My lover, my assassin

Chapter 7

They marched us out of the rooms, those that didn't obey were dragged out, kicking and screaming. We were pushed into a room that had one large swimming pool like bath and when I realised what they wanted us to do I baulked, as did the others. The guards who had escorted us here smirked as we stood in a group, no one making the first move. One of them moved forward and I saw a whip on his belt. Who the hell carried around a whip? He stroked it as he paced in front of us.

"Get in and clean the filth off you. Your clothes go in the corner there, you all have fresh clothes over there."

He pointed to a small alcove with the handle of the whip. Smiling at us he began to unwind it.

"Do you need some motivation?"

The girls around me sobbed and grouped closer together. With a sigh I stepped forward, stripping off my clothes, well aware of everyone's eyes on me. Head held high I stepped into the bath and grabbed some soap. I glared up at the man with the whip who was raking his eyes over me. The girl who had spoken to me in the room went next and then the rest of the group of girls quickly stripped off and jumped in. I turned my back to them, trying to give them some privacy even though soon they would have no dignity left. Neither would I. I bit my lip as I felt tears swell in my eyes when a soft hand rested on my shoulder. I jumped but didn't turn around.

"You're brave."

"No I'm not, I just didn't want anyone to get hurt. Is that foolish? After what we are about to experience?"

"No, it's a kindness that we rarely see. Thank you. Even this little bit of privacy you are given them is a gift."

"I just wish there was more I could do."

"Being there for each other is all we can do."

When we were all cleaned up I led the way again, keeping my chin up and my face blank despite the shame and fear I felt. I grabbed a towel, dried myself and went to the next room. This time I couldn't stop the growl of anger from coming out of my throat. The clothes, if they could be called that were nothing more than flowy shifts. They would barely cover the girls bottom half. I looked around for clothes that I would wear and saw a small robe, the same length as the shifts for the girls. I had no underwear. I turned and saw the man with the whip had followed us in.

"I refuse to wear that. Give me back my clothes."

He raised his hand and I steeled myself for the blow but it never fell. One of the other guards had grabbed his arm.

"This is the bosses toy, he isn't to be marked. Boy, you either where that or go in wearing only that towel."

I grit my teeth and marched towards the 'robe' and put it on, my face burning with embarrassment.

After that we were marched to another room with a group of tables, a bar and small alcoves with beds in them. Seeing them some of the girls began to weep, silently. They had learned that to make noise was to invite violence and many wore the red marks on their faces and arms to prove it. We were made to sit on a small raised platform in the middle of the room and left there to wait. I sat in the middle, somehow being encircled by some of the girls. When I looked at them their mouths were set in a stubborn line and in their own way they were trying to protect me. I felt a surge of appreciation towards them but knew nothing they could do would help. I drew my knees up to my chest, hugging them to give me some sort of comfort.

My mother had sold me. I was going to become some bastards play thing. I rested my head on my knees and allowed myself to feel the fear I had been pushing down since awakening in that small room. Those two guys who had followed me last night must have been from Leon, the one my mother had sold me to. I would never see Kayano or Karma again. Small tears leaked out of the corner of my eyes as the doors slammed open. I quickly wiped them away and looked up to see a group of men walk in, eying the stage of women in front of them. I saw Leon on the balcony looking down approvingly and when his eyes landed on my he licked his lips.