“Why?” I remained where I was. “Where are you taking me?”
“Shut your mouth!” Smashed Balls shouted. “You don’t ask questions. You just follow orders.”
Still I remained stubbornly in place.
“We need to get you cleaned up.” Cologne motioned with his fingers again. “Come.”
“They’re taking you to the bathroom to give you a shower,” the blonde whispered.
“They like to watch,” the redhead added defiantly, her voice loud and echoing.
Balls stomped a menacing step toward her, his intent to slap her evident by the raising of his palm. Eyes narrowed, I jumped in front of him. His arm stilled.
“I’m ready.” I straightened my shoulders. “Lead the way.”
He flicked the redhead a you’ll-pay glare and spun on his heel. I followed him out of the cell, and Cologne took up the rear. They were so confident in their abilities and strengths that they didn’t blindfold me or even try to hide their identities. Idiots, I thought again.
Though I remained on alert, I cast my gaze over my surroundings. Without a doubt, we were underground. Water dripped from the ceiling and dirt lined the floors. The only light sprang from thin bulbs that hung from equally thin wires.
My mind raced with strategies. They planned to watch me shower; I planned to thwart them. But how? They could overpower me by sheer numbers. They could even stun me with a pyre-gun, then clean, molest, or rape me without my being able to protest. That raised the question of why hadn’t they stunned me already. Why hadn’t they stunned me to bring me here?
Time, I realized in the next instant. A stun lasted twenty-four hours. They must need my cooperation for…what? My hands clenched at my sides, but I never slowed my step. I lifted my chin, remaining alert as we entered the foyer of the home. Cologne and Smashed Balls stopped to chat with the three men cleaning and vacuuming, preparing the room for…a visitor? For Lucius?
Would he arrive soon to purchase me? My knees almost buckled in relief with the possibility. EenLi would be here, too. Having watched him for weeks, I knew he oversaw all transactions personally. This could all be over in a matter of hours. The possibility was so wonderful that it seemed too good to be true. Surreal, even.
Amid the men’s chatter about what the women in the cell needed, I finished my study of the room. There was a spacious living area off to the side, complete with couch, a large holoscreen, and several plush velvet chairs. Empty beer bottles littered a rectangular coffee table. Though there were no windows, lace curtains draped a section of the wall, giving the illusion of glass.
Very domestic and cozy.
Strong male hands gently pushed me forward. “Walk,” Cologne said, his conversation with the others finished.
I followed Balls down the hall. Plain, dingy yellow walls closed in around me. They were devoid of any decoration, probably so that the slaves wouldn’t have access to a makeshift weapon. There were four doors at the end of the hallway. One of them led into a small, cramped bathroom, which was the room we entered. It had brown plaster walls, a splintered floor. An enzyme spray hose slithered from the far wall, and a toilet pushed against the side.
In front of me, Balls stopped, turned, and folded his arms over his chest. He was very thin, and his skin looked dry and flaky. He was also balding. No wonder he had such an attitude problem.
“Strip.” He smiled slowly, evilly. “Then shower. And make sure to clean yourself real good, or I’ll have to clean you myself.”
I heard the rustle of Cologne’s shirt as he too crossed his arms over his chest. That really pissed me off. Of all the men I’d encountered in this house, Cologne seemed the most gentle, the most concerned for the women. Yet he too was willing to humiliate me so he could get his rocks off.
Turning to the side, I gave both men my profile. Unconcerned. “I’ll strip when both of you leave.”
Balls arched his brows in smug amusement. He had wanted me to resist. Wanted to scare me. “Strip. Now. Or I make you do it.”
“Leave. Now,” I replied. “Or I make you do it.”
Cologne sighed, and the sound drifted through the small bathroom. “We’re not going to hurt you. Just watch.”
“Just violate my privacy, you mean.”
“This is your last chance. Strip on your own,” Balls said, “or strip with our help.”
One, I didn’t want them to see my weapons. And two, getting naked most likely meant rape. No, thank you. A cold sweat broke out over my skin. Not good. Unlike humans, my sweat made me more attractive. The beads of moisture made my flesh look like polished, dewy gold. Glittery. Like a fairy. I didn’t want to be attractive at this moment. I wanted to appear mean and ugly, capable of any evil deed.
Knowing the other women had endured this, yet had had no way to prevent it, turned my fear to protectiveness. “If you help me undress,” I said slowly, carefully, “there will be a fight. A to-the-death fight. Understand?”
“Raka, you’re a woman.” Wearing an expression that begged me to understand, Cologne stepped toward me. “You can’t hurt us.”
Balls moved toward me, as well. They were trying to close me in, to threaten and intimidate me with their strength.
“But I’ll get hurt, and that will make me damaged goods. See, I talked to the girls. I know why we’re here. We’re being sold as slaves. Your boss wants top dollar for me, doesn’t he?”
Silence reigned as they considered my words. I didn’t know how long or often I could get by with that particular threat, but I’d use it as long as I could.
Thankfully, it worked.
“You win,” Cologne said on a resigned sigh.
“What!” Balls shouted.
“There are no windows here. The only exit is the door. We will be here, waiting, and if you try to escape, we will punish you. Whether it decreases your value or not. Do you understand?”
“Coward!” Balls slammed his fist into his open palm. “We’re not walking away. Hold her, and I’ll cut those f**king clothes off her body.”
Anticipating an attack from him, I bent my knees slightly and centered my energy. He never moved toward me, however. Cologne grabbed him by the arm and flung him outside the bathroom. The smaller man crashed into the wall and slithered into a heap on the rotting wood floor.
“You will not always get your way,” he said to me. “It will be best for you if you realize that quickly.” With narrowed eyes, he strode from the room and shut the door behind him. “You have fifteen minutes. Get clean and put on the clothes resting on the toilet lid.”