NERTHUS
“And we have a real gem over here. Beautiful Ms. Amber Flannings.”
The man welcomes me on the stage with a big smile and I take the hand that he is offering me to get up the steps onto a little pedestal elegantly.
I’ve always known how to present myself.
Standing there in a flimsy short dress, my light blue underwear shimmering through, I prop up one of my arms to my side.
I try my best to smile through the bids that start going as soon as I get up on the stage and the host has my CV on display.
The host can barely follow them and the uncomfortable feeling in my stomach grows.
I did my best to hide it from Arawn because I didn’t want him to get involved with my issues with my family and I would do anything to keep him and Danny safe.
As I was preparing myself for this auction, I tried to convince myself that I could just get up here, get my cousin his money, spend the night with the one who bought me and get back to my life again.
Maybe he could forgive me.
Maybe Goldman would see that as humiliating enough.
There is only one problem.
My plan is bullshit.
Because as I’m standing about to be bought by some stranger, I’m close to throwing up.
I don’t want any other man to touch me.
I’m just his.
I shake my head and renew my smile, fighting against my tears.
You are just his favorite toy for the moment, my little voice tries to convince my bleeding heart, even if I know that this couldn’t be further from the truth.
He would have gotten bored of you anyway.
As I’m convincing myself that I’m just a bitch anyway and I have to think about my future, I nearly miss how the bits are getting high as fuck.
My heart skips a beat as they reach eight digits, making me gulp.
No way I’m going to make it out alive.
Sure enough, the one buying me is a psycho.
Even if I heard such sums before as the other girls were auctioned off, I start getting nervous, now that it’s me that will have to perform for this kind of money.
Arawn really ruined me.
A few months ago, I would have celebrated at such an occasion.
My cousin’s words replay in my head, making my heart sink to my stomach as I remember him saying that he would have his turn with me if I made it out alive to whoever would buy me.
I know that this is some kind of underground auction ring, and I would have nearly been fascinated by all the colorful exotic animals if it weren’t for all the crying girls.
At least I’m here because I’m stupid.
As the bidding reaches its peak and the host starts counting out, I nearly want to bodyslam him to make him stop.
But like the good whore I am, I just smile through it instead.
After my winner is announced in the form of an anonymous number, the host helps me down from the pedestal with his wide smile. “Congratulations, my dear.”
Yeah sure.
“Thank you so much.”
A beautiful woman gestures to me to follow her and guides me through a long hallway until we reach a room with my buyer’s number.
Opening the door, she discloses a small room that looks like a dressing room of a theater starlet.
It is already filled with other things he bought. Stupid art and white statues, but my gaze falls onto the bucket of ice standing on a vanity.
I guess that is for me.
“Please feel free to drink some Champagne, before you will be picked up by your buyer.”
“Thank you,” I turn around with a smile, just to see her mirroring my expression with an overly happy one.
Guess she gets a profit share.
With a little curtsy, I step into the room and she closes the door with a click, leaving me alone.
As I wait, I try to sip some Champagne elegantly, refraining from emptying the bottle in one go panicky.
I jump as the door opens and a tall and slender man greets me politely. “Ms. Flannings.”
“Yes,” I answer awkwardly, skyrocketing out of my seat, and he nods.
“Please keep calm, and refrain from making any scene or… fuss,” his scolding tone and British accent make me feel even worse and as he finally asks me to follow him, I do so, silently.
Giving my best to breathe calmly, I force up a smile whenever he interacts with me, not wanting to appear weak.
It’s just a job, just a night.
I try to convince myself, repeating it over and over like a mantra.
You have survived worse.
As I step out into the fresh night air, the tall man makes a little gesture with his hand, summoning one of his gorillas.
The big man throws his coat over me, and I nod thanking him.
I get into the shiny limousine waiting and the door is pulled open for me.
Shutting down entirely, I don’t even register my surroundings or the men scurrying around me.
Oh no, what if it will be some sort of harem thing?
As my stupidity dawns on me more and more, I push out a shaky breath as the limousine starts rolling.
After what seems like hours and hours of driving, we roll directly onto a runway, where a private jet is already waiting for us.
The door of the car opens to make me step out, and I get steered to the airplane gently. Only the British gentleman and the bodyguard who gave me his coat board the plane with me and I gulp as they push me into one of the cozy seats of the luxurious plane.
“Are you the one who bought me?” I ask lowly as the plane starts rolling to the airstrip for take-off.
The man who has his face already buried in a large newspaper chuckles as he looks at me over his thin glasses. “No. I sure didn’t. But my master was waiting for something as exquisite as you for a long time.”
I scoff, repositioning in my seat as I hug the coat of the bodyguard closer.
“I was kidnapped and sold against my will. I already belong to a very powerful man. I’m sure that he can repay your boss for getting me back, and even give him a little extra for his trouble,” I try to negotiate, but he only has a dry laugh for me.
“I don’t think that my master will be interested in such a thing. At least not once he finally can put his hands on you.”
Taking a deep breath, I mirror his smile, and just as I have decided to keep quiet, the next question blabbers out of my mouth. “Are you something like a butler?”
“Something like that. Yes,” he answers politely, smiling at me. “A butler who is trying to read.”
“Sorry,” I whisper, shutting my mouth.
It seems like we have just taken off as we are already landing back again, and I get pushed into another car. “In which country are we now?”
“Enough with the questions, Ms. Flannings,” the butler sighs with an annoyed tone.
The car’s windows are tinted so dark that I can barely make out the silhouettes of the surroundings that are flying by.
As we seem to get close to our final destination, or better my final destination, my heart starts to hurt more and more.
We arrive at a huge mansion and I stare in awe as we pass the first gate to the vast driveway.
As the gravel churns under the tires of the car slowing down, my heartbeat picks up its pace.
A huge armoire of a man rips the car door open, and I get pulled out of the car and steered into the mansion.
I’ve barely time to admire the elegant and posh interior of the entrance, as I get pushed into a long hallway.
Descending a set of cold stairs, I notice that I must have been on my way to some kind of basement.
I try pushing down my panic attack that is about to take over my body as I don’t want to risk giving out because I end up hyperventilating.
The men around me talk in a language I can’t understand and my panic reaches its peak as I get to stand in front of a huge steel door that gets opened by two Gorillas, nearly using all their force on the heavy door.
And I realize that I could never open that one by myself.
Oh, this is my death.
Serves me right, stupid me.