“No, no….” Her moan was soft and low, and she shuddered again as the horror of her situation was made so clear. At the back of her mind, she had suspected what he planned, but now she knew he would kill Steve.
The music had drawn closer, the guitars louder now, a sobbing, plaintive melody that was familiar. Ginny was pulled from the bed, her mind screaming rebellion but her body refusing to obey her commands to flee, to resist. Luna caressed her a few moments, laughing softly when she strained away from him, too weak with the encroaching fever to fully resist.
“Do you hear the men outside? They wait for you. They are so impatient to see the beautiful gringa that I promised them as a reward for their vigilance. Perhaps it is not fair to make them wait…. Shall I let them preview what it is they will fight for tonight?”
She felt so hot, her vision blurred and her tongue thick with fever; her throat ached as she forced words past parched, dry lips.
“Rafael, no…please…I’ll stay with you if you forget about Steve. Let him go.”
“Why should I? I have already had you, and could keep you even if you don’t agree to stay with me. No, I have waited too long to avenge Francesca. Nothing must go wrong tonight.”
Holding her by one arm, he moved to the door and swung it open. Ginny saw a dozen uniformed men waiting in the lantern-washed courtyard outside the door. They snapped to attention when Luna said, “As I promised you, here she is, the most famous cortesana in all of Mexico!”
Hoarse murmurs of lust and admiration filled the air, and one of the men, bolder than the rest, stepped forward. His black eyes were hot, probing, as he said, “We will have her now.”
“Not yet, my eager compadre. Not yet. There will be plenty of time later. First, I am paying you to do a job. You know what you must do, and you will remain in the shadows until it is time. But if you would like to see your reward, I shall allow you just a small sample….”
Pulling Ginny in front of him, her back pressed against his chest, Luna curled one arm across her throat to hold her, and slowly began to pull up the silk shift. It rose higher and higher, a thin wisp of material that bunched in his fist as he slid it above her knees, up to her thighs.
“Higher!” came the hoarse demand. Luna laughed.
“Do you wish to see all her treasures at once? She is as beautiful as I told you, is she not?”
She felt their eyes on her, greedy and hot. Relief washed over her as she heard Luna deny permission for them to touch her, and she strained against his grip.
“Be still, or I shall give you to them now, chica. Are you tired of waiting? Shall I let them have you? Look at them, so eager to stroke your soft flesh…. Yes, you may have her later. She is most impatient for you.”
Nothing could erase the shame she felt at being so exposed. She closed her eyes, forcing herself to remain still when all her instincts urged rebellion and flight.
One of the men laughed. “Ay di mi! she is a hot one, this! She will be mine first, for I won the toss. And I shall use her well, the famous Madame du Plessis! She is not so noble now, eh? Yes, I used to see her ride by with Colonel Lopez, her skin so white and pure, but her eyes! Ay! I knew she was only a puta.”
“And tonight,” Luna promised, “she will be yours. He will be coming after her, so prepare for him. You have your orders. Remember the prize that waits for you.”
Reluctantly, the men retreated as he took her back inside and shut the door. When he released her, she stood trembling until he put his hand beneath her chin and lifted her face to his.
“Are you afraid? But it will not be the first time you have been shared with so many. Yes, I know it all, as I told you. I have my methods of gaining information, and you would be most surprised by the things I know. Your father is an interesting subject as well, and your stepmother—She was once your husband’s mistress, but you know that.”
Ginny closed her eyes, shutting out the sight of his leering face. He continued to taunt her, telling her things about her past that she had tried to forget, about Ivan, and even Andre Delery.
“I would think you would be relieved to have your husband meet his fate at last, chica. He has been most cruel to you.”
“Please…” she heard herself whimper in a desperate plea. “Please…no…I’ll stay with you if you let Steve go….”
She stood panting, wracked with fear for herself and for Steve, her hair a wild tumble about her face and shoulders. A damp sheen misted her bare arms and legs, gleaming in the light of the lanterns as Luna moved to the table to pour more wine in a cup. Then he came back to stand before her. His breath was ripe with the smell of the red wine he’d been drinking.
“Little puta,” he said softly, “do you want me?”
“No…no!” It was a breathless moan, ripped from her throat despite her efforts. She wanted to scream at him, to strike out, but knew it would be futile. She had to remain calm; how else could she warn Steve?
Revulsion rippled through her when he dragged his hand across
