[Erin]
My teeth were gnashing against each other, the tiny hairs of my body stood erect that I could already see the small bumps on my skin. I was damn freezing with this type of clothes they made me wear, and I can't even consider this as a cloth. It was only garter straps that were only enough to cover my private areas.
The girls that were also on the line seem to be freezing; they were hugging themselves, shivering from the cold.
I was looking at them, rubbing my palm against my arms to create friction in hopes of giving me some warmth.
What are we doing here? Are we waiting for our new owner?
I was mulling over my own thoughts with dread coiling and furling inside my lower belly, too occupied to even keep myself aware of my surroundings.
Just then, a heavy soft cloth drapes into my shoulders, startling me to my feet and sends my heart into gallops, ripping a squeak out from my throat.
"Relax, I'm not going to hurt you." A deep baritone voice spoke up behind me, and a pair of hands clasps over my arms made me very still and felt my blood run cold.
He sounds scary. Is he the one who purchased me?
I still couldn't move, my neck stiff like a rod. The audible gasps coming from the other girls made the situation even worse. I couldn't even tell if they were terrified at the man who held me or the otherwise, but one thing I am sure of, my body is trembling.
"I'm Akim, your new master's right hand." He spoke again, tugging my arm and spin me around to face him.
Now I see why are the girls were too shocked when they saw Akim. My eyes literally went wide as I craned my neck just to look at him in the face.
He had the body built of a Hollywood actor I have seen in the movie Fast and Furious, the one with the bald head, and as far as I can recall, if I am not mistaken, he goes by the name Vin.
The only difference is that he wasn't bald. He had this military cropped jet-black hair, his nose was more nuanced than the actor Vin, and he had this piercing beautiful hazel green eyes with a stud on his left thick eyebrow. Making him look more rogue and menacing. He wore a white polo shirt with the three first buttons undone that was lamely tucked into his fitted black jeans. My petite frame barely reaches his muscular chest.
"Boss's just hit the jackpot," he commented, scanning his gaze over my exposed body. I shrink to my place, pulling the coat he had given me in hopes of covering whatever little modesty left in me.
His large hand slid down to my lower back while the other was taking the chain leash that was connected to my collar. Looping it around his wrist.
He was about to pull me to his side and walk me out of this hellhole when Kirstina jogs down the hallway with a red velvet clipboard in her hand.
"Wait, Mr. Bronislav, you forgot to sign here." She panted, handing over the clipboard to Akim. Her gaze didn't even linger on me. It was like I didn't even exist, a disposable item after they leech of money out of me.
I was sold to million dollars.
That's how my life is worth.
"Come little sweet, let's get you to your new home," Akim said after he signed the document, tugging the chain leash a little.
New home.
That wasn't my home. That was my new prison. A new hell for me.
My constraint freedom.
I felt like crying. The corner of my eyes moistens with unshed tears. I bit the inside of my cheeks to held them back as I walked right beside this giant of a man.
I wasn't looking at where we were going. My eyes were only fixed on my toes as we walked down the corridor. Fear, dread, and anxiety rumbling in my stomach, making me forgot the pain that was starting to blare in my knees.
The anesthetic began to fade, and I could already feel the wound sear under the layers of adhesive bandage.
Akim halted beside me, tugging the leash and making me stop as well.
"Are you alright?"
NO! I AM NOT!
I wanted to shout, to cry, to run and escape that impending fate of becoming someone else property, but my voice retreated down in my throat. I only felt something wet rolling roll down on my cheek. As if all the lamentations of my life summed up into a single drop of tear.
I just heard him sigh and began scanning my body. I wanted to tell him that the pain I felt wasn't on the outside, that it could not be seen by the naked eye, but I felt his hand touches my knees, and I hadn't noticed that they were already shaking.
"Damn! You're bleeding!"
He's angry. I could sense it in his voice, but not directed to me.
"They lied, boss, 's going to kill me if he sees this."
Even his size still mystifies me as to why he was afraid of his boss.
He stood up, looking me in the face, and wiped off the tear on my cheek.
"Don't ruin that pretty face yours. We'll hope that boss will still accept you despite the damages."
Damages.
It's like a stab straight to my heart when he said it. Like I am some kind of damaged goods upon purchase, but no warranty, nor replacement.
Well, what do they do to those damaged items? They dispose of it.
"If not, well, you'll be free from this world." Akim just confirmed my thoughts.
Human life means nothing to them. Akim might be nice to me, but I know he's dangerous and only abiding by his boss's order to deliver me safely to him.
Another tear threatening to spill from my eyes, but I held them back and breathed deeply. A frown forms from Akim's face, and in one fluid motion, he sweeps me off my feet, eliciting a surprised gasp from my throat.
I wanted to protest, but I knew my attempts would only be fruitless. So, I just kept myself quiet and busied myself listening to the frantic beating of my heart.
Akim carried me out through the elevator, then to the parking lot where I could see most of the expensive cars were put on display, and then halted in front of a black Mercedes Benz sedan. He opened the passenger's seat using one hand only and put me inside.
A strong tobacco scent wafted through my nostrils, making my nose instantly scrunched.
He took something at the small compartment under the dashboard, and the first thing that caught my attention was the silver revolver gun that glinted over the faint light. I stilled, I thought Akim was going to use it on me, but instead, he pulled out a medicine kit beside the gun.
He examines my wound. First, face frowning on how it was stitched. He took some cotton balls, cleaned the dried blood around the damage, put betadine on it to clean it off, and then finished with plaster.
I was only looking at how he gently held me with his huge hands. Considering his bulk frame, I was like a fragile glass he was holding. I don't know why but my heart did skip a beat, but I had to swallow it up and pretend that I didn't feel it.
Akim then flashes me his smile, sending my heart into a wild gallop, "See? All done, now, let's head back to the mansion. Boss is waiting for you."
Mansion.
Boss.
Those words that he said suddenly extinguishing all other feelings inside me, except dread and fear.
[Erin]The ride was quiet. Akim focused his gaze on the road. It was already night. It was too dark for me to see outside or hint me anything of where we were going. I couldn't seem to find my voice to speak, despite the blasting cold air conditioner inside the car, and I was sweating bullets.Good thing that Akim give me his coat or else, I'll be freezing my butt off in this seat. It is my first time riding in a luxurious car. I have never even imagined being inside of one. However, I never thought that it would be like this. I couldn't enjoy how smooth it drives on the road. Fear was overwhelming all of it.My clammy palms clasp tightly on the seat belt. I was staring at the dark road ahead. I am not seeing anything, aside from the two-lane street we are now taking and the high walls at the side. The car swerves over the curve street, and just on the end of the road, a gigantic black gate emerges. It was so high that I cou
[Erin]My chest tightened as my heart dropped. Figuratively speaking. I believe my lungs are not functioning properly at this time as well, as it is refusing to pump enough air through my system that I will collapse any time at this moment.Akim gently pushes me forward. But I can’t move, my feet feel as if they are glued to the ground. My mouth feels as parched as the Sahara, and I'm literally shaking my wits off with fear.“Come on, sweet cake, move forward,” Akim whispered right
[Erin]What?Everything stops. I’m not even sure if I hear it right.Does he mean that he’s not going to kill me?The cold gun was still pressed on the side of my head, and he was holding the trigger. If anything, he could be jesting me and would blow my head into bits. While Akim stood there motionless as if what this man said astounds him as well.I could feel the sweat trickling down at the column of my neck as the jugular hollow of my throat drummed with tension. My lungs constricted, my knees blaring with pain. Hence my body froze at the moment.Nobody spoke. A pair of mossy green eyes pierced into my brown ones. He removes the gun away from my head and steps
[Erin]The girl smiled at my reaction. My mouth literally dropped when she said that she was going to be my personal maid.I expected to be treated as a slave or something, but I never imagined that Nikolai would appoint someone to look after my personal needs.But on second thought, was this his initiative?My head turned towards the bathroom door where Akim emerged, he was hold
[Erin]A piercing, petrified shriek penetrates the depths of my eardrums, jolting me out of my brief slumber. In the background, the sound of running water slapping against the marbled floor resounded. The bleach white wall blurred in my vision as my lids fluttered open. My nose immediately stings as I try to take a deep breath, but instead of air, water rushes into my nasal passages, instantly wheezing as I gasp for air.“Oh, goodness, Erin! Are you alright? I thought you were dead!” A woman’s voice shouted on my side. I whipped my head, blowing the excess water off my nose as I fully came to my senses. Only to be greeted by Micah's concerned expression hovering above me.I look at her with a baffled expression, my brows furrowed deeply.
[Erin]I didn’t say anything after that and finished off the remaining food, which was only a few pieces of grapes. Both of them waited patiently as I emptied everything on my plate. I stood up, Micah went to usher me, assisting me towards Akim, who is now holding the wheelchair steady as I ease myself in it.I keep my silence. Though my stomach is now happy, my heart fell heavy upon thinking about how my fate twirls around a man’s palm. Playing with its strings and then cutting them whenever he gets sick of me or decides that I am no longer of use to himI felt Akim start pushing the wheelchair while Micah followed on our trail. We weaved through the labyrinth of corners. Navigating from there to here until I lost count of how many turns we took, my attention focused solely focused on the abstract portraits
[Erin]Tears flowed right through the corners of my eyes as I kept my mouth clamped shut, denying him access. Nikolai didn’t just stop there assaulting me with his punishing kiss. One of his hands moved down, rough palms trailing flatly on my stomach until it found the lacy strings of my underwear, and in one swift motion, he ripped it.The fabric bites on my skin. Surely that would leave an imprint. I writhed underneath him, my knees trying to push him, but it was to no avail. He’s too strong for me to even twist my wrist in attempt to twist my wrist and break free.I let out a whimper when he bit my lower lip so hard, gasping as he did so. He took it as an opportunity and plunged his assaulting tongue without permission. I could feel my lips seared and become swoll
[Erin]I hadn’t realized that I had fallen asleep on the bathroom floor, crying. I just woke up having Micah screaming like a banshee when she saw me lying on the cold tiles. I jolted up and stared at her, bewildered, and my brain was still fuzzy from standing up straight in a rush. It was like all the blood on my body left on the floor.“Goodness! Erin, what happened to you?” Her shocked expression greeted me at the bathroom door.I looked down on myself and saw my disheveled state. My torn nightdress, bruised, swollen lips, red bite marks on my collar down to my cleavage, and purple hand imprint on my wrists. I could also feel that my eyes looked like they were stung by a bee from being so puffed up.The memory