Total pages in book: 145
Estimated words: 148397 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 742(@200wpm)___ 594(@250wpm)___ 495(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 148397 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 742(@200wpm)___ 594(@250wpm)___ 495(@300wpm)
His hair gleamed from his shower, and his steps were loose and languid. Was Rachel the reason for that? He’d mentioned he wanted a massage from her.
My eyes shot to Rachel where she kneeled in another sitting area to the left. The long beige couch curled into a semi-circle, the white round carpet in the centre so perfect, so pure, it looked like a portal into heaven.
She gave me a flickering smile.
I returned it.
Dropping my eyes, I watched with my peripheral vision as Victor passed one of the glasses to Henri, then patted him encouragingly on the back. “Welcome. Make yourself comfortable.” With a mocking bow, Victor took my hand and wrapped my fingers around the second glass. “You too, Ilyana. Tonight is for all of us, so drink up. We can all indulge together. Apart from Rachel, of course. She can’t drink for obvious reasons.” He blew her a kiss, his flippant joy almost infectious if it wasn’t for the aura of evil. “While I was away, I came around to the idea of having a child. I’m rather excited now.”
Henri didn’t reply, sipping a scant mouthful of whatever clear alcohol had been given.
Chuckling, Victor swallowed his own sip. “Actually, I never thought I’d see the day that I’d have a screaming baby in my home. However, it has opened my eyes to other business ventures.”
Henri went stiff beside me.
My heart stopped.
No…don’t say it…
Henri stayed deathly quiet, making Victor’s happy voice all the more obscene. “You know, mon ami. I’ve dabbled in the skin trade for over three decades. I’ve lost count of how many girls and boys I’ve trafficked, but…I’ve always stayed clear of children because they’re messy and loud and not worth the trouble but…” Kicking off his lambskin slippers, Victor padded barefoot toward Rachel and fell backward onto the couch. “Come, come. Sit. I’ve taken the liberty of ordering some dishes to be brought up, so there’s nothing more to do than to relax while we wait.”
Swallowing another mouthful of his drink, Henri forced a smile and marched toward Victor. His black loafers, black slacks, and black shirt were far too dressy compared to Victor’s slinky bedwear. Sitting opposite Victor, Henri cocked his head in my direction, summoning me to his side.
I went without a word, keeping my chin tipped low and eyes on the carpet.
No one moved as I sank to my knees beside him. My skimpy black negligee with its gauzy lace and ribbony straps showed my pebbled nipples and matching black G-string.
Rachel still wore her white see-through teddy, marking both of us as something to be studied, mauled, and claimed.
“Ah, this is nice.” Victor toasted us from the other side of the couch, his fingers straying through Rachel’s dark hair. “What was I saying? Oh, yes.” Sipping his drink, he smacked his lips. “Do you remember me mentioning the dark web, Henri? Where you can buy all nationalities, ages, and creeds?”
“I remember.” Henri smiled, his outward appearance unruffled all while I sensed his energy as a jagged, jittery mess. “What about it?”
“Well, I had my eyes opened thanks to a friend in Vietnam. I was there checking on my sapphire mine, you see. I happened to mention the next time I visited, I might bring my heir with me. That got us onto the topic of babies.” His eyes narrowed as he leaned forward. “Apparently, I’m a bit of a dinosaur with the dark web and covertly trading skin in very exclusive circles. There’s a new breed of trafficker. So bold and uncaring, they openly trade on mainstream platforms.”
Snow dusted my shoulders.
Rachel hunched over her knees.
And Henri kept his tone insolently bored, all while his energy crackled with rapidly rising disgust. “Oh?”
“It’s all about emoji and code language.” Victor leaned back, gloating at his wisdom. “Triangles and spirals and a bunch of others. These codes are well-known, apparently. I need to study their meanings, but what really intrigued me was the use of popular selling sites.”
Henri coughed on a mouthful of liquor. My own untouched glass sagged, forgotten in my hand.
“What do you mean?” Henri spluttered. “They’re uploading people and taking online bids now?”
“Exactly!” Victor snickered and shook his head. “Unbelievable, isn’t it? In plain view, no less. Right there, beneath people’s noses!”
“How?” Henri scowled. “I don’t understand how they don’t get caught the moment they upload a fucking person. Surely, those sites are monitored. Police would be notified immediately if a missing person suddenly appeared with a price tag.”
“It’s because they don’t upload a person.” Victor tapped his nose. “They upload—”
“Sir?” A soft knock as the door to Victor’s bedroom opened. “Your dinner is here. Shall I have the staff bring it in?”
“Yes, thank you, Tim.” Victor nodded. With a twinkle in his eye, eager to spill such horrendous information, he waited patiently for a few servers to march in, each carrying large trays full of plates and dishes.