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I try to pivot, retreating to the faux safety of Dante's room, but Rachel's nails dig into my arm, keeping me on course. There's another room in the back, and she leads me straight to it. Gone are the cages, and in their place, large bars cover the open doorframes. The mass of people packed in the room ratchets up the temperature. It's sweltering despite being underground. A wail cuts through the space, rising above the quiet sobs of others.
"Trade?" I ask, expecting Rachel to confirm that these people won't be auctioned off.
There are usually only small groups in here waiting to be shipped off to other Guild-held cities. Not this time. At least a hundred people are packed into a room not meant for humans. Bile rises in my throat as I stare at them.
"Auction." She leans in close, breathing in my ear. "Something is coming."
I shake my head, not because I don't believe her, but merely because I can't imagine all these people being sold off to the highest bidder. The Auction is reserved for the prettiest or the wildest. Those both pretty and wild go for the largest sums of money. Sick bastards love breaking the ones who fight. It's part of the reason I was never considered for the Auction, at least not that I know of. I was too meek, too quiet. I didn't fight them.
"When?" I breathe.
"I don't know."
Those three words are more terrifying than anything else. I have no idea how long I have to stop this. I may have fought Dante before, told him I'd help him as much as I could, but this? I can't damn these people to the depths of hell.
Twenty-Three
Dante
"One more time," I say, laying my head on the pillow between us.
"Why?" she whines, slamming her hands on the comforter.
"Because you need it."
I scan her face in the soft light filtering through the window. It's early morning, the sun a mere hint on the horizon. She wants to sleep, but we get little time these days for this. Ever since Aelia came back from the Pit, whiter than I'd ever seen her before, we've been stealing moments to come up with a better plan than I had.
"Fine," she huffs, rolling toward me. "I'm going to move a small amount of money from an international account to a domestic account. Then wait three days to see if anyone notices. Then I'll move a slightly larger sum back. Happy?"
I grin as she glares at me. "How much is a small amount?"
She rolls her eyes. "Ten thousand."
"I still think that's too much."
"Under ten and it won't trigger anything. We've been over this a million times, Dante. You realize in order for this to work, you actually have to trust me."
Brushing hair away from her forehead, I scan the fading bruises on her face. It's enough to remind me why I'm risking my life and those of everyone else I'm connected to. Aelia made the Auction sound like an opera event wrapped in a sex trade. Rich men and women alike dress to the nines and bid on living human beings as if they're worth nothing. It turns my stomach every time I think about it.
"I do trust you," I murmur.
"You shouldn't. But I don't want to argue."
She yawns, covering her mouth with her arm. She blinks at me wearily, burrowing further under the covers. Running my hand over her hair, I rest my palm on her neck. Her pulse echoes through her skin, a slow beat reverberating through me. I should have trusted her before. My actions after I freed her from Grant's grasp didn't help. While she may have forgiven me, I'm still thinking about it a week later.
She huffs, her muscles tensing before her dark eyes find mine. "I can't sleep."
I chuckle, brushing my thumb behind her ear. "It's been two minutes, angel."
"I'm cold."
I bite my tongue before I can offer to warm her up. After our tryst in the supply closet, she hasn't given any indication that she's up for more lessons. And I won't be the one to bring it up. She's skittish enough as it is. Add in the problems we're facing, and I don't blame her.
"Sorry, but I'm not going to ask for another blanket from the front desk."
"Are you always this dense?" she asks, narrowing her eyes.
She clicks her tongue, then sits up, dismantling her pillow wall. They land on the floor with a dull thud. I rear back when one almost smacks me in the face. Before I can recover, she's wiggling into me, her ass pressed to my rapidly hardening cock. She grabs my arm, tucking it around her, and sighs.
