Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 102546 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 513(@200wpm)___ 410(@250wpm)___ 342(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102546 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 513(@200wpm)___ 410(@250wpm)___ 342(@300wpm)
Instead, I stand in an oversized white T-shirt that hangs off one shoulder and falls down to my knees. I’m barefoot, and my hair is a tangled mess. Pieces fell across my bruised face. It still hurts. Like a throbbing pain that won’t go away. I can feel a patch of hair stuck to my head where I was bleeding at one time. They haven’t allowed me to shower. I guess they don’t care about my appearance or if I stink.
Matteo wraps his fingers around my upper arm, pinching my skin, and I whimper. I try to pull away, but of course it doesn’t work. I don’t even know why I try at this point. I’m too weak to fight him right now. This morning, they fed me a few crackers and a bottle of water. They want me as weak as possible. They’re no longer interested in the fight. Just compliance.
“Does Dad know what you’re doing?” I growl.
He snorts but doesn’t answer. After what he said to me about our father back in Vegas, I’m not sure what is the truth or a lie anymore. Have Matteo and the twins been behind this the entire time? Was my father ever a part of it? Obviously, he allowed me to be sold the first time, but did he really want Kingdom? Was he after the Dillan and the Kings?
“Two more, and she’s up,” Richard announces, coming into view from around the corner. “Here.” He holds out a device that resembles a plastic gun. It’s black and has what looks like a very short needle on the end.
“Hold her.” Matteo shoves me forward into Richard’s arms. I instantly start fighting, slamming my fists into his chest and face. Anything I can make contact with.
“Fuck, you’re such a pain,” he growls, grabbing my hair. I scream out as he pulls me away from him. Spinning me around, he shoves me face-first into the wall and yanks my arms behind my back. He slides something rough over them, and I feel the zip tie tighten around my skin.
I scream at the top of my lungs, pieces of my hair now in my mouth and my eyes closed to try holding the tears back. I hate for them to see me weak.
“Hold her still,” Matteo barks.
A hand grips my hair, pulling it off my shoulder, and I feel something press into the base of my neck before a shooting pain has my knees buckling. I fall to the floor, my breath momentarily taken away as a lingering sting in my neck leaves me breathless.
“Get her up. She’s next,” my brother demands.
I’m yanked to my feet by my hair, and Richard has to throw me over his shoulder because I can’t will my legs to work. I hope whatever they just did to me kills me because I can’t go on like this—be their toy to toss around and use.
When I’m placed back on my feet, a hood is shoved over my head, and I’m thankful for the darkness. Even if it is a false sense of security because I don’t want to see what’s out there for me. I don’t need to see the crowd or who is bidding. It won’t be a handsome, tatted King coming to rescue me. Not this time.
Hands grip my shoulders, holding me in place, when I hear a voice whisper in my ear through the hood. “Go make us some money, whore.”
I’m shoved forward just like last time, but I manage to remain standing. I won’t be able to get up easily with my hands tied behind my back and a hood over my head. I’d hate to fall off a stage if that’s even what I’m standing on.
I freeze. The blood rushing in my ears is so loud that I can only hear my heavy breathing. I’m sweating, my body cold and shaking. The hood is sticking to my skin along with my hair, and the snot running down my face mixed with the tears I’m now crying.
My legs tremble, and that pain at the base of my neck intensifies to a burning sensation. I want to scratch it but don’t have that luxury.
It feels like hours that I stand frozen in place while men look at what I have to offer them. My shirt is grabbed, and I’m yanked backward into a hard body. The hood is ripped from my head, and I’m back in the hallway. I’m sucking in breath after breath, trying to calm my racing heart. I feel like I’m about to have a heart attack. Is that a thing? Can someone my age have one?
“Good job, little sis.” Matteo grabs my chin roughly, forcing me to look up at him. “Be a good slut and show him a good time. Give him his money’s worth. And when we decide he’s had enough, we’ll come and get you.”