Page 61 of Jacqueline's Quest

“Shh...” He unhooked her wrists first then her legs. “It’s going to work out, butterfly. He can be mad at me later, but we had to make it look as real as possible. Don’t worry.” Santiago pressed his lips to her forehead.

“I hope you’re right.” She snuggled into his arms and sighed. “How long can we stay like this?”

“Only a minute more. I’m sorry.”

She shook her head. “Don’t be. I’m glad it was you.”

Yeah, and he was kicking his own ass. He couldn’t keep her in any capacity, nevertheless, he wanted her. It ate at him, he couldn’t walk out of the building with her, but it also wouldn’t be fair to her family—her brother. “Me too.” He rubbed her shoulder. “Let’s get you dressed so we can get you back to your brother.” He pressed his lips to hers. “Don’t forget me.”

“Never,” she whispered. “I’ll never forget your kindness or your heart.”

Fuck. Why’d she have to be so kind to me?

The doorto the room opened a few moments later, however, Murray still couldn't open his eyes. The image of the bastard touching his sister was seared into his mind, blinding him with rage and uselessness. His sister. Fuck, he wished he could have changed positions with her, just this once so she didn't have to endure that, shit.

“What did you think?”

“We’ll take her.” Jaqueline’s voice wobbled. “She’s perfect.”

Murray glanced up at the man who was still shirtless. His breath came in pants. His eyes were a little too wide and a little too glassy for Murray liking. The man cut his gaze to Murray. “Will you be making an offer to Mr. Iniguez?”

“Yes,” Jaqueline said. “Two-hundred and fifty thousand.”

The man nodded. “Please give me a moment to prepare the submissive, she will meet you out in the main area of the club.”

No. Murray didn’t want to leave his sister. Not when he was this close to her. Not when all he had to do was step out into the hallway and opened the door next to their room. He fisted his hands at his side and opened his mouth to protest when Jaqueline pressed her hand to his arm, silencing him.

“We will be waiting.” She hooked her finger in Murray’s belt loop and pulled him out of the room.

“Thank you,” the man said. “She will be with you momentarily.”

"I got you," Noah said for the first time since they entered the club. "This is the ten-minute countdown. The auction will begin shortly."

Murray grunted. Easy for Noah to say. His sister didn't just have sex in front of him. Eyes closed and no sound or not, he'd be hard-pressed to forget what happened to her for a long time. He glanced out over the club and spotted Thomas, Scotty, and AJ coming from the tunnel on the left. All three appeared out of sorts, but relieved. Jealousy wriggled through his gut and he hated it. All he wanted was to wrap his arms around his sister and tell her how much he loved her, yet there he stood waiting for her to join them.

“Excuse me,” a soft voice behind the said. “Are you Madam Jacqueline?”

Murray turned his head and relief flooded him.Hannah.She was beautiful. She reminded him of their mother and still as pretty as he remembered her. Fuck... His heart broke. She was alive. His hands trembled. His knees were weak. He wanted to go to his knees in front of her and gather her into his arms. Tears he hadn’t allowed himself to cry, burned at the back of his eyes. Ten years. Ten long, fucking hard, years.

Jaqueline turned. “I am. You must be my new property.”

“My name is Hannah, Ma’am,” Hannah said. She didn’t look up and for the first time, Murray was glad she didn’t because he was afraid he’d embarrass himself and sob like a baby. “Oscar stays with me for the night until you are ready to leave.”

“The auction will begin momentarily,” Oscar said joining them. “If you’d like to find a seat.”

“I understand.” She looked up at Murray. “Esclavo...” She motioned for Murray to follow her.

He swallowed hard and followed behind Jaqueline as they found a place to sit. As they situated his sister and sat, Luca appeared with his sub for the night along with Christian. The kid was big. Muscular. But, for as stout as the kid had been, he was also scared. He didn’t want to think about what Luca might have done to the boy.

Jaqueline dug her nails into Murray’s thigh, and he hissed. “Sorry, esclavo.”

“Not a problem, Madame Jacqueline,” he murmured. “I understand.”

She shot him a look filled with understanding and also resolve. “I see.”

He couldn’t pay attention during the auction. Seeing each person being paraded around while wolves in sheep’s clothing lifted their paddles bidding on the subs, left him feeling disgusting and furious. He knew once they left the building, the ‘freaks,’ as the auctioneer called them when each one stepped up onto the small stage, would more than likely die. They weren’t being bought to be given a great life. No, these people here, Murray had a feeling, didn’t see their subs as people. They saw them as toys that, if they broke them, could be replaced with a few thousand dollars. Well, little did they know, after today, no one would be coming back.

A girl walked across the stage and went straight to the Dom who won the bid while the auctioneer reset to begin again. As the second person stepped onto the stage, the earpiece in Murray’s ear crackled and he winced. He glanced at Jaqueline who wore the same expression of pain on her face as him. The submissive on the stage went to his knees and bowed his head as the bidding began once more. Murray swallowed hard. Something wasn’t right. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.

His earpiece crackled again “Br—”

Then, the lights went out.

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