Torn from You (14 page)

He looked
different tonight—nervous. Could he be worried that he’d be
defeated? “You must do exactly as I tell you.”

I nodded. “I
know.” Behaving was imperative as Logan had told me some of Raul’s
top buyers were going to be present. What I didn’t know was who
they were buying, and I was terrified it would be me.

He stopped
pacing then stalked toward me and grabbed my arm. “Do you? Emily,
you have no idea the fuckin’ shit that goes on here.” He let me go,
and I staggered backward until the backs of my knees hit the bed. I
sat. “I will do nothing—nothing, if you make a mistake. I will let
you go.”

A shiver ran
through me at his words. “I know.” And I did. What I didn’t know
was why he was telling me this. The emotionless cold had been wiped
from his face. A part of the man I once knew and loved stood in
front of me again. It made my insides coil and spring toward him
then spring back as if afraid to feel that assurance.

Logan gave an
abrupt nod. “One slip and you’ll disappear.”

“Are you ...
are you selling me tonight?” Fear escalated through my body when he
remained silent. God, what if he was getting rid of me?

He sat beside
me and laid his hand on the edge of the bed over top of mine. I
inhaled sharply and stiffened while looking at him.

“If I lose the
fight ...” I knew what that meant, and my body started shaking. “I
plan to win. But tonight will push your limits. Don’t think for one
second it won’t.”

The image of
the girl flashed before my eyes, her being fucked from behind,
Alfonzo laughing and watching. Would he make me do that? Would I be
subjected to being fucked in front of a room full of strangers?

“Will you ...
will you give me to others to ... fuck?”

Oh God, I
couldn’t do it. What if another man wanted to touch me? Was that
allowed? Would Logan give me to him?

“Look at
me.”

I couldn’t.
Suddenly the images became a movie reel, and my mind started
thinking up the worst possible scenarios ... I couldn’t do this. I
was going to be auctioned off and never be found again. The collar
around my neck started to tighten, choking me, strangling every
breath.

Logan placed
his hands on either side of my head, the pressure harsh as he
forced me to acknowledge him. “Pull yourself together. You have to
do this. You have no choice.”

I shook my
head back and forth. I couldn’t be sold. I could handle Logan; I
could be here with him, but the fear of the auction sat like a
churning rusted chain in my stomach. “I can’t. I can’t. I can’t.
Don’t make me go. Don’t make me.” All his warnings, his rules went
through the floor. “Don’t make me. Please.” Tears streamed down my
face, and with the pads of his thumbs he wiped them away.

“Emily.”

“Please. I’ll
stay here. Leave me here. I’ll be good. I’ll kneel. I’ll do
whatever you want. Tie me up, blindfold me. Just don’t make me
go.”

His voice was
controlled and firm as he said, “I can’t. Raul wants you there, so
if I lose ...”

He didn’t
finish the sentence. I cried for who I’d become, this weak woman. I
detested myself for loving a man that was saving me from Raul by
keeping me, and I detested myself for hating that same man who was
destroying my dignity.

His fingers
weaved into my hair. “There’s no other way.”

“Why? Why me?
I loved you.” My voice rose, “I loved you.” I sobbed the words, my
breaking point crushing the calm, protective wall I’d carefully
built around myself.

Logan stormed
to his feet, walked to the other side of the room, and punched his
fist into the wall. Blood dripped down the back of his hand as he
turned back. Then he came straight for me. Terror pushed me to
react against what I knew could get me punished and I ran for the
door.

My hands
curled around the doorknob just as Logan grabbed me by the
shoulders and spun me around. He pulled me in hard so I was crushed
against his chest. His mouth slammed onto mine, a rumbled groan
escaping him as he curled me into him. His kiss was possessive and
unbreakable; he was taking what had become his and yet giving me
back the part of him I’d once known.

His lips
softened as I leaned into him.

Our ragged
breathing was the only sound in the room as we stared at one
another for minutes.

“Get dressed,”
Logan said then spun and strode from the room.

I stiffened.
Then I brought in the coldness he’d shown me and became who he
needed me to be, because I knew he was the only one who could save
me from tonight.

3 hours
later

I’d watched
Logan’s fight sitting between Jacob and Dave, Raul a few seats away
from me. This wasn’t the typical underground dirty warehouse
location. No, Raul had an actual ring and seating. He obviously had
been organizing these fights for a while.

Logan defeated
his opponent, but it’d been brutal and tough, and I’d been in
perpetual anxiety the entire time. I knew if he lost I’d be sold,
but it was more than that. A small part of me worried about him.
Maybe it was human nature. Maybe love couldn’t be stopped, or maybe
I was just thinking irrationally.

I wore his
collar, and noticed Raul’s nod of approval when he saw me with
Logan. Or was it my state of dress he approved? Or rather lack of
dress. I tried not to think about it, but it was hard considering
there was nothing beneath it. It dipped so low in the front that my
nipples were exposed. When I first put it on, I tore it off again
then threw it across the room.

I even went
and put on the nightgown and waited beside the bed for Logan to
come back and see me not wearing what he put out for me. Then panic
set in as I realized that he’d be back any second and I wasn’t
dressed.

Tonight wasn’t
an option. I had to do this. So, I put on the dress, and my breasts
spilled out of the tight material, and I waited for Logan while
kneeling on the floor.

When he saw
me, it wasn’t like I’d expected. He was angry as his eyes took me
in, and then that cold, expressionless face pulled down over him.
He never spoke a word to me as he got changed then took me to his
fight where I tried to ignore the stares of the men as they panted
over my body like animals.

“Emily.” Logan
had changed from his fighting shorts into a pair of black slacks
and a white button-down top. He looked different, contained,
formal, and I didn’t like it. He grabbed my hand then chin-lifted
to Dave who’d stayed with me until Logan came back. “Three
days.”

Dave
nodded.

“That last
shipment ... two were dead.”

“I heard,”
Dave said. I didn’t even want to imagine what they were referring
to, but I remembered when Logan told Alfonzo not to crate and ship
me.

“Something
goes wrong ...” Logan began.

“Yeah, man. I
know.”

Logan gave an
abrupt nod then we left Dave as we made our way back to the main
house where Raul was holding the celebration. Not once did he look
at me, almost as if he couldn’t—like he was disgusted. I was
disgusted in myself, humiliated being emotionally degraded in front
of the other men. I was an object to them. That had become my
reality.

I wanted to
scream and hit and freak out, but stupidity had no place in my
life. I had to be harder than them, unaffected and colder. Like
Logan.

All my
self-control vanished the second the sounds hit me. The moans of
pain, the groans of pleasure, the grunting, the crack of the whip,
the laughter, and then the sobbing.

I hesitated at
the doorway, and Logan’s hand tightened on my arm. “Block it out,”
he whispered in a harsh growl. “Keep your eyes closed if you have
to.”

He yanked me
forward, and I stumbled further into the room. My chest heaved in
and out as I tried to control the panic. There was no escaping
this, but I did squeeze my eyes closed until I heard Raul’s
voice.

“There he is.”
A chair scraped over the stone tiles. “Sculpt. My prized fighter.”
There was a loud applause. Logan stopped, and despite having my
eyes closed I knew Raul was near me from the scent of garlic and
cigarettes. “I made a lot of money tonight. That is reason enough
for a celebration. You fight better than I expected.”

“I won because
my opponent can’t control his temper, and I was fighting for
something I wanted—a slave who is a damn good fuck. I now realize
why they are in such high demand.” His voice was strained, and I
could feel the tension in his body.

“Ahh, yes. She
is your first slave. You’ve done well with her. I wasn’t certain
you had it in you, Sculpt.” I opened my eyes just as Raul put his
finger under my chin and forced me to look at him. I swallowed.
“She is very beautiful. When you tire of her, I will find a buyer
for her who appreciates a woman with—spirit.”

“That won’t be
for a while.”

Raul laughed
as he stared at my breasts. “No, I suspect not.” He slapped Logan
on the back. “Enjoy your evening. I look forward to many more of
them as should you.”

Logan nodded
and then led me away to a table in the far corner of the room where
four men were sitting. I cringed when I saw there were two girls
kneeling beside their owners; both wore collars and were naked. The
other man had a male slave standing behind his chair wearing a
black leather collar with studs and then a leather bra type thing
that had criss-crossed straps and metal rings. When we approached
the male slave looked directly at me and smiled. There was nothing
in his handsome young face that said he didn’t want to be exactly
where he was.

I tried not to
look at anyone else, but it’s like when people slow down as they
pass an accident on the highway. They have to look, it’s an
irresistible reaction, and when I glanced at the girl Logan made me
kneel next to, I knew exactly who she was. Well, not her name or
anything, but it was the girl who made my dreams into
nightmares.

She never
moved an inch as I knelt beside her; Logan’s hand was on top of my
head as if he was making certain that I didn’t get up and run for
my life. Which did cross my mind for two seconds. But Logan was
right; fear of the consequences was what would keep me alive
here.

“Sculpt. Good
fight.” The deep voice was controlled and sent shivers down my
spine, and they weren’t good shivers. “Kai.” I didn’t look up, but
I assumed they were shaking hands. “I have no interest in the
fighting circuit, but I was rather impressed by your ability. And I
lost a lot of money tonight.”

Logan began
stroking my hair. “Raul mentioned your name in passing. I’m
curious, why is it that you’ve travelled all this way for a fight
you’re not interested in?”

I tensed when
I saw the man’s hand reach down to the girl beside me and grab her
by the chin and raise her head. “Her. I was curious when Raul sent
me the invitation to the fight. I declined, however. Raul must have
known I would, and he is intelligent. He also knew if I refused to
come many other of my acquaintances wouldn’t either, so he offered
me her. Alfonzo’s latest.”

I quickly put
my head down and covered my mouth with my hand to stop from crying
out. I couldn’t even imagine what Alfonzo’s training meant. I
didn’t want to, and I was horrified with what the girl must have
been through. Without moving my head, I glanced at her dead eyes.
Alfonzo must have dug his filthy paws into her soul and ripped it
out leaving this girl with nothing but a shell willing to do
anything asked of her.

Logan’s leg
nudged me, and I lowered my hand from my mouth. “He is giving her
to you? Raul doesn’t like to give anything away.”

Kai chuckled.
“No, but I required a new girl, and Raul knew that. When I saw her
picture I had to have her.” I slid closer to Logan as Kai grabbed
her by the collar and jerked upward. The girl never made a sound,
but I did catch a glistening tear in her eye as Kai pulled her up
on his lap and started fondling her. “He knows my type and this one
...” I couldn’t help but glance up at Kai, “is special.”

Logan saw me
looking and quickly changed the subject to the fight. It was a
couple hours later, after he’d fed me like a dog and I listened to
the sounds swarming me like insects crawling over my skin, that Kai
took interest in me.

“She is
stunning.”

Logan had his
hand on the nape of my neck, and I felt it stiffen. “Hmmm.”

“Dinner
appears to be over, and my understanding is Raul likes to play
afterward. Care to indulge?”

Oh God. No.
No, Logan. Please.

“Not
really.”

“Then why
bother having her? My suggestion is tame, nothing to frighten your
little slave. She does look like she wants to be swallowed up by
the floor.” Kai reached over and stroked the side of my face with
his finger. “Look at me.”