"I'll leave you to get acquainted. Ten more minutes until the main event," the man winks, "you don't want to be late for the fun," he laughs as he steps away.
Vlad quietly assesses Seth, moving around in a circle as he studies his form.
"You'll do," he declares, pleased with himself.
So far Seth has not reacted to anything, not even to his own sale. He's just looking blankly in the distance.
Vlad's eyebrows knit together as he notices the same thing — Seth is motionless.
"Well, hello to you too." He waves a hand in front of him.
No reaction.
"Cat got your tongue?" Vlad chuckles, taking out the remote and studying it. "I wonder what would happen if I clicked this button," he intones, his fingers gliding around the smooth surface of the controller.
"You know, I've always had an obsession for buttons. And I've never resisted temptation before," he notes just as he's about to push the button.
Seth's good eye moves towards Vlad in his first reaction since we got here.
"Oh, great. For a moment I thought you were a robot. Good to know you're human," Vlad beams at him, taking two steps until he's in front of Seth.
Taking his hand, he places the controller in it. Seth frowns, daring to look down at the device in his palm.
"Here's how this is going to go. You're free to do as you please. You've more than earned that right. I don't know how you ended up here, or what happened in your past, and frankly I don't really care."
Seth tilts his head at Vlad, narrowing his eyes at him as if he doesn't understand what he's saying.
"Maybe he doesn't speak English," I nudge Vlad.
"He does, don't you boy?"
Seth moves his head to the right, as if he's finally paying attention to Vlad.
"I have an offer for you. I'd like to give you a job. Again, no strings attached. You're free if you want to leave, but I could use someone with your skill. I'll pay you and give you a place to live. You will act as my bodyguard, of sorts. Not too hard, if I do say so myself." Vlad preens, looking at me for confirmation.
I roll my eyes at what can only be the beginning of a dramatic performance.
"I don't require much of your time, and you will be fairly compensated." Vlad goes on about the benefits of working for him, making himself to be some sort of spoiled prince who needs constant monitoring.
I guess in another life, maybe. A smile pulls at my lips as I watch Vlad try his best to convince Seth to come work for him.
I can't believe he's paid ten million dollars and he's setting him free. A new respect for him blossoms in my chest as I see him try to offer Seth a fair chance at living.
Vlad's speech ends, but there's still no reply from Seth.
"Well," Vlad's shoulders sag for dramatic effect, "I tried," he says with a shrug, grabbing my hand and turning towards the exit.
Out of nowhere, Seth's hand is on Vlad's shoulder as he stops him. Opening his mouth, he points to his tongue... or what's left of it.
"So cat did get your tongue." Vlad jokes, quickly sobering up and handing Seth his phone to type up a reply.
He's quick to write something, and Vlad's expression tells me it's a positive answer.
"What does it say?" I ask, and he just shows me the phone.
Help me get revenge and you have a deal.
"Welcome aboard, Seth." Vlad pats his back, and I'm once more intrigued about Vlad's intentions.
Back to the arena, the main event is about to start as Vlad and I resume our places. Everyone is looking at us askance as Seth hulks in the background, situating himself behind us, his good eye scanning the crowd.
Mauro is back on stage, introducing the event as multiple people come to bring different props.
"The moment you've all been waiting for is here," he pauses, looking around to increase anticipation. "No doubt, most of you have submitted requests and are eagerly awaiting to get your hands on the prize. But just like every time, your request will be publicly shared, and everyone will have a chance to bid. The more unusual, the more money you'll have to spend," he chuckles, and the crowd seems incensed.
Still, a few smug people nod their heads, no doubt sure they will be able to secure their order.
"So what is it? Just people?" I lean in to ask Vlad.
He'd given me a rundown of the club, but he hadn't told me any details.
"You heard him. Unusual people," he replies, his gaze intent on the stage.
Mauro introduces the first person up for auction—a virgin Kumari. A young girl dressed in ostentatious clothes and with her face painted in a combination of red and black is ushered in. Four people are carrying her in on a throne, settling her in the middle of the stage.
"Kumari?"
Vlad's jaw is ticking as he looks upon the ongoing auction.
"Kumari is a Nepalese tradition that uses young girls to embody a living goddess. They can only fulfill the role, though, until they reach puberty," he explains and my eyes widen with horror.
"You mean..."
"Yes. Some people probably think they will get some divine powers if they fuck a child," he shakes his head in disgust.
"Can't we do something?" I whisper, looking between him and the stage.
The girl looks dazed as she keeps herself unmoving on the throne, showing absolutely no fear for what will no doubt happen to her.
"We can," Vlad replies, and I breathe in, relieved. "But we won't."
I frown at him. "What do you mean we won't?"
"Sisi," he starts, his eyes still glued on the stage. "There will be more girls like her. More people that need help. We can't possibly save everyone."
"But we can try," I say weakly.
"Hell girl," he turns to me, the back of his hand tracing my cheek, "I didn't realize you had a heart," he comments ironically, no doubt trying to take my mind off what's happening.
"And I didn't realize you had none." I retort, my gaze accusatory.
"A little too late for that realization," he tsks at me, coming closer to whisper in my ear. "I told you once, Sisi. Don't make me into something I'm not. I'm not kind, nor gentle, and I'm definitely not a good guy."
"But Seth..."
"Nothing I do is without a purpose," he interrupts me. "Don't ever misconstrue my actions for kindness. It will only get you hurt," he says and it's like I don't recognize him anymore.
"Then what about me? What's my purpose?" I ask, suddenly afraid of the change in him. It's funny how he never scares me when he's at his most violent, but when I sense this apathy coming from him, I get the urge to run as far away as I can.
His eyes are emotionless as he studies me, almost put off by my question.
"You're mine," he replies. "That's it."
He promptly ends the conversation as he turns his attention towards the stage where a winner bid had been chosen.
A few more rounds of people with disabilities, or people with a certain rare blood type, and I'm already dreading everything about this.
I know what it's like to be stripped of your freedom. But I can't imagine what these people must be going through, knowing there's simply no way out. Just pain... and abuse.
Vlad explained that a lot of the time, these people are used for organ transplants if they are a match, and most often medical files are hacked and people hunted for this particular reason. It's simply a black market for humans.
The next person is brought in. Dressed entirely in black, it only serves to emphasize the paleness of his skin, the whiteness of his hair.
"What's wrong with him?" I blurt out when I see him stumbling around.
"He has a genetic condition called albinism. His body doesn't produce melanin, so he lacks color," he starts, telling me about the biology behind the disorder. "You should look away, Sisi," he tells me, tugging me to his side, ready to shield me.
"Why?"
"It's likely going to get brutal," he purses his lips. "Albino people are usually sought after for one thing," he s
ays and right at that moment, the man's arm is strapped to a table, another man joining them on the stage and wielding a huge blade.
"Last chance," Vlad whispers, but I shake my head.
I need to see this. I want to see just how fucked up this world is. In my naivete, I'd thought I'd endured the worst at Sacre Coeur, but I'm slowly finding out that life outside of the convent's walls isn't any less brutal.
In fact, this is downright atrocious.
His arm around me, I can tell he's trying to comfort me, especially as the blade falls upon the albino's arm, slicing it at the elbow.
A bloodcurdling scream erupts in the air and people are cheering on, everyone already shouting exorbitant amounts.
The hand is taken from the albino, and placed in a pot.
"You don't mean they..." I'm shocked as I see them cook the arm on a stove.
"Albino limbs are used in witchcraft. A lot of superstitious people believe that a potion made from albino flesh will give them prosperity," Vlad speaks, and I watch stupefied as they do just that, preparing a live potion for whoever will spend millions on it.
"God," I whisper.
"You should have looked away, Sisi."
"No. This is the reality we live in. I need to see."
The first pot is auctioned for two million, with three more pots prepared from the other arm and his two legs. The screams continue as two men cut his legs using a saw. The poor man's not even been given anything for the pain and the crowd seems to cheer at his continued screams. As the bone gives way, blood slowly starts to flow on to the floor, before suddenly gushing in rivulets as they take away the limbs.
His expression is half-closed, the pain too much. I have to wonder how much longer he's going to live.
Looking around, everyone is excited to watch this inhumane handling of a person. Someone even shouts to cut the head too. I suddenly realize just how deep the depravity lies, and that in a way, the outside world functions just like Sacre Coeur.
Eat or be eaten.
There's only two choices. Be the victim, or the assailant.
One glance at Vlad and I see him avert his gaze from the bloody show in front of us. The stage is already red as most of the blood has drained from the man's body. Vlad's shoulders are shaking slightly as he struggles for a modicum of control.
"Are you ok?" I turn to him, noticing the paleness of his features and the strain in his jaw. He's close to snapping. I can feel it.
He gives me a brisk nod, but he looks anything but ok. Grabbing his face in my hands, I raise myself on my tiptoes, turning him away from the bloody spectacle. I lean in until my lips meet his.
His eyes are unfocused as he holds himself still, and the scene from the restaurant replays in my mind.
"I'm here," I speak against his lips. "Everything is ok," I brush my lips back and forth on him, teasing him with the barest of contact. "I have you."
He slowly starts reacting, parting his lips under mine, allowing me to explore the depths of his mouth.
What starts as a tentative but sensuous kiss soon turns into a hungry and heated one as he brings me flush against his body, his mouth opening on top of mine to devour me. He's already hard, and a thrill goes down my body at being able to awaken this reaction from him.
His mouth leaves my lips as he starts trailing small kisses down my neck, sucking on the skin at the junction between my neck and my collar bone, his teeth scraping the surface.
"I'm here," I repeat as I see him slowly come down from his crisis, his pupils dilated, his entire body full of unreleased tension.
"God, Sisi," he groans, holding me closer to his chest as he nuzzles his head over my heart. "Thank you," he breathes deeply—in and out. "Thank you," he repeats.
A smile pulls at my lips as I see the color come back into his cheeks.
"I think I know my purpose," I say cheekily, almost lost in those black eyes of his.
"Do you?" He asks, his voice dangerously sinful.
"I ground you." I reply, pleased with the discovery. Because if I do, then he'll never discard me. He'll always need me.
A sad smile plays at his lips as he shakes his head. "You don't just ground me, Sisi. You make me fucking human."
I soak in the praise, incredibly happy at prospect of being indispensable to him.
Once Vlad is under control, we turn our attention back to the stage as more and more weird bids take place. A pair of conjoined twins, and some people with incredibly rare disorders are rushed to the stage, paraded in front of everyone and sold for millions.
It's all incredibly eye-opening, and a pattern soon emerges.
Power. Control.
All these people are weaker and therefore easier to control. And they are merely used for sick bastards to get their daily ego boost.
Just as I think I've seen it all, a man holding a monkey in a leash struts on to the stage presenting it to the world.
"Is that..." my mouth is hanging open in shock.
The monkey is completely hairless, wearing a two piece bikini and a wig, her entire face rouged up in a grotesque painting.
"Why would a monkey..." I trail off, simply speechless.
"It's an ape," Vlad corrects, looking quite contrite, "an orangutan specifically. And it seems that someone around here is into non-human partners," he adds drily.
"You mean someone wants to fuck an orangutan?" I ask, stupefied.
"Don't be surprised, Sisi. Humans are degenerate beings. And sadly, what you've seen tonight is only the tip of the iceberg. As long as you have money, you can afford anything... and anyone."
"Have you ever..." I inquire tentatively, afraid of the answer.
"Hell no!" his answer is immediate and vehement. "Don't get me wrong, I cater to a different type of vice, but after what happened to my sisters I could never stomach human trafficking. I'll be honest, it's one of the most lucrative industries, since humans have an almost unlimited capacity for labor and diversity of use. It's really the best resource out there if you want to get rich," he explains, and I sigh in relief.
This is exactly what I love about him.
He's an unapologetic bad guy, but his moral compass is just uniquely skewed. There's no right or wrong for him. But there is fair and unfair.
"You surprise me sometimes."
"Why? Because I don't deal in humans?" he jokes. "Don't worry, I do a lot of other stuff that might be equally as bad or worse. Let's not forget that murder is my capital sin." He gives me his signature devilish smile, a small dimple forming in his right cheek.
"You can murder me anytime." I murmur, peering at him seductively from beneath my lashes.
"Hell girl, you know just the way to a man's heart," he smiles, amused, kissing the top of my head and bringing me closer to him.
More people are brought to the stage, with Mauro listing what makes them special, and I soon start tuning everything out. Vlad seems incredibly bored too as he taps his foot, glancing at his watch every now and then. Seth, on the other hand, has just stayed in the background, already taking his job as Vlad's bodyguard seriously.
Every time someone approached a little too closely, he would put a hand up and guide people to keep a distance. Vlad, of course, could not help but beam at Seth's actions, repeating that he'd made the right call.
"Last but not least, we have a very popular request. We've had multiple people inquire about this, so it's only fair to start the bidding at five million," Mauro speaks into the microphone, and the crowd is getting rowdy, some people saying it's too much for the start, while others are simply curious as to what type of merchandise could possibly be that expensive.
"A rare mutation in the amygdala that results in an unusual form of autism. Most prevalent in twins, you can already how hard it is to find this in the wild," Mauro jokes, and I feel Vlad tense next to me. "But don't you worry. We've secured a pair of twins with these exact specifications. The first one we've found in the last five years," he says and people gasp, "yes gentlemen, it's that r
are, and the reason we're starting at five million."
Mauro continues his speech, introducing the five year old twins, a brother and sister. They are steered towards the stage, their little faces scrunched up in confusion as they take in the crowd staring at them.
Angelic blond curls, both children look so innocent dressed all in white. They are holding hands as they take the stage, the girl getting shy and trying to hide behind her brother.
"Sweet Jesus and Mother of God," I hear Vlad mumble, for the first time using a religious appellation.
I turn to him to find him staring in awe at the twins, his eyes wide, his mouth agape.
"Vlad?" I call out his name, my hand reaching for his. "What's wrong?" I ask, seeing him so shaken.
"It can't be," he frowns, his brows pinched together as he tilts his head to the side, his eyes rapidly moving around and assessing his surroundings.
"What is it?" I repeat my question, but it's like he's not hearing me. His focus is solely on the stage and on the children trying to escape public scrutiny.
It's almost an eternity later that he finally replies.
"That mutation," he starts, his gaze shrewd, his features sharp. "That's what I have. What my sister and I had."
"Your twin sister?" He nods, releasing my hand and stepping forward in the crowd.
The bidding is already starting, and contrary to the initial disgruntled sounds, people seem quite enthusiastic to bid an entire fortune on the twins.
But why?
"Why?" I catch up with him, grabbing his hand and making him face me. "Why is this mutation so important?"
"Twenty million," someone calls just out, and I gasp at the amount.
"Why?" Vlad chuckles, but his face is not smiling. "I have the same question. Why would someone pay so much for twins with a random mutation?"
"It doesn't seem random," I remark, since people wouldn't be so keen on acquiring the twins if it was just a fluke. "Does it give you superpowers, or what?" I crack a joke, but I realize my timing is off.
Vlad is not in a jovial mood. And as he follows the bidding closely, he seems to become more tense, his muscles twitching, his fists furling and unfurling.
"Thirty," Mauro calls out. "Thirty once... thirty twice... Sold to number 16! Congratulations!" Mauro announces the winner, and I follow Vlad's gaze to a scrawny man lowering the paddle with number 16.
Morally Ambiguous: A Dark Mafia Romance (Morally Questionable Book 4) Page 24
