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  "I'm a virgin," she said. His eyes narrowed.

  "You're twenty-five years old. I'm not an idiot." His eyes were hard, warning her that any lie could mean more pain for her.

  "I've also been raising my sister for the last few years. I haven't exactly had time for a boyfriend."

  She could tell he wanted to deny her claims, but the money was too good. If she was a virgin, he could get more for her.

  He zipped up his pants, leaving hers off. He leaned closer to her, his face inches from hers.

  "I swear to you, if I find out you're lying about this, I will make you pay." He was so close, Scarlett couldn't pass up the opportunity. She threw her head forward, head-butting him in the nose. He yelled out in pain, rearing back. As he grasped at his nose, his gaze went cold. Deadly.

  "You little bitch!" Before Scarlett knew what was happening, Damon had swung out and punched her in the face. Pain radiated down the side of her head, and then her world went black.

  * * * *

  Lucas reached the office and rushed into the computer room, with Zach on his heels. Zach pulled up the application for the GPS device that Lucas had put on Scarlett earlier. As he had pulled her closer for a kiss, he'd placed the tracker just under her collar. It was small and lightweight, so unless her captors knew what they were looking for, it wouldn't be found.

  Zach zoomed in on a blinking light on the screen.

  "She's at the wharf. Not at the yacht club, though. Another building close by. Luftar's yacht should be arriving around midnight."

  "We don't have much time."

  Sully entered the room and stood behind Lucas. "We need to go now. Gabriel's cleaning his cut. You need to do the same, Lucas. You look like shit. Zach, Ethan, and I will load up the gear."

  After carefully washing his face, cleaning the cuts and burns he'd received courtesy of one exploding warehouse, Lucas hurried out of the bathroom and met the guys at the van. Isabel sat in the back and gave him a sad smile.

  "I thought I'd come along for support. If we find her—"

  "When we find her," he interrupted. She nodded.

  "When we find her and Emery, I want to be there."

  Lucas understood that Scarlett had gotten to all of them. With her compassionate nature, and her devotion to those she cared about, Scarlett was one of a kind. His heart hurt as he thought about what she might be enduring. He prayed they'd get there in time, before…

  He didn't want to finish that thought.

  The drive to the docks took longer than normal. Traffic, even at this hour, was horrendous. A minor fender bender could turn the streets of D.C. into a virtual parking lot at any time of day.

  His impatience began to grow, and Lucas couldn't sit still any longer.

  "Zach, you think you can find a way around this mess? It's almost midnight. We're going to miss them."

  Zach looked at him in the rearview mirror. "Once I get to the cross street up here, I'll head that way. Right now, there's nowhere to go." Lucas sighed, slumping against the back seat. Nervous energy caused his knees to bounce. They were losing time.

  Finally, Zach whipped the van down a side street, bypassing the traffic. As soon as the van stopped at the pier, Lucas jumped out. Sully grabbed him from behind, jerking him around to face him.

  "Don't be stupid. You're no help to her if you're dead." Sully's eyes were fierce, and Lucas pulled his arm from his grasp.

  "Fine," he managed between clenched teeth. He waited as the guys climbed from the vehicle, each heavily decorated with body armor and weaponry.

  The men spread out along the pier. Zach wasn't sure which slip Luftar would be in, so it seemed they'd need to search each one in order to find it. Lucas glanced at his watch. It was a few minutes before midnight. Once the girls were on the boat, things would get way more complicated. It would be best to get to them before they were on board.

  Lucas searched each slip, looking for something that stood out, though he wasn't sure what that something was. As he neared the end of the dock, he saw a three-story yacht sitting at the end. The name Luftania was on the side of the boat. It had to be Luftar's. He was just narcissistic enough to name his boat after himself.

  "I think I've found it," Lucas whispered into his radio. "Slip number nineteen. At the end of the pier. Name on the yacht is Luftania."

  Lucas heard a snicker in his ear. "Roger that. We're heading your way."

  Ethan stood across from him on the pier, now moving towards the shadows of one of the bigger yachts. Lucas saw him crouch down, setting up the scope on his rifle. He peered through it, then Lucas saw him bend his head down to his intercom.

  "There are six men on board. All look to be Albanian. No girls in sight."

  Lucas crept towards the yacht, staying out of the line of sight as much as possible. The dock was fairly large, with several arms branching out from the middle pier. He moved off the main pier and down one of the branches as he waited.

  Glancing down at his watch, he noticed it was ten minutes after midnight now. Damon should be here. Which meant the girls should be here, too.

  Just then, he heard the sound of a motorboat heading, fast and furious, away from the yacht. Lucas took off at a run towards the yacht, just as it began to pull away from the slip.

  "What do you see, Ethan?" Lucas asked.

  "They're on the yacht. The speedboat must have brought them from the other side. Two girls, neither conscious. One with red hair, one with brown. And Damon's on board, too."

  "Dammit!" Lucas sprinted as fast as he could, but he wasn't fast enough to catch the boat before it pulled away from the dock. "Dammit!" he cursed again.

  "Zach, do we still have a signal?"

  "Roger that. Signal still loud and clear."

  "Any idea where they're headed?"

  "I need my computer. Let's head back to the office, and I'll see what I can find out."

  Lucas and Ethan jogged back to the van, jumping inside just as Sully and Zach were climbing in.

  "You didn't find them?" Isabel asked, disappointment lacing her words.

  "They brought them in on a speedboat. We weren't expecting that." Lucas put his head in his hands, pushing his fingers through his hair in agitation. "We still have the GPS signal."

  Isabel relaxed a little against the back of the seat.

  He'd failed her. He was supposed to keep her safe. And now she was in the arms of two sadistic bastards. He'd find her. The alternative was unacceptable.

  Chapter 23

  The rocking motion made Emery's stomach turn. As if the pounding in her head and the nausea from whatever they'd given her weren't enough, now the whole room seemed to be moving.

  Emery propped herself up on one elbow, grateful that she was no longer tied to a bed. Her head felt heavy, and she had no strength or energy. Since she hadn't eaten in days, she figured it wasn't just the drugs making her faint.

  She glanced down and was immediately embarrassed at the see-through white gown she wore. She was bare underneath, and the sheer fabric left nothing to the imagination.

  She pulled her knees up to her chest, trying to preserve a little modesty, when a noise in the room startled her. She looked around, realizing she was in what appeared to be a bedroom of some sort, but the kind you'd see on a boat or in a camper. A boat made sense and would explain the rocking sensation.

  A young woman lay on the bed across from her. Her red, curly hair spilled across the pillow. Emery didn't know how to feel. If Scarlett was here, then no one could help them. But if Scarlett was here, then Emery was no longer alone.

  "Scarlett?" Emery whispered. "Is that you?"

  The girl moaned and turned over, facing Emery. And Emery saw her face. Pale skin with freckles that mirrored her own. Emery's heart sank at the realization. Scarlett was here. As glad as she was to see her, she also understood that their chances of survival had just gone down. No one else would be looking for them.

  Emery wondered how long they'd had her. Had Scarlett endured the same thi
ngs she had? She saw several bruises marring Scarlett's beautiful face.

  Scarlett moaned again, her eyes slowly opening. Emery got off the bed and walked gingerly towards Scarlett, kneeling by her bed.

  "Scarlett? Are you ok?"

  Scarlett's eyes weren't quite focusing yet, and she seemed confused.

  "Emery?"

  Emery sighed in relief. "Yes, it's me. Are you ok?"

  Scarlett seemed to become more awake and tried to sit up. "Em! Oh my gosh, Em. I didn't think I'd ever see you again." She pulled her sister tightly against her, and Emery sank into the hug. Tears ran down Emery’s face as sobs wracked her body. She knew their fate was still sealed, and escape a distant dream. But for now, she was just glad to have her sister.

  "Well, isn't this a touching scene," Damon's voice cut in, ruining their reunion, and Emery crawled onto the bed next to Scarlett, their arms wrapped tightly around each other.

  "I thought you might be a little more cooperative if I kept you together. You know, if one of you gets out of line, I can just use the other against you," he sneered.

  Two women came in behind him. They were dressed in pink hospital scrubs. They each took a sister by the arm, pulling them off the bed. Scarlett tried to resist, but the women were strong.

  "Don't resist. It will only make things harder for you," one of the women hissed in Em's ear.

  Damon's face was cold and calculating as he took in her sheer gown. Emery's face flushed. She was aware of how naked she was right now. As she'd never been naked before in a man's presence, she felt shame and embarrassment wash over her. He smirked.

  "Anya and Lana will help you get ready to meet your owner. He has very high expectations. Your cooperation is imperative. I can't touch you," he said, flicking a switchblade open with a quick flick of his wrist. "But there are other ways of making you cooperate." He grabbed one of the girls, Anya or Lana, and put the knife to her throat. A small red gash appeared, blood trickling down her neck. She whimpered, and Emery's heart felt like it was beating out of her chest. She silently prayed he'd let her go.

  "We'll cooperate." Scarlett's voice was confident. Her sister was amazing—even in the face of uncertainty, she was standing with her head held high. Never one to give in to despair or fear. Emery wanted to be just like her. She swore that if they got out of this mess, she'd never cause any trouble for her sister ever again.

  Damon closed the knife with another skilled flick of his wrist. The girl almost collapsed, but her friend grabbed her arm, steadying her.

  "I'll be back in an hour." He closed the door as he left, leaving the four women alone in the room.

  * * * *

  Zach's fingers flew across the keys as Lucas sat watching him type in the codes to try and tap into the ship's navigational system.

  "They must be offline," he said. "Which means they can't be going far."

  "The GPS is still working, though, right?" Lucas asked.

  "Yes. They're heading north. I'd imagine to a bigger city, like Baltimore or New York. I'll keep trying and will let you know where the GPS signal stops."

  Lucas thanked him as he walked back out to the garage to meet Sully and the rest of the team.

  "Zach's staying here to watch the GPS. Signal is leading us north. Let's get the helo ready."

  Thirty minutes later, the chopper was in the air, heading towards Baltimore. Lucas's mind raced with thoughts of what Scarlett and Emery might be enduring at this very moment. His only hope was that Scarlett's appearance of innocence, as well as Emery's, might keep them unharmed.

  * * * *

  Scarlett looked down at the sheer white gown, identical to Emery's. She could see her nipples through the gauze and knew that every part of her was on display. She felt dirty—cheap. And she hated that this man had the ability to make her feel that way.

  Anya and Lana had spoken very little as they worked, waxing them, applying makeup, and fixing their hair. Scarlett might have enjoyed the pampering if it had been for another occasion and not for some sick freak that wanted to use them as sex toys.

  Sometime while they were getting ready, the boat's engine had stopped, and Scarlett assumed they had docked somewhere. If they were stopped, maybe that meant that she and Emery could find a way to escape.

  As if her thoughts of escape had somehow alerted him, Damon entered the room with a short man, with dark skin and dark hair, behind him. He looked like a jovial grandfather, with mature but striking good looks. He wore black slacks and a blue button-down shirt. He had glasses perched on the end of his nose, and Scarlett could picture him sitting on the floor, playing with his grandchildren.

  Damon eyed Scarlett, lust filling his gaze. She wanted to cover herself but wouldn't give him the satisfaction. So she stood, her chin held high in a stubborn gaze.

  "Andri is here to look over Luftar's merchandise," Damon sneered, looking her over and then looking at Emery. Scarlett stiffened. She hated that her sister was so exposed. Knew that it would take her years to get over this, if she ever did.

  Andri smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. All thoughts of the jovial grandfather were gone as he walked around her. He reached out, cupping her breast, testing the weight in his hands and then squeezing it as if to test for firmness. He wasn't rough, as Damon had been to her earlier. He walked behind her, placing both hands on her ass and squeezing it, too. He lifted the gown, examining the backs of her thighs. She wasn't sure what he was looking for. Walking around to her front once again, he pulled back her lips from her teeth.

  "Open, my dear," he demanded. And Scarlett didn’t know what else to do but oblige. Peering inside her mouth, he nodded his head as if satisfied and then stepped back.

  He repeated the same routine with Emery, and Scarlett clenched her fists tightly to keep from thrashing him as he molested her sister. Emery's legs were shaking, and when he reached out to touch her, she flinched.

  When he was done, he stepped back. Looking at Damon, he said, "Very nice. Luftar will be quite pleased with these two as long as they pass their medical tests." Scarlett's blood pounded loudly in her ears. Medical tests?

  "I assure you, they are of the utmost quality," Damon responded.

  "Well, I can assure you that Luftar will not be happy to see that they've been damaged." He walked back over to Scarlett, lifting her wrists for his inspection. He lifted a brow at Damon, then grabbed Scarlett's chin with his hand, turning her head sharply. He pulled out a flashlight and shone it down on her cheekbone and jaw, where she knew dark purple bruises had formed. The makeup helped cover them, but there was no denying they were there. "These bruises and marks show that you've been rather careless with his possessions."

  "I'm sorry for that, sir. The girls are quite—spirited," he responded. Scarlett could see the discomfort, as well as anger, washing over him.

  "Hmmm." Then Andri laughed, throwing his head back, and once again, the doting grandfather image was back. "Well, he does quite like them with some fight in them. He finds them much more pleasurable to break." He looked at Scarlett, then, all humor fading from his face, and Scarlett saw the eyes of someone who had no soul. She shivered at the sight, and Andri smirked.

  He turned back to Damon. "I imagine Luftar might renegotiate the price based on what I've seen, but maybe not by too much." With those words, he turned on his heel and walked out the door. Scarlett and Emery were left alone with Damon once more.

  Damon eyed them with a predatory gaze. He stalked towards Scarlett, his face inches from hers. She could smell his breath, the rank smell of coffee and cigarettes nearly taking her breath away. "Your insolence has cost me money. If you refuse to cooperate, I'll make sure you're returned to me once Luftar's finished with you." His gaze raked down her body, and a chill went through her. "And I promise, when I'm finished with you, you'll beg for death to come quickly."

  He turned to go, pausing at the door where he had left a duffel bag. Throwing it at them, he said, "Put these on."

  The door slammed shut, and Scarle
tt's knees gave out. She dropped to the floor on all fours, sucking in the breaths that she'd been holding for the last few minutes. Emery dropped down beside her, her arms wrapped tightly around Scarlett's shoulders.

  Scarlett returned the hug, both of them taking a few moments just to cling to each other. After a while, she released Emery, pulling her to her feet and picking up the duffel bag. She brought it over to her bed and rummaged through it, upset that she didn't find any undergarments for Emery. Just two short black skirts, which more resembled tube tops than actual skirts, and slinky halter tops, one in green and one in blue. No way were they wearing these.

  Scarlett looked for her pants, and then remembered that Damon had taken them off her before putting her on this boat. Emery had no clothes with her, either.

  "Put the skirt on. We can wear my clothes to cover ourselves."

  Emery nodded silently, and Scarlett wondered how much she'd had to endure over the last few days. She didn't ask, and it didn't seem that Emery was anxious to talk about it. There would be time for that when they got out of this godforsaken place.

  Scarlett pulled on the skirt, handing her panties and bra to Emery. It was Scarlett's job to protect her sister’s innocence as much as she could. She pulled on her polo shirt, giving Emery the black t-shirt she'd worn underneath. When they’d finished dressing, Scarlett was glad that Damon hadn't taken her clothes, and hoped that they'd get away with not wearing the halter tops.

  Emery sat on the bed, her knees pulled up to her chest. Scarlett resisted the urge to go over and comfort her. They needed to get out of there, and she was the only one who could do it. Lucas would have no idea where she was. No way to track her down. The desperation threatened to claw through her skin, but she pushed it down. A weapon. She needed a weapon.

  Searching the room, she was unable to find anything that could be used to defend themselves. Scarlett crept towards the door, gently trying the knob. It turned easily, and she pulled it open just a hair. Not seeing anyone, she pulled it all the way open .