I backed into the table, caged with nowhere to go. I refused to be injected with whatever that was.
“You shouldn’t have done that,” he sang, stalking towards me. The slap echoed around the room, the side of my face stinging as his hand met my cheek.
The force of the surprising hit caused me to fall sideways into the table, my ribs taking the brunt of the fall. It gave the man the perfect opportunity to stick the needle into my shoulder, surely leaving another bruise in its wake. He even took advantage of the situation to bring his knee up into my abdomen, knocking the breath out of me.
Gasping in pain, my heart felt as though it was going to explode with all the pain my poor body had already suffered through. Tears leaked from the corner of my eyes as I bent at the waist.
Just kill me know, I thought.
It didn’t take long for whatever drug it was to enter my system. Although I was pissed, my body was calm, sluggishly so. My vision weakened; hallows appeared around objects and nearly making me dizzy.
In such a weak state, the man roughly took hold of my upper arm and dragged me out of the room. He walked too fast causing me to trip over my feet and the end of the dress. He didn’t seem to care.
He came to an old-style elevator and roughly kept dragging me in. The bars came down, then a see through plastic thing next. It made a lot of noise as I leaned against the side, still reeling from everything that had happened so far.
At least my assumption of being underground was correct. But how far under were we?
“Such a shame,” he spoke as the elevator began to move. He couldn’t stop himself from moving some of my hair behind my ear, causing me to flinch from his touch. “You should be mine to keep, but of course you have to be used to repay a debt.”
He backed away instantly, only leaving his hand on my arm in a tight grip as the elevator came to a bumpy stop. Waiting on the other side was a man I could only vaguely remember.
He looked . . . unlike what I could remember with a drugged-up mind. Same dark hair, dark lustful eyes and a shaved round face. Last time, which seemed like it was so long ago, he had a more casual feel about him. It had seemed like he hadn’t wanted to do what he did. Now, he stared at me with a blank expression.
“’Bout time,” he seethed while looking me up and down. “Marks? You’ll pay for that.”
“She fought. What else was I to do?” the man – Shemoli – spoke still having a hold on me.
“Come,” Gem said, taking a hold of the rope that dangled between my hands. He was careful to not touch my skin, which I found odd. Before, although he had been gentle then too, he hadn’t shied away from it.
Shemoli let me go, leaving his handprint on my arm in an angry red bruise. I let my eyes slide close as the brighter lights began to swarm. I numbly walked where I was led like a lamb being taken to water.
I was then pulled roughly to a stop before a thick wooden door. I blinked, confused.
“Now listen. You will obey any command given to you when we step into that room. Do not speak a single word; act as though you are not even there. When the Boss accepts you as my payment, you are to go to him and kneel in front of him. You are not to look anywhere but his shoes,” he spoke with unsaid threats. “Understood?”
I nodded in reply, not knowing how else to respond. I was too drugged to even attempt to fight him, or anyone for that matter.
“Good girl,” he said with a smirk that made me gulp as my stomach twisted.
What had he done? Why was he using me to repay his debt? Was I really worth something like that?
After he knocked twice, the huge door was swung opened, and Gem pulled me behind him. I kept my eyes down on the dark carpet. It was much darker in the room than it had been in the hallway. The smell of cigar smoke was strong, and I coughed, choking from the thickness of it.
I was nearly right on top of Gem, up against his back as the door was shut. I was also out of sight from the only man that was still sitting in an oversized chair. His black shoe tapped impatiently against the floor.
“You bring repayment, Gem?” the man grunted. His voice, although filled with authority, was calm and smooth.
“You doubt me?” Gen asked, shocked. “I told you I would have something better than money since my money's no good to you here.”
“And that would be a girl from the underground section?” the man laughed. His laugh was deep, and make my heart stutter in something other than fear. “I don’t want somethingusedfrom there. I find no interest in of them. Which you knew very well of.”
“She’s not of those girls,” Gem was quick to say. “You said you wanted something different, and I found just that. This here is one of a kind that you wouldn’t be able to find anywhere else.”
“Let me see,” he sighed, sounding bored.
Gem pulled me up beside him, which I found odd. I already knew we were not equals, and never could be.
“I don’t like them marked,” the boss smoke as his eyes traveled up and down my form. Did everyone have to look at me like I was something to eat?
