Parking the borrowed motorcycle at the end, if he could use it as a getaway vehicle, then that would be helpful, because he’d be able to get out into the jungle easier than a car would if he was being followed. If he had to leave on foot, then he’d do that too. In the end, he was getting his girl out of here, however he had to do it.
Nobody stopped him or even glanced in his direction as he strolled up the steps, across the veranda, and into the house. The front doors stood wide open, and he was grateful for Koa Rolland’s ego that had lulled him into a false sense of security. He literally couldn’t comprehend the idea that someone who shouldn’t be here would walk through his front doors, so he’d left them open.
As badly as Mateo wanted to, he couldn’t just go storming through the place in search of Ally, he was going to have to takehis time. Talk to a few people along the way, pretend he belonged here, then get eyes on Ally. Even once he spotted her, he couldn’t just go straight up to her, he had to make sure he didn't draw undue attention.
It was what he did every day in his job. He played the part, faked feelings that weren't his, monitored every facial expression and tone of voice to make sure that he was being believed, and adjusted accordingly. After doing it for a decade, he was well practiced and at ease being someone other than himself.
Until today.
Today, he was on edge, today, he felt like he had when he’d taken his first undercover case. He was a ball of nervous energy, and he was so focused on everything that could go wrong that it was hard to do anything else.
Mateo had made small talk with half a dozen people by the time he entered the ballroom, and he was about ready to start ripping throats from all the lewd comments he’d been forced to listen to. Everyone was buzzing about Ally, although not a single person knew her name. They were all calling her princess, gushing about her red hair and vivid blue eyes, about all the things they wanted to do to her, or have her do to them.
It was a miracle and nothing less that he didn't shed a drop of blood.
Although there was still time for that to happen.
And it almost did when he entered the ballroom and spotted her. There was an initial wave of relief when he finally had eyes on her, and he saw her alive and in one piece, but it was quickly chased away when he saw that she was on her knees, chained to the floor on a small platform.
That alone would have been enough to set him off and have him explode, let out every drop of rage bubbling up inside him, but to see one of the men step up onto the platform with her, yank down his pants, and stuff his erection into her mouth,nearly pushed him over the edge. In fact, if he’d had a weapon with him, he would have pulled it out, ignored the consequences, and opened fire on everyone in the ballroom.
It was probably a good thing he was only armed with a knife, because if he did open fire, there was every chance the guards he’d seen dotted about would fire back, and Ally could get shot, especially when she was chained up and couldn’t find somewhere to hide.
So he did what he had to do.
Reined in his fury, kept his expression neutral, and started working his way toward his girl, not much longer, and he’d have her back in his arms. Whether or not she would be happy to be there was up in the air.
Chapter
Fifteen
August 20th
7:38 P.M.
It’s not as bad as it could be.
Ally kept repeating that in her head as a man thrust himself into her mouth over and over again, making her gag, and almost making her hyperventilate as it felt like she couldn’t breathe. As he came down her throat, she had no choice but to swallow, and humiliation burned so brightly inside her it almost felt like she should burst into flames.
At this point, she would choose spontaneously catching fire over another minute of this.
Even knowing that a rescue was supposedly coming.
Was it?
It felt hard to believe while she was chained on her knees while King’s guests had their fun with her. It wasn't only men who had bared themselves before her mouth and told her to make them come. Some of the women here were as sick as the men.
All of a sudden, it felt like there were eyes on her. Which was silly because most of the people here were eyeing her up, either enjoying watching her forced to pleasure a seemingly never-ending line of strangers, or waiting for their turn.
But this felt different.
“Such a pretty princess,” the man before her said as he stroked her cheek and pulled out.
It was like he expected her to appreciate the compliment, like she cared at all about what he thought of her, so she gave a small smile even as the remainder of his semen dribbled down her chin. It joined the rest of the sticky mess covering her face and neck, and she was pretty sure no number of showers was ever going to erase what it felt like on her.
The feeling of being watched increased, and as the man zippered himself up and drifted back into the crowd, Ally tried to surreptitiously glance about. There were too many people, all dressed the same, black tuxedos, and a rainbow of gold, silver, red, blue, pink, yellow, and green dressed filled the large, opulent space, so it was too hard to pick out which pair of eyes had the hairs on the back of her neck standing to attention.
Then she saw it.