A Kingpin Love Affair: The Complete series(13)

“So you weren’t going to do anything?” I questioned just to make sure, encouraging myself to remember that Jared wasn’t any of those men I had spent time with while in the trades.

I could tell he was upset by my question as he pushed from the bed. His body filled with aggression and tension. He stretched before me causing parts of my own body to react.

“Of course, I wasn’t going to do anything. You were sleeping, for f*ck’s sake. I don’t get off on taking advantage of women.” He stepped into my space, forcing my back against the wall. Fear filled my belly, but so did something else. The feeling of being loved and wanted.

“If I wanted you, you would know it. And I most definitely wouldn’t have to take you unwillingly,” he said smugly, his eyes lingering on my lips. I was just about to say something when he took a step back and pushed past me to get out of the room. I stood there attempting to catch my labored breaths. Jared caused butterflies to form in my stomach, but he also caused me to feel the unknowingness of being with a man. The feeling was foreign but exhilarating all at the same time.

I waited until I heard the slam of his bedroom door before I closed the door to my room and settled back into my bed. The walls would have to be enough of a barrier for now. I held myself together, my arms wrapped tightly around my midsection. My mind drifted back in time to that dream when I thought the end was near. I needed something, anything to keep my thoughts off the present, even if it meant I had to head back toward my past.

Shifting into an upward position, I pulled my knees into my chest and pushed my hair over my shoulder so I could weave my fingers through it. I did this to stay calm. It had become a calming technique for me to keep my mind in the right place.

“Secure all the girls and place them on the right side of the room. I need to take photos of them to send to the buyers.” I knew the voice like I knew what light against my skin felt like.

A meaty hand clamped onto my arm, pulling me to my dirt covered feet. My clothes were tattered and worn, my shoes and all possessions gone. I had nothing but my thoughts here and some of us didn’t even have those.

The man’s hand gripped me hard. His fingers dug into my dirty flesh until I knew there would be bruises. They always loved to rough us up and beat on us, making sure the injuries were far and few between and always out of sight.

No one would buy you if you were damaged. Being bought was your one and only chance at freedom. You’d be a fool not to want that.

“Her,” someone said to my right as I was slammed into the unforgiving ground, my knees giving way. It had been days since I last had food or clean water to drink. They were depriving all of us of the things we needed simply because one girl refused to willingly give her body to one of the guards.

“Smile pretty for the camera, bitch.” I could smell his rancid breath even through the bag that covered my face. They didn’t just want pictures of our faces. They had already gotten those, now they were taking pictures of our bodies. A hand was placed firmly on my shoulder keeping me in line, forcing me to kneel straight. My knees dug deeper into the dirt, rocks embedding themselves in my skin causing pain to radiate throughout my body. Tears formed in my eyes, but I squeezed my lids shut, telling myself someday I would get out of here. I wouldn’t allow myself to die here like the others before me.

“Move her and bring the next one in,” someone new said as the hand on my shoulder eased up, moving the pain to another part of my body. The hand reached into my hair, gripping tightly as he pulled me to my feet. I forced the scream that desperately wanted to escape my lips, to stay deep inside of me.

Stay strong, Izzy, I told myself.

Allowing them to see your fear, allowed them to know they had some type of control over you. If they could scare you, they could do anything.

“I want her, boss,” a man growled into my ear, his hand way too close to touching my breast. I imagined myself screaming, someone hearing my pleas and God granting me an end to this insanity.

“You may touch her above the clothes only.” I wanted to beg, to tell him no but kept silent, cursing them in every way I could inside of my own mind.

Remember you have your thoughts. I repeated the words over and over again in my mind, thinking if I repeated them enough it would make it easier for me to believe. It would give me hope knowing they couldn’t touch my thoughts.

The man pawing at my breasts fondled them with both hands as I stood still, feeling disgusted in more than one way. Tears fell from my eyes, and I was thankful the bag was in place. I didn’t want them to see my weakness. Didn’t want them to know what they were doing really hurt me.

Minutes seemed to pass as agony took over.

One hand stayed against my breast while the other headed south. I could hear his heavy pants, his breaths against my skin.

“I will have you. This sweet, untouched * will be mine someday…” he whispered into my ear. My stomach revolted as acid threatened to spew from my throat. My insides curled as I tried not to recoil from his touch.

His fingers roughly rubbed against the material of my panties that covered my most intimate part. “Please stop…” I cried out softly, praying he would. Even if it were only for a second. I just wanted one person to show me they were still human and that all hope wasn’t completely lost.

A harsh laughter filled the air. “You’re begging me to stop now, but very, very soon, when you’re mine, you will be begging me for more.”