Page 17 of Creeping Beautiful

But she doesn’t.

The last thing I hear is another dramatic creak of the cage as the monster snake takes another go at collapsing the bars.

And that’s that.

That is my first look at Indie Anna Accorsi.

I see Donovan mingling with other men in the pavilion just before the auction starts. I have known him his whole life. At least, I know who he is and I know how he’s connected to me, and we have met maybe a handful of times in the past before our fathers died.

Here’s the most important thing I know about Donovan: I understand who and what he is. I appreciate how we are the same, even though we’re different.

Donovan Couture is Gerald Couture’s grandson. Donovan’s father and my father had a team together back in the day. They came to these auctions a lot for girls, and like me, they were not looking for concubines.

At least… not at first.

Gerald can talk all the shit he wants about my desire to be part of the Company black ops, but he took the same path. Most people in the Company don’t get choices like us. You’re given an assignment, and God help you if you don’t follow instructions.

But our families—mine and Donovan’s and about a dozen others—they go back to the very beginning of the Company. You can trace our pedigrees back nearly three hundred years. We are called the Founders, but more commonly referred to as the Untouchables.

Because we do get a choice and Untouchables is a very dramatic name.

We are into drama.

Anyway, the point is—Donovan is here. He’s a skinny, fifteen-year-old kid wearing a ten-thousand-dollar suit and a fifty-thousand-dollar watch, clean-shaven, dark hair slicked back like he’s a mafia boss.

I don’t laugh because he catches my eye just as I recognize him, but I want to.

He holds up a crystal glass with a couple fingers of whiskey in the bottom in a ‘cheers’ gesture.

I hold up my champagne flute and cheers him back.

He must decide this is an invitation to join me, because he crosses the room. “Adam Boucher. As I live and breathe. I heard you were coming this year. How’d the tour go? See anyone you like?”

I shake his hand, because he’s offering, then nod. “Yeah. I have one on the list.”

“Just one?” Donovan raises an eyebrow. “Let me guess… snake girl.”

“Yeah.” I chuckle. “She is creepy as fuck.”

“So why? Why buy her?”

“Because honestly”—I lean in and whisper—“I don’t want anyone else to have her. The thought of that girl out there, not on my side? Nah. I won’t be able to sleep at night.”

Donovan laughs. “I totally get it.” Then he goes serious. “But I know her. Fairly well. She’s been on the island for about six months now. Her house mother threw her out and… this is pretty much her last chance.”

I cringe, reconsidering my choice.

“But don’t worry. I told her about you.”

“About me?” I point to my chest. “What the hell could you have told her about me?”

“Just that she could do worse. And you’re young. And obviously not looking to…” He juts his chin up. “You know.”

“She’s ten.”

“Yeah, well. They like them young.”

I close my eyes and shake my head.