“Yes, you guys brought her back.”
“Get in line outside the backroom. You can place bets and line up in order of highest bidder.”
“She looks good.”
There was a hand on her bottom, and she wanted to vomit. No one was going to save her. She would need to save herself. As she was carried past a line of men, she stopped counting when she reached ten.
Her stomach bottomed out, and she could feel the bile rise in her throat. She wanted to scream, but she knew they would feed off of it. They would want her screams. She couldn’t fight off all these men, but if they came one at a time, she might have a better chance.
A door opened and she was unceremoniously dropped onto the bed. She scooted back as far away from them as she could.
Her eyes scanned the room and looked for a way out. There was one window, but it was up high. Besides the bed, there was a shoddy nightstand and that was it. It was clear the room wasn’t for someone to stay in.
il Signore had rooms like this. She had seen the inside of one, the one time she and Dante had snuck into the room that was for entertainment in a more private setting. It had been much nicer than this.
They closed the door and left her in the room alone. But she could hear the men outside taking bets. From what she could hear. Someone named Donnetti would be first, and then the rest of them would pay for the positions after Donnetti.
She was in some type of sex auction, and they were fighting for the lowest numbers. Madison didn’t want to know how many numbers were up for auction. She looked around there was nothing in the room to use as a weapon.
It did make her laugh to see a Bible in the top drawer of the nightstand. She was sure none of the people who had been in that room had read the Bible including herself.
“Make her strip, Donnie, want to see what I’m paying for.”
“Ok, take her clothes off and bring her out. You know what, bring her out, and we can take her clothes off. Maybe cut them off.”
There was a lot of laughter, and Madison ran her hands down her leggings and sweater. They were both her designs, and she found in one hidden pocket where she had put her butterfly seam ripper when she was taking in her creation at the waist.
It was forked, and one end was longer than the other. She figured if she stabbed someone in the neck with it, it would stop them. But could she do it? And it wouldn’t work for all of them. Someone would come and take it away from her.
She watched the doorknob turn in slow motion. She didn’t want to use it too early, but she couldn’t keep it hidden in her clothes. If they were going to take them off of her.
She stuck it in her hair which was tossed up in a messy bun. It had a decorative butterfly handle and the seam ripper part was the antenna. They wouldn’t know the difference, and it would be easy to grab and use.
“Time to come out, princess, and show us what we’re getting.”
“Yeah, it must be good if she was Bianchi’s.”
Madison was dragged out of the room and onto the stage. She wasn’t sure what they would do next. She didn’t want to count the number of guys there. It would only make her panic more, and she needed a clear head.
But if she was to have a good plan she needed to take stock of the situation. Before things got out of control. She looked behind her. The stage was in the back of the club in a corner which was kind of good for her. No one could sneak up behind her, but that meant to get out she would have to go through them.
“Nowhere to run.”
“Make her strip,” was followed by choruses of “Yeah” and fist bumps.
“You heard the crowd. Do it or we will do it for you.”
Madison didn’t know which was worse, having to take her clothes off on her own, or them doing it. One guy made a move forward, and she took fast action and grabbed the hem of her sweater.
She decided it was best to do it herself. She didn’t want them to get close and touch her. She was sure they wouldn’t just take her clothes off, and she didn’t want their grimy hands on her.
Madison was happy that she had thrown another shirt on under her sweater and that she hadn’t removed her sweater even though it had been hot outside. She could drag this out.
She closed her eyes and pretended Dante was there and she was stripping for him. She would tease him slow.
Madison took her time and pulled her sweater up.
“She’s getting into it. Put some music on.”
