Murderville

by Ashley

  “Hello,” he said as he waited for the voice on the other end. A man told him the address to the ball and hung up. And just like that, they were headed to the secret location.

  The prestigious hotel was closed down for the night. The sign out front read:

  CLOSED FOR CONSTRUCTION

  However, the hotel was actually about to host L.A.’s most exclusive event. Limos lined up in the back of the hotel as men entered through the rear entrance. It was a black tie affair so every man wore a black tuxedo with black tie. As Baron’s and A’shai’s limo pulled to the back curb, both men admired the beautiful women who stood outside acting as personal hostesses, one for each car that pulled up. A tall blonde beauty opened the door for them and stepped to the side so they could walk on the red carpet that led to the back entrance.

  “Welcome to The Gentlemen’s Ball,” the exquisite woman said.

  “Thank you,” Baron said as he stepped out of the car and reached into his pocket. He slid a crispy $100 into the woman’s hand, and she accepted it gladly. She placed the bill inside of her cleavage and smiled. A’shai stepped out and fixed his cufflinks, and they headed into the building. As they walked inside, masquerade masks were handed to them, and they were ordered to put them on to conceal their identities. As soon as they put the masks on, they were greeted by another hostess who handed them each a hand-rolled Cuban cigar along with a flute of the finest champagne. She then pulled a lighter from her cleavage and lit the cigars for them both. Baron took a puff and smiled.

  “This is good right here,” he complimented as he tasted the expensive cigar. He was a consummate connoisseur of cigars and could smell good Cuban smoke from a mile away. A’shai also hit his cigar and they proceeded through the room. The immaculate showroom was nothing short of amazing. An immense stage sat in the middle of the floor that had a runway attached to it. The theme of the ball was black and white. The porcelain floors on the stage were checkered black and white as well as the abundance of balloons around the stage, which made it a sight to see.

  “Follow me, gentlemen,” their hostess said to them as she led them to their seats right below the stage in the first row. The sounds of Ol’ Blue Eyes, also known as Frank Sinatra, serenaded the ball.

  “What you know about Ol’ Blue Eyes,” Baron asked, being a fan of a wide range of music. A’shai chuckled and nodded his head to the sounds of “My Way.” Baron took a glance around the room and although the men had masks on, he was able to recognize a lot of his business partners and associates and even some celebrities. Baron looked across the room and began to give A’shai some game.

  “See that cat right there,” Baron said as he discreetly nodded his head in the direction of the man he saw. A’shai nodded his head as he followed Baron’s eyes.

  “That’s the mayor of New York City,” Baron said and then looked to the other side of the room. “And over there… that’s one of the biggest hip-hop moguls in the world.” A’shai looked over and couldn’t believe his eyes. The flamboyant, brown skinned rapper was dapperly dressed in an expensive suit and sat discreetly amongst his entourage.

  “Damn, you ain’t bullshitting. That’s crazy,” A’shai said as he looked over noting the hip-hop mogul’s attendance. He was still noticeable even though he wore a mask.

  “You’re in the big leagues now, son. All millionaires travel in the same circles. It doesn’t matter how you get it as long as you got it,” Baron said as he smiled and nodded his head at his son. Just as A’shai was about to respond, a voice on the loudspeaker sounded.

  “Fifteen minutes to show time,” a female voice announced over the intercom. A man was seated about three chairs down from them, also masked.

  “Hello my friend,” he said discreetly to Baron. He was accompanied by a beautiful black woman on his arm. He raised his mask to reveal himself. It was Samad.

  “Hello,” Baron said to his new coke connect. Samad also nodded at A’shai, who returned the gesture. Before they could engage in any conversation, the announcer stated that the show was about to start. A skinny white man with a Zorro-type mask walked onto the stage with a microphone in his hands.

  “Welcome to The Gentlemen’s Ball. Let the bidding begin!”

  Liberty looked in the vanity mirror as she applied mascara to her face, preparing for the biggest night of the year. Butterflies fluttered in the pit of her stomach. Abia stood behind her with her arms crossed, watching the beauty doll herself up.

  “You look gorgeous,” Abia complimented as she placed her hands on Liberty’s shoulders.

  “Thank you,” Liberty answered. She had heard about this ball for so long and wondered what to expect when she went out to the showroom. She could hear the chatter from the men and the soft music playing and it only added to her nervousness. Liberty’s hand began to tremble as she applied the eyeliner to her lids.

  “Don’t be afraid. You are going to do great,” Abia said as she took notice of the young damsel-in-distress. “It’s just like any other trick, but it’s for a lot more money,” Abia said as she thought about the high ticket price that Liberty would demand. Hands down, she was the most stunning woman in the building and Abia understood that. Abia already knew whom she would get the attention of and that was Samad Sadat, one of the biggest cocaine distributors in the country. Samad always purchased the belle of the ball each year, and she knew this year he would be amazed. Inside Abia’s head, she knew that if everything went as planned Samad would buy Liberty, not only for the night…

  Since the ball was held in a hotel, it acted as a gigantic brothel for the night and soon the rooms would be filled with men. Some left wives at home, some simply needed a dinner companion, others were looking for long term affairs, but they were all there seeking one of Abia’s girls. That night they would engage in various sexual acts and all types of fetishes. Abia already began to think about how she would make $1 million in one single night. She closed her eyes and smiled and prepared for the biggest trick of the year.

  The hostesses assigned each man a bidding fan as they circulated throughout the room. A’shai passed and just decided to watch. Little did he know that he was about to witness high-priced prostitution at its finest. The show began and a slim Asian woman walked down the runway with seductive lingerie that was see-through, immediately getting oohs and ahhs. The bidding started and people began to discreetly raise their fans in an attempt to purchase the girl for the night. The bidder stood at the end of the stage with a microphone in his hand.

  Baron had already planned to buy his son a girl for the night and looked over at A’shai and asked him, “You want her?” as the girl walked out and stood on stage. A’shai couldn’t believe what he was witnessing. He quickly turned down the offer… but that would soon change when he saw the only girl that would ever hold his heart.

  Liberty watched as the girls went in and out of the dressing room, and Abia monitored them like a hawk. Abia made sure that their stomachs were sucked in as tightly as they could go. She had far exceeded her expectations and nearly banked $1.5 million. Her operation was flawless and had a level of discretion that men in high places respected. Their purchases of the girls’ services would be deducted on their annual taxes as a charity donation, making their actions that night easier to justify. There were no strings attached for the men unless they wanted there to be; it was a politician’s dream.

  It was time for Liberty to go onto the stage. She took a deep breath and with a small nudge from Abia she walked out with all eyes on her. She wore a silk La Perla robe that hugged her enticing frame and plump assets. Her perky breasts sat up and her long nipples seemed to protrude through the silk’s fabric. There wasn’t a soft dick in the house. Liberty was the last girl to hit the stage, and Abia knew that she had saved the best for last. Liberty saw all the masked men in the audience, which caught her off guard as she walked down the runway. The bright lights shined down on her face and every set of eyes looked in her direction.

  “Let the bidding begin!”
The man on stage said. That’s when the place erupted. Everyone wanted a piece of the African-born beauty with the body of a model and ass of a horse.

  A’shai’s heart dropped when he saw Liberty. He was speechless and felt a lump form in his throat. As she walked down the runway with black circles around her eyes, she had the stare of a girl with no soul. It pained A’shai to see the men yelling and whistling at her like she was some sort of meat and they were starving lions. She looked older but hers was a face he would never forget… he was looking at his girl. He almost jumped onto the stage to snatch her off, but he restrained himself while remaining seated. He quickly leaned over to his father and whispered, “I want her,” trying to get his love so that he could save her. A’shai watched intensely as his heart beat rapidly, and he stared at Liberty, hoping she would look his way but she never did. The price got to $50,000, and Baron and Samad were the only ones left in the bidding war.

  “We have to get her, pops,” A’shai urged as they bid against each other. Samad refused to lose the woman that he came for. He smiled at Baron in between bids, loving the competition. A’shai waited on pins and needles as the two continued to bid. The bidding kept getting higher and higher and everyone in the room began to get excited at the two men bidding on the belle. They were on their feet, watching the two men go back and forth. Neither of them were budging or batting an eye and the bid got up to $125,000.

  In the beginning, Samad enjoyed the friendly competition, but when he saw that Baron wasn’t budging he began to grow impatient. He was tired of the games and stood up and yelled, “A half a million!!!” as he looked over at Baron and winked. The crowd erupted and began to clap at the unprecedented bid. The place was on fire. Baron shook his head. He wasn’t prepared to pay that much for one girl for one night.

  “We can’t take her home like some of these men. This is only for one night, and it’s not worth it,” Baron said explaining why he decided to concede.

  “Pops, you have to get her,” A’shai said as he began to worry. Baron conceded, and the announcer closed out the bid.

  “Going once… going twice… sold to number 23! That was amazing! Give both of these gentlemen a hand. This has broken the record for the highest bid ever. Give them a round of applause,” he said just before the two gentlemen got a standing ovation. While everyone was laughing and clapping, A’shai clenched his teeth and fought back tears. He began to put together a plan in his mind to get his girl. He wasn’t about to let her slip away again.

  TWELVE

  LIBERTY HAD NEVER BEEN SO NERVOUS IN her life. She had a $500,000 price tag on her head and even she knew that she wasn’t worth that much. How am I supposed to live up to that price? What does he expect of me? she thought as butterflies danced in her stomach and she wrung out her fingers tightly while pacing back and forth in Samad’s great room. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply as she tried to calm her nerves. I know how to satisfy a man… he’s just like the rest of them. I can do this. Stop tripping Liberty, she told herself. She was trying to put Samad on the same scale as all of her previous clientele, but it was obvious that he was in a league of his own. She had messed with many men before, but Samad’s wealth ran deep. As Liberty walked around the room looking at all of the antique furniture and expensive artwork she knew that Samad’s money was old. He wasn’t new to this. There was nothing gaudy or flashy about the way that he lived, but everything about the remarkable property indicated that he was royalty. It was quite intimidating. She heard the doors clang open and watched as Samad entered the room. He was far from handsome… in fact his looks were quite unattractive. His lean figure was too slender for her tastes and his large nose took up too much space on his small face. He turned her off, and as he approached Liberty she tried to erase the look of contempt that crossed her face.

  “Welcome to my home… your home,” Samad stated. “You’re a very beautiful girl, Liberty.”

  Liberty lowered her eyes to the floor to avoid staring at his face. “Thank you.

  “Umm… my things. All of my clothes, my jewelry, and my car are back at the mansion. When can you take me to go get them?” she asked.

  Samad put a finger beneath her chin so that she would look him in the eyes. He turned her face to the left and then the right as if he were inspecting her. “You won’t need those things here,” Samad replied. “You will have an entire wardrobe fitted personally for you and you will have a personal driver to take you wherever you would like to go. Someone as special as you deserves to be catered to.”

  Liberty smiled slightly, blushing as she warmed up to him a bit. His ugly appearance was rivaled by the charm of a Casanova.

  “I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable here, Liberty. I would like for you to be my mate. Get to know me and I think you will like the situation that you have been brought into,” Samad stated. “You hungry? Would you like some food?” Samad held out his hand and waited for Liberty to grasp it.

  Liberty sighed, figuring that she may as well become accustomed to Samad. She grabbed his hand and smiled as he led her into the chef’s kitchen.

  “I’m going to make you a native dish that my mother used to make me,” he said.

  “Where are you from?” Liberty asked curiously.

  “The Middle East. I was born in Egypt but I was raised in Iran,” he responded.

  “Do you have any family?” Liberty asked.

  He looked her in the eyes and reached out to touch her cheek. “You are my new family,” he said seriously. “And you will give me my first son I hope.”

  Caught off guard, she didn’t know how to respond. She hadn’t expected him to request a child from her. It wasn’t even something that she had ever thought of. The world was too corrupt to bring another soul into it, but she knew that her opinion did not matter. She cleared her throat and nodded her head in compliance while giving him an unsure smile.

  “That’s my girl,” he answered.

  Despite the fact that he had personal chefs on call, he fixed her a homemade Persian meal from scratch that she actually enjoyed. The fact that he was trying to impress her made her relax slightly, and she found herself having a genuine conversation with him. As they sat side-by-side at the dinner table, he wiped food from the side of her mouth.

  “I’m sorry. I’m not very good at this formal dinner thing,” Liberty said as she blushed in embarrassment.

  “Don’t apologize. I know the places that you have been, and the conditions under which you were forced to live. Those days are over. You are mine now. You no longer have to use your back to provide a lifestyle. All you have to do is be my woman, and I will take care of everything else,” Samad said.

  She was surprised at how nicely he was treating her. His hand rubbed her shoulder gently, massaging her stress away. He looked at her clothing… the expensive couture dress that she had worn to the ball. “We have to get you some clothing… something more suitable for your new life here with me,” he said. Unable to contain himself he leaned in to kiss her. Liberty’s back stiffened at first, but the feeling of his hand stroking the nape of her neck so gently caused her to relax. She reminded herself that he had paid too much for her to turn him down. She opened her mouth and invited his tongue inside as she kissed him back, throwing her inhibitions to the wind. She reached for him as her fingers skillfully began to unbutton his Ralph Lauren dress shirt, but he stopped her as he took her hand inside his. He kissed the back of her wrist.

  He helped her up from the table. “For the next few days I want you to rest. Your body has been through enough for now.”

  Not used to being rejected, Liberty frowned in confusion. “You don’t want me?” she asked.

  “Of course I want you, but I want you to want me back. This is no longer a job, Liberty. Become my woman,” he whispered. He led her upstairs to the master bedroom where he unzipped the back of her dress. “Rest for the night. I will see you at breakfast in the morning.”

  Liberty watched as Samad left the room, leaving h
er head spinning in confusion. If he didn’t want sex, she didn’t know what to give him. It was all she had to offer. She hadn’t given her companionship to anyone since she was a little girl. She didn’t even know how to love a man anymore. In her eyes they all wanted something… including Samad… she just hadn’t figured him out yet.

  Liberty awoke to the sound of people talking around her and as she slowly opened her eyes she noticed two women standing at the foot of the bed. The doctor’s masks they wore over their faces let her know that they were medically trained but she felt violated as one of them said, “Put her feet in the stirrups,” without even acknowledging Liberty.

  “Stop! What are you doing?” Liberty shouted, kicking her legs in protest as two women tried to force her legs into the stirrups. “What are you doing?!”

  One of the women came to the side of the bed and spoke calmly. “Relax, Liberty. My name is Dr. Kapoor, and I am here to give you a medical examination. The woman at the foot of the bed is one of my nurses. We are not here to harm you in any way. In fact, it won’t even hurt. You will feel a slight discomfort, but it isn’t painful. We are just giving you a pap smear,” the woman said.

  “A pap what?” Liberty asked as she panted angrily and sat up fully.

  “It’s a medical test that will tell us if you have any sexually transmitted diseases or any issues with cervical cancer. It’s just a precaution to make sure that you are healthy. We will also perform a routine physical when we are done,” the doctor explained. “Lay back and try to relax. I promise it will not hurt.”

  Liberty reluctantly lay on her back as her legs were hoisted into the stirrups at the end of the bed. She cringed as they performed the procedure feeling more violated than she had in a long time, but as promised there was no pain. Samad entered the room while her legs were spread wide open and she turned her head in shame. She didn’t even know him and he was standing at the foot of the bed, peering at her insides as if he was entitled to.