room like a scared animal. A piece of cloth had been shoved into his mouth.
“We’re starting the bid off at $200,000.” The auctioneer glanced around as murmurs filled the room. “Did I mention he’s a virgin?”
No one questioned the price anymore. Paddles went up, murmurs coursed through the room, and I was caught up in the electricity of the moment. I glanced up at Ash. His eyes shifted over the crowd as if looking for help before his gaze connected with mine.
I smirked as I raised my paddle. “Five hundred,” I said, speaking over the noise.
A man turned around to glare at me. “Six.”
