Lucas’s head dropped so he was eye-level with me, and he pinned me with a cold stare. His lip curled into a sneer, completing the expression, and not matching his breathless words. “I’ve got you. You can do this.”
To anyone watching, he was a man disgusted with the way his woman had just acted, and was giving her quiet commands. To us, he was steadying and comforting me the only way he could while he played his part.
“Remember that we’re taking them all down. Remember that we’re freeing the women,” he whispered then released me roughly, straightening just in time to greet the men as they approached us.
By the time I turned toward them and lifted my head, every emotion was locked up tight inside me—betraying nothing of what I felt. None of the fatigue or nausea from what was happening inside me. None of the revulsion or horror from what I was seeing in this massive hall. None of the anticipation or eagerness of what was to come before the night ended.
None of it.
For all they knew, I was a woman who had just been scolded in public by the man who owned her, and I was trying not to show that I was embarrassed.
“Lucas Holt,” the man with the leashes called out. “I’ve been looking forward to speaking with you. It has been going around how well you have done with your first.”
Now that he was closer, I could see him more clearly. He was sweating profusely, forcing his sex slaves to crawl through what was dripping from him onto the floor.
Bile rose in my throat, and I tried to force it back.
His eyes slowly raked over me, and I lost my hold on my neutral appearance when he licked his teeth and said, “And might I say, she is lovely.”
I dropped my head and saw Lucas stiffen from the corner of my eye before his hands slipped into his pants pockets. I knew who was now facing those disgusting men, and I knew what he was imagining doing to them.
And for once it didn’t scare me. I wanted it.
The floor swayed below my feet, and I squeezed my eyes tight as I blew out a slow breath, trying to calm my stomach. But my head felt light—too light.
I swallowed thickly and tried to open my eyes, but shut them again when it felt like the entire room was spinning around me.
When my devil spoke, none of the wrath I knew he was feeling could be heard. Only that unnerving calm, with the slightest hint of arrogance. “She was a challenge at first, but I found her out soon enough, and then she was easily broken.”
The sweating man laughed loudly, and another man on my left spoke up, making me feel even more off balance. “You should buy tonight, Lucas. It’s not often we find one who will do what we need them to so quickly, so you should take advantage and start on your second.”
“I plan to,” Lucas responded coolly.
“Would you look at that,” the sweating man said with a snarl. “Your first can’t even stand the thought of it. Jealous bitches they are in the beginning.”
I knew he was referring to the way I wouldn’t look at any of them, but I was afraid of what would happen when I opened my eyes. I was shaking and felt cold, as if someone had just shoved me in an icebox. I was also sweating as badly as the man with the leashes.
“Briar,” Lucas said in warning, but I knew the tone was more for the men than me.
With another steadying breath out, I forced my heavy lids open—but I was only able to take in the scene in front of me before everything went black.
Silence that felt impossibly loud sounded in my ears, and I felt very aware of everything and nothing all at once.
I knew I was standing. I knew I was trying to breathe calmly. I knew I was staring blankly at nothing, because I was seeing nothing. I knew I was leaning too far forward, and I needed to stop myself.
But I couldn’t see or hear anything other than that deafening silence, and I couldn’t discern the time that was passing, because this horror felt like an eternity.
I threw my hand out to my side, to where Lucas had been. The force of my movement caused me to stumble backward. Before I could attempt to right myself, everything came rushing back to me all at once, and I slammed into Lucas’s side as the light and the noise became too much.
Lucas caught me automatically, but I only had a moment to rest in his arms—my head falling heavily to his chest—before he was gripping my shoulder and shoving me away.
I could only imagine how I looked from the panic that flashed across his face before he was able to control it, and then his face was twisted with practiced anger.
“I need something to drink.”
Surprise and worry filled those dark, dark eyes before he forced it away, and sneered, “You can wait until I’m finished talking with these men. Don’t int—”
“No. Now,” I said sluggishly, and blindly reached for him again when I swayed in his direction. He batted my hand away, but his other hand on my shoulder tightened to keep me from falling.
“What is wrong with her?” a man asked. His tone showed how shocked he was with the way I was acting.
“I need water,” I said to Lucas as my shaking continued. “Something. Please.”
When he spoke, his voice was low, dangerous. “You can wait. Do not interrupt us again.”
The sweating man scoffed. “Am I right to assume all those rumors of your success have been just that?”
“Lucas, I’m—”
“Briar!” he snapped, shock and anger playing on that dangerous face as he forced me closer and dropped his head to whisper in my ear—but Lucas stilled when one of the men spoke.
“Is your mentor aware of your girl’s disobedience?”
It felt as though the entire hall had gone silent even though it was just the group surrounding us waiting for Lucas’s response.
My devil leaned away from me, a cruel smirk pulling at his mouth. “Her disobedience?” he asked in a dangerous tone. His eyes left mine and flashed toward the men. “Her disobedience is nothing a night of lessons won’t fix.”
The men laughed loudly, and Lucas used the moment to dip his head so his lips were at my ear again.
“Breathe, Blackbird,” he whispered in a calming tone. “Slow, deep breaths. Stand here and breathe. I can’t let you leave, and I can’t let you push me to stop the conversation. I promise I’ll take you somewhere so you can sit down soon. Just breathe.” He looked every inch of the Lucas Holt he needed to play when he pulled away from me, and he sent the men a frustrated look when he turned toward them again. But even though he released my arm, he was standing closer to me than he’d originally been, and I knew he was ready to catch me if I started to fall.
Which still felt like too real of a possibility.