“Of course,” he agreed. “I’ll help you into the bathroom and as long as you promise to leave the door unlocked, you can soak for as long as your heart desires.”
“Leave the door unlocked?” she asked.
“Yes, well, you did just pass out. I’d hate for you to go unconscious again while soaking in the tub full of water,” he said. He had a point. “I promise to give you privacy while you are in there if you agree to my only demand—no lock.” She didn’t trust him as far as she could throw him, but what choice did she have? He was, after all, her new captor and she had no other recourse than to obey or be punished. At least, that was the house rules at the place she spent the last few months of hell in.
“Fine,” she agreed. “I haven’t had a proper bath or shower in about three months,” she admitted.
“Three months,” Llir almost shouted. “Is that how long he held you?”
She nodded, “And he wouldn’t let me bathe. Just gave me some dirty water in a basin, and a bar of soap to clean myself up with, after—” her voice trailed off. She couldn’t say the words out loud because it felt like doing so would give all the ugly things those monsters did to her, life.
“I’m sorry that happened to you, Elira,” he whispered. She could tell that he was being careful not to touch her and that was just fine with her. She was used and disgusting. No man would ever want to touch her again.
“Are you?” she asked. “As I recall, your family was hosting tonight’s event. Do I have that right?” She knew she did and she also knew she was poking the bear but she didn’t care.
“Yes,” he said. “The auction is one of my father’s venues.”
“And the man who brought me in—is he one of your men?” she questioned.
“No,” he said. “He is a handler. He brings women into the auction and takes a hefty cut from the sale of each woman. But he’s not one of my men,” Llir said.
“You’re splitting hairs,” she said. “If he brings wares to your market, and you sell them for him, he’s essentially working for you. I thought you were the head of your family,” she said.
“Acting head,” he admitted. “My father is sick and I’ve stepped in to act in his stead. That’s why I had to attend the auction tonight. God, I hate those things but my father insisted that I be there to represent our family.”
“And purchase a woman for your bed,” she mumbled under her breath. He grabbed her arm and she gasped, trying to pull her’s free from his grasp. “Take your hand off of me,” she spat.
His laugh was mean and he released her arm. “I don’t buy women for my bed,” he said. “I don’t pay for pussy, I’m a Tirana.”
“Yes, we’ve already covered who you are,” she said. “So, you purchased me and don’t plan on using my body?” He looked her over and shook his head.
“As I said, I don’t pay for pussy. Go take your bath,” he ordered. “I’ll knock on the door when dinner gets here.” Elira threw the covers from her body and held her bathrobe closed as if he hadn’t already seen every inch of her. Hell, while she was passed out, he could have done what he wanted to with her but if she was to believe him, he didn’t touch her. It didn’t matter though—her innocence was gone now and along with it, her trust. She’d never be that same naive girl she was just months ago, ever again.
Llir
He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and checked his messages, noting the thirteen missed calls from not only his brother, Veton but also his father. His little brother must have gone straight to their father with the news of what he had done and most likely took great satisfaction in telling their father all about his betrayal against the family. That’s what him taking Elira from the auction equated to—betrayal. His father wouldn’t let him get away with it either. It didn’t matter that he more than paid for her, taking good care of her handler. It was bad business for him to purchase their own wares and that was something that their father had drilled into them from a young age. His father would tell them that they could have any woman that they wanted, so why pay for one at auction? Telling his father that he lost his mind for a moment and made one bad snap decision wouldn’t be a good enough answer. No, he’d be made an example of and Llir knew that his punishment would include hurting pretty little Elira, or worse.
Llir turned off his cell phone and slipped it back into his jacket pocket. His father would be looking for him by now and he didn’t want him to be able to trace his phone. He’d grab a new one as soon as he could and destroy his. He also had to come up with a damn good plan if he wanted to come out of this mess that he made for not only himself but the sexy brunette soaking in the bathtub.
Usually, he’d turn to his brothers for advice when it came to dealing with their father. They lost their mother when they were young boys. There was just two years difference between each of them and at twenty-seven, he still felt the sting of losing his mom at the age of eight. He at least could remember his mother. His youngest brother, Veton, said that he didn’t remember their mother at all. He just had the memories of her that his two older brothers shared with him. Altin only seemed to remember bits and pieces of their mother—mostly involving her in bed, dying from cancer that ate away at her body. She died a slow, painful death and in the end, it changed all their lives—especially their father’s.
Alek Tirana used to be a doting husband and father, but when he lost his wife, he became a different man. He went from being a man with a conscience to a vindictive asshole, and Llir and his brothers couldn’t talk to him without starting a war. That was probably what he had just done by taking Elira from the auction—started a war that his father would want to finish.
Elira came out of the bathroom, steam from her hot bath had filled the room and followed her out into the bedroom. He had stuck close to the bathroom, worried that she’d need him. No, if he was being honest, he was worried that she would regain some of her spunk that he saw in her eyes when she was up on stage earlier. He saw the fight that was still alive in her and he worried that if she got a second wind, she’d run from him. Llir knew he wouldn’t be able to keep her forever, but if she took off now, she’d be putting them both in danger. His father probably had already put some guys on trying to find them and if that was the case, he would. It was only a matter of time before his father found them and then, he’d make an example of them both. Elira was an innocent bystander in all this mess. If he could have just kept his hands off of her, his head in the game and his cock from making the decisions, none of this would be happening.
“Did you have a nice bath?” he asked. She nodded and tugged at the bathrobe that was too big for her. She was a nervous little thing but in her shoes, he would be too. “Dinner came and I had them also send you up some pajamas. The staff here is quite good and they treat me well.”
“Where are we exactly?” she asked. They were about four hours from the club. When she passed out, she slept for so long, he was worried she wouldn’t wake back up. He even had to carry her up to his apartment because he couldn’t wake her.