Sold to Moretti Mafia

Fallon

Another three days pass. Things feel different and yet the same. I’m still nowhere closer to getting to a phone to call those people. I’ve thought about telling Markus the truth more than once, but the instructions were clear. I’m not to tell anyone, especially not Markus.

If I do, my sister will die…

Pressure forms behind my eyes just thinking about her. She’s been held captive as long as I have now, but I don’t know under what conditions. Somehow, I doubt it’s in a cozy cabin like I am, and that makes me feel so incredibly guilty.

Markus has scared me more than once, threatened to hurt me even, but I’m sure he’s done nothing compared to all my sister must have endured.

Switching gears, I think back to that night three days ago. He didn’t get the information he wanted, but he still didn’t hurt me.

His touch was gentle, possessive. He worshiped my body and drove out feelings I had no right feeling. He bought me, paid a million dollars so that he could fuck me however he pleased. The last thing I should be doing is giving in to these tantalizing feelings.

Captive falling for her captor. It was stupid and would surely end in either heartache or death. Markus wasn’t the type to love or even care for another human, so why was he showing me compassion when he showed no one else it.

He hasn’t asked me again who I was trying to call, which makes me wonder if he has something else planned or if he’s simply given up.

I mull over my thoughts while eating breakfast, which Markus made. Homemade oatmeal with fresh fruit. Each bite I take lands in my belly like a brick. Across from me, Markus sits, watching me, his eyes glued to my spoon as I shovel food into my mouth.

As if he realizes what he’s doing, he shakes his head and snaps out of it.

“Hurry and finish. We’re going on a little trip.”

Newfound excitement fizzles in my belly. “Where are we going?”

I try not to sound as eager as I feel but getting out of the house is just what I need today. I feel like a bird in a cage, never free, always longing for more. I need to feel the air beneath my wings just for a while.

“It’s a surprise,” Markus says, his voice icy.

It doesn’t sound like a surprise should, but I don’t say that. The last thing I want to do is piss Markus off. We’ve been on such great terms, and I don’t want that closeness to go away. I’ll keep my mouth shut for now.

Picking up the bowl, I place it in the sink. When I turn around, I find Markus standing a few inches away. Jesus.

“You know for such a large man, you move like a ninja,” I blurt out.

Markus gives me as close to a smile as I’ve ever seen from him. “Let’s go. We’re going to be late for the surprise.”

I grin excitedly. “I can’t wait.”

Markus only nods, and I wonder if it’s a surprise for another test.

* * *

In the car, Markus is quiet, too quiet. He grips the steering wheel almost as if it’s someone’s throat. We pass through a couple towns, and with each mile, I realize we’re headed toward my hometown of Sun Valley. I chew on the inside of my cheek to stop myself from asking him where we’re going. If I can keep the terror that’s bubbling up in my stomach down, then I’ll be fine. Maybe we’re just passing through?

That has to be it. I never told Markus where I lived. It’s merely a coincidence. Right? It has to be. Knots of fear develop in my stomach, twisting and tightening to the point of pain. Placing a hand against my stomach, I try to hide the pain.

Markus doesn’t even look away from the road, and I see that usual cold mask fall over his face. As we enter Sun Valley, I stare out the window, anxiously waiting to see what will happen next. Markus slows and turns onto a side street, then another, slowly getting closer to my house. Turning into the subdivision, I start to tremble.

Once we reach my street, I’m a complete mess, and my throat is so tight I don’t think I could speak even if I wanted to. My family home comes into view, and my chest starts to rise and fall so rapidly it feels like I’m having a heart attack.

Drive by, please drive by.

The car slows and pulls to the curb. I can see everything I tried my best to rebuild with Markus crumbling beneath my feet. He puts the car in park and reaches across the seat for the glovebox. I bite my lip to stifle the scream threatening to come out of my mouth when I see the shiny glint of the gun. What’s he going to do? Is he going to kill them… or me?

All I can think is how my sister will never be saved.

How my parents will either lose both of their children or lose their own lives.

“Please…” I beg, not even sure what I’m begging for. I do know he is not here to drop me off and let me go. He is going to use my parents against me because he can’t bring himself to hurt me anymore.

Markus’s cold eyes cut to me. There is no emotion there, just my own reflection. He’s cold, heartless, a statue. My words will not reach him, and still, I have to try. I can’t die here.

“Don’t do this, please. I didn’t do anything. I’ve been good.” His huge hand comes out of nowhere, and I flinch, afraid that he’s going to hit me.

All he does is place his hand firmly over my mouth. He shakes his head, all but saying to shut up. My eyes dart to the gun in his other hand, and the tears welling in my eyes finally fall, slipping down my cheeks without permission.

There isn’t a single ounce of remorse in his eyes.

After everything, it comes down to this.

“I want you to think long and hard before you answer the question I’m about to ask you because the wrong answer is going to result in one of your parents dying. Got it?”

Shock. It rattles me to the core. I’m not sure why, but I never thought he would go this far, that he would find a way to hurt me without actually hurting me. Staring into his eyes, I know I have no options. It’s either tell him what he wants or risk one of my parent’s dying.

That’s just not a risk I can take. He will do it. I know he will.

The Markus in front of me now is the cold, calculated one, not the man who was gentle and kind to me the other night, and not even the one who put me in the cell. This is the Markus you can’t reach, no matter how hard you try. Left with no options, I nod my head.

“Who were you trying to call in my office?” I swallow at the intensity of his stare and words. I can’t breathe, can’t do anything. He pulls his hand away to give me a chance to answer. A lie forms on the tip of my tongue… would he really do it?Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

I look at the gun in his other hand. Yes, yes, he’s going to do it.

“If you lie to me, I’m shooting both of them.” He doesn’t even blink.

I’m trapped in a corner, and even though the gun isn’t pointed at my head, it might as well be. Telling him the truth will ruin my chances of saving my sister, but what choice do I have? None. I have no choice.

“Please, Markus, don’t hurt them. They have nothing to do with this.”

“Tell me, now!” he roars like a beast, slamming his fist down on the center console, the rage in his voice making me shudder.

“Okay.” The air wheezes out of my chest, and I close my eyes and open them again, trying to calm myself enough to fully speak.

“They… they took my sister and forced me into doing the auction. When I went into the office, I was trying to call them so that I could let them know I was alive. I’m worried they’ll kill her if I don’t get in contact with them soon.”

Markus remains staring at me, not saying a single word. He’s quiet, and that scares me. Why isn’t he saying anything? Does he not believe me? Is he still going to shoot my parents? I find it hard to breathe, my lungs burning as if they have no oxygen in them.

“Please, don’t kill them. Please! You have to believe me, Markus.” My voice rises with each word I say till it sounds like I’m screaming.

“Stop! Calm down. I’m not going to hurt anyone,” he snaps, and immediately, I close my mouth. Why is it that even though he just threatened my parents’ lives, I want to bury my face in his chest and have him soothe the fear that he put there.

I breathe deeply in and out of my nose a few times to try and get myself to calm down.

He’s not going to hurt them. Everything is going to be okay.

Giving me a moment to gather my wits, he asks a second later, “Who are they?”

I shake my head. “They wore masks when they took me. They told me that they would kill her if I didn’t do as they said. All I wanted was to call her to make sure she was okay…”

Markus puts the gun back into the glovebox and closes it. Even though it’s put away, I’m still afraid. Afraid of what he threatened. Afraid of what might have happened. I’m shaken to the core, completely rattled, and I’m not sure I’ll be able to piece myself back together.

Putting the car in drive, Markus pulls away from the curb and starts driving once more. I look back at my parents’ house, wondering what they would think of me right now. I yearn to go in there, to hug my mom and tell her I’m sorry, but all I do is watch the house get smaller in the rearview mirror as we go further down the road.

I glance over at Markus, his features are unreadable, and I’m not sure what he’s thinking or if he even believes me. I want him to hold me, take me into his arms, and tell me everything will be okay, but he won’t. That’s not the type of man he is. He’s not going to comfort me or care for me. He’s going to take and take until there is nothing left.

“When we get back to the cabin, I want you to write the number down.”

All I do is nod. I’m not sure what he plans to do. Perhaps call them? I turn in my seat and look out the window, watching my hometown flash before my eyes as we drive away. How am I possibly going to save my sister now? I doubt Markus is going to let me call them. And even if I do… if he finds out that I only told him half the truth, I don’t know what he’ll do.

I squeeze my eyes closed and breathe deeply through my nose. The walls are closing in around me, and there’s nowhere for me to escape. I’m stuck, and the closer the walls get, the more anxious I become. Soon they’ll squeeze the truth right out of me, and when that happens, I’m not sure Markus and I will be on the same side anymore.

Not once he discovers what I was sent here to do.