But Claire telling me about the trouble Zade is causing makes him feel real again. And I didn’t realize how much I needed that.
“He took Jillian and Gloria?” I ask, my voice raspy with unshed tears. My chest is cracking wide open with countless emotions, and at the forefront of it all is relief.
“That he did. And I’m not going to allow that to happen with you. There’s been a change in plans, so I figured I’d take this opportunity to see the precious diamond in the flesh once more before you’re shipped off. Whatever luck Jillian and Gloria have on their side—is not on yours.”
My throat dries. “I’m not being auctioned off?”
“Of course not, dear. You were never going to be.”
Did Francesca know this? Since I arrived, she’s been telling me that I’d be auctioned, yet she doesn’t appear surprised by the news.
When I just stare at Claire blankly, she continues, “A very intelligent and resourceful man has attached himself to you. Which means that he will have the capabilities to find you once you step foot outside of this property.”
That knowledge kicks my heart up a notch, swirling with a burst of excitement. Obviously, Zade knows how to find people. I assume it’s only taken him this long because I’ve been locked inside a house in the middle of nowhere for over two months. Finding a lead on me is probably next to impossible, but the second they take me out of here, they’ll no longer have that advantage.
“Francesca has informed me that a very high-profile buyer has set his eyes on you. So, in order to keep you hidden, we will be conducting a direct sale.”
My mouth parts, and I’m honestly unsure of how to feel. A direct sale will give them plenty of opportunity to conceal me, but I’ve never had any intention of hiding.
Heart thudding, I nod my head. “Okay,” I say.
She smiles condescendingly, as if I’m a child agreeing to go to bed when I never really had a choice anyway. I suppose that wouldn’t be wrong.
“Xavier has already paid for you and will collect you in three days. Francesca will continue to prepare you for your new life, providing you with all the knowledge you need to ensure you and Xavier live happy lives together.”
Ah. Claire is just as psychotic as Mark.
Maybe she’s a byproduct of Mark’s abuse, maybe not. Regardless, she’s no better than her husband. Her pain does not justify inflicting pain on others. Not like this.
“Francesca and I will go over the details. Nothing for you to concern yourself with. I just wanted to deliver the good news to you myself,” she goes on, her eyes glittering with delight. They are what stars look like when they die. No life left in them yet blazing with a light that ensures everything in its path will die, too.
I had hoped with being auctioned that I’d be able to make a run for it, or ensure my face was seen on a camera, at the very least. Maybe steal a phone and send a text—anything to give Zade a location. Those options won’t be as easy now, but still not impossible.
I lick my dry, cracked lips and meet the twin dead stars in her skull. “Can I ask one thing?” I ask softly.
Her red lips flatten, but she nods her head.
“Can I ask why?”
Francesca hisses, but Claire holds up a hand, silencing her. That alone is satisfying to watch. She takes a few steps toward me.
“When someone as beautiful as you catches our attention, it’s hard to look away. Normally, I prefer to plant someone in your life. A boyfriend, if you will. Someone you would fall in love with and trust. They would’ve handled you, and you would’ve been able to have some sort of freedom, while also bringing in money. However, you got someone else’s attention first, and suddenly, you became so much more valuable.”
My brows knit, and it’s hard to swallow. It’s not hard to conclude that Claire is just like Mark. Someone who finds women and children and brings them to the Society. But the way she speaks…
“This trade, this world—I own it. I own it all,” Claire supplies. “I am the Society, dear. Me and my two associates. Mark thought he was the man in our marriage, but he never knew that I was the one pulling the strings all along. Zade did me a favor by getting rid of that scumbag, despite how fun it was to hang my husband by the balls. I’m not angry because your boyfriend killed my husband. I’m angry because he’s attempting to ruin what I’ve worked hard to build. The sad, little lives you all live are my empire. I’ll be damned if Z tries to take that from me.” She spits out his name like it’s a bug that flew into her mouth, ire and disgust twisting her features.