“Is that really how you want to speak to me? Especially when I just kept a crew of my men from touching what is yours?” My good friend, er, business associate, Lajos, says to me.
Lajos and I have known one another for quite a few years. He had a bad run of things, gaining too much attention from the police. I told him to shut shit down, and instead of that, he decided to continue his risqué business, only hiding it from me in the process. I caught him a few months back and almost killed him, until he offered me a deal I couldn’t have said no to.
“So, you’ve picked up the package I’ve requested?” I ask, assuming that he must’ve if he’s even called me.
“Yes, three days ago. She’s unlike any other girl that I’ve ever had onboard before.”
Running a hand over my jaw, I want to know more. “What do you mean by that?”
“She had an incident with a former member of my crew, and instead of cowering and keeping this secret, she spoke up.”
Anger boils through my veins at hearing that someone has touched what’s mine. “Didn’t you just tell me that you kept your men from touching her?” I seethe, clicking my tongue from the roof of my mouth.
“I did when I discovered what was about to happen. You should be thanking me. I helped your girl, and yet, you get attitude with me?”
“Of course, I get shitty with you. Lajos, we had an agreement. You would deliver me the girl that I wanted, and she would remain untouched by anyone while in your hands. I’m coming to the auction as promised, however, I’m quite upset that my product is now damaged.” I will do whatever I can to get him to lower the price on her head now. “How do you know that she isn’t pregnant?”
“She isn’t. She told me he didn’t violate her in that way.” He states it so matter-of-factly, but he doesn’t know.
“Do you think she’d tell a strange man who put her in a cage everything that happened, or, just enough to get her attacker in trouble?”
Lajos chuckles, “Oh, Stefan, how you should know what I do to men who don’t listen to me by now. I shot him in the showers and let his blood coat the drains. Men who fuck with me only end up as one thing— chum for the sharks.”
“And you should understand how I treat men who don’t fulfill their promises to me, Lajos. You made an oath to me that she would be unharmed, and yet she is. Now, you will take the price down on her head for my inconvenience. She’s been violated, and because of that, she’s damaged goods. I expected the cream of the crop, not a bruised fruit. It simply will not do.”
I look across my study to the cherry wood bookshelves I just had installed in my mansion. This room was empty for so long until I decided to make it somewhat of a library. I like to get lost in the moment in this room. Lost in the beauty of the words.
“I will think about your request and let you know when you come to the auction. I will have someone from my team reach out to you with the coordinates to where we will be. As you know, it can change based on the weather and quite a few other factors. Shall I expect your attendance?”
“Yes, but, Lajos this will be my last warning. If another hair on her pretty little head is harmed, I will destroy you.” If anything, I wish I was able to see his face through my threat. Lajos might not know it yet, but either way, he is a dead man. He has far too much information, and if there’s anything in this world I hate, it’s rats.
“I will see you at eight this evening, Mr. Dalca.” The tone of his voice suddenly turns professional before he hangs up the phone.
I take in a deep breath, sitting my phone down on my desk, reveling in the fact that, tonight, I will meet my future wife — the one woman who will keep me on my toes. Presley Richards.
Chapter 6
Presley
“You can talk, but you have to whisper like I am now,” the young girl tells me as she shuts the door to their room. “I’m sure you’re wondering why we’re so calm, but Yvonne and I have learned that the only way girls stay alive here is if we stay this way. We’ve both seen them rape the girls, and if they don’t fold into submission after that, they shoot them.”
I furrow my brows, “Surely, he can’t be fine with them killing his product.” It’s obvious this is viewed as a business, so why would he allow his men to slaughter the girls that should bring him money?
Yvonne, the one who was raped not too long ago, chuckles. “You don’t get it. He can find women like us anywhere. We’re replaceable, just like the cattle on the way to the butcher. Lajos will just find more women, ones that want to stay alive and won’t cause him issues.” Lajos must be the leader of this organization.
“Have you two been here long? You seem . . .” I try to find the words for what I think they are, but every word that comes to mind is derogatory.
“Broken in?” Yvonne fills in the blank space of my sentence. I nod, thinking that she’s come close enough to my thought process.
“I’m sorry, I don’t mean it in a bad way, but you both are in this room while myself and others are still in cages. I don’t understand what’s going on here.”
“It’s really quite simple. After the new girls come in, you’re given a quarantine period by yourself. You go to the doctor, see the dress maker, and maybe they’ll let you eat a tiny bit. You’re shoved in the shower but only after you’re taken the long way to see the nice rooms that the girls who behave get. It’s all a psychological ploy for us to know that we’re the ones making this harder on ourselves. Meanwhile, silence and good behavior is rewarded with comfort and food,” the young girl tells me, sounding far more mature than her age.
“What’s your name?” I ask her, realizing I hadn’t asked her at any point up until now.
She smiles, and not something fake, one that makes me think she’s happy. “I’m Alice.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” I reply, trying to smile too, but I can’t bear it. I’m not happy that I’m in this situation and I want out.
“It totally isn’t, but I appreciate you trying to be nice.”
I’m still unable to tell time because there aren’t any clocks within my line of vision. For as long as we can, the three of us chat, getting to know more about one another. Yvonne is from Southern England and was picked up outside of Spain a couple months back. She was on a girl’s trip and was split up between her and her friends. Alice, on the other hand, was picked up in Hawaii where she’s from. She told me she’s seventeen and was out surfing, went to the smoothie place on the beach, and stayed until a little past curfew. It was on her walk home when everything went dark and she ended up on the ship.
Alice has been through two auctions already and tells me that this will be her third. It’s Yvonne’s seventh, and both of them have the same mentality; that they can’t get out of this life until they’re off the ship. Alice’s dad owns a private security firm in Hawaii and she firmly believes that he’s out looking for her. Yvonne is quite different. She doesn’t have any family left and only a handful of friends.
They’ve both given me a rundown of what to expect next; how I’ll be prepped for the auction that’s happening tonight and how things will get a bit weird. They failed to elaborate on that, but I’m betting it’s because of the footsteps that started to strongly head in our direction. Both of them zipped their lips quickly, spreading apart to where none of us would be seen sitting together.
We’re all separated right before the door to the bedroom opens.
“You, come with me.” This is a new goon who’s bulky and a John Cena lookalike. He points at me, so I know he’s not speaking to anyone else in the room. I rise in my naked state and walk towards him. So far, he’s the only one who hasn’t put his hands on me, but according to their boss, they shouldn’t be touching me at all. “I will make this simple for you. If you listen, I don’t grab you like caveman. Understand?”
“Yes,” I respond, trying not to let any of my anger slip out. I silently keep having to remind myself that this is only temporary until I can get out of here.
He
leads me down the hallway and takes me by the showers, but instead of turning, we go up a set of stairs into another level. As we go through the entryway, he turns to the right, and we’re in another room. It looks much like the room I had been in before downstairs, the one with the measuring tape and silks hanging. Only, this time, there’s a mannequin pinned to the wall with a pretty pink dress and a vanity area with a large mirror. I don’t see anything sitting on the counter, but there are many shelves with buttons that I believe must come open.
“What is the matter with you? Why do you look all sad like?” the man asks me. Why in the hell does he care if I look a certain way? I’m sure as fuck not sad, but I am confused.
“What is this room?” I ask him, hopeful that he won’t smack me around.
“This is the dress room, where you will get all pretty for the auction tonight.” He isn’t even finished talking when three people pour into the room. One woman takes my hand and sits me down in the chair in front of the mirror, turning me slightly so that I can see the door. The other woman brings a curling iron over and sits it on the vanity. “We’re going to make you look so beautiful for tonight, darling. I’m sure you’ll be purchased in no time and can get off this smelly old ship!”
The woman in front of me who has a series of brushes in her hands looks at me sternly. “I hope you will listen and we won’t have to strap you down and do this the hard way.”
“I haven’t caused an issue for either of you yet. Or am I missing something?” I respond in a snarky tone, rolling my eyes.
“Best be careful; that seemed a bit threatening. Did you get the same feeling, Violet?” The makeup girl looks over to the one who’s waiting for the curling iron to heat up.
“Oh, I’m not sure. Probably best if no one acts out or gets attitude.”
I heed their hidden warnings and relax, letting them put makeup on me and curl my hair to whatever their hearts desire. This is all just a big show, anyway.
“Your dress is just so beautiful! You’ll be picked in no time,” Violet says. The way she speaks is like she wants to boost my spirits.
“Oh, she will. She’s the chosen one. It’s why we’re getting her finished before the others,” her friend says. All I can do is wonder why I’m so important to everyone. What is so special about me, and why am I so damned important?
Chapter 7
Stefan
Oddly enough, it starts raining a few minutes before my helicopter is supposed to take off to the coordinates that Lajos gave me. “Will this short storm stall us at all?” I ask my pilot, who is quick to respond.
“No, sir. We’ll be fine. It’s not that bad out. It’ll take us about twenty minutes to get to this location. Although, if you’d prefer us to hold off, we most certainly may.”
I wave my hand up, speaking into my headset from the seat beside him. “No, I’d like for you to get to the ship as quickly as you can. Thank you, Silva,” I state his last name. Silva is one of the men who’s been with me the longest. He doubles as part of my security detail and my pilot. Of course, many men need men like him these days. Overly qualified for his position to keep me safe. The man can fly anything from a helicopter to an F-5EM.
Silva chuckles. “It seems to me like you’re eager to get there. Have you done something that I’m not aware of?”
While Silva may be one of my most trusted men, I don’t have to tell him everything I’m doing. “You’re right, I am a bit keen,” I pause for a moment, deciding on whether or not I should give Silva any more information. He’ll see what’s happening soon enough, so I continue. “I had Lajos get something for me.”
Silva presses a couple of buttons and looks around, grabs the cyclic stick, and up we go. Meanwhile, he scoffs. I can already tell he’s annoyed I brought Lajos up in the first place. “You know I respect you as my boss. However, as a friend, I think you are dumb as shit from time to time. You love to get into bed with snakes, Stefan.”
“Well, it’s a good thing I’m a mongoose, then.”
“You can view this as a joke all you want, but I don’t trust him. He’s hiding something, Stefan. I can see it in his eyes.” Silva isn’t one to give me his personal opinion very often. He knows when he should speak and when he should probably shut up, which makes me take what he’s saying seriously.
“I am not afraid of a man like Lajos. He isn’t threatening in the least bit, and I doubt he ever will be. It doesn’t really matter, though. He’ll be handled tonight.”
“Handled?” Silva cocks a brow and looks at me for a moment before returning his eyes back to the sky.
I chuckle into the microphone. “You should know me better, Silva. Lajos told me he damaged my product, and now he’ll have to pay the ultimate price for that.”
“Ah, of course you’re going to kill him.” There’s a hint of worry in Silva’s voice that I can sense. I can only wonder why it’s there.
“Mhm,” I murmur, looking out the window. The sun has just begun to set, and the night sky is upon us. We’re flying directly over Rio, and I can tell the city is booming with life. Condos and penthouses have their lights on, and on the streets, I can see neon lights coming from some of the best nightclubs we have.
“Just be cautious with him. I have a nasty feeling that shit isn’t exactly the way it seems. I can’t explain it, but I know a weasel when I see one. He’s hiding something.”
“I appreciate your input, but I’d love it even more if we could get to the ship. I have to collect what’s mine. Plus, we should get off the ship as soon as possible after I do what needs to be done.”
“You’re talking about killing him.”
“Why, yes, I most certainly am.”
Our conversation ends with me chuckling and then turns to dead silence. I scan my eyes through the night sky, trying to spot the cruise ship. I can see it from my peripheral, with smaller boats leading up to it and a helipad awaiting my arrival.
Lajos normally conducts his business far from Brazil but comes every now and again. The only reason he came this close is because of what I needed from him. As we descend down on the helipad, I ponder what I’ll say, or how I’ll manage to kill him. I brought a knife, hiding it within my jacket coat pocket. On my left side, I have a shoulder holster, paired with a beautiful gun that’s already loaded, ready for whatever mayhem might come my way.
Silva brings the helicopter down and starts pressing buttons. I hear the blades start to slow down. “I’d ask that you w. . .” He stops speaking almost immediately, knowing that I’m not going to wait until the blades come to a complete stop. I remove my headset, unbuckle myself and turn back to look at him.
“Stay here. I’ll be in and out as quickly as possible.” Turning, I head out across the pad and go down the small set of stairs. I spot Lajos only one level below me on some sort of deck.
“It’s been a long time, my dear friend!” he greets, extending a hand. He’s full of shit thinking that we’re friends. The two of us are nothing more than two individuals who must speak and use one another from time to time. Lajos takes a look around me, narrows his eyes, and before he even speaks, I know what he’s going to ask for. “Where’s my money?”
“You mean the money for the product that was supposed to be unharmed, friend?” I use his term against him, waiting for whatever response he’s trying to put together.
“She is perfectly healthy. Nothing that hasn’t already healed.”
I tsk at him. “You don’t see my point, Lajos. I expected her to be untouched, completely unharmed. This didn’t happen. Instead she’s been tainted and now I will have to put weeks of mental work in when before I wouldn’t have. How is a girl who has been put through such a traumatic experience like this supposed to trust me now?” I explain, thinking that if he understands what I’m getting at, I might just allow him to live.
“Yes, your girl was touched, but she would only be touched if she was causing issues for my men. This is the general rule when we get new girls in. If they listen, you don�
��t touch. If they fight you, you make them understand they are the weaker link. My man was not supposed to touch your girl, and thus he paid for his life. Now, I have one defiant woman who cost me a good man and you jumping down my throat about the whole situation. I have told you it’s handled, and still you bring it up. What more do you want from me? If you want her to be free for you, it won’t happen. If you only knew how much I have to pay the men that work with me.”
I unbutton my suit jacket and slip my knife into my left hand after I quickly scan the area. There is no one in sight, and I doubt I’ll be caught with the actions I take. Given the surroundings, I have the perfect plan.
Lajos is as dumb as a doornail, making me wonder how he’s existed this long in the life of crime. I smile, laughing to sell my deceit. “Ah, you know how I love to fuck around with you!” He too begins to chuckle and moves in towards me, extending a hand as any shady businessman would. Only, he doesn’t know what’s about to greet him. As I extend my right hand out to him, my left dives into his neck, going through the other side.
His eyes expand at the realization of what’s happened hits him. I watch the blood pour from his neck and start to dribble from his mouth. Lajos takes his hands and presses them to his neck, but it won’t help. “You fucked with me, Lajos. If you hadn’t done that, you might be able to live.” I rip my knife from his neck, wiping each side clean on his clothing before I slide it back in my holster. His hands are still on his neck, squeezing like it’ll stop the bleeding. I want to laugh, but it’s far too pathetic. Taking my hands, I push his chest with force until he topples over the side of the boat.
Peering over the side, I watch as his body comes into contact with the sea. “Well, at least that’s done with now.” I say to myself, taking a set of stairs down to another level. The sound of classical music meets my ears, signaling that I’m close to where the auction must be.
Defiant (The Clans Book 6) Page 4