a toy to be broken again

Sold to Diaz Cartel

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Chapter 7: a toy to be broken again

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“SHE IS NOT YOURS. SHE IS A PERSON, DIAZ!!. YOU DON’T OWN HER LIKE YOU DO AN OBJECT. SHE IS NOT A FUCKING OBJECT FOR YOUR SICK FANTASIES. YOU DO NOT OWN HER!!.”

“YES I DO.” Diaz yelled back at his brother’s wife angrily. “I OWN EVERY INCH OF HER. I PAID FOR HER.”

Both of them are screaming angrily at each other.

The shouts echo through the room even reaching Althea’s hiding place which forces her to place her hands over her ears.

Her time here has taught her one basic rule: don’t ever anger Diaz. As long as she followed that rule her torture was almost bearable, the problem was when others played with the patience of the older, something she obviously could not control but would always suffer because of.

Thus she tried her best, following every order to keep him happy and hiding as best she could when she wasn't.

The pair keeps shouting at each other until they attract public.

Clyde show up in front of the door first, running into the room in a rushed panic just to be hit in the face by the furious words of his brother.

“I OWN HER. I OWN HER BODY. I OWN HER MIND. I OWN HER AS MUCH AS MY BROTHER OWNS YOU TOO, WHORE.”

Instantly after the last syllable leaves his mouth, Diaz regrets it.

Guilt punching his gut as he sees the reaction of his brother’s wife; pained, saddened, but overall, disappointed.

Lucius chooses that time to show up, creeping towards the group silently, not wanting to get their attention.

“Jana, I didn’t—“

“Mean it?” Jana asks him, tears encapsulating the pain glistening in her eyes. “I think you did, Diaz.”

“No, I don’t think that way.”

“Just leave, Diaz Cartel.” She calls him by his full name, something too rare.

The hurt still lingers in her eyes, yet, Jana’s expression softens as she speaks, a request more than an order.

Diaz listens, turning on his heels to leave, ashamed of his words when he meets his older brother’s eyes. Lucius and Clyde stand still like statues, unsure of how to react or aid them.

“Lucius, why don’t you help me with the kid? I think she is hiding in the wardrobe. She called your name earlier, I think, so she must be used to you.”

Lucius nods, happily approaching the older.

“Clyde, take your brother outside. I doubt he will be of any help.”

Diaz feels a stab to the stomach by the orders of his, otherwise, sweet and loving sister in law who would normally hug him after such a long time of not meeting each other. He does as he is told though, leaving the room and following Clyde to his office to finish whatever work he can gather to distract himself.

As soon as the two brothers leave the room, Jana signals Lucius over to the wardrobe.

“She ran straight there after she heard Diaz screaming.”

“She does that when he gets angry because, well….he takes the anger on her,” explains the younger. “Her name is Althea by the way."

“What has been happening, Lucius? I need to know before going in there.” The words are said in such a way that makes Lucius think it sounds more like a plea.

To him, it sounds like Jana is begging him to comfort her that whatever she is thinking is worse than the reality.

“You can probably imagine already, Jani. Diaz has been very stressed lately because of Mercedes and his gang. Every time he comes back home he walks to his room and doesn’t leave unless he has to,” explains the raven. “Only I’m allowed in here to clean his mess.”

He hesitates to say the next part.

Jana looks heartbroken enough but he knows the older hates being left in the dark.

“Blood and cum are always staining the bed and her legs. Sometimes she can’t move, some other I have to—”

He is interrupted by a soft hand on his shoulder.

“That’s plenty. Let’s just help her.”

Once inside the huge wardrobe Jana looks at Lucius inquisitively and the other points towards the winter coats. She nods, walking to where she is being pointed at.

In the silence they can hear the evident sound of panicked breathing.

The situation reminds Jana of one time when she was gifted a baby chick. The small animal was a few days old, terrified of anyone who would try to touch him. It would just hide behind the refrigerator and cry unceasingly when someone tried to help him out.

Jana would sit in the kitchen for hours, waiting for the chick to stick its neck out in an attempt to flea but always running back to the depths of its hideout.

The poor thing died a couple days later, unable to eat or drink any water in his horrid quest to hide from the world he was brought into.

“Althea?” Asks Lucius sweetly.

Both of them move cautiously, crouching in front of the coats.

“Thea??” Lucius calls again. He moves some of the coats out of the way, allowing the light to illuminate behind.

A small figure hiding on the corner appears with her legs close to her chest she pulls herself into a ball, trying to shrink as much as possible.

“Althea, it’s me. Why don’t you come out here so I can help you.”

Lucius reaches a hand to her but she only moves further back. She is practically plastered against the wall already, cornered with no exit. When she sees Lucius, she is tempted to take his hand, after all, if he was here it meant Diaz was gone for a while.

Although she doesn’t trust the other woman. She didn’t look at her properly but once she realised she wasn’t Lucius and she was making Diaz angry, Althea had decided not to trust her.

She was a threat.

Lucius pushes himself forwards a bit, putting a hand on Althea’s arm, causing the blonde to start sobbing again.

There had been times when he had to force Althea out of her hiding to make sure she would clean herself and be ready before Diaz was back.

He regretted all of those times because in the beginning Althea fought slightly but now, after 43 days of the same routine, she would only sob helplessly as she was being pulled out.

****

Jana observes the scene developing in front of her feeling slightly nauseous.

Questions she really doesn’t want an answer for pound the tears out of her eyes.

How many times has she hid in here in hopes Diaz wouldn’t find her? How many times has she been found and forcefully pulled out?

****

Althea knows why the man with the boxy smile is there.

She knows he is here to make her shower, dress and eat; the routine too familiar.

She knows, yet, but she wants to ignore the sweet alluring words promising comfort a bit longer. That is until she feels a big hand close around one of her now too skinny arms, pulling at it slightly. The sobs that escape her are inevitable as she refuses to go.

Just a bit longer, please. Just let me stay here.

Ignoring her loud sobs, Lucius muscles her out of her hideout and into the light.

She kneels in front of the strange woman, now hyperaware of her nudity. She was used to being naked in front of Diaz and Lucius but this woman she has never seen.

Althea lifts her face, cheeks tinted red with embarrassment as she meets the stranger’s deep brown eyes.

Her hair has a chocolate brown colour, a whole shade different from Diaz’s, she has soft looking lips and full eyebrows.

She is very beautiful indeed. The eyes she looks at Althea with are not arrogant as she would expect rather kind and sweet, framed by casual tears rolling down her cheeks.

“Hello, Althea. I’m Janina but you can call me Jana or Jani,” says the older. “I know Diaz has been a monster to you but I’m here to help you. I see you have blood on your thighs, I think you should see a doctor.”

Althea only lowers her gaze to the floor, no reaction.

It is frustrating, Jana finds.

Talking to someone who constantly hides away silently. Reminding herself to be kind again, Jana gives it another shot.

“Diaz is gone. You can relax a little now. I want to take you to the mansion’s doctor so they can check that cut on your lip, yes?”

No answer.

Jana tries to get consent from Althea before touching her or taking her to see the doctor, the problem is that consent was never something she was asked for before.

In Althea’s life everything was taken by the people who wanted it with no regard for what she said, which makes it hard not to be confused. To her, being asked for consent is so surprising she doesn’t know what else to do but look at her hands.

“Lucius,” She whispers a second time.

Althea is not sure why those particular words leave her at that particular moment but they do. A faint sound that means comfort, even if it is short.

To Lucius it sounds like Althea is asking for guidance.

Shoved into a world she didn’t know how to survive in, Lucius had helped her as much as he could, casually chatting her into submission when with Diaz. And, now, guiding her to trust Jana.

“Thea, she is just trying to help. I promise you will get some rest once the doctor sees you.”

The words break some of the knots inside her throat, allowing her to relax somewhat. Still, she is indecisive of what Lucius is waiting for her to do so Althea gives her an almost imperceptible nod and allows the woman to touch her.

Lucius smiles at Jana and gives her a thumbs up.

Lost on the next step, Jana decides covering Althea should come first so she signals Lucius to wrap Althea in some clothes as she helps her stand.

The blonde is so skinny it presents almost no challenge for her. A long coat is thrown over her narrow shoulders, reaching all the way under her knees which makes her look tiny.

Jana would think the outfit was the cutest thing were it not for the truth of the situation.

Lucius leaves to find the doctor, meanwhile, Jana leads Althea to her room in a very slow walk. It seems like the younger has great trouble keeping herself up on her own, even with Jana’s arm around her waist as support, she wobbles.

******

It takes around two hours for the doctor to leave. It had been a real challenge for everyone involved since Althea would panic at every little movement.

The moment the doctor entered the room Althea tensed considerably, eyes never leaving Jana nor the doctor as they talked about the situation.

It wasn’t until the doctor decided it was a good idea to tell Althea to strip that hell broke loose. The already scared blonde had slapped the hand grabbing her coat as she ran to hide behind a curtain.

Jana tried to sweet talk her into letting the coat fall but it wasn’t until Lucius came into the room that Althea started listening.

Led by encouraging words and a warm hand squeezing hers, Althea finally let her coat slide to the floor, leaving her completely naked to allow the medic asses her injuries.

The time passed by extremely slow for Althea. She felt the guilt as Lucius sweet talked her into letting him help, offering his hand. She felt the embarrassment as the only layer protecting her lost dignity was stripped of her.

She felt the incessant tears falling down her face and the sobs escaping her mouth as she was ordered to lie on the bed with her leg on the air.

She felt the pain of the stitches sewing the torn skin of a wound that had been repeatedly open, never allowed to heal.

She feels the sorrow when the doctor disinfects her broken lip, when Jana applies a white paste on her chaffed wrists and when Lucius wipes the blood on her face with a warm cloth.

She feels the sorrow when no one asks questions.

When no one promises safety.

Because they are just there to mend a toy they know will be broken again.

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TBC