BOUND TO HIM BY FORCE

16. AND THE SELLING PRICE IS.....

Hands on my arms was the first thing I felt as I slipped back to consciousness. My mind was slow, trying to process the last bits of what I had seen, and nothing but horror flashed into my mind, having me wince and try to push it away, but it did not go.

The screams filled my ears with the pain carried by the screams. I felt pale with my body being dragged around.

What had they done? Had they taken advantage of me?

I did not want to find out. I kept my eyes shut closed with the tears slipping even at that.

Nothing but silence filled the hall we were going through, knowing it was dark. There was a man to my right and another to my left. My wrists and ankles burned so hard from the rope they had tied with it tearing my skin. The place was damp, no more screams and I could feel the fabric on my body.

It was a dress I could tell, but the fabric was too thin, seeing that most of my skin was exposed.

My hair was brushed, flowing, and dancing all over my shoulders.

The men walked up a flight of steps and suddenly there was light sneaking through my closed eyes. I could feel its heat burning on my skin, could feel that we were in an exposed area and I knew wherever we were, people were watching. I could feel their eyes on me. They were silent, not even a single sound, yet I just knew it was a large crowd.

My head was bowed, two more hands on my body as it was pushed onto something that was round and covered in by a cloth. I felt the fabric on my back as they held me to it, shackles put on my wrists that were spread apart from each other along with my wide open legs, pushed to either side and locked in place.

My head hung on its own, my hair hiding me away.

The men moved away, air brushing my skin. If I closed my eyes hard enough, maybe everything would disappear. If I pretended they were not there enough, maybe they would go away.

It was not a dream, it was real, that was certain as of then, and I was about to be sold off.

My eyes opened, falling on a stage that was made of plucks of wood. My feet were clean and stood there, iron shackles around my ankles. My breath got stuck in my throat, everything happening right there and then.

I tried running away from a fate that I thought was worse than death and there I was, about to be made a s*x slave. I did not even want to think of the things that would happen to me.

My body shook, the tears dripping down to the floor and leaving it wet.

What had I done in life?

What had those girls done to deserve such a fate?

My head shook, my hair moving around. Nothing would help me from then. I had to accept and brace myself for the worst but you could never brace yourself for what was going to happen to me.

My body was cold, waiting for my fate.

“Good evening, everyone. Sorry for keeping you all waiting but the treasure is worth the wait.” A voice came, it coming through a speaker, sure the person was using a mic.

No words were said back to that, sure I was that treasure. I whimpered, my whimpers going unheard.

“In your invite, it said we have a rear item that you all in this room would kill to have. She is a beauty; she is a virgin and she is feisty as hell. Her wrists and ankles are bruised with skin torn from how hard she was fighting.” The man continued with sounds coming from the crown, sounds of pleasure. They were pleased with what was happening, pleased at what the man was saying.

“But all that is not why we personally invited each and every one of you. Only you made the cut for such a precious gem. What I just said is only icing on the cake.” The man took a breath, building the anticipation, sure everyone wanted to know why they were invited there.

“I present to you, the one and on……..” The voice stopped, my eyes shut closed, squeezing them together along with my fists, waiting for him to spill the words.

I had suddenly realized how bad the situation was. It was worse than I had even thought. They knew who I was, they knew my identity and I was sure that room was filled with nothing but my father’s enemies. The fear was too much, suddenly tugging on the restraints but there was no escape.

The fate they were selling me to was much, much more worse than any I would have thought of. The things my parents went through would be done to me and even worse. The worst criminals in the world were there; they were angry and they were hungry for blood. If they could not get the blood of my father they would settle for mine.

My world shook, the tears ones of anger and panic, pulling and tugging.

“What a special day. Rodger, go get the large black chair, run.” The person who was talking through the mic said instead of pulling out my name. The mic was placed down, hearing the thud through the speakers with feet shuffling around.

I did not care who had suddenly arrived, more enemies to kill me. I tried to think of what to do, what would I do? It was too late. I pulled and pulled.

The only thing I could help myself with at that point was to get my hands free and find something I could end my life with. I would not survive living through that hour. I could not afford to be alive when the bidding was over.

I tugged and tugged, feeling my already sore skin tear. They were all too busy, it would be late when they realized. Maybe if I hurt myself enough, I would lose a lot of blood and by the time they saw, it would be too late.

Feet were running up and down, watching while my eyes cast down. I tugged and pulled, the pain too much, the pain as if to kill me itself but that was what I wanted. That was what I needed, with the tears streaming down my face.

“Sh*t, I want her! Rush before she does much damage, she would rather be that feisty in my cage.” A voice came with me cursing as I tugged harder and faster.

I heard gasps all over, chairs pushed back, sure some were standing up to see clearly.

The sob was kept in, the tears screaming with the sob held back from the pain but I could not hold it in for long as I cried out while pulling and tugging. The blood streamed down my arms, seeing it drip to the floor. It was a lot but it was not enough. My arms were held, my body pinned to whatever I was locked onto. I screamed, my body shaking, wanting to shake them off but it was all futile.

The crowd seemed to like the show, hearing the whispers of people asking their men to get their money.

“Sorry, I did say she was a feisty one. Imagine the thrill of breaking her every single day.” The MC of the show said out with a lot of the men agreeing.

“First, before we reveal more. Can we all thank the head for joining us today? It is truly a pleasure to have him with us tonight and I promise this is the best show we have ever had. Thank you, sir.” The man said with no words coming from the crowd with silence falling over them but I did not care. I was fighting, I was fighting to break free but the men were pinning me down with all I had. I was biting and biting until my face was held back to the thing I was tied to. The man holding me placed his hand over my forehead, pressing my head back with me heaving. They all had me nailed and there was no escaping from that. I could feel someone tend to my wrist and ankles, stopping the blood loss. My tears fell, the sob leaving me shaking.

“Kill me, please, kill me,” I begged the man that had his hand over my face. I could not see his face, whispering to him, begging him with all I had.

“My brother will pay, tell him you saved my life, he will pay you any amount you want. Please, just kill me, please sir. Don’t you have a daughter, please don’t let them do this to me.” I cried out, begging and trying to appeal in every way I could. I begged over and over again until his hand came over my mouth, holding it shut and pressing my head with his hand. My tears fell on his skin, it dripping away. He never stared at me, none stared at me. I was forced to stare at the crowd but I could not. I could not let the vultures see the fear in me, I could not let them see me that scared. I had never been so scared in my life.

A lot had happened, including losing my parents but I had never been that scared. It was too much; it was too much for a person to bear.

“Today we have a special someone, she is feisty, she is a fighter and she is a virgin, Sir. But I was just about to say to the crowd that, the reason you all got invites is not because of that, that is just icing on the cake. I, on this day, would like to present to you, Masha Vasiliev. The one and only child to Vladimir Vasiliev, the one and only daughter of the white horse, of the traitor that killed so many of our brothers. This is a gift you will never find more pleasure than owning.”

The crowd roared as I shook, my head moving up to stare at the ceiling, more tears streaming down with my face burning so hard. I was bawling my eyes out, hearing chairs thrown away with how pissed off some of the people were.

“Hey! Restrain him!” The MC shot with a few guards running off to the crowd.

“I know you are all angry, I know you all want revenge but only one can take her home. The bid starts now!” The MC shot out with the crowd as if to go insane.

“A hundred million.”

“Two hundred million.”

“Five hundred million.”

I was heaving, my chest moving up and down, no prayer not said. I begged and begged the Lord in heaven to have mercy on me. I even begged the devil in hell to take pity on me and no one answered. I begged in the name of my parents and ancestors. I begged in every way I could think of for something to happen, even if it was death itself, I would accept that.

Nothing helped, the prices were so insane I knew that the people would not spend so much money to just play house with me. They were betting with their emotions, they were too angry, not even caring the money they would spend to get me. Each wanted me for themselves and they would not stop.

“Nine hundre…..”

“Okay, settle down, settle down, the Head seems to want to say something, can we just settle down and take our seats to listen.” The MC said and I thought the men would protest but none of them did. The room went still and quiet, hearing the chairs scraping as they all took their seats.

The relief washed over me but I was just kidding myself. They would continue betting when the words had been spoken and I would be back in hell again.

The hand had slipped from me, the men holding me too shocked at the prices.

My head bent down, giving up and not seeing a way out.

I would take the pain that was going to come and hope for a quick death. No one would take pity, they all hated me, they all wanted me to suffer for the sins of my father and I would.

My head pounded, feeling so faint, wishing I could collapse and never wake up but I would not even be granted that.

I heard a chair scrape, someone standing up and I would say it was the Head.

My tears fell, watching them, never-ending, more coming with each time I thought of what was to happen to me.

“I would just like to know Maximus, why YOU, why you Maximus Shelium have my wife chained up like a slave on that stage.”

Everything seemed to stop at that moment, my breath harsh as it escaped me with my heart drumming so hard all of a sudden. Could it be? My mind seemed to be slow to process, my eyes wide with my head daring to snap up. I was scared, I was scared that I would have so much hope and look up only to find out that it was just a sick joke they were playing on me.

The nerves had me scared, scared it would not be true. I was scared to have hope because I could not bear to be shuttered again.

My head looked up, my eyes searching the crown with them not having to look up for long.

I cried out, my eyes taking him.

He stood tall, a black coat draped over his shoulders with a suit underneath and his eyes were set in one place and that was Maximus. The nervous and scared laugh coming from Maximus nearly had me tear my eyes off him but not really.

I took him up and down as fresh tears streamed down my face.

“Azrail.” The name slipped from my lips, so low even I could barely hear it. His skin was so red, his hands in fists, looking as if he was about to murder someone.

I wanted to tear away and run to him, I wanted to get off and go to him. I knew he would shield me; I knew he would take me away.

I cried in relief, my sobs echoing all over the room. My head bowed to pick up again, my heart to tear through my chest, not believing it, not believing it was really happening.

Was it really him?

The men that were all holding me quickly let go and stepped away.

I could smell the fear in the air. My eyes picked on every face in that room and Azrail never disappointed. The fear he drilled into people from just his voice alone was something from out of this world. Three men stood behind the chair he had been sitting on which was the largest in that room. The men were his guards, just standing there, looking ahead as if they were robots.

“Sir…” Maximus could not even speak, the fear having the mic shake in his grasp.

“Sir, that…that…” He took a deep breath, not able to speak, his voice filled with too much fear it would choke and kill him.

“Sir, that is Ma…Mash…. Masha Sir. She Is Vladimir Vasiliev’s daughter.” Maximus cleared or so he thought he was.

“Sam, pull her hair back, show her face, show her face...” Maximus rushed the words out, turning to where I was and pointing.

One of the men that had been holding me quickly ran back to me, pulling my hair away from my face, leaving it bare for everyone to see.

Maximus was looking from me to The Head as a way of showing him that I was not the person he thought I was but I was. That was Maximus’s mistake because I was the person Azrail was looking for.

The silence in that room was too much, the people who had been sitting in their chairs already pushing their chairs back slowly as they saw more men shuffle inside the room. The men entering all stood against the wall, the man who was standing next to the door suddenly locked it.

The sound of that click had my father’s enemies standing up from their seats, wanting to run out but the men wearing black suits that had come with Azrail just pushed those that wanted to escape back down.

Azrail was staring at one person and one person only. His eyes were on Maximus and I was sure Maximus had peed himself by then.

“Masha.” Azrail’s voice was low, calling for me. It was a dangerous note, sending a chill down my body and having a man cry out in the room. The man immediately slipped from his chair to his knees, already begging for he had figured it out.

My heart was drumming, Azrail’s eyes still on Maximus.

“Azrail,” I said back and I heard more men cry out, hands over their heads.

“Sh*t.” It was all Maximus said before the mic dropped from his hands.