Fashioned For Sin

Chapter 19

Blair

I lost track of time after the first few days. Erik somehow convinced them to untie me and didn't really help all much.

It’s like living in a nightmare you can’t wake up from. The walls of this new place are cold and damp, the air heavy with the smell of mould and rotting wood. I can’t tell if it’s morning or night most days—just a constant haze of grey. Every abandoned building looks the same after a while—cracked windows, peeling paint, the echoes of my screams bouncing off the walls. But I know we’re still in New York. Erik told me. He always tells me where we are.

Erik. I don’t know what I’d do without him. I don’t know why he helps me, but he does. Maybe he feels guilty. Maybe he’s just waiting for his own chance to escape this life.

All I know is that every little bit of kindness feels like a lifeline. He’s the one who took out my belly piercing.

I remember the quiet moment in the corner of that forest shack, Erik kneeling down, gently unscrewing the tiny butterfly. His hands were shaking, but his voice was steady when he told Carlo and Brian it was annoying when he fucked me. I wanted to throw up when he said that, but it was a lie. I knew it, and he knew it. And they believed it.

They left the piercing behind. I’d seen on the news—the tiny TV they let us watch sometimes—that the police found a body out there, close to where we’d been hiding. My heart pounded in my chest, a mix of fear and hope. Maybe Leo saw it. Maybe he’s looking for me. Erik’s eyes met mine when the report came on, and he gave a small nod. Just enough to let me know he understood. That he was still on my side.

But for every moment of kindness from Erik, there’s the darkness that comes with Carlo and Brian. They take what they want, when they want it, without a second thought.

I’ve lost count of how many times they’ve come into my room, the door creaking open like the beginning of some sick game. The sound of their boots on the wooden floor is enough to make my skin crawl. I learned early on not to fight back—Carlo made sure of that.

Today, I tried to run. It was stupid. Desperate. I knew I wouldn’t get far, but I had to try. I can’t just sit here, waiting for them to break me completely. I made it to the door, my bare feet slapping against the cold concrete, but Carlo was on me in seconds. He slammed me against the wall, his hand around my throat, squeezing until I saw stars. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. Just a rush of panic and pain.

He dragged me back into the room, threw me on the mattress, and then he was on me, tearing at my clothes, his breath hot and foul against my skin. I screamed, but it didn’t matter. No one’s coming to save me. Not yet, anyway.

When he was done, he leaned in close, his lips brushing against my ear. “You try that again, and I’ll kill you,” he whispered, his voice cold and flat. “Understand?”

I nodded, tears streaming down my face. I hated myself for it, for the weakness, but I nodded. I don’t want to die. Not here. Not like this.

I hear a soft knock on the door, and my heart jumps. It’s Erik. It has to be. I pull myself up, wincing at the pain, and crawl to the door. It opens just a crack, and I see his face, his eyes soft and sad.

“Are you okay?” he whispers.

I want to laugh, but I don’t have the energy. “What do you think?” I whisper back, my voice hoarse.

He glances over his shoulder, making sure no one’s watching, then slips into the room. He crouches down beside me, his hand brushing against mine. “I’m sorry,” he says, his voice low. “I’m so sorry, Blair. I didn’t… I didn’t want this.”

“Then let me go,” I whisper, my eyes pleading. “Please, Erik. Just let me go.”

He looks away, his jaw tight. “I can’t,” he says. “Not yet. It’s too dangerous."

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small, crumpled piece of paper, pressing it into my hand.

“What’s this?” I ask, my fingers shaking.“Directions,” he says. “To a place where you’ll be safe. If you get a chance to run again… take it. But wait for the right moment, okay? Promise me.”

I stare at the paper, the words blurring through my tears. I nod. “Okay,” I whisper. “I promise.”

He gives me a small, sad smile, then stands up, glancing toward the door. “I have to go,” he says. “They’ll get suspicious.”

I nod, clutching the paper like a lifeline. “Thank you, Erik,” I whisper.

"I want you to know, today, later in the evening, is game day, the men who want to buy are going to test all of the girls out, you, Olivia, Hannah, Anastasia and Brooke. 5 girls, 5 days of testing, all the girls will have 5 different lenjerie for each day, then you'll get bought." He says, the words cutting deep through me.

Once I'll get bought, I don't think there will be any way of Leonardo finding me. Who knows where I'll go after.

God help me please.

Tears prickle my eyes, but Erik wipes them off, "don't let them see your tears Blair, I know you're strong, and soon enough, you'll get out of here, I promise."

"Also,one more thing Blair, the boss of the most known trafficking ring is coming,Victor Kane, if he chooses to buy you, you'll be gone to the wearhouse, it's like a livestock there, men come in and go as they please."

My heart drops, if I end up there, I'm absolutely done, no one will be able to save me.

Erik’s eyes soften with regret. “I don’t know if you can stop it. But if you get a chance to escape, you have to take it. There’s a small window of opportunity when the transfer happens, with the paper I gave you, you'll see. If you’re quick, if you’re lucky…”

I nod, trying to absorb everything he’s saying. “Okay,” I whisper. “I’ll do my best.”

He takes a deep breath, looking as though he’s about to say more, but then the door creaks open. He straightens, his face blanking into a mask of indifference. “I have to go. Be ready.”

I watch him leave, the door clicking shut behind him. My heart pounds in my chest as I try to prepare myself for what’s to come. I know I need to be vigilant, ready to act at the slightest hint of an opportunity.

The day drags on with a slow, oppressive heaviness. Every sound, every creak of the building seems magnified, my anxiety mounting with each passing hour. Finally, I hear the rumble of vehicles pulling up outside. The low hum of engines and the sound of doors slamming shut signal the arrival of Victor Kane and the other men.