You Loved Me At My Darkest

by Evie Harper

  “Marco, these are the Australian girls Mick picked up in New York.” I zone out as Jake explains how they took Sasha and me. This old guy looks like he has enough money to start a new country. What could he want with us?

  Marco sizes me up. He starts at my bare feet, then up my legs. With shaking hands, I wrap them around myself as his eyes glance over my waist and stops at my breasts. He grins. Unfortunately, they do look extra big in this blue dress. His gaze eventually finds my face.

  I glare at him. He narrows his eyes, and a tremble runs through me. My instincts scream at me that this is a very dangerous man. But I’m not deterred. I keep glaring.

  He looks to my right, where Sasha is standing. He examines her then straight back to me. Marco stares me right in the eyes, and I don’t waver. I keep staring right back.

  He laughs and bangs his hand down on his desk. I jump at the sound. He stands and begins walking across the room.

  “I can already tell I’m going to like you,” he says as he stands right in front of me. His accent is American, however he has a very croaky voice; you can hear how the years of smoking have affected it.

  My whole body is shaking now. But with false confidence, I pull my arms away from my body, and deliver my demands, “My sister and I would like to leave. We are going back home, and you will let us go, or I will call the authorities.”

  Jake shakes his head and mutters a curse under his breath.

  Mick and the man in the corner laugh. I keep my eyes on Marco, knowing the laughter is because of my request. I’m crazy for demanding anything, but I have to try.

  Marco’s head tilts to the side as if he’s thinking over my demand. He says nothing. There is silence for a few minutes. I have a lump in my throat, but I don’t want to clear it and give away that I am scared out of my mind.

  In his deep croaky voice, he finally responds, “I won’t let either of you go. Especially now I’ve seen your courage and fiery spirit. You will be an exquisite addition to my collection.” What the hell does that mean? “Your sister will stay here until I can find a buyer. I have enough slaves at the moment,” he says with a flick of his wrist toward Sasha.

  “Buyer,” I whisper.

  I look to Sasha and see her bottom lip quivering and silent tears cascading down her beautiful, devastated face.

  Marco walks back around his desk, and he starts picking up papers, putting them in a briefcase. “Yes, someone will pay a lot of money for her,” Marco says in an even voice.

  I place my hand on my forehead. I feel hot and faint. I’m lost. I have no idea how to get us out of this.

  “How much then?” Sasha’s voice wobbles, she clears her throat and asks the question stronger this time. “How much do we have to pay to buy ourselves?” The room goes silent and we all turn to Marco waiting for an answer.

  Marco smirks. “Well, let’s see then.” He sets his hand to his chin in thought. “For you, being Australian, beautiful, and young, I would likely take close to three million dollars.” He directs his words at Sash. She pales and my mouth drops open. He turns to me. “And you, you are just as beautiful as your sister; however, you have a spark, especially when you’re angry, and that will bring your price up. Each collection piece brings me around one million dollars per party, and I throw a party a month.” I freeze, realising we will never have that much money, not even in two lifetimes. What is a party? “So that’s twelve million a year for you. Given your age and beauty, I think I would keep you for five or more years,” he announces, ending with another smirk.

  My head is spinning, and I think I’m going to vomit. I hear Sasha sob, and I immediately remember I need to be strong. I force all of this information to the back of mind to think about at another time. I pull myself together, because I need to stay strong. If I’m not, how can I expect Sasha to?

  I jump as Marco yells, ‘There!” and points to my face. “That, right there, is what I want from you.” What the hell is he talking about? “If only I could bottle that shit,” he mutters as he walks back around to his desk. “So you can see, you have no hope of buying yourselves. I do admire your spirit though.”

  Standing behind his desk, his eyes bore into mine, “Something to remember though girls,” his hands fist and he leans forward on his desk, and in a deep and deceptively low voice, he continues, “you try to use that spirit to escape, there will be consequences.” His eyes dart to Sasha. “I don’t take kindly to people who betray or leave me. And since you girls will be separated, one of you misbehaves, the other will take the consequences. Think about that before you act.”

  Separated, the word screams in my mind. I look to Sasha, tears silently fall freely down her face. I can see how close she is to losing it.

  I look around the room. Seeing Mick first, his expression blank, uncaring. I spy the man in the corner who is still staring at the floor. This time he looks up and sees me watching him, his expression is unreadable, but I’m sure I see pity flash across his features.

  “Father,” he speaks, “we should be leaving.”

  Marco nods. “Yes, yes. Jake, Mick, good work, boys.”

  Marco picks up his briefcase and walks to Jake and me. Only speaking to Jake, he says, “Jake, I’m putting you as Lily’s personal guard. She isn’t to be out of your sight. The men already know not to touch my collection pieces, so if anyone steps out of line with her, you know what to do.”

  Jake answers quickly, “Consider it done.”

  Collection piece, is he fucking kidding?

  Jake grips my elbow, obviously sensing my anger. I look down to my clenched hands; my knuckles are white. I need to calm down, breathe, Lily.

  “Jake, Lily will be your new assignment now. If everything goes smoothly, you will accompany her to my home with the rest of the collection. You’ve earned your place. I trust you above many others. It’s time for you to guard my prized possessions.”

  Jake tenses at Marco’s words, and his hand squeezes my arm hard. I don’t think he realises he’s doing it.

  “Take Lily to her room, third floor, first on the left. It’s ready for her. Tell the slave girls to prepare her for a private party tonight. I will have Charles pick her up out the front at six pm.”

  Marco leans into me, and I don’t move away. I’m in shock, trying to process and keep up with everything he is saying. “Lily, see you tonight. I can’t wait to show you off.” My stomach threatens to empty at his hot, nicotine breath on my face.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Untouchable

  Marco leaves before I can even think about what his words mean. Jake looks at me with an apologetic look. The expression disappears quickly, and he recovers with an emotionless face. What is he sorry about? Could it be the party? I need to find out what that is, and fast.

  “Come on, girl. Time to go.” Mick starts pulling Sasha out of the office. I step forward, but Jake pulls me back and gives me a warning glare. Sasha looks back at me with panic written all over her face.

  “Please Jake, can’t Sasha stay with me? We’ll share a bed. Please, just let us stay together,” I beg.

  His voice is stern and gives me no room to argue, “I can’t do that. She’s to be sold, so she is a slave while she’s here, and you’re not. She goes to the other side of the house and stays with the slave girls.”

  “Lily!” Sasha screams. “Don’t let them take me, please.”

  My heart explodes at hearing my little sister scream for me. She’s thrashing around in Mick’s arms. My mind is racing, and I’m acting before I even think about what I’m doing.

  I forcefully shake my arm out of Jake’s grasp with strength I didn’t even know I had. I run to Mick and reach out to him to pull his hands off Sasha. He sees me there and pushes me backwards easily, and I take a few steps to regain my balance. I feel hands whoosh past my waist, but I’m quick, and I grab onto Mick again.

  “Let her go!” I scream. “You have no right to do this to us!” I scratch my nails down Mick’s arm, hoping that will get his ha
nds off Sasha.

  “Fuck, you bitch, you scratched me,” he fumes.

  I look down and see a small amount of blood drip down his arm. Shit.

  While Mick is still looking at his arm, I take the opportunity to reach for Sasha. An arm wraps around my waist, and I go flying back into a chest. My breath is pushed out of me from the force of hitting the hard body. When I finally catch my breath and stop the dizziness, I look up to see Mick sneering down at me, raising his fist.

  “You will pay for that, bitch.” I flinch, ready for the hit, when I’m suddenly pulled around to the back of the body I was forced into. I look up and see the back of a familiar head, Jake.

  “Don’t even think about it, Mick,” Jake growls. “She’s part of the collection now, so that means you keep your fucking hands off her. Do you understand?” Jake’s voice is loud and clear, with an edge that screams danger if Mick doesn’t agree.

  I look around Jake to see him and Mick glaring at each other. The air crackles with the furious anger in the room.

  Mick growls and grinds his teeth together. “Fine, if I can’t touch that bitch, I will just take it out on her sister then.”

  My heart stops and my breathing comes to a halt. I rush around Jake. “Please, don’t hurt my sister.” No, please, don’t let him hurt her because of me.

  Suddenly another man walks up behind Sasha, picks her up and throws her over his shoulder. She screams and starts kicking and hitting. “Lily!” she screams.

  I try to run toward her, but again, I’m pulled back into Jake’s chest. This time I don’t need to recover. I see red and a voice I don’t recognise shrieks out of me, “Let me go. Let me get to my sister!” I’m twisting and kicking in Jake’s arms. “Don’t you dare fucking hurt her. I will kill you if you touch her!” I screech to the man walking away with Sasha. My heart slowly dies as I watch my sister be taken further and further away from me. The man disappears down another hall, and Sasha is gone, out of my sight.

  Mick just laughs at me.

  My body sags in Jake’s arms as I realise no matter what I say and do, I can’t get us out of here yet. I’m only making it worse for the both of us. Tears continue to pour down my face.

  “Please, don’t hurt her. I will take whatever you think I deserve. She did nothing to you,” I plead.

  Vaguely, I’m aware Jake’s arms tighten their hold on me; however, I’m not sure. I feel numb. All of this feels surreal as if I’m watching it all from outside of my body.

  Mick again laughs in my face. “I wish, bitch, but for now, you’re untouchable. Won’t be forever though. Then I’ll repay the favour and make you bleed as well,” he taunts.

  “Fuck off, now, Mick. You’ve had your fun.” Jake’s voice is low and threatening.

  Mick sneers at me once more before turning his back to us and going down the same hall the other man took Sasha down.

  I’m powerless. I grab at Jake’s fingers to pry them off from around my waist. I’m hysterical at the thought they will hurt Sasha when it should be me.

  Jake lets go for a second, but before I can turn to run down the hall, he grabs hold of my shoulders in a frighteningly tight grip. His voice is low and penetrating. “Lily, I know this is hard for you, to be separated from your sister, but you’re only making it worse for her. There is no getting out of here. You are both here in this house, and you’re not leaving anytime soon. You need to start accepting that and start following the rules. The less you misbehave, the less they will take it out on Sasha to keep you in line.” His voice turns soft as he feels the fight die out of me.

  My chest is rising and falling fast. My head feels like it’s full of pressure.

  “Lily, did you hear me?”

  I start pulling at my hair roughly, wanting to wake up from whatever nightmare I’m stuck in. This can’t be happening. No. No, wake up. Wake up!

  Jake grabs my hands and pins them to my sides. I see worry and what looks like concern in his eyes, but I must be mistaken. A man who lives this kind of life can’t possibly care about me and my sister. It’s just business for him.

  My body gives up on resisting his hold. I still. “P-please, let u-us g-go,” I beg through my wobbly voice.

  Jake shakes his head. “Not happening.” He pulls me with him by my arm, and leads me out of the room. I look back at the hallway and promise myself I will find a way to get down there and get Sasha out.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Everything Comes At A Cost

  Jake

  I bring Lily to the room Marco instructed she stay in. He seemed intrigued by her, and I knew he would want her in the collection. From the moment I saw her in New York, she had become the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Add in her fiery spirit and being from Australia, there was no way Marco wasn’t going to keep her. I don’t think he’s ever had an Australian in his collection before.

  I release Lily’s arm and look at her devastated and pained face—still the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. She steps back from me and starts inspecting the room. The area is double the size of any standard master bedroom. She walks to the lilac cotton blanket on the luxurious king-size mattress and feels the material. Lily’s eyes widen and she covers her mouth in shock at seeing the chandelier hanging in the middle of the room. Her legs move her to the white mirrored dresser. She looks at the perfumes that sit on top but doesn’t smell them. She then heads to a set of double doors and opens them, her eyes going wide.

  Lily gasps in surprise. She’s gaping at the walk-in closet. It’s full of shoes, drawers of clothes, and expensive dresses hanging up, plus accessories. Lily shakes her head and closes the doors. Opening a door next to the walk-in closet, she finds the bathroom with toilet and shower. She whips her head around to the windows, as if just remembering she needs to find a way to escape the room. Lily moves quickly to the white curtains and moves them aside. Her shoulders slump at seeing the bars on the windows. She looks to the right and sees in the corner, a small white metal table with two matching chairs. She spins to the door, her lips press tightly together at spotting the dead bolts on the outside of the door.

  Fuck. I quickly walk over and close the door. Too busy staring at her, when I should have been securing the room to make sure she can’t get out. Don’t fuck this up. I’ve worked too hard for the last four years doing dirty, gritty work to get Marco to notice me.

  Marco O’Connor, king of the black market when it comes to sex slaves and the infamous collection. Four long-ass years of doing his dirty work to get here. I cannot mess up all that hard work, just for a hot chick. I have bigger plans. This is my one and only chance to get to the top.

  Lily sits on the bed. Bringing her hands to her face, she sighs, “Beautiful room with bars on the windows and locks on the doors,” she says quietly, muffled by her hands. “A beautiful prison.” Soft words, laced with anger.

  My eyes grow soft, and my chest aches again. I catch myself and decide I need to keep moving. I decide it’s time to get her prepared for tonight. I get out my two-way and radio down to the kitchen.

  “Maggi, send up some girls for the new collection piece. She needs to be ready for a private party tonight.” Maggi is in charge of the slave girls. She organises their chores and makes sure the girls understand their roles in this house. Maggi isn’t a slave. She is paid to be here just as I am. She lives close by with family. When she came to this house, her family were starving and she begged Marco for a job. So Marco gave her the slave girls to command. Maggi struggled with her position for months, but when you join Marco’s empire, there is no getting out.

  Maggi replies quickly, “Yes, sir.”

  Returning the two-way into my back pocket, I seek Lily out with my eyes and find her studying me. Probably trying to work out how I turned out to be such an evil bastard. Join the club. I have no idea when that happened either.

  Lily glances away when I notice she is looking at my two-way. She starts biting her bottom lip and focuses on the carpet. She seems to be lost in her
thoughts. If I had to guess, I’d say she is figuring out if these girls who are coming up can help her. I turn my back to her, as I can’t hold back the grin that appears on my face. She’s definitely not giving up anytime soon. A beautiful fighter, and fuck me if I don’t want her to keep fighting, and hopefully find her way out of this hellhole.

  “You were right. This place is a fortress. Getting out of here isn’t going to be easy,” Lily announces.

  I turn to face her, my expression blank. “You will never escape, but I see you haven’t given up yet.”

  She narrows her eyes at me. “Never say never.”

  My dick jumps. Fuck. I’m staring at her with an intensity I'm not used to, and it’s just... Not. Fucking. On.

  I turn away quickly and head over to the walk-in closet. Pulling out a few long dresses, I put them on the bed for her to choose from later on.

  “There are rules for tonight and things you need to know,” I explain, and Lily sits up on the bed waiting for me to keep talking.

  “You will wear one of those dresses.” I point to them. “I don’t care which one, no jewellery, no—” Lily interrupts me when she starts laughing.

  “Where the hell am I going to get jewellery from? As you can see,” she points down to her day old blue dress, “I only came with what I was wearing when I got kidnapped off the side of the road,” she hisses.

  I raise an eyebrow at her and find I’m grinning, again. Christ, I can’t help it. Lily is gorgeous when she’s sarcastic and angry. The fire in her eyes could almost spark out and burn the fucking room down.

  I walk into the closet. I sense Lily close behind me watching what I’m doing. I stop at a set of drawers and open the top drawer. Lily gasps, and I know why. The draw is full of millions of dollars’ worth of diamonds, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and rings. Everything a woman could only ever dream of owning.

  “What on Earth is all this?” Her first reaction is to touch them; she gently strokes them with her fingers.