Tales of Darkness & Sin: An Anthology Read online

  When I left Detroit, I took a job as a clerk under Gabriel Miller. It was beneath me. My brother sure as hell never would have done something so demeaning. But I knew it would be the start of something new. He taught me everything I know about business. I worked my way up and now I get a percentage of the deals I ink. A thick bank account pays for a penthouse apartment that’s empty while I work long hours. It’s not a warm life, but it’s a lucrative one.

  I give a short bow. “Then I’ll see you tonight, Mr. Knapp.”

  He smiles, and my blood turns cold. It’s not a nice smile. “One more thing.”

  “I would prefer to rest before the evening entertainment.”

  “There’s someone else I want you to meet. I’m sure you’ll agree once you see them.”

  Keep a cool head. That’s the first thing Gabriel taught me when I was young and stupid. Full of anger at my brother. Full of unfulfilled desire for his girlfriend. That’s the only reason I don’t punch this fucker and his obsequious smile. Rule number one: keep a cool head. Rule number two: follow the dream.

  Men in suits and women in gowns move aside, revealing a couple that I never expected to see again. Certainly not here. Not on Malaking Kuta. It’s my brother, Curtis. The woman I’ve loved for years stands at his side, wearing a small but sparkling diamond. Her eyes meet mine, those gorgeous blue eyes that have haunted my dreams. The ones that show up when I’m stroking my cock alone in bed. That mouth that moans my name.

  The woman I can never have. She’s on the island.

  “Cameron,” she says, sounding as surprised as me. More.

  I struggle to control my emotion, but it’s like trying to tame an ocean. Keep a calm head? No goddamn way can I do that now. Follow the dream? Briana is my dream. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

  She shakes her head, as if still reeling from shock. “Curtis brought me.”

  Mr. Knapp looks pleased with himself. “She’s going to be at auction tonight.”

  “What the hell do you mean?” I snarl past the buzzing in my ears.

  “We pride ourselves on the island to fulfill your deepest fantasy, Mr. Kidwell.”

  She stares back at me, my deepest fantasy, my darkest dream. And she’s afraid.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Briana

  Leaving Curtis and Mr. Knapp in our private cabin, I kicked off my sandals and made my way out onto the sandy white beach. As the sea breeze fluffed the skirt of my sundress, my toes sank into the soft sand, yet I didn’t feel the warmth. With the sun streaming down, I wrapped my arms around myself and lifted my face to the sky. No amount of tropical grandeur could make up for what was about to happen. Sun rays, no matter how intense, couldn’t bring heat to my chilled skin.

  My hands trembled as they had since seeing Cameron Kidwell.

  How was he here?

  My mind scrambled with the realization that Curtis’s brother was not only here, but Mr. Knapp had invited him to the auction.

  Closing my eyes, I replayed the conversation Curtis and I’d had before I agreed to this ridiculous escapade.

  “Bri, I have it worked out. It’s a show.” Curtis gently pushed a stray lock of hair away from my face. “You’re beautiful. I’ve been talking to Booker Knapp. He has the answer for our financial woes.”

  “I-I don’t know.”

  His expression turned solemn. “You know what Andros Ivanov will do to me if I can’t make this payment.”

  I shook my head and swallowed my response. I wanted to say it wasn’t our financial woe. I wanted to recommend Curtis speak to one of the Sparrow men from Chicago. I knew getting a direct line to the kingpin, Sterling Sparrow, wasn’t easy, but I had a connection, albeit distant. As a fashion buyer for a charming boutique in Sterling Heights, I had spent the last few years trying to acquire the license to sell an exclusive brand of women’s fashion, Sinful Threads. It so happened that my contact—Louisa Toney—was a good friend of the wife of the kingpin, Araneae Sparrow.

  I wasn’t sure how it all worked, but it seemed better than Curtis’s proposal.

  “Is that what you want,” he asked, “to identify my body?”

  “You know it isn’t.”

  “It’s one night. Like I said, it’s a show. The bids are taken electronically. It’s not like I’m the only man—”

  “What the hell?”

  “Bri, it’s one night, and if Booker can work out the particulars, it won’t really happen.”

  “It? The transaction? Being bid upon and sold?” My voice was getting higher with each statement. “I’m not sleeping—”

  “Of course you’re not. Yes, there’s an auction. You’ll stand before a group of people. The bids will come in and Knapp will keep it going until the price is what we need. Then, he’ll announce the winner. It’s staged. They do it all the time.”

  “I don’t understand how you get the money if I don’t...end up...” I couldn’t make myself say the word—sold.

  “The patrons of Malaking Kuta drop a lot of money to be there. Knapp will spread the word that he has a special auction. I’ll get the cut from what he makes. At the end of the night, you will be back with me in our cabin. We’ll make love to the sound of the waves, and the bidders will be none the wiser.”

  “People go there to...?”

  “Everything from business to debauchery. That doesn’t concern you. No one will know you.”

  “Bri,” Curtis called from the large front porch. “Booker needs to go over a few items with you.”

  I didn’t move.

  A statue in the sand with the warm waves lapping my toes.

  Perhaps if I stayed where I was long enough, the tide would take me out to sea.

  Anything was better than what I’d heard.

  Cameron’s voice was a snarl, a growl. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

  My words barely formed. “Curtis brought me.” I was paralyzed from his stare.

  In seconds Cameron had gone from shocked to enraged, yet it was Mr. Knapp who spoke. “She’s going to be at auction tonight.”

  My stomach twisted as my circulation settled.

  “What the hell do you mean?”

  Swallowing, I lowered my eyes as Mr. Knapp replied, “We pride ourselves on the island to fulfill your deepest fantasy, Mr. Kidwell.”

  “Bri.” Curtis appeared behind me, reaching for my hand.

  I spun toward him, my volume low and words sharp. “How. Could. You?”

  “Baby, you’ve got to believe me, the last person I expected to see here was Cameron. Fucking wannabe. He’s probably down here as Gabriel Miller’s errand boy.”

  “I don’t care why he’s here. He’s here. You said no one would know me.” I tipped my chin toward Mr. Knapp standing on the porch. “He invited Cameron, for some sick game...” I let out a long breath. “I refuse.”

  Curtis’s hand teased the length of my chestnut hair. “Remember, it’s only a show. They can’t really sell people. That’s not legal.”

  “I have the feeling that legality isn’t the rule of this island.”

  I reached for Curtis’s hand. “Listen, I’ll call Louisa. Remember, I told you about her. I’ll get a connection to Mr. Sparrow—”

  With his free hand, Curtis placed his finger on my lips. “Stop it, Briana.” His tone cooled, returning the chill to my skin. “I’m not exchanging one mob’s money for another’s. How fucking hard is it for you to understand this? Hell, I’d stand up there myself if I could make the money, but I can’t. You said you would do this. We signed on the dotted line. There’s no turning back now.”

  Letting go of Curtis’s hand, I lifted my chin high and walked to where the porch and sand met. “Mr. Knapp. How much money are we trying to raise?”

  His thin lips curled. The way he was looking at me made my stomach turn. “Little lady, I am confident that the right price will be reached.”

  I knew it was a stretch, but if Curtis wouldn’t ask for the Sparrows’ help, I would. I stood taller. “I don�
��t understand how any of this works, but I want you to know that no matter what the winning bid is, I will not only match it, I’ll exceed it.”

  “Briana,” Curtis said my name as a reprimand.

  Mr. Knapp’s smile grew. “My, she’s a feisty one.” He looked to Curtis. “Yes, I have no doubt that your goal will be obtained.” Before I could speak, Booker turned to me. “Little lady, I’d suspect if you indeed had that kind of expendable capital, you wouldn’t be where you are at this moment.”

  I refused to look away. “I can get it.”

  He turned to Curtis. “I’ll have a dinner brought to your cabin. Have her fully prepared. There is a cape hanging in the closet.” He turned to me. “Wearing anything else is your option. Just know, once you’re on display, everything will be removed. Our buyers want to get a good look at the merchandise.”

  “I’m serious,” I said. “I have a connection. I can get the money.”

  The slime winked.

  He had the audacity to wink.

  “I may have to get in on this bidding. I enjoy spunk, when it’s harnessed in the right direction.”

  Harnessed.

  “Mr. Kidwell, assure me that you and Ms. Pierce will be up at the mansion at eight p.m.”

  “We won’t back out on this, I promise you.”

  I stood silently as Curtis walked Mr. Knapp through the cabin and to the door. When he returned, my head was shaking. “You bastard. You expect me to sleep with someone.” I lifted my left hand and pulled the diamond ring from my fourth finger. With a quick spin, I turned toward the water and threw the platinum and diamond symbol that no longer mattered.

  “Fucking Christ.” He seized my wrist. “Do you know how much that cost?”

  “Our future if you choose to go on with this. Get me back to Detroit tonight and we might have a chance.”

  “Oh, no. You’re going to do this. You’ll either walk up on that fucking stage with a shred of dignity or I’ll carry you up there. Fuck, I’ll hog-tie you if I have to.”

  “Who the hell are you? Why do you care so much that I do this?”

  “Because I’m not losing my father’s company and I’m not ending up dead courtesy of the Ivanov bratva. I don’t give a damn who you have to sleep with. It’s one fucking night. Get over it.”

  I started to walk past him when he again grabbed my wrist and spun me toward him. “What will it be, Briana? Dignity or hog-tied? Either one will work to inflate your price.”

  The images of what he said went through my head.

  “Dignity,” I said with an eerie calm. “When this is over, if Ivanov doesn’t kill you, I will.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Cameron

  I make a phone call to the private helicopter company. “Mr. Kidwell?”

  “Yes. Please have the chopper brought to the island. I’m leaving early.”

  “Of course, sir.”

  “No, wait.”

  She holds her tongue over the line, probably rolling her eyes at the foibles of the rich. I’m not usually indecisive. Only one person has ever made me that way.

  There were many reasons I left Detroit. A floundering economy and the bitter cold. Our father built a tiny empire of appliance stores. He left it to Curtis and me. Two brothers. A lifetime of rivalry. I could say I left when Curtis tried to force me out, but the truth is I could have fought him. He was already unethical then. I had enough to put him in jail if I wanted to. The real reason why I left Detroit wasn’t the recession or the weather. It wasn’t even my brother. The reason why I left was Briana.

  For whatever reason, she chose Curtis. She wanted him. She put his goddamn pawn shop ring on her finger, and I didn’t want her heartbroken. So I walked away from my small inheritance, one-half of the appliance shops. I walked away from her because it hurt too much to watch her with him.

  “Leave the schedule,” I say over the phone. “I’ll stay the night.”

  It would be better to leave now, not to see her on that pedestal. Not to see men bidding on her sweet body. Not to be tempted to bid myself. She wanted Curtis. She chose him. She chose this.

  Except no woman really would, would they?

  Even if she’s head over heels in love with my brother, does she really understand what she’s giving up for him? There’s a stain that can never be fully removed, being sold in a room full of strangers. Having sex with someone who paid for the use of her.

  I find myself putting on my tux, donning that costume of the businessman, the billionaire. It doesn’t matter if I actually am that person according to my investment portfolio. I’ll always be the scrawny kid from the shitty part of Detroit. This is always a part that I play.

  Across the white sand and the carefully manicured strip of jungle, the mansion glitters.

  Mr. Knapp made it clear that he expected me to purchase her.

  I’d have the right to touch her, to fuck her. To do anything I want, even if what I most want is simply to hold her. Unrequited love is a fuck you from the universe. And then what? Give her back to Curtis? I’m not sure I could. I’m not sure I should if this is how he treats her.

  Maybe she’s better off with me even if I have to buy her.

  A massive staircase leads to the mansion. An upscale Alpine lift brings people from their huts to the top of the mountain because heels aren’t made for stone steps. I prefer to walk. I want the burn in my thighs to distract me from what’s about to happen.

  I might be coming back down the island in possession of a woman.

  Half a mile of steps. I’m almost late. Everyone’s already crowded into the ballroom, the men hungry with lust, the women glittering with avarice. They don’t mind watching a woman get sold as long as it’s not them. The pedestal is still empty.

  Mr. Knapp stands at a podium. His eyes narrow when he sees me. He’s pleased.

  At least someone’s happy.

  Mrs. Changueng and Mr. Shah are here in the room, ready for me to make a deal with them. Gabriel Miller is expecting me to come back with sizable property and shares. I don’t give a fuck about that right now.

  I only have eyes on the marble wall at the back and the little black rectangle in the center. That’s where Briana’s waiting.

  Is she nervous? Scared? Excited?

  “Now that we’re all here,” Mr. Knapp says, his eyes meeting mine, “we can begin the auction. I know you’re excited to see the precious item we have for the highest bidder.”

  An appreciative laugh rumbles through the crowd. I want to throw something.

  “Please, let’s give a warm, appreciative welcome to Ms. Pierce.”

  Briana steps through the doorway, wearing what can only generously be called a dress. It’s more like two strips of silk covering her breasts, wrapping around her waist, and tying over her hips. It covers the space between her legs and falls to the floor. She also has on black high-heeled Louboutins.

  She looks like a goddess. For a second the hoots and the applause and the catcalls fade away. There’s only her in this room. And me. Her eyes meet mine, and my breath catches. God, she’s beautiful. A lily in a goddamn swamp because we’re not alone. No, there are a hundred other people in the room, each eager to suck and lick her, to make her suck and lick them. Some of them want to hurt her, to bruise her soft skin. My hands turn to fists. She steps onto the pedestal, exposing her inner thigh, revealing the shadow of her pussy. The collective crowd draws in a breath.

  Then she’s standing two feet above everyone else, on display in every sense of the word.

  Mr. Knapp looks like a little goblin next to a princess. “You can see she has assets that every fine collector would appreciate. I’m sure the connoisseurs among you recognize first-class merchandise.”

  “Show us the goods,” someone shouts

  I curse under my breath. At this rate there’s going to be a mob. If Mr. Knapp flashes her beautiful tits, they’re going to overpower him. They’re going to rape her right here in the ballroom, all two hundred of them. And then I’l
l have to kill every single one with my bare hands.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Briana

  Shit.

  As I stepped up onto the pedestal, my first goal was to not fall. The heat of the spotlight. The glass of wine in my otherwise empty stomach. The height of the high heels. They all work together, fighting against me.

  What if I fell?

  What would happen?

  Would it save me or would I wake up as someone’s property?

  I refused to search the crowd for Curtis. I told him what I thought of him when I left the cabin. He’d brought me here to Malaking Kuta, promising me the impossible as he begged for my help. And then, once we arrived, the reality became all too clear.

  I’d been deceived.

  Instead of being someone special to Curtis, he’d discovered that I could be more useful if he shared. No longer his fiancée—I threw that damn ring into the surf—I was simply a plaything his friends or even strangers were willing to pay to play with.

  My mind swirled with the possibilities the night would hold.

  Would I survive?

  Not only physically, but mentally and emotionally.

  What would be asked of me?

  Would it be asked or demanded?

  I scoured the crowded room. So many people, male and female. Laughing and nodding. Drinking and eating. This was a spectacle, and I was their focus. A rare statue or perhaps a painting to be assessed and scrutinized.

  “Let us see more,” a man called above the din.

  Some of the others agreed while others simply smiled.

  Depraved was what they were. Not one person present appeared shocked or appalled by what was happening.

  I lifted my chin in an attempt to look above their heads. I didn’t want to remember their faces or their grins. As I did, I found myself bound to an unexpected anchor—to a gaze that steadied me.