Breaking the quiet, Viktor finally stands and offers his hand in greeting. "Mr. Ahrens, it's good to finally meet you. I've heard many things."

Jesus Christ. Mr. Ahrens?

Motherf.u.c.ker. Aimes is Dextor Ahrens. The global human trafficker Viktor referred to before.

I clear my throat and adjust in my chair, trying to take this in without verbally wanting to end this meet. Every fiber of my being is used to keep me in place.

Aimes doesn't verbally respond to Viktor's greeting and with his back to me, I can't see his facial expression. He shakes Viktor's hand, the movement of his head barely leaving Anna. Their silent communication continues as the rest of the room seems to have fallen away.

Aimes, what the f.u.c.k are you doing?

"Sit, please. Would you like a drink?"

Speaking for the first time, I hear Aimes utter with his deep voice piercing the room, "No. This isn't a social call. Won't be here long"

"You Americans are always in a rush," Viktor retorts. "That being the case, let's move this along."

Aimes nods.

Viktor turns to Anna. Finally, she breaks her gaze from Aimes to look down at Viktor. He scowls slightly, catching her attention on Aimes and not appreciating it. "Anna, get Cilas. Tell him Dextor is here and he's in a rush."

Anna nods, but doesn't get away soon enough. Viktor's hand darts to her wrist and he pulls her back. She bends down for him to whisper in her ear. Anna's usually delicate features fall to an expression I can't think about without wanting to once again storm this meet.

Once Viktor pulls back from her, she straightens and he smiles at Aimes, who s.h.i.+fts in his seat, crossing his ankle to his knee, but says nothing. Anna walks the distance from the desk to the door without chancing a look at any of us.

"My a.s.sociate, Max, back there," Viktor lifts his hand to point in my direction, "is only here to observe. I trust you had a good welcome."

"I did," Aimes speaks, but it's short and clipped. He's angry. I've known my friend long enough to know he's livid. What he thinks he's so livid about, I don't know. He's only just gotten here and has yet to see the things I have. But judging by the reason why we're here, he's about to get a taste.

"Good. With the boys out of town, there are only a few lingering."

"Boys?" Aimes asks with a surprise.

"Yes, the club members. This isn't my place anymore."

"Leaving soon?" Aimes inquires. This time, his tone isn't questioning-it's sarcastic.

Watch yourself, brother. You're in the lion's G.o.dd.a.m.n den.

"I am," Viktor replies, clicking the mouse on his computer then reaching to shut off its monitor.

The voices coming from the hallway are m.u.f.fled. I hear Anna attempting to soothe whoever is whimpering in pain or fear. I've never heard any of Viktor's girls deliberately cry out in fear or pain, so the one I'm listening to is alarming.

Just as Aimes is about to turn around, I tilt my head toward the door and watch as Anna enters the office first. Her eyes, again, go back to Aimes, but just as quickly she corrects herself as she walks behind Viktor's desk to stand at his side. Her long, dark hair drapes her face once she looks down to focus on her hands clasped in front of her.

Cilas enters first, his hand holding a woman's arm still beyond the door.

Once he pulls her through, I watch first as Aimes stands. His eyes shoot to me in a hurried fas.h.i.+on before directing them back to the whimpering woman Cilas is holding in his grasp.

I've never seen the woman before. She's young; I imagine younger than Emma. She's tall and thin with reddish-blonde hair, but nothing about this strikes me as odd. What does is the fact that she looks worse for wear than any woman I've seen here, including Callie, the pledged club wh.o.r.e.

Her face is swollen and red. Her s.h.i.+rt is riddled with a few scattered stains of blood. She has bandages on her elbow and arm. Her hair is matted and dirty. I take a breath after realizing I'd been holding it too long then swallow the bile in my throat.

Looking to Aimes' hand, I watch as his finger twitches in place. I doubt he's armed, but I also have no doubt if he was, he'd have drawn his weapon and holy chaos would erupt. He starts to take a step toward the broken woman and I clear my throat, luckily capturing his attention. His back foot drops, leaving him to stand in place.

Cilas' face remains guarded, his jaw ticking in an even beat as he moves the woman to the center of the room. Her legs are shaking, but she's using all her effort to remain still.

"Cilas, let her go. She's not going anywhere and you're holding her hard enough to bruise her," Viktor demands as though he's bored.

Nodding once, Cilas sets her free, and I watch next as Aimes can no longer control himself. He walks toward her with care. His paramount concern laced with disgust is obvious.

Aimes reaches out to touch her face and a loud yelp of fear escapes the woman before she cowers in place. Without reacting to her fear, Aimes stops, lifts her head with his hand, and grips her small face. I watch as he squeezes her jaw to keep her still. He's moving her head in the opposite direction of where I sit.

"Do not touch her," Viktor calls out.

Aimes ignores his demand and continues to position her face to his. His head draws in closer to hers and I watch, as if in slow motion, as every bit of his features go soft. The reaction is immediate. The woman calms, if only slightly.

Anna makes a move toward them. I a.s.sume it's to stop Aimes from touching the woman, but Viktor grabs her wrist as he had done before to stop her. "Let this happen."

Anna stops in place and nods. Then her eyes seek mine and she nods again.

We all watch as Aimes talks to the woman as if he's really in position to buy her. "Settle, sweetheart. I won't hurt you, unless you don't keep quiet, and then I'll show you how to do that whether you want to or not."

I know Aimes. He wouldn't harm her and this is only for show, but it's painful to watch as she s.h.i.+fts back and forth on her feet, her face being held in place. Her beat-up tennis shoes are unlaced and if she's not careful, she'll fall.

Looking at her but speaking to Viktor, Aimes' voice is clear. "She's older than we discussed. And she's not clean, as I had requested."

"As I told your a.s.sociate on the phone before you got here, this one hasn't been here long."

Hearing the others speak of her as if she's not here, she pulls her head from Aimes' hand. I can't see her face to know if she's still scared or is now p.i.s.sed, but I'm hoping for a bit of both. It'll keep her spirits up, as well as mine, to know she's not already broken.

"Take her away," Aimes voices and I sit up, readying to jump in.

"You're sure?" Viktor asks.

"I want her," Aimes confirms, and I sit back slowly as to not be noticed. "I want her cleaned, fed, and cared for. Until I'm able to get you what you want for her..."

"One hundred thousand," Viktor says as though challenging Aimes to debate the price.

"That's more than we discussed."

"That's what she's worth. Look at her hair." Viktor raises his hand in the woman's direction, noting her long, blondish-red strands. "She's rare."

"I don't want to f.u.c.kin' breed her," Aimes snaps back, losing his temper momentarily.

"Watch your tone, Mr. Ahrens. It's unwelcome."

"One hundred grand is too much," Aimes reiterates in a less-angered voice. "There are thousands of these girls. They're a dime a dozen, and you know this."

"Again," Viktor tells him. "Don't insult me."

"And again," Aimes smarts back. "I'm not paying one hundred large for what I didn't ask for."

Viktor raises his gaze to Anna and she bends to listen. Once she stands, I hold my breath as she walks toward the woman, places her hands on her cheeks to wipe the tears, and turns her toward the door.

"Sit," Viktor tells Aimes. "Let's discuss."

The room fills with sudden silence. Aimes doesn't chance a look back at me, but points over his shoulder. "He needs to go."

"He stays," Viktor refuses.

"I'm not comfortable with your choice of company when I haven't vetted them myself."

Viktor smiles. "Yet you walked into this G.o.dforsaken hole just to do what we're doing. Talking. Your a.s.sociate said you trusted me."

Looking around the room in an almost casual way, Aimes finally turns his body in my direction as I continue to sit quietly in place toward the back of the office. Viktor can't see my friend's face, but I can. I keep my expression hard, not giving away our acquaintance. Aimes smiles quickly then winks.

The c.o.c.ky son of a b.i.t.c.h is playing with fire.

"Well?" Viktor calls his attention.

"I need forty-eight hours."

"Ridiculous," Viktor returns. "You've got twenty-four. Anything more and I a.s.sume you're working with something or someone I don't trust or like."

Aimes sighs, and I hear the frustration in it as he does. "Forty-eight," he says again. "I need time to get her a pa.s.sport and doc.u.ments."

"Ah," Viktor answers, lifting his head and smiling. "I see."

"Give me that and we've got a deal."

What about Casey, Aimes? Don't f.u.c.king stop.

"And I want to see the girl you mentioned before," Aimes adds, to my further relief.

"The young one," Viktor replies.

Aimes doesn't answer verbally, but nods.

"She's resting and I'm not waking her on the off-chance you may or may not wish to take her, too." Viktor's protective tone sears my blood. Without him having to say it, I hear the doubt he has in handing Casey over to Aimes. Or anyone else, for that matter.

"We'll need to finish this tomorrow then," Aimes confirms. "But I want to see her." He stands and closes his jacket in the front before extending his arm.

Viktor takes his hands and I watch them shake. "I'll be in touch."

Just like that, Viktor's sold a young woman to a man he doesn't even know.

Helping these women, my f.u.c.king a.s.s. This is a business, a way to make a f.u.c.k-load of money, and there's no one who could convince me otherwise.

Aimes pushes in his chair and walks to the door. Before he's through it, he stops and turns to me. This time, he's not smiling or winking. His jaw ticks, so I look away and aim my focus to Viktor, who's staring at Aimes with question.

Turning his entire body around, Aimes looks directly at Viktor with this threat. "Don't f.u.c.k with me, Mr. Koslov. Do not underestimate me, either." He waits for Viktor to say something in response, and when he doesn't, he finishes, "I'll show myself out."

After Aimes offers his parting shot, he walks through the door without bothering to close it behind him. Viktor looks amused as I stand to shut the door.

"Think he'll find his way out of here by himself?" I ask with feigned concern.

I know why Aimes chose to split so fast. He's not leaving. He saw and was told how vacant this place is. He's scouring for information, checking the layout carefully before departing.

"Dextor Ahrens is a smart man," Viktor counsels in answer. "I thought he was dead for many years. He's well-known among men such as myself. Nearly famous."

"You know Dextor Ahrens personally?" I ask with confusion.

"Until today, I've never met him. He's known as a bit of a recluse now. The rumors were so that he'd committed suicide after losing his daughter. Someone he once stole a great deal from had her shot and killed in revenge. I'll admit I hadn't expected him to be so young. I looked into him, though."

No, you didn't.

"His people are very loyal and he comes highly recommended. We share a lot of the same interests."

Before I can pull it back, I answer his ridiculous statement. "Selling women isn't an interest."

"It is if you're doing it for a living. It's an interest one had better be well vested in."

"I'm not here to learn from you. I'm here to find out what you know about my sister." And to get to Casey.

Sitting back in his chair, he pins me with a look of certainty. "And you're so willing to sell your soul to get it."

"If it means killing the one who hurt her, then yes."

"Tangled webs, Max. Ignorance transformed to truth is a carefully mastered and delicately woven string that people grasp hold of tightly. When the truth isn't what we wish to hear, it changes us. You'll never be able to forget it once you have what you've spent so long in search of."

"I'm doing as you've asked," I answer, ignoring his even more ridiculous claim. "When you tell me who's to blame, you and I are done. I'll handle the rest."

"As I'm sure you will," he replies, sitting up and turning the monitor to his computer back on. "I've got work to do. See if you can find Anna on your way out. Tell her I need her in here."

I don't answer as I make my way to the door and outside his office. There's nothing more to say. Witnessing a transaction, so polished and practiced, is enough to tell me the man sitting behind the desk has no soul to ever try and find.

Chapter Twenty-Three.

It isn't until I'm almost home when I look at the clock on the dash of my truck and note it's nearly one in the morning. The time inside Viktor's office went quickly. My heart and mind are still reeling from watching as that young woman was dragged into that office and put on display for Aimes to review before he accepted Viktor's terms of agreement.

Part of me is thankful that for now, she's safe, and it was Aimes who was the one to make the offer for purchase. The other part worries about what's been done to her since she's arrived there. And where the f.u.c.k did she come from? Viktor was tight-lipped when explaining, so I don't know how she came to be at Creed and at this point, I don't care. It doesn't matter how I feel about what's happened; it only matters that we move quickly to ensure no further damage has been done.