Page 12 of Red Waters

“But… Fire, you pique my interest.”

Desperate for hope, I asked, “Why does it sound like this is a good thing?”

“I’m debating on going against Father’s orders and keeping you for myself.”

My upper lip snarled. Becoming the personal toy of someone I hated sounded appalling. “What are the chances that my illegal human buyer is better than you?”

Yury made a casual “meh,” sound. “Seeing how your new owner goes through one redhead with green eyes every six months, for the last decade or so, I would say you will be dead in, let’s say, eight months.”

I grit my teeth. “I thought you said six.”

“Two months of training.”

“Training?”

“We sell anything that can be imagined in the trade of sexual servitude.”

“Meaning?”

“Some unfortunates go straight into sex farms. Others, our Elites, are trained for certain perversions. Your soon-to-be owner has paid a very high price for you to be an expert in oral sex and bondage. I have to build your endurance. The non-written agreement says you have to last as long as possible.”

Tears leaked from my eyes as I pathetically tried to find humor in the short future I had been sold to. “No safe word?”

Yury smirked. “What is a safe word?”

My throat threatened to close. “It was in a movie I saw once.”

“You will find no Hollywood here, Fire.” He winked.

My stomach turned… “What is your perversion?”

He stared at my wet cheeks, his expression forbearing. “Tears.”

Thoughts trying to find my best options raced through my mind. “Do ‘Elites” die in your care?”

Surprisingly, his stare fell to the dirty floor. Softly, he replied, “Once.”

I was surprised to see any remorse. “What happened?”

Yury sat back in his chair, attempting to appear bored. “Meh, I was still in training myself. I made a mistake.” I watched as his fingers nervously twitched.

“You seem mournful.”

Again, he tried to cover emotions. His hands stilled and his eyes went cold. “I mourn the loss of profit. That is all.” But his shoe shook as if his nerves couldn’t be silenced.

That is when I realized Yury was not only a human trafficker, he was also a liar. And if he indeed had a heart buried under his cruelty, he was my best option. Not the man who had already killed twenty redheads. It was time to turn back on my Whit charm Yury liked. I gripped the blanket, pleading to myself to be brave. “Well, all right, tough guy, seeing how I would rather live longer than eight months, with training, I choose you. So, what have I just signed myself up for?”

“Becoming my personal slave.”

My heart hammered with all the possibilities that could imply, but I forced a slight smile. “We’re not speaking about doing your laundry by chance, are we?”

He smiled in return. “Oh, Fire. It will be such a pleasure… to break you.”

Forcing a panic attack to stay at bay, I nervously teased, “Sounds like bundles of fun.”

“For me? Yes. You? Meh, not always.”

Stay calm, Whit. Your life depends on it.“G-Good thing for me I haven’t showered in days. That will, uh, buy me some time.”