Auctioned Mates Revenge
Chapter 35

Glenda's

POV

In the morning after the party, we returned to Club Heaven. Matt had procured a large, table-sized map of North America and started marking places and paths.

I was charmed that he'd marked my path from Midnight to Warhammer in the same shade of blue-violet my hair was now.

He had a running list of trafficked people including the five girls who had been brought by Victoria. Grace's line had Frost Pelt on it and mine was blank. I wanted to tell him to put Fluorite next to my name, the way he'd placed it next to Emily's, but I held my tongue. I'd told Emily to keep quiet about me and Alyssa for a reason. I couldn't undo that now.

Alyssa scoffed, He's going to replace out eventually. Why not tell him now?

I rolled my eyes, Because I don't trust him.

Yet, she countered and went quiet.

I sighed. She wasn't wrong. It was hard to keep myself from hoping and starting to trust Matt with everything he was doing and every word he said.

"I think we should talk to the other girls," I said as Matt was taking notes. "Maybe... if we know where they came from, we'd get a better picture." He smiled. The approving light in his eyes made my heart flutter. I scowled at the feeling.

"That's a good idea. I'll go through the documents in this office before going down to archives." He offered me and Grace pads of paper, "Good luck."

It felt a little silly for him to say that, but as we left, I understood. I wasn't just one of the other prostitutes now. For all they knew, this was all a ploy.

I followed Grace down to the dorms. My nose wrinkled at the damp smell of the basement. She knocked on the first door.

It opened slowly and the blonde woman inside looked up at her warily.

"It's safe," Grace said. "He's not Felix."

The woman looked at me nervously but nodded letting us come in. Grace sat in the chair in front of the vanity. I took a corner of the bed as the woman lit a cigarette. "So, what's this about and how much are you paying?"

"An ID is on the table," Grace said. The woman stopped and looked down at her.

"From where?"

"Warhammer."

She took a deep drag, "What do you want to know?"

"Tell me how you got here."

We went door to door. It wasn't shocking that all Grace had to do was mention an ID from Warhammer for people to be cooperative. I was running out of paper, people were giving us so much information about Midnight, the clients they'd had, how they'd ended up at Midnight. A few of them broke into tears, speaking about their families and how their packs were destroyed.

It was heartbreaking and infuriating to know that Fluorite wasn't the first victim of underhanded takeovers. As we exited what I thought was the last room, I wondered if Fluorite was even the last.

Grace turned away from the stairs we'd taken to get to the basement to another set of stairs that led up to another level.

"Where are we going?"

She stopped and looked at me, "We're going to see Ashley."

I knew that name. I had never seen Ashley while I was there, at least I didn't think I had. I'd figured she was reserved for specific clientele. My stomach churned wondering what sort of hell I was about to see as Grace reached the top of the steps and knocked on the door.

We had climbed at least to the second floor meaning this room was either hidden or attached to one of the upper parlors.

"It's open," a soft voice came from within.

Grace opened the door and a cloud of smoke rushed out to us. I sniffed, recognizing the scent as a calming blend that Fluorite sold exclusively to the medical field.

There was light in this room and it was a bit bigger than the others with a bathroom and a window large enough to sit in.

Sitting against the barred window that looked out to another section of Club Heaven was a young, lithe figure, barefoot and slumped against the window blowing smoke rings with a rolled cigarette in hand. "Hey," Ashley said, turning towards us.

I gasped as the blanket slipped, revealing a flat, smooth chest.

Ashley was a man? His face was soft and young. He could have easily passed for a woman, but I couldn't believe it.

His eyes narrowed, "Cherry, right? I thought you left... last year or something."

"It's Renda now," I said, "And... I did. You're Ashley?"

He smirked and stood, dropping the blanket, revealing the hot pink boy shorts he wore. The bulge in his shorts confirmed my thoughts.

"That's what they call me, but call me Owen if you're here on new Club Heaven business."

I closed the door behind me as Grace crossed the room and took a seat in a chair.

I took the other seat as he leaned back against the window sill and lifted the rolled cigarette to his mouth.

"What can I do for you?" He asked, looking at Grace. "It's not usual that you come to see me."

"We're here to get information," Grace said. "There's an ID from Warhammer on the table."

His lips twitched, "Warhammer, huh? And? Going to transfer me to Larry's then? Or Sinner's Haven, maybe?"

He chuckled, "I make a mean cocktail, I guess."

"What do you want?" I asked, looking at the man.

Ashley looked at me, "To never have to f**k to live again."

"I can vouch for the fact that you won't," I said, "The new owner of Club Heaven is... investigating all of this."

"To do what? Report it to the Inter-Pack Authorities?" His tone was wry and he looked at Grace, "After three years in the business, she's awfully naïve." Grace chuckled, "Well, they say it takes a little longer for some."

I glowered at the two of them, "How long have you been here?"

"Ten years."

My heart lurched, "Oh, moon..."

The things he's had to endure. I could only imagine that it was worse as a man. At least some of the customers liked to pretend they were chivalrous.

His lips twitched, "Poor thing. Don't imagine you'd be able to replace me a real job, huh?"

I looked at Grace who sighed, "Ashley, would you like to talk to the man?"

He tilted his head, "Is that on the table?"

"If you put on clothes." Grace said, "I'm pretty sure you've got more valuable information than most."

He nodded and shrugged, "Take me to the leader, then."

He grabbed a t-shirt and slipped it over his head before walking to the mirror and pulling it aside. I gasped recognizing the parlor.

I'd been right that Ashley was reserved for certain clients. It was the annual masquerade ballroom. I felt sick just thinking about it as he walked ahead of us. We walked down to the office and knocked. Matt ushered us in and his eyes widened as Ashley fell into the chair across the table.

"I'm told you're the new leader and you want information," Ashley said.

Matt looked at him, "Yes... and you are?"

"I'm on the books as Ashley."

His eyes widened, "I'm learning more by the second. Yes."

"You're Matt Wallber, so at least I'm sure you can come through with the ID. What about a job?"

Matt smirked, "Well, depends. You want to be the face of something or a clerk?"

He chuckled, "Don't flirt with me. You might be tempted."

Matt laughed and I wasn't sure what to make of the exchange.

"I can replace you a job... I might even be able to help you get even if you want."

He went rigid for a moment before taking a deep drag and putting his cigarette out on the edge of the table.

"Fine. I'll start from the beginning."

His real name was Owen Banks. He was from the Dark Rock pack. The tornado that was said to have destroyed the pack was a cover-up of a mass murder carried out by Phantom Paw. He was spared because they thought he was a girl when he was taken. "The idiots didn't think to make sure I was out before talking about their plans for when they got home." He scoffed. "They sold me to Shadowrunner and they sold me to Midnight."

Did that mean Grave Mouth was separate from Shadowrunner, or were they all connected? I watched Matt take notes with a sickening feeling that it was all connected.

His hand twitched, "I spent some time with M-Mordecai before I was rebranded and dropped off at Club Heaven."

Matt's eyes narrowed, "Mordecai."

He nodded, "I was lucky to be sent out in handcuffs and not a body bag."

Matt eyed him, "You're unscarred."

"I kept my head down," he said. "I was six when they took me."

Matt paled and my stomach lurched.

"Don't look at me like that, hot stuff," Owen waved his hand. "If you're going after the grime of the continent, you're going to need a tougher stomach."