Beautiful Pain

9

Leo winces at his uncle's words. He felt horrible, he had gotten too attached. And now someone he cares about was going to suffer.

He is disgusted when his uncle runs his hand down Anna's cheek, he cries internally when she tries to move away.

"What else do you do?" Anna squeaks, his uncle grins.

"I run a human trafficking ring. While it is much smaller than our drug business, in your eyes it would still seem quite large."

Anna's green eyes become huge as his uncle continues, "I think I have a man in Russia who would pay a hefty price for you, he has a thing for red heads. But he doesn't usually mind if the goods are damaged. Maybe I should decorate you..."

"No," Leo snaps, then cowers when his uncle glares at him. Out of the corner of his eye, he can see Anna staring, as if she just remembered he was there.

"Since we're at it, would you like to know why Leo didn't want to go home? I'm sure he was conservative about his body. Have you wondered why he hisses when he is touched?" His uncle asks Anna, shifting his eyes to her again.

Leo looks up and catches Anna's gaze. As he expected, there is anger. But instead of hatred, there is concern. She is worried about him.

"Answer me bitch!" His uncle yells, he raises a hand threateningly.

"I was curious," she whimpers, trying to move away, "But now I don't want to know."

"Then I'll show you rather than tell you."

His uncle swiftly unties Leo and forces him to his feet. Without stopping, he takes the collar of Leo's shirt in the back and rips it straight down the middle.

"Please," Leo begs in vain, trying to keep his shirt on. His uncle doesn't listen, punching Leo straight in the back. Leo cries out in pain, arching his back. His uncle takes the opportunity to pull the rest of Leo's shirt away and drop it on the ground.

"Leo," he hears Anna gasp. He can't see her, he has his head hung in shame.

"Why... How?" She whispers.

"Like his decorations?" His uncle sneers, "I made them myself."

"They're horrible," Leo hears despair in her voice, "Why?"

"Because that's what we do to pathetic, worthless bastard's who refuse to work with us. In this dark and dangerous world, you either kill or be killed."

"Then why isn't Leo dead?!" Anna shrieks, it catches Leo off guard. He dares to look up at her, tears are streaming down her face, "Being dead would be better than this horror that you've done to him."

"Dispite that rule, there is a certain exception."

Anna is almost crying too hard now to answer, Leo realizes she's sobbing out of fear. Fear of her fate. If she was sold, this would likely happen to her. The man from Russia was ruthless with his women, Leo knew. He had witnessed it.

"Do you want to know what that exception is little Anna?"

She looks up, tears dripping down her face in a steady stream, and nods.

"Family. Leo is my nephew. And right now, he is the only one who has the power to save you."