When Roman got home, I hurried to give him a hug, but I stopped short when I saw who Marcus and Ed were dragging into the house behind Roman. My father wore his usual scowl, and he was being guided by Marcus and Ed, one on each side of him. When my father’s gaze met mine, his expression grew even more dark and disgusted. His clothes were mussed which meant that Marcus and Ed had not been gentle with him.

"What the hell is he doing here?" I asked Roman, not taking my eyes off my father. "I don’t want him here."

"I know," Roman said gently to me, placing his hands on my shoulders. Marcus, Ed, and my father were waiting by the door. Miraculously, my father wasn’t protesting or insulting anyone. I’m sure he gave Marcus, Ed, and Roman an earful on their way here. "We want to question him and it’s better to do it here." I pulled my attention away from my father and gazed into Roman’s blue eyes.

"Is he under arrest?" I asked Roman.

"Technically, no," Roman said to me quietly. "He’s in police custody for questioning." I stared at my father and the image of him in this low stage in his life made me grateful. He thought he could get away with the many immoral decisions that he had made, but he wasn’t going to. My father was getting what he deserved.

"I want to be there for questioning," I told Roman.

Roman frowned. "Are you sure?" He asked me. I nodded. Roman turned to Marcus, Ed, and my father. "He can go in the study. I’ll meet you there." Roman turned his attention back to me.

"What happened at The Auction House?" I asked Roman. "I thought you would be bringing a woman home, not my father."

"They’re closed down," Roman said to me. "The guards were sending everyone away. He didn’t know why the sudden closure, though."

"You think Fitzgerald knows that we’re trying to take him down?" I asked Roman, worried that The Auction House closure was a really bad sign.

"I don’t know," Roman said. "Marcus and Ed seem to believe that Fitzgerald is up to something. We’re hoping your father knows what’s going on."

"How did you even get my father here?" I asked Roman in confusion. "It looks like Marcus and Ed jumped him and smuggled him here."

Roman scoffed. "Something like that," he said. "I just happened to see Court leaving the alley as everyone was being shooed away. I told Marcus and he and Ed didn’t waste any time walking up beside him and grabbing him."

"Just like that?" I asked Roman. "My father didn’t make a scene?"

"He tried," Roman told me. "He was resisting Marcus and Ed of course, but they held onto him. Court was shouting for help and saying he was being kidnapped, but I reassured anyone who got too close or too curious that Court owed us money and we were just getting back what he owed us." Roman shrugged. "It’s not a lie. Court owes me a few million. Whatever percentage he got at The Auction House for what he forced you to do. Maybe I can sue him once all this is over."

I clenched my jaw. "Freddy and Edward will be suspicious when he doesn’t come home or answer his cell phone."

"Marcus and Ed will take care of that," Roman said to me.

"Should I tell Lori that he’s here?" I asked Roman.

Roman shook his head. "It’s best to cause as little distress as possible until we can get the information we need from Court. You can tell Lori after they’ve taken him to the station." I nodded, hugging myself and rubbing my arms as what was happening began to sink into my mind. FBI agents had my father in custody and soon he would be in jail. Roman lowered his head to meet my gaze. "Are you sure you want to be there when Marcus and Ed question your father?"

"Yes," I said. "I want to be there," I told Roman. He held his hand out to me and I took it. Roman led me to the study and opened the door. He glanced back at me before we entered the study, making sure that I wanted to be there. I nodded once and we stepped into the study before Roman closed the door behind us. My father was seated on the sofa by the wall, his elbows on his knees and his head hanging in despair. He was caught and he knew that this wasn’t going to end well for him. I knew that he would try and get some sort of pity, but there was no one in the room who had any sympathy for him. Marcus was seated in one of the chairs across from my father, and Ed was leaning against the desk. Marcus and Ed glanced at me and then at Roman. This time Roman nodded at Ed who signaled for Marcus to begin the interrogation. There was a device on the coffee table between Marcus and my father that I hadn’t noticed. Marcus pressed a button on the device and began talking.

"State your name for the record," Marcus said. My father glanced up at Marcus and then my father’s eyes darted to me. His expression changed to one of disgust.

"Court Macalester," my father said. "I want to speak to my lawyer."

Marcus shrugged. "That’s fine. But, what are you going to do when your lawyer finds out that you can’t pay him because the money that you have was gained by illegal means?" My father turned his gaze to Roman with the same hatred and disgust.

"I’m being held against my will," my father said.

"You’re in FBI custody," Ed told my father. "You can answer our questions now, with the hope of a lighter sentence, or you can resist and draw this process out painfully with no hope of any plea bargain." My father glanced at me again before lowering his head. When he didn’t respond, Marcus continued with the interrogation. "What do you know about The Auction House?"

"It’s a club," my father mumbled.

"What goes on at this club?" Marcus asked. My father glanced up at Marcus with a narrowed gaze.

"It’s a private club," my father said to avoid answering the question.

"Were you aware that The Auction House was an illegal private club that specialized in the sell of women for human trafficking purposes before you sold your daughter to them?" Marcus asked my father pointedly.

"I didn’t sell anyone," my father lied, glaring at me. "My daughter went willingly." I clenched my fists as Roman placed a supportive hand on my back. He leaned in and whispered to me. "Don’t let him get to you, Hannah," Roman said to me. "We know the truth, and they know it too." I nodded, but it didn’t alleviate my anger.

"Let’s say your daughter did go willingly with you to this private club," Marcus continued. "Did you receive money from The Auction House after your daughter was sold?" My father didn’t answer. He only glared at Marcus. "You did receive a large sum of money from The Auction House, right? Or does your bank account say that it was received directly from Jared Fitzgerald?" My father still didn’t answer Marcus, even as he squirmed slightly on the sofa. "You were broke, Court. You heard about this private club, The Auction House, and you convinced your daughter to go with you so that she could be sold against her will. You needed the money to pay off your creditors. If this isn’t the case, as you said, and your daughter went willingly to The Auction House, you still benefited from a payment made to you by The Auction House."

"If you already claim to know all of this," my father said to Marcus, "then why are you questioning me about it?"

"We’ll come back to that later," Marcus said, presumably accepting my father’s statement as confirmation of the accusations. "Do you know why The Auction House recently closed down?"

"FBI agents have been snooping around," my father said pointedly.

"Who tipped Fitzgerald off?" Marcus asked him.

"I don’t know any Fitzgerald," my father said, "but I do know that a man named Roman Thaddeus is in serious trouble." My heart seemed to freeze in my chest as my father continued. He was staring at Roman now. "I know that Roman has been to this private club twice and purchased two women illegally."

"Was one of those women your daughter?" Marcus asked him.

My father ignored the question and continued. "Roman would do well to keep his bodyguards around because as soon as the FBI agents leave, I know that there’s a target on Roman’s head."

"How do you know this?" Marcus asked him.

My father shrugged. "I’ve heard rumors."

"Who did you hear these rumors from?" Marcus asked him.

"I have reliable sources," my father said. My stomach tightened and I suddenly felt lightheaded. I couldn’t hear any more of what was being said as my ears began to ring. Panic rose in my chest. I needed to get out of the study. I turned around and half staggered to the study door, pulling it open and stepping into the dimly lit corridor. As soon as I crossed the threshold I sank to the floor and put my head between my knees.

"Don’t faint," I said to myself. "Don’t faint, don’t faint."

"Hannah?" Roman’s voice sounded distant to me as he placed his hands on my shoulders. "Hannah, are you OK?"

"No," I said to him in a strained voice that I barely recognized as my own. Tears began to sting my eyes. Roman wrapped his arms around me, telling me that it was going to be OK. Everything was going to be OK. As the feeling of faintness began to subside, a sob escaped me. I couldn’t hold back the tears as they flowed. My father was a wicked man, but I didn’t think he was lying about this. The Auction House knew that Roman was working with the FBI. They were going to kill my husband.