Buying The Virgin Part 1-3
Chapter 113: The Girl Who Was Hunted - Chapter Twenty-Nine
CHARLOTTE
“You’re nuts. You really have no idea who you have there? Whose wife she is? She’s worth far more to you for ransom than any third-world hustler’s going to give you.”
Now I have his attention. “What are you talking about? Who is she then?”
“That’s Beth Haswell... Elizabeth Haswell…. Richard Haswell’s wife….”
He looks at me blankly. “You know…. Richard Haswell… Billionaire…. Owns half the fucking city. And that’s his wife you’re pawing at. He’ll pay a fortune to get her back, but he might not be so happy about it if he thinks you’ve been fingering his property.”
He stares down at me, slit-eyed, doubt written large, but I have his attention. “You’re lying.”
“No, I’m not. Look it up. You should find photos of her on the internet easily enough. Go on; search for images, Richard and Elizabeth Haswell.”
He jerks his head at one of the chimps in the background. “Do as she says. Look it up.”
The thug taps in on his phone, staring at the screen, gapes and then thrusts the phone at Klempner. He looks at it, looks at Beth, comparing the two.
“Alright. She’s worth a lot. That doesn’t mean she’s not joining in the fun…”
“Haswell is a billionaire.” I drip contempt from my words. “He likes his goods pristine. If you mess with her, he’ll probably not pay as much, or at all.”
Klempner sucks in his cheeks. “Yeah…. I’d see it like that too…. Okay. Lock her up again.” Then he turns to me. “Now, you….”
Oh, crap….
The group of men closes in on me.
*****
BETH
The door opens, and Charlotte is all but thrown inside, landing hard on the floor. She picks herself up slowly, rubbing her shoulder and hips, where they hit the concrete. Her face is swollen on one side, starting to bruise.
upset, wringing at her
Her rings are gone….
shoes, you
she won’t speak
*****
to shiver in my thin blouse, Charlotte shuffles up close to me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. She rubs my arms, as though trying to warm me, but then starts talking, very
one chance. Between being taken out of the building,
the back
I’m not sure he’s so keen to sell you, now that I’ve told him you can be ransomed. But I don’t know. He seems hell-bent on revenge on me, and I think he’s got you wrapped up with me in
where? There’s nowhere to
on this. We just have to get away. When I say, you run, as fast as you can,
*****
CHARLOTTE
open, and the guard puts a tray on the floor: water, bread and what might be cheese.
old shoes back?” I ask.
guard looks
you’re trying to sell me, it’s not
Klempner in the other room. He pauses, nods,
and finding nothing because there is nothing to find. With a grunt, he tosses them
the pair I had been wearing to Beth. “Here, change
get it and for a moment starts to demur, but I
“Better bring those with you when we go,” I say,
*****
lock and
our chance, Beth. We might not get another. Pretend to be really frightened, and do exactly as they
nods, visibly gulping, fear raw on her face. “Pretend?” she
Klempner’s apes, holding a gun
we are herded out to the main room. The windows
reaching his eyes. “Don’t worry. We’ll have our party later. I’m looking forward to
at the floor, trying to appear submissive. The worm of fear coiled in my gut tries to unravel, but I push it firmly down. This is no time for panic. A wrong move could cost