Page 114 of Ruthless Chaos
I raise my paddle and Cassidy points to me.
“One hundred thousand,” I shout.
There’s a collective gasp in the room, and some of the attendees pivot in their seats to look at me—I don’t see any familiar faces.
Cassidy’s smile drops. She breaks character for a moment and glances at Allie, then turns her attention back to the audience.
“Wow, we have a huge bid for this one,” she says, her voice noticeably shakier than before. “Anyone else?”
“One hundred thousand, going once.”
“Going twice.”
A paddle in the front goes up. “One hundred and fifty thousand.”
Cassidy’s face lights up. I raise my paddle, and she frowns.
“One hundred and seventy-five thousand,” I say.
The paddle in the front goes up again. “Two hundred thousand,” the person says, to gasps and cheers in the audience.
Allie’s coming undone by the second, and she looks like she’s about to faint. I can’t see who is sitting at the front, but there’s no way I’m letting him outbid me for her.
I raise my paddle.
“Two hundred and twenty-five thousand,” I say.
He responds almost instantly, “Two hundred and fifty thousand.”
We go back and forth a few more times, much to the ire of Cassidy and delight of the audience, until the bid is sitting at four hundred thousand dollars.
The money isn’t the issue; I have watches that cost more than that.
All I can think of is how demeaning this must be for Allie.
She’s up there, all scared and alone, hearing men bid on the chance to rape her.
She doesn’t deserve this.
I raise my paddle again. “One million.”
Cassidy’s jaw drops, whispers and gasps erupt from the audience. I hold my breath, daring the nonce sitting in the front to try to outbid me. I would go at it all night if I had to, until I’ve spent my last penny.
Just for her.
He’s silent.
“Congratulations to our winning bidder. Please meet us backstage at theendof the event to claim your girl.”
Cassidy’s trying to look cheerful, but I can see the aggravation behind her tight smile.
I stand as soon as Allie is ushered backstage.
I’m not going to fuckingwaituntil this is finished. Briskly, I walk along the outer aisle to the door that leads backstage. Two girls dressed in full-black clothes and balaclavas man the door.
They’re smarter than the bouncer and let me through.
When I enter the room, Cassidy’s standing over Allie with a broomstick. Her second in command, Liz, is holding her down and trying to spread her legs.
