Chapter 101

MADDISON

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but we’re down to the last group. The kids who are small in size and young in years. The thought makes me sick to my stomach, and I whisper a prayer that these girls won’t have to face the horrors of Sanctum and its users in the coming weeks.

I know Callum and Violet are eager to get the girls on Sanctum’s property, but damn, if they fail, these kids will face the same nightmares I did as a child, only a hundred times worse. The men there won’t care that these girls are non-consenting children who probably know next to nothing about sex and the emotions that come with it, especially after being violated.

I see myself in these girls, but the difference is they might escape those horrors, while I have to live with mine for the rest of my life.

“What was that, Filly?” my Papa asks, looming over me with a look of contempt.

“You know exactly what I was praying about,” I retort, venom in my voice.

His smirk is a stark contrast to the frown on Mr. Fennick’s face. But then again, I’ve been nothing but a good girl since joining Sanctum, and I’m not that person with Papa. I’ll never be the person I’ve become for Sanctum for anyone other than Sanctum.

But still, I should have kept my mouth shut; angering Mr. Fennick never ends well, and he won’t overlook my transgressions. In a grand gesture, he yanks me up from the floor, backhanding me hard enough to split my lip before pulling me against him.

The taste of blood in my mouth infuriates me, but I lower my gaze to the floor and apologize as if I were the one at fault. I’m not, of course. It’s not me who’s ordered thirteen- to fourteen-year-old girls to cater to the most depraved men on Sanctum’s client list.

I pause to consider what will be expected of them and, in turn, what will be expected of me to guide them through being the perfect little puppets for Sanctum. It disgusts me that I’m the one who’s found myself in charge of such a task as to train these girls to obey or face punishment.

Jonathon calls me the events manager, but am I really that, or am I just another pimp forcing these girls into the very thing I despise? Am I just as bad as them when I really think about it?

I must have lost myself in thought because I’m snapped back to reality with a small, almost insignificant slap to my face. I look up at Mr. Fennick again, and he communicates with me silently.

So many unspoken words pass between us. ~Behave.~ ~You know what’s expected of you.~ ~You’re mine now, not his.~ ~You do as I say.~ ~Remember your punishments, that you’ll know I’ll enjoy.~

There are many more, but those are the ones that echo in my mind at that moment. With a slight nod, I acknowledge his warning.

“Folder,” he barks at me, hand outstretched for the folder I’ve been holding since we arrived.

I carefully hand over the folder, concealing the hand with the small device in it before stepping back. Luckily, he and Papa turn around. I seize the opportunity to hide the device safely in my bra again, then I step back as they continue to negotiate and finalize the sale.

This is a routine part of their transaction, but I’m not usually present for it. Once the deal is done and the money changes hands, we don’t linger. Mr. Fennick happily buys all the girls, and my Papa already has buses ready to transport them to Sanctum.

Things are about to get even more twisted, but then again, there are some vacant rooms where the girls have been bought for long-term contracts. I hate to admit I stood beside the pair of them the whole time the henchmen herded the girls from the floor to the white buses.

Each girl is quiet and subdued, and I wonder what they’re being given to keep them calm. I don’t ask because I know I’ll find out soon enough when I’m ordered to drug them back at Sanctum. Mr. Fennick and I lead the precious cargo in his car as they follow behind us. I watch the buses in the side mirror with disgust.

I hate that we are leading the girls back to Sanctum. The thought of prepping them for their new owners or for the others at Sanctum for the next week makes my stomach churn.

Suddenly, the device hidden in my bra feels heavy, a reminder of the promise of a savior. Yet, it also stirs up a whirlpool of anxiety within me. Today has arrived so swiftly; it feels almost surreal.

I was aware of the initial plan—gather information, take pictures, collect the evidence needed to rescue these girls. But now that we have them, the sheer number of them makes my stomach twist in knots.

How many of them will be forced to sleep on top of each other tonight? And for how long?

Will they endure pain? Will they—

“Your lapse of judgment back there was disappointing, Hope,” he interrupts my thoughts.

“I’m sorry—” I start, but he cuts me off, his hand on my thigh, pressing down hard enough to cause discomfort.

“Remember your place and who you belong to. You do as you’re told, and you evaluate the girls with detachment. Their age doesn’t matter, only the money they bring in. Do you understand?” he demands.

I nod, too afraid to speak, worried that my voice might betray my fear.

“You need to learn to detach yourself from each girl. They are merely pawns in our game, Hope…” His voice trails off as he turns to face me.

He looks at me, his gaze lingering, and for a moment, it feels like he’s peering into my soul.

A wave of terror washes over me. I fear he might have caught me using Callum’s device. But instead of exposing my worst fear, he voices feelings I never thought he had.

“I appreciate you, Hope. I like the way you handle yourself and accept your situation. I’m proud to have you as the face of my girls. But remember this—if I ever hear you talk to a client like you did to Frank, I won’t be responsible for my actions. He’s a client, one we’ll be dealing with often… Forget he’s your father. That relationship ended a long time ago, didn’t it?”

“I… Yes, Mr. Fennick. I understand.”

“Good. You should,” he mutters, turning away.

My heart is pounding, the sound of my blood rushing in my ears. I turn to face the front again, catching a glimpse of the buses in the wing mirror.

~Please, Callum. Don’t let me let them suffer.~