Novels by Osaghae Omo

CHAPTER ELEVEN Before I can process that, before I can respond, he bends and scoops me up into his arms.Bridal style. Like I weigh nothing.One arm under my knees, the other supporting my back. My head falls against his chest automatically.I can hear his heartbeat. Fast. Pounding with barely contained rage.He turns and walks off the stage.The crowd parts for him like the Red Sea. No one wants to be in his path. No one wants to risk drawing his attention after what they just witnessed.His men fall into formation behind us as we walk toward the exit.I look back over his shoulder.The auction hall is still silent. Salvador's corpse is slumped in its seat, blood pooling beneath it, his destroyed heart on the floor. The other bidders sit frozen, champagne glasses forgotten, faces pale.The chained girls on stage watch us leave with a mixture of envy and terror.We pass through the double doors and into the hallway. The sounds of the auction hall fade behind us.Dante doesn't slow do

CHAPTER TENMy eyes flood with relief and anticipation I don't want to feel.He came. He actually came.Dante walks into the auction hall like he owns it. His hand is casually in his pocket, but there's nothing casual about the fury radiating off him in waves.Behind him, five men in identical black suits move in perfect formation, their faces blank, their hands suspiciously close to concealed weapons.The silence in the room is deafening."Did he just call that lady his woman?" someone whispers loud enough for me to hear. The shock in their voice is palpable.Dante doesn't acknowledge the whisper. Doesn't acknowledge anyone except me.He walks toward the front stage, his expression absolutely cold. Empty. The kind of cold that comes before violence.His eyes lock onto mine, and for a split second, I see something flicker in those dark depths. Then it's gone, replaced by ice."What are you doing there?" His voice carries across the silent hall. "Come here."He says it like I'm not cha

CHAPTER NINE A man in a pristine white suit steps onto the stage. The auctioneer. He has a microphone and a practiced smile that makes my skin crawl."Ladies and gentlemen," he says, his voice booming through speakers. "Welcome to this evening's exclusive auction. We have exceptional products for you tonight."Products.I flinch at the word. We're not people to them. We're merchandise.The crowd settles down, giving him their attention. Some pull out numbered paddles. Others simply watch with interest, sipping their drinks.I look around again, still desperately hoping to spot Dante.Nothing.But what would he do if he were here anyway? a bitter voice in my head asks. He made it clear what I am to him. Nothing but collateral.Still... some stupid, naive part of me believes he would save me. That despite his cruel words and his games, he wouldn't let me be sold off to a stranger.Or maybe I just hope that because he's the only person I know in this entire country. The only familiar fa

CHAPTER EIGHTI step out of the bathroom on shaking legs, trying to pull myself together.My makeup is fixed. My dress is smoothed down. On the outside, I look presentable again.On the inside, I'm still trembling from what just happened. From his hands on my body. His words in my ear. The way he left me aching and unsatisfied.Collateral. Nothing but collateral.I push the thoughts away and walk back down the hallway toward the dining room.But when I reach it, the room is empty.The table is still set. Half-eaten meals sit on elegant china. Wine glasses stand abandoned, some still half-full.But there's no one here."Hello?" My voice echoes in the empty space.Nothing.Anxiety starts creeping up my spine. Where did everyone go? They were just here ten minutes ago. Fifteen at most.Did Dante leave without me? Is this another one of his games? Another way to punish me for daring to show weakness?I walk back out into the hallway, looking both ways.The corridor stretches in both direc

CHAPTER SEVEN"I'll make you desperate," he continues, his voice dark velvet wrapped around steel. "Make you plead. Make you offer me anything, everything, just for the relief of my touch. And maybe then, if you beg prettily enough, I'll consider it."Tears leak from the corners of my eyes. Not from pain. From the overwhelming intensity of sensation and emotion warring inside me.Pleasure. Humiliation. Anger. Desire. Hate.All of it tangled together until I can't separate one from the other.Then his words turn even colder."To me, you're nothing but collateral," he says flatly, and the cruelty in his voice is like a bucket of ice water. "Don't forget what you are. Don't forget why you're here."The vibrations suddenly stop.The absence is almost as shocking as the presence was. My body sags against him, trembling and unsatisfied, hovering on an edge I can't quite reach.He releases me and steps back. The loss of his heat, his presence, leaves me feeling empty in a way I don't want to

CHAPTER SIXDante walks toward me slowly, deliberately, until he's only inches away.I can feel the heat radiating off his body. Can smell that intoxicating mix of expensive cologne and something wild that makes my wolf stir restlessly.I refuse to back away. Refuse to give him the satisfaction of seeing me retreat."You're not as fierce as you appear to be," he says quietly, his dark eyes scanning my face.The tears I was fighting threaten to spill again, but I blink them back hard."I'm stronger than I look," I blurt out, lifting my chin defiantly.It's a weak comeback and we both know it. But it's all I have right now.He smirks, and the expression is cold. Cruel."Let's see how you hold up then," he says softly.His hand slides into his pocket.My eyes widen. "Don't. Dante, don't...""Why shouldn't I?" His fingers close around the remote. "You said you were stronger than you look. Why don't we test your hypothesis?""Sto..."He presses the button.The vibration hits me without war