Page 95 of Lure

“Explain your million dollar offer for Miss Black.”

Gallo snapped his attention back to me. “It was at almost three million… I raised it.”

That was an unexpected answer. “Excuse me?”

A soft scrape of shoe told me Grace was moving, but she didn’t close in, so hopefully Alphabet stopped her.

I nudged Gallo with a toe of my boot and he flinched so hard, he nearly toppled his chair. Lunchbox had to brace it to keep him from going down.

“Three million?” I prompted when Gallo wrenched his focus back to me once again.

“The auction site… after the manager—after she say noagain. I went to the auction and there she was, cara mia, the beautiful—” He hesitated to say her name. Smart. It was about time. “She was there. Opening bid, one million… I was in the lead. It was over three when they put it on hold and now waits in pending.”

“Website?” Voodoo asked even as Lunchbox said, “Auction?”

The silence behind me reverberated with all her hopes, fears, and questions. Good girl, don’t say anything to him. We hadn’t discussed this part, but hewantedher attention. Denying him that was another tool in our arsenal.

“The website… The procurers, they find the best, the most valuable. The coveted. Art. Beauty.” Gallo licked at his dry lips.

“People?” I spit the word out.

“Yes,” the man said and then he tried to shrug, but grimaced because his wrists were bound tightly to the chair arms. “The beautiful Grace was there, I will outbid anyone to have her.”

They had anauctionwebsite. Rage crashed through me like a thunderclap.

Auction.

For people.

I tapped the snippers against my palm again keeping everything still. “Website address?”

“You have her, you have it.” Gallo stared at me like I’d sprouted a second head. I could feel Lunchbox and Voodoo exchanging glances. I didn’t check with them. I kept my attention riveted on the sad sack of shit in front of me. “How much do you want?”

I blew out a long breath. Instead of relieving my temper, it just fanned the flames. Lunchbox lost all expression and his eyes went flat. I didn’t have to check Voodoo to know that the man had basically just signed his death warrant with that question.

I had no problems with dealing it out when we were done.

With that in mind, I reached for one of his hands where they were secured and put the snippers to the tip of his finger. Gallo shrieked and struggled, the stink of ammonia increased and sweat began to bead along his body even in the chill of the cellar.

Yeah, fear could devour a man alive.

“Website address. Not asking again.” I kept him pinned with my gaze, snippers open and around his fingertip just above that knuckle.

With spittle flying from his lips, Gallo babbled out a string of letters and numbers. It was almost impressive, because he didn’t stumble once.

“Got it.” They were the first two words Alphabet had said since we got down here.

“One more question…” I straightened, vaguely dissatisfied that I didn’t have to start removing his digits one knuckle at a time. At the rate we were going, we’d intimidate him into answers.

“What?” Gallo snapped, impatient as I considered exactly how to word it. The sharpness in his voice matched the hard-eyed look he’d found.

Unimpressed, I broke his index finger. He blanched, all the color leaching from his face. His mouth opened and his screamcame out harsh and grating. Fat tears escaped his blurry eyes and began to roll down his face.

Pivoting, I focused on Grace then lifted my chin and nodded her toward the stairs. Questions stamped all over her face, but instead of arguing she nodded and headed upstairs, with Alphabet a half-step behind her. I followed them.

“Feel free to continue with him,” I told them when I was at the top of the stairs. They could pull more teeth, literally or figuratively, I didn’t care much. Right now, I needed a conversation with Grace without her guardians on point.

We also needed more on this website. At the top of the stairs, I closed the door to the cellar before following Alphabet and Grace into the living room.

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