My fist connects with Quinn’s chin, and he stumbles backward but doesn’t fall over. Then he laughs spitting the blood onto the floor.

“You spoke to her.”

He guesses straight away without me uttering a word. I run at him again and he blocks his face, but this time I swing down and aim straight for his midsection, slamming my fist into him. He falls to the floor coughing.

“Fuckhead,” I curse him, kicking him in the ribs.

He laughs. “You’re falling for her. What a fucking collision that will be.”

I step back when my father enters the room. He looks to Quinn on the floor then to me.

“What the fuck are you two doing?”

Quinn coughs and manages to stand up, covering his nose which is bleeding.

“Nothing, boss.”

My father looks to me.

I don’t answer him.

Shaking his head, he walks out of the room, leaving us both standing there. I’m thinking of putting Quinn back on his ass.

“You have to think with your head, not your fucking cock. Do you think she’d be happy being a wife who doesn’t know what you do? One that doesn’t ask questions? I know she seems quiet, but have you looked into her eyes? Curiosity sits there in bucket loads. More so than your brunette.”

He’s right. Barbie’s eyes are full of wonder. It’s partly what made me speak to her, just so I could look closer, see inside her and what makes her tick.

“And you think you can decide that for me?”

Quinn shakes his head, spitting blood onto my father’s clean marble floor.

“I’m looking after your best interest, as I will always do, Ryken.”

I laugh at him. “You want this role. Don’t act like you’re happy he’s giving it to me.”

Quinn nods his head in agreement. “But you’d give me more power if you were boss. I’ve been in it longer.”

He’s right. I already thought about the fact that if Dad makes me take over that side of his business, I’ll put Quinn in charge of it all, so I don’t have to when the time comes around.

“Stay the fuck away from her, I’ll handle my own personal fucking life. Not you and especially not him,” I say, pointing to the door where my father left. Slamming the door after me, I walk the fuck out of there.

***

IT’S GAME NIGHT. I come to game nights to support Cane. He plays with Stiles who’s currently looking in the stands for someone. I follow his line of sight, and that’s when I spot her, sitting in a bright yellow shirt with her hair bunched up on the top of her head with her friend sitting right next to her. Robert. Saskia offers Stiles a small wave then looks around, stopping when she spots me staring at her. I’m not too far from her, she’s sitting in the stands, and I’m across from her with a few people between us. Standing, I walk over to her, and her eyes go wide when she sees me approaching. Her friend leans over to whisper in her ear. She doesn’t say a word, just watches me until I’m standing right in front of her.

“This seat free?”

“Yes,” Robert answers for her.

Saskia just looks at me until her eyebrows pinch together and she starts getting angry. She turns away from Robert and looks at me when I sit down. Her hands start to move up and down, running along her bare legs. Robert puts his hand on top of hers to stop her moving and shaking her leg up and down. She turns to look at him then back to me.

“This is hardly staying away.”

I smirk, even her words have fire. “I’m here to watch Cane like I do every game. Why are you here, Barbie?”

Her leg starts agitating up and down again. Her hands continue to move up and down, rubbing her bare legs. “I was invited.” She side-eyes me then focuses back on the game.

“By who?”

Saskia nervously laughs. “Stiles invited me.” Now her attention comes to me in full.

“I was just telling Saskia here about the girl last year who auctioned off her virginity,” Robert says, changing the subject, knocking his knee against hers. He looks past her to me. “You hear about it?”

I nod my head. “Yeah. She got over one hundred thousand dollars, didn’t she?”

Robert’s eyes go wide. “Fuck,” he replies.

“Is that true? People pay for that?” Barbie asks me with a curious look in those beautiful mocha eyes.

“They do. It’s something you’ll never get back. Some men want that privilege. That tightness.”

She scrunches her nose up. “That sounds awful.”

I shrug my shoulders. “If you need the money and don’t value your virginity... what’s there to lose apart from something you didn’t want anyway?”

She drops her head to look at me as if she’s examining me.

“You still a virgin, Barbie?”

“What does it matter to you?”

Robert chuckles next to her.

“Inquiring minds want to know.”

“You don’t need to know.” Saskia turns back to the front, and she smiles, offering a small wave. Turning to the front, Stiles’ hand comes down from waving, and his eyes fall on me, then back to her, then back to me. He’s trying to work it out, but he’s tapped on the shoulder and spins around, letting me steal her attention once again.

“You and Stiles a thing?”

Saskia shrugs. “You and Livia a thing?” She stands up so I can see her ass then cups her hands together and yells, “Livia!” I follow the direction of her wave to see Livia now making her way up here toward us. “Now, you show me.” She sits back down, and smiles at Livia when she sits down next to me.

Fuck.

“You didn’t tell me you were going to be here?” Livia questions, placing her hand on my thigh. I pick it up, remove it, and place it back on her own as I answer her, “I don’t have to tell you my every move.”

“Sass, I can’t believe you’re here. You must really like Stiles?” She’s excited for Saskia and is leaning over me to speak to her. Her breasts are on display as she talks directly to her.

“I dragged her.” Robert smiles at me. He knows. Barbie must tell him everything.

“Still, I’ve tried to drag her here before but she’s never come,” Livia comments, taking pride in the way Stiles can get her to places.

“Stiles invited me,” is all Barbie replies as she turns to watch the game.

“That’s so cute. Look he’s coming this way,” Livia replies.

Turning, I watch as he runs up the stairs to where we are. She stands, tucking her hands into the back pocket of her jean shorts as she faces him.

“Wait for me to shower?” he asks. Saskia nods her head, a smile etched on her lips. He leans in and kisses her cheek. She drops her head, and a small smile appears on her face as she sits back down. When he walks off, he eyes me once before he runs off to shower.

“Sass, he’s crazy for you. Everyone’s looking.”

She doesn’t look, but I do. And she’s right. Absolutely everyone’s looking her way, trying to figure out who she is. It makes me mad. My fists clench and Livia places her hand on my shoulder.

“Livia, did you hear about the girl who sold her virginity?” Robert asks Livia the same thing he previously spoke with me about.

“Of course, it was news. I’m pretty sure it was on TV and everything.”

“I’m thinking of doing it,” Barbie says.

We all look at her after her random outburst.

She shrugs her shoulders. “What? I have nothing to lose. It's only sex.”

“No,” I state categorically, and everyone looks at me.

Livia moves her hand from my shoulder.

Robert’s mouth hangs open.

But it’s Barbie who isn’t fazed by my words.

“It isn’t for you to decide what I can and can’t do.” She reaches for her bag from the floor, stands and looks at Robert to join her.

I stand blocking her so she can’t pass me. “Don’t be stupid.”

She shakes her head at me.

“Are you two friends now?” Livia asks behind me.

I ignore her, but Barbie’s eyes skirt past me to Livia then back to me.

“I’m not stupid! It’s my body, and I can choose who I give it to.” She pushes past me, looking down as she holds onto Robert’s hand and I hear him whisper to her, “You aren’t serious... are you?”

I don’t hear her answer because when I turn around, I see Livia’s standing there watching me.

“You like her! How the hell didn’t I see that before?”

Shaking my head, I push past Livia and follow Barbie. I find her whispering to Robert just outside of the showers. Robert sees me approaching and takes a step back as I walk up to her.

I touch her arm and turn her, but she pulls it free, tucking it behind her back. “Don’t do it.”

“You have no right to tell me what to do.” She steps back. “I need the money. Some of us aren’t privileged and don’t come from money.”

“I’ll give you money.”

Saskia laughs at me. “You really are an entitled asshole.”

“Company,” Robert whispers.

I don’t turn, but she does.

Stiles walks up to us, stopping to look at me before he slides his hand around Saskia’s waist. She smiles, stepping away, so his hand has no choice but to remove itself.

“Goodbye, Ryken. Livia’s right behind you and wanting her date.” She turns to Stiles. “I’m off on mine.” Robert falls into step next to her as they all walk away.

“Why do you care, Ryken?”

Turning around, Livia is standing behind me. Did she hear it all?

“It’s a stupid thing to do. The last girl who did it got murdered.” Another lie that falls from my lips but Livia believes me anyway.

“And that’s the only reason? Because I can’t compete with her Ryken, not with Sass.”

Stepping forward, my hand touches her chin. She’s worried, it makes me want to comfort her. The same way she did for me when I needed someone. Anyone.

“Nothing to worry about.” At least I don’t think there is. Maybe. That’s a complete fucking lie. Saskia’s stuck under my skin, and I can’t escape her.

“Can I come to your place? Maybe we can hang out?” Her hurt is gone, and it’s replaced now with seduction. She drags her hand up my stomach until she reaches my shoulder. “Or not. We could do other things.”

My cell starts ringing just before I think about answering her. Quinn’s calling. What the fuck does he want? Pressing ignore, it starts again, instantly. Stepping back from Livia, I pull the cell up and press it to my ear.

“What the fuck, Quinn? You want another beating?”

“Your pretty little thing is on the internet. She was damn quick setting up that profile. She’s selling herself. Remember when he visited you, and your friend went missing?”

“Yeah.”

“Your father bought her to be sold to the highest bidder. Get her off the internet before he buys her.”

“How the fuck did you find out?”

“It’s my job to know all these things, Ryken, it’s why I’m second in command.”

“Can’t you block the site from him?” I ask, walking away, completely forgetting about Livia.

“For maybe a day before he realizes. He’s not stupid!”

“Fuck.” Hanging up, I wonder how the fuck she got that shit up there so fast.

“Is Robert good with computers?”

Livia nods her head. “He’s the best. Computer companies are screaming for him.”

Pulling out my cell, I send a message to Cane telling him I’m leaving.

I need to buy myself a virgin.