A Debt To Pay

46

Soon, we were all crammed into the back of a large van, practically seated on top of each other while we travelled to the club where the auction would take place.

With each moment, I felt more and more terrified, my mind going over every possible scenario that could occur tonight. One way or another I would be going home with a stranger, I could only hope that he wasn't completely awful.

I constantly thought of Logan. He had turned out to be okay and was known as the biggest and the baddest so surely whoever bought me couldn't be that bad. But then Logan's entire reputation was an act and he was actually a nice guy... so maybe I hadn't even seen a glimmer of how bad someone could be.

I looked around the rest of the girls, at least 50 of us cramped into the small, confined space. Most of them seemed a little nervous, but all in all they were calm and unbothered. I started to wonder how many times they had been in this situation, how many times they had been sold off and then returned when their 'owner' got bored.

My thoughts were interrupted when the van came to a stop and I held my breath while I waited for the doors to open. When they did, I saw we were in some kind of garage and the men were all standing, their arms crossed and frowns on their faces.

We all piled out of the van and were lead through a door off the garage. I pushed through and my jaw dropped at the luxurious decorations in the room. The walls were papered in a deep red colour and the floor was a mahogany wood, giving the room a sophisticated atmosphere. At the far side, long matching burgundy drapes hung, cloaking what looked to be a stage and facing that stage were plush, black velvet sofas.

I didn't have much time to ogle as we were lead across the room and up onto the stage. "This is going to be where you will be presented in an hour," David told us before ushering us off the back of the stage and into a large, empty back room.

The door was shut and locked behind us and I frowned. "What happens now?" I asked Josie, running my hands up and down my forearms as a draft blew over my bare skin.

"We wait," she said, sinking to the floor and curling her arms around her knees. "Its freezing in here."

I nodded in agreement and sunk down beside her, feeling completely empty as I stared ahead of me. Beside me, Josie began fiddling with her shoe before she pulled out a small square object.

"Whats that?" I asked her, peering over her shoulder and catching a glimpse of a small photograph.

"My parents," she answered softly, flipping the photo over in her fingers over and over. "I keep this with me at auctions, its small enough to keep hidden."

I nodded, wishing I had something of my own that would remind me of my dad, my sister... and Logan.

I didn't have long to dwell on my loneliness as the door beside me swung open and David was storming in, a frown on his face. I slowly rose to my feet alongside the other girls, watching as he surveyed the room.

In the back corner, a fairly young girl, around Millies age, was sobbing quietly. I watched as his eyes zeroed in on her and frowned as he thundered across the small room, ploughing past girls who had to dart aside to avoid him, and straight towards her.

"What do you think you are doing?" He all but snarled in her face, only making her tears flow faster.

She snivelled as he pulled her closer to him, clearly hurting her with his grip. "All this crying will smudge your makeup," he hissed.

I watched in silent horror as she tried to swallow down her sobs. "Fix her," he ordered to nobody in particular before throwing her onto the floor.

The sound of her body hitting the floor had me wincing and I had to bite my lip to keep from speaking my mind. Instead, I cowered away as he stormed back towards the door - and therefore me.

He halted directly in front of me, his scowl deeper. I shifted nervously as his dark eyes flickered over me before landing on Josie. "What is this?" He growled, taking the small photo from her shaky hand.

Tears filled Josie's eyes as she stared up at him. He stuffed it forcefully into his pocket before swinging his palm and slamming it into the side of her face. I gasped aloud, unable to stay silent as my friend sobbed in pain.

David's gaze snapped to me and he prowled towards me, his eyes dark and narrowed. "Problem?" He asked.

I shook my head, avoiding his gaze and watching as my friend clutched the side of her face. A smirk appeared on David's face before he brushed past me. At the door, he paused and turned to face us all. "I don't want to hear a sound," he growled before slamming the doors closed.

With a soft sigh passing across the room, whether from fear or relief that he had gone, most girls dropped back down to the floor. I sat beside my friend and reached for her hand, desperate to try and comfort her as best I could.

Gently, I squeezed her hand and watched as several girls crowded silently around the younger girl who was wiping her tears away.

We all waited in total silence for what felt like forever, too afraid to mutter a word, until eventually, the door opened and the four men stepped in.

"On your feet!" David snapped.

In a blink, we were all standing and my heart thundered in my chest. It was time. The four of them surveyed each girl and my stomach turned when Jace's ice cold eyes locked on mine.

"Line up around the edge of the room," Damien ordered and those in the middle shuffled until we were all in one long line around the edge. The men brought several pairs of handcuffs from their pockets and began cuffing us together.

As Jace's hand curled around my wrist, I flinched and felt bile rose up in the back of my throat. He grinned wickedly before cuffing my left hand to Josie's right one.

When everyone was cuffed, we were lead out of the small, cramped room and positioned in a long line on the stage. I stood at the end, the last one in the line and let my tears brim my eyes.

The curtain rose slowly and spotlights beamed down onto us, blinding me and leaving me unable to see the crowds. I fixed my gaze on a small spot on the stage in front of me, drowning out the sound of Stephan introducing each girl and the calls for bids.

I felt sick to my stomach as number 46 was called out - me. A tear trickled down my cheek and I squeezed my eyes shut, remembering the day before I had stormed out of Logans house, when I was curled up in his arms - warm, safe and so happy.

I began to tremble as I tuned back into what was happening only to hear the word "sold" echo around the room.