Page 136 of Morally Corrupt

We'd ended up leaving disappointed and maybe with a little more baggage than we'd come in. Which is why I thought ofthisplan.

Remembering Martin's words that Jimenez had wanted me, I decide that what better way to draw Jimenez out than to put myself on the auction block, hoping he'll be the one to buy me. If I go as Bianca Ashby, the odds of him hearing and participating are much higher. And probably our best bet if we ever want to get to Jimenez.

"I know… Fucking hell," Adrian curses aloud.

"I'm not letting you do that. You saw what they do with the people they auction off. They fucking dress them in skimpy clothes, put them on display, and then give them to their new owner in a fucking leash. B…" He shakes his head. "No, I won't have you do that. Absolutely not."

"You do realize we have no other way," I try to explain it to him. "We don'tknowwhat Jimenez looks like. How are we going to catch him?"

"Then, we won't. I'd rather give that up than know the danger you'd put yourself through. No! And it's final!" He leaves the room and slams the door in his wake. He's probably going to clear his head.

He always does that when he gets too heated. I sink on the bed and sigh. It's the only way, but I can't make him see that.

I also can't have him give up on this. It's been his goal for years on end.

No… I have to do this. Only then will he be able to be happy… with me. I smile to myself. Yes, if I manage to get Jimenez for him, he's finally going to accept that we're meant to be.

Chewing on my inner cheek, I start planning. He'll never approve this, but I'll just do it first and ask for forgiveness later.

I take out my phone, and I dial Vlad. I've been sensing some tension between Adrian and Vlad, and I'd rather he not catch me calling him.

Indeed, Vlad's not always too forthcoming, but even when he intentionally leaves out information, I know he won't send me into the lion's mouth.

"You idiot," I start. "You knew where you sent us, didn't you?"

Vlad chuckles on the other end.

"I'm guessing it didn't go that well?"

"I had to fucking eat a human heart. You call that well?"

"You got the heart? Pfff…" Vlad sighs aloud.

"And here I only got an arm last time. Lucky you." He whistles, and I'm shocked.

He's been there too?

As if knowing my train of thought, he adds, "You didn't think I'd send you somewhere I hadn't already been."

"You've been there?" I ask in disbelief. Why? This is contrary to everything I know about Vlad.

He doesn't answer, but I'm not too concerned right now, since that's not what I want from him.

"Youdidrealize when you sent us here that the chances of us actually finding Jimenez are null."

"I know," he says casually, as if it's a game.

"Then why did you?"

"Your husband wanted information. I gave him what he wanted."

"Fuck you!" I say, and he just laughs. Of course.

"Anything else?" he asks in that amused tone of his.

"Yes. I want to auction myself off."

"Woooow. You really went the extra mile."