Chapter 33
Elena
“She is mine, so if I want to hurt her, I will. If I want to use every hole in her body for my pleasure, I will. Fuck off, and a word of advice. If you try to infiltrate my home again or make any effort to take her from me again, I won’t hesitate to come after you. A deal is a deal, Romero. You know how it works. Stand by it, or I’ll be forced to draw blood.”
Julian doesn’t even give my father the opportunity to respond.
Brushing past him, he drags me right alongside him, and my heart feels like it’s being dragged through the mud behind me. My father was right within reach, and I couldn’t so much as look at him. Tears prick my eyes, and I blink rapidly to stop myself from crying.
When we reach the bar, Julian releases my hand and ushers me back into the stool I was sitting on before. I rub at my wrist, the blood finally circulating back into my hand. The bartender is cleaning a glass, waiting as if he knew we would be returning shortly.
“I need another whiskey and a glass of red wine,” Julian says cooly as if he wasn’t just arguing with someone.
The bartender gets our drinks, and I grab the glass of wine as soon as it’s placed in front of me, taking a small sip, hoping it will calm my chaotic nerves.
“Gentlemen, can I have your attention, please. Momentarily our auction will begin. Tonight, we only have four girls for sale, but believe me, it’s quality over quantity tonight. Enjoy, and may the highest bidder win.”
Did he just say, girls? I couldn’t possibly have heard that correctly. Curiosity gets the best of me, and I look in the direction the voice came from. Horror fills me when I see that there is a huge stage, with four pedestals on it.
This cannot be happening. This is worse than what happened to me… unless the girls are actually here out of their free will. Yes, that has to be it.
A moment later, that thought evaporates into thin air when the girls are brought out on stage. There is a crowd of men congregated around the stage, and the area fills with whistles and loud hollers as the half-naked girls are each placed on a pedestal.
Each girl looks more scared than the next, their eyes wide with shock, their body shaking, but the worst part is that they are in chains. In actual chains. There are collars around each of their necks, and a chain hangs down that’s connected to their handcuffed hands, which hang in front of them.Content provided by NôvelDrama.Org.
You’ve gotta be kidding me. How can they just sell another human like this? Tie them up like animals and display them like this is a circus. Rage burns through my veins.
The host starts talking, introducing the first girl, but my mind is in chaos, I can’t even comprehend what he is saying. Men start bidding, and I feel like I’m going to be sick. I want to ask Julian how to stop this nonsense but can’t get my lips to move.
“Drink your wine,” Julian’s voice pierces through the heavy fog. He holds the glass of red wine I’d easily forgotten while watching this horrible event out in front of me, and I take it on autopilot. “Drink,” he orders as if that’s going to help me process what’s going on.
“Sold, to number six-o-one!” The auctioneer calls just as I bring the glass to my lips.
“Fucking Christ!” Julian growls, “I need to talk to Markus. I’m going to leave you here at the bar. Do not get up, do not go anywhere, even the bathroom, and do not talk to anyone. I will be within distance and watching you the entire time. If you try and run, I will not only hurt Marie, but I will punish you. Understand?”
Gulping a little more of the wine down, I nod. The fear of being left alone creeps up my spine, making my gut tighten. Even with the auction taking place, I just know someone is going to come over and try and touch me, but Julian doesn’t seem to care about what I want. Maybe everything he’s said tonight is true? Maybe he’ll sell me or let someone take me? I can imagine myself up on that stage.
Yes, being with Julian hasn’t been easy, but it’s surely nothing like what those girls have been through. I grip the glass of red wine a little tighter and watch as he takes his drink and strolls over to where Markus is standing.
Peeking over my shoulder, I look at where he is standing and to the dark-haired man that he is talking to. I’ve only seen him twice, including the night I was taken. I think Julian is trying to keep his men away from me on purpose.
They seem to be arguing, Markus’s face is completely unaffected even as Julian snarls at him.
When Julian’s eyes lift to meet mine, I panic and look back down at the floor, trying to ignore everything that’s going on around me. Ignoring that women are being sold, ignoring that men are looking at me like I’m for sale, and most of all, ignoring the fact that there isn’t anything I can do about it.
I thought I knew what the mafia was about… I was wrong, so wrong. My fingers tremble against the glass, and I truly feel like I’m going to barf. Julian needs to hurry because I’m not sure how much longer I can keep up this charade.
“Hello, Elena,” an unknown voice greets me. I don’t answer or even lift my head, but out of the corner of my eye, I see someone taking a seat two spots down from me. “It’s okay, you don’t need to say anything, just listen.” He is just talking loud enough for me to hear, and I’m guessing that’s by design.
“You know, I almost had you. I was so close, but Moretti outbid me. Tell me, how tight is your pussy? I mean, is it really that tight and pink? Is it worth ten million, you think?”
I want to get up, to walk away, but I’m reminded of what Julian said.
“Truthfully, I wouldn’t have ever paid that much… but for a second, I was so sure I was going to get you. When your father started taking bids, I had a playroom put together for you. I bought chains and whips, and a butt plug so big it would’ve ripped your tight little asshole apart, but not before your virgin cunt had bled all over my cock.”
“Please, go away,” I whisper, just wanting him to stop. I don’t care if Julian punishes me. I can’t listen to another word that comes out of this man’s mouth. I feel degraded like dirt beneath his feet.
“She speaks.” He chuckles, making me feel slimy and dirty. “Do you think Julian would let me have you for a night? Let me fuck your pussy and ass, let me own your body?” Leaning closer, he whispers, “I mean, he’s not here right now, so who’s to stop me?”
Something bad is going to happen, I just know it. I can’t see his face, mainly because I refuse to look up, but I do see his tattoo-covered hand creeping closer to me. Just the thought of him touching me makes my skin crawl.
Leaning away from him, I try and put distance between us, but he easily reaches me, his fingers almost touching my thigh. I jerk back, twisting in my seat to get away from him, but he just leans in closer.
A scream builds in my throat, but what good would that do? No one would care or try and help me. Here, I’m nothing to no one, not even Julian.
“Playing hard to get, I like it. I love it when they beg me to stop while I fuck them.” His fingers graze my skin this time, his nails raking across my skin, digging into the flesh, and that’s when I lose it. I don’t care what Julian does to me for disobeying. I don’t care if he punishes me. Anything is better than this man touching me.
I scurry off the chair, almost getting my heel stuck on the bar stool. The unknown man snickers at my attempt to get away in a hurry, but at this point, I don’t care. I turn toward Julian and find him arguing with Markus, so involved in his conversation that he is completely oblivious of the conversation I just had.
My feet carry me to him as fast as I can make them move without face-planting on the floor. All I can think about is getting to him because deep down, even if I’m afraid he’ll sell me or give me to someone else, part of me feels protected when I’m in his arms, and that’s what I need right now. His protection. For him to tell me it’s okay because right now, I’m anything but okay.