Chapter 9
3 hours later
I’d watched Logan’s fight sitting between Jacob and Dave, Raul a few seats away from me. This wasn’t the typical underground dirty warehouse location. No, Raul had an actual ring and seating. He obviously had been organizing these fights for a while.
Logan defeated his opponent, but it’d been brutal and tough, and I’d been in perpetual anxiety the entire time. I knew if he lost I’d be sold, but it was more than that. A small part of me worried about him. Maybe it was human nature. Maybe love couldn’t be stopped, or maybe I was just thinking irrationally.
I wore his collar, and noticed Raul’s nod of approval when he saw me with Logan. Or was it my state of dress he approved? Or rather lack of dress. I tried not to think about it, but it was hard considering there was nothing beneath it. It dipped so low in the front that my nipples were exposed. When I first put it on, I tore it off again then threw it across the room.
I even went and put on the nightgown and waited beside the bed for Logan to come back and see me not wearing what he put out for me. Then panic set in as I realized that he’d be back any second and I wasn’t dressed.
Tonight wasn’t an option. I had to do this. So, I put on the dress, and my breasts spilled out of the tight material, and I waited for Logan while kneeling on the floor.
When he saw me, it wasn’t like I’d expected. He was angry as his eyes took me in, and then that cold, expressionless face pulled down over him. He never spoke a word to me as he got changed then took me to his fight where I tried to ignore the stares of the men as they panted over my body like animals.
“Emily.” Logan had changed from his fighting shorts into a pair of black slacks and a white button-down top. He looked different, contained, formal, and I didn’t like it. He grabbed my hand then chin-lifted to Dave who’d stayed with me until Logan came back. “Three days.”
Dave nodded.
“That last shipment ... two were dead.”
“I heard,” Dave said. I didn’t even want to imagine what they were referring to, but I remembered when Logan told Alfonzo not to crate and ship me.
“Something goes wrong ...” Logan began.
“Yeah, man. I know.”
Logan gave an abrupt nod then we left Dave as we made our way back to the main house where Raul was holding the celebration. Not once did he look at me, almost as if he couldn’t—like he was disgusted. I was disgusted in myself, humiliated being emotionally degraded in front of the other men. I was an object to them. That had become my reality.
I wanted to scream and hit and freak out, but stupidity had no place in my life. I had to be harder than them, unaffected and colder. Like Logan.
All my self-control vanished the second the sounds hit me. The moans of pain, the groans of pleasure, the grunting, the crack of the whip, the laughter, and then the sobbing.
I hesitated at the doorway, and Logan’s hand tightened on my arm. “Block it out,” he whispered in a harsh growl. “Keep your eyes closed if you have to.”
He yanked me forward, and I stumbled further into the room. My chest heaved in and out as I tried to control the panic. There was no escaping this, but I did squeeze my eyes closed until I heard Raul’s voice.
“There he is.” A chair scraped over the stone tiles. “Sculpt. My prized fighter.” There was a loud applause. Logan stopped, and despite having my eyes closed I knew Raul was near me from the scent of garlic and cigarettes. “I made a lot of money tonight. That is reason enough for a celebration. You fight better than I expected.”
“I won because my opponent can’t control his temper, and I was fighting for something I wanted—a slave who is a damn good f*ck. I now realize why they are in such high demand.” His voice was strained, and I could feel the tension in his body.
“Ahh, yes. She is your first slave. You’ve done well with her. I wasn’t certain you had it in you, Sculpt.” I opened my eyes just as Raul put his finger under my chin and forced me to look at him. I swallowed. “She is very beautiful. When you tire of her, I will find a buyer for her who appreciates a woman with—spirit.”
“That won’t be for a while.”
Raul laughed as he stared at my breasts. “No, I suspect not.” He slapped Logan on the back. “Enjoy your evening. I look forward to many more of them as should you.”
Logan nodded and then led me away to a table in the far corner of the room where four men were sitting. I cringed when I saw there were two girls kneeling beside their owners; both wore collars and were naked. The other man had a male slave standing behind his chair wearing a black leather collar with studs and then a leather bra type thing that had criss-crossed straps and metal rings. When we approached the male slave looked directly at me and smiled. There was nothing in his handsome young face that said he didn’t want to be exactly where he was.
I tried not to look at anyone else, but it’s like when people slow down as they pass an accident on the highway. They have to look, it’s an irresistible reaction, and when I glanced at the girl Logan made me kneel next to, I knew exactly who she was. Well, not her name or anything, but it was the girl who made my dreams into nightmares.
She never moved an inch as I knelt beside her; Logan’s hand was on top of my head as if he was making certain that I didn’t get up and run for my life. Which did cross my mind for two seconds. But Logan was right; fear of the consequences was what would keep me alive here.
“Sculpt. Good fight.” The deep voice was controlled and sent shivers down my spine, and they weren’t good shivers. “Kai.” I didn’t look up, but I assumed they were shaking hands. “I have no interest in the fighting circuit, but I was rather impressed by your ability. And I lost a lot of money tonight.”
Logan began stroking my hair. “Raul mentioned your name in passing. I’m curious, why is it that you’ve travelled all this way for a fight you’re not interested in?”
I tensed when I saw the man’s hand reach down to the girl beside me and grab her by the chin and raise her head. “Her. I was curious when Raul sent me the invitation to the fight. I declined, however. Raul must have known I would, and he is intelligent. He also knew if I refused to come many other of my acquaintances wouldn’t either, so he offered me her. Alfonzo’s latest.”
I quickly put my head down and covered my mouth with my hand to stop from crying out. I couldn’t even imagine what Alfonzo’s training meant. I didn’t want to, and I was horrified with what the girl must have been through. Without moving my head, I glanced at her dead eyes. Alfonzo must have dug his filthy paws into her soul and ripped it out leaving this girl with nothing but a shell willing to do anything asked of her.
Logan’s leg nudged me, and I lowered my hand from my mouth. “He is giving her to you? Raul doesn’t like to give anything away.”
Kai chuckled. “No, but I required a new girl, and Raul knew that. When I saw her picture I had to have her.” I slid closer to Logan as Kai grabbed her by the collar and jerked upward. The girl never made a sound, but I did catch a glistening tear in her eye as Kai pulled her up on his lap and started fondling her. “He knows my type and this one ...” I couldn’t help but glance up at Kai, “is special.”
Logan saw me looking and quickly changed the subject to the fight. It was a couple hours later, after he’d fed me like a dog and I listened to the sounds swarming me like insects crawling over my skin, that Kai took interest in me.
“She is stunning.”
Logan had his hand on the nape of my neck, and I felt it stiffen. “Hmmm.”
“Dinner appears to be over, and my understanding is Raul likes to play afterward. Care to indulge?”
Oh God. No. No, Logan. Please.
“Not really.”
“Then why bother having her? My suggestion is tame, nothing to frighten your little slave. She does look like she wants to be swallowed up by the floor.” Kai reached over and stroked the side of my face with his finger. “Look at me.”
I did. My eyes meeting his flashing green intensity. He was handsome and dignified, like I’d imagine a business man with lots of wealth would look like. I guessed he was in his early thirties, and he had strong, defined features and really dark brows and tanned skin.
“I don’t share,” Logan said in what sounded like a growl.
“Neither do I,” Kai said, and his hand dropped from me to stroke his girl’s inner thigh. “But watching the women together. Two beauties ... now that I would enjoy.”
“No.” Logan’s voice was stern.
“No, what gentleman?” Raul was standing behind Logan’s chair, and I quickly lowered my head, my hair falling in front of my face.
Kai spoke, “I suggested a little play between the women. Sculpt has declined.”
“I never said that.”
My breath hitched. Logan please don’t make me.
“I had something else in mind for tonight.”
Kai shoved the girl off his lap, and she fell to the floor then quickly righted herself and knelt beside Kai. I reached out my hand to hers. It was instinctive and reactive, something I shouldn’t have done, but seeing her treated so cruelly had sparked a fire in me. Dangerous.
The girl looked at me horrified, her face paling at the gesture. Then just as quick, she was holding onto Kai’s leg softly stroking it like a dog licking its master.
“I’d be interested in hearing this,” Raul said. “Kai, Sculpt has been hiding this gem away for over a week now. I was beginning to think that she’d escaped him.” Kai laughed. “She was rather ... disobedient when she arrived. I was anticipating Alfonzo having to train her as he did your new slave. But,” Raul gestured to me. “She has been reigned in. After being away from us for so long, I was thinking Sculpt had become soft.”
“Then what do you have in mind for this part of the evening, Sculpt?” Kai asked.
Logan was silent, and I could feel his finger twitching. I held my breath, knowing that whatever he decided I wouldn’t like.
I dug my nails into my thighs and tried to block out my whirling imagination. “Perhaps Kai can f*ck her while she sucks you off.”
“No,” Logan said. “More of a show.”
I couldn’t control the sob that emerged from my throat, and Logan quickly reacted. He shoved the dishes off the table with one swoop of his arm, and then grabbed me by the arm threw me face down on the table, placing his hand on the small of my back.
“You want her f*cked. And I want to f*ck her.” Logan yanked up my dress, and I could feel the warm air on my bare ass. My cheek pressed against the wood of the table, and when I opened my eyes I saw Kai watching me. Our eyes locked, and I saw the cool, unaffected expression to my terror.
My breath came in short, heaving gasps. I heard voices all around me and squeezed my eyes shut as the sounds grew louder and closer. They were going to watch Logan f*ck me right here on the table.
“Legs,” Logan growled.
I squeezed my eyes shut and did as he said. He nudged my legs further apart and then stepped between them, and I felt his cock and the material of his slacks against me. I started to struggle, and he pulled back and then spanked me on the ass so hard that I cried out.
“Stay still.”
He spanked me again then he massaged my ass. He repeated it several times, spanking then massaging, and by then I was sobbing. It wasn’t from being spanked, but from the humiliation. I felt the weight of him over me, and his mouth next to my ear.
“We have to do this, Eme. Don’t think about anyone else. Focus on me. Nothing else.” He kissed down my neck and then across my shoulder blades while his hand went underneath my dress, between my legs, and he began circling my *.
At first I felt nothing, my body refusing to get turned on by this, by anything that was happening, but Logan was calm and gentle, and soon I felt the tingling, and Logan’s hand pressing in my back eased.
“Why are you bothering to give her pleasure?” I heard Raul say.
“It’s no fun f*cking a dry slave,” Logan replied. His clothes rubbed my back as he came over me again and whispered in my ear, “I’ll be fast. Don’t fight me, Eme. Okay? You get why we have to do this?”
I nodded.
I knew he was trying to protect me from something much worse than him publically f*cking me. I wasn’t wet, but mildly damp from his stimulation and when he pushed his cock inside me it didn’t hurt.
My hips pushed into the edge of the table as he thrust into me again and again. I could hear the men talking around us merging with the sound of his pelvis smacking into my ass. Glasses clanged together and I heard men telling Logan harder. A girl sobbed and then the crack of a whip then more sobs. Raul laughed and then he was beside my head shoving his finger into my mouth.
“Suck it like it’s my cock,” Raul ordered.
Logan’s hands dug into my hips as if in warning and I knew I had to. I willingly slid my tongue around Raul’s finger, tasting the juices of meat from his meal. He shoved it back and forth into my mouth matching the rhythm of Logan as I suckled and teased his finger as if it was his cock.
Laughter surrounded me. Men yelling out suggestions that sent my stomach churning and I would’ve thrown up if Raul hadn’t taken his finger out of my mouth at that moment.
I heard Logan grunt and tighten his hands on my hips as he jerked one last time into me.
He’d barely finished coming before I heard the sound of his zipper, then my dress was pulled down, and he was dragging me off the table.
“Now, I’m going to screw the shit out of her ass in privacy. Think I deserve that after winning that fight tonight, gentlemen.” Logan took my hand, nodded to the men, and strode out of the dining hall, me in tow.
The ability to speak was torn from my mind as if Logan had ripped the vocal cords from my throat himself. Nothing could be said about what happened. I wasn’t sure if he had the intention of f*cking my ass, but as soon as we were out of sight of the others, it was like all the terror, anger, disgust, and horror rushed to my head.
I imagined grabbing the machine gun from the first passing guard and running back inside and killing every one of those men. Then I’d watch them writhe around on the floor, suffering a slow, painful death ... Because that’s what each of them deserved—a slow, agonizing death. Nothing quick. Not jail—that was far too kind. Justice would be dropping them into a pit of rats, covered in blood, and having the rats gnaw at them over days ... no weeks.
Each and every molecule in my body had been slowly bottling up with rage and disgust through the dinner. I knew if I was shaken the wrong way, I’d explode into a frothy, screaming mess of a lunatic. I felt like I had to let go, scream, do anything to release all the emotions that were treading across my insides.
I’d survive it, but those girls ... I wasn’t so sure how long they would. And Kai’s newly acquired gift, God, her eyes would haunt my dreams for eternity. She’d been terrified when I tried to offer her comfort. Panic overrode any other emotion that may have once been part of that girl.
Tonight I had watched in horror the degradation of human beings.
Logan walked me back across the courtyard, his hand on the small of my back. “You did good, Emily.” Logan’s words hit me as if he’d taken a bat and slammed it across my face. Good? I did good?
His words were the wrong ones. They shook the rage-filled molecules, and they all popped at the same time.
“Good! Good! I did good?” I screamed and then threw myself at him and began punching. I didn’t care where or how, just as long as my fists were hitting something. I heard his curse as my fist connected with his jaw.
“How could you? How could you? Why did you do that? And those girls? You let them be abused. You let it happen while those pieces-of-shit men destroy them.” I punched him again and again. “They’re human beings, damn it.” The images of the girl’s dead eyes pressed into the forefront of my brain. “Kai is going to kill her. She’s almost dead now. How can you let him do that?”
“Emily. Stop it.” He tried to control me, but I was out of control, the images of what they suffered screaming through me. “Mouse!” Logan’s use of my nickname was lost to my screams, drowned beneath the undeniable anger.
I was crying and screaming at the same time. My voice unrecognizable as I yelled at him. He hooked me around the waist, put has hand over my mouth and picked me up while I continued to scream muffled words. It was then I saw Alfonzo running toward us.
“Jesus, Emily. Damn it.”
Alfonzo stopped. “Sculpt.”
Logan let me go and placed his hand on my shoulder. “Knees. Now.”
I knew what Alfonzo could do to me, so I did what I was told, but my body still shook with anger.
“Give her to me,” Alfonzo said. “Raul is furious. We heard her screams inside.”
I grabbed Logan’s leg. “Please. No. Don’t let him take me. I’ll be good. I promise. Please.”
I never in my life thought I’d beg like that, I don’t think anyone ever thinks they will until they’re faced with this. My mind was only built to take so much, and going through the torture again would kill me. I needed that piece of me that still wanted to live, to fight, to one day have my dream of freedom come true. Alfonzo was going to take that away. He was going to destroy that last fragment of hope, and I would become like those other girls. I’d die inside.
“No,” Logan said to Alfonzo, and I choked back the sobs as overwhelming relief settled into me. “I’ll take care of this.”
The sound of long, casual strides came toward us. I kept my head bowed, but knew the moment he came near enough who it was by his distinct smell—Raul.
“Take her.” Raul’s instructions to Alfonzo were clear. There wasn’t a single ounce of sympathy in his steel tone. “I knew it wouldn’t last.”
Alfonzo grabbed my arm and dragged me to my feet. I could’ve begged Raul, but it was too late. I knew that. I also knew I had nothing to lose because going to the room downstairs or being sold would be the end of who I was.
I stood immobile in front of Raul then slowly raised my head until I met his eyes.
They flickered with surprise for a second at my bold, direct gaze.
“Emily.” Logan’s warning was low and barely audible. “Alfonzo get her out of here.”
Alfonzo tugged, and I whipped around, hitting my two forefingers into Alfonzo’s trachea. He let me go, staggering backward, choking. Before Raul and Logan could stop me, I reeled around and slammed my elbow into Raul’s face so hard I felt his cheekbone crack.
“Emily!” Logan shouted grabbing for me.
I knew I’d have no chance against him if he got a hold of me. He taught me everything I knew. It was Alfonzo who took me to the ground, his fury in every movement. His knee dug into the small of my back, and my arms were yanked behind me so hard I swear they both dislocated.
I felt something cold and hard press against my head. With my cheek shoved into the ground by Alfonzo’s hand, I couldn’t lift my head, but, from the corner of my eye, I saw Raul crouched down beside me, a gun pushed against my temple.
He cocked the hammer.
“Raul,” Logan snapped.
“I knew you were too close to her.” Raul pressed the gun harder into my temple. “I should kill her right now.” I could hear his heavy breathing and smelled the scent of his last cigarette. “It is a good thing you’re beautiful. You’re worth far more to me alive then the satisfaction of blowing your brains out. Perhaps Kai is interested. He did find you attractive.”
“She’s mine, Raul. I won the fight, or did you forget that?”
“And did you forget who you’re talking too? Any of those men here tonight would be willing to buy her right now.”
Silence.
“You know how I operate, and second chances don’t exist in this world. She belongs to me now.” Raul tapped his gun against my head. “Or would you rather I shoot her?”
I couldn’t see what Logan did, but I heard the shuffle of feet, and I knew ... I knew Logan walked away.