Page 29 of Lacey's Fight

11:20 A.M.

“What are you doing down here?” Amelia demanded. “And how did you even know about this place?”

Lacey shoved aside the rage at how these girls were being treated, and her guilt that she couldn’t end their suffering this very second. She had come here for a reason and finding this hidden chamber didn’t change that. If she wanted these girls to be free, she had to follow through with the plan.

No deviations.

Thinking quickly, she devised a plan and prayed Ben would go along with it.

Pulling herself out of his grip she ignored the weapons aimed at her and ran toward Amelia, throwing her arms around the shocked woman.

“This place is perfect. Just perfect,” she gushed.

“I … what?” Amelia asked.

“We were walking the grounds,” she said, gesturing to Ben, who grabbed her hand and yanked her back to his side, tucking her protectively against him. “I love this place. I told Drake that I wanted to buy it. Your driver told us it wasn’t for sale, but Drake and I can be awfully persuasive when we have to be. I wanted to walk around, see the whole place, and figure out if it really was what we wanted for our new venture. We found an opening in one of the towers. I guess someone didn’t close it properly, and of course, I was curious. Drake always reminds me that curiosity killed the cat, but you know how it is.” She did that airhead giggle that always put people at ease.

“So why were you crying?” Amelia asked. Although the woman still looked suspicious and the weapons were all still aimed at her and Ben, Lacey felt that some of the tension had drained out of the room.

“You don’t cry happy tears?” she asked innocently. “I’ll admit I was shocked at first. I guess I never really thought about the business side of what you do. But then when I realized that his place couldn’t be more perfect, I just burst into tears. I mean, the manor house is just the most gorgeous location to set up our upscale, exclusive establishment, and then these underground rooms and tunnels, are there tunnels?”

“There are,” Amelia replied.

“See, perfect! If we were ever to be raided by the cops, then we could just hide all the girls down here, and they would be none the wiser. You’ll sell it to us, won’t you? Drake will pay whatever you want, money is no issue. With what we pay you you’ll be able to purchase another house to set up your auctions.” She gave the woman her sweetest, beseeching expression and even pressed her palms together in a gesture of supplication to add to the appeal.

“I, well, I hadn’t really thought of selling,” Amelia said, a little confused about this entire encounter.

“Oh, but you must, please,” Lacey begged. “England is just so beautiful, and I just want to move here so badly.”

“Well, I mean, I suppose we could discuss numbers after the auction,” Amelia said hesitantly. Although it was clear she wasn’t one hundred percent convinced she did indicate that the guards should lower their weapons.

“Oh, thank you,” she gushed, pulling herself out of Ben’s protective hold to throw her arms around the other woman once again.

“I can’t guarantee that I’ll agree,” Amelia cautioned.

“Drake and I will convince you I’m sure of it,” Lacey said, giving her giggle again. “Won’t we, darling?”

“If that’s what you want, sweetheart, I’ll make it happen.” Ben shot Amelia a threatening glower as though daring her not to give his wife whatever her heart desired.

“After the auction, we’ll talk,” Amelia agreed. “For now, would you like a tour of the rest of the underground tunnels?”

“Oh, we’d love to,” Lacey replied.

Ben reached for her hand and again moved her so she was at his side. She didn’t miss that he positioned her so he was between her and the armed men with his body angled slightly to offer her what protection he could. He might not like her, but he had been sweet when she’d had a mini meltdown upon seeing her own worst nightmare come to life before her very eyes, and she knew he would protect her with his life if it came to it.

Not that she’d let him.

They were here as a team. He wasn’t here as her protection detail. Just because they were utilizing both their skill sets didn’t make them any less a team. Lacey knew how to take care of herself. She didn’t need some man—especially one who seemed to despise her—to do it for her.

“How many slaves can you house here?” she asked as they followed Amelia through the tunnels. The guards had them boxed in, half leading the way, half bringing up the rear, but Lacey had no doubt that they would convince the woman they were no threat to her operation.

“We have four rooms like the one you found at each corner of the property. In between the miles of tunnel that connects them are various other rooms. Some are training rooms, some punishment rooms, and some medical ones in case we need to perform any procedures. There are also some guards’ rooms down here if you feel safer knowing that your merchandise is well protected at all times,” Amelia said.

The way the woman talked about these girls like they were really nothing but a commodity was extra awful given she was a woman and two-thirds of all trafficking victims were female. Perhaps that was sexist, but it was one thing for a man to groom a girl as a sex slave and then sell her, but it was another for another woman to do it.

“I like that idea very much. I think this would be the perfect location to keep our girls when they’re not in use. Providing of course you sell,” she added with a grin.

If Amelia Kutcher had no qualms about running a human trafficking business because it made her a lot of money, then she suspected there wasn’t nothing the woman wouldn’t do to make more. If Drake and Diana Harper were real people, then she was sure they would have sealed the deal.

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