“Please, stop!” my father yells.
One of Lorenzo’s men steps forward and slugs my father in the side of the head. Fury rises inside of me, and I slap the hand on my shirt away, but he grabs my wrist, holding me in place.
“You said that we had a deal!” I cry out. I only offered myself, so I could save my dad! I try to push his hand away again, but I’m obviously no match for him.
“The deal was that I won’t kill him. No one is killing him.”
I’m horrified as the thug’s grip my father’s head to hold him in place. The man who had guided me in here looks gleeful as he takes his place next to my dad and prepares to carry out his boss’s orders. Tears stream down my dad’s face as he waits for the pain to come. His eyes never leave mine, telling me how much he loves me and how sorry he is.
The brute’s fist lands against his face with a sickening crunch. Hearing my dad’s painful groans and seeing his blood gush out is just too much for me to handle, and I’m on the verge of collapsing. These thugs can’t do this! They have to stop. It’s wrong!
“Make them stop! Please. I will do whatever you tell me.” I’m screaming and sobbing as I plead with Lorenzo. My eyes beg for his to meet mine, but they still linger over my body. I’m close to being a hysterical, blubbering mess, but I have to keep my wits about me; I have to find strength. I have to do something. I can’t lose my dad.
“Make them stop,” I implore desperately as my hands grasp his arms to get his attention and for stability before I collapse. “I already said I’ll come with you, that I’m my dad’s payment. I’ll do whatever you want. Please, stop making my father suffer!”
Lorenzo shrugs my hands off his arms, leaving me feeling vulnerable and unsteady. His fingers grip my chin tightly, roughly tilting my head back to force me to meet his callous stare.
“If I make them stop, you have to go with me without a problem. No fighting, no questions, and no theatrics. Do you understand?”
The second the words fall from his lips, I nod my head yes. I will do anything I can to save my father, including making a deal with the devil.
“Stop,” Lorenzo commands. His guys immediately pull away from my father.
“Untie him and leave him be. Take her…” His eyes linger over my chest again as if he’s already planning what he’s going to do to me. A creepy smile spreads across his face, making my skin crawl.
“Eli, tie her up,” he orders as he runs his thumb across my bottom lip.
“I said I would go with you willingly…” My voice is weak as the men come near me.
Lorenzo doesn’t answer, only motions silently for his men to take me away.
The man who retrieved me from my car roughly grabs my arm and pulls me closer to him. The other men untie and release my father.
His body is so worn out, he falls off his chair and lands on the ground in a heap. Even though he has been badly beaten and is still bleeding, I know he will be okay. It is better than being dead, after all.
“Wait. Before you take me, may I please hug my dad goodbye?” I tentatively ask, hoping I can feel safe in my father’s arms for at least a moment.
I’m not surprised when there is no response yet again. Instead, my arms are pulled behind my back, and my hands are tied together tightly. I don’t put up any resistance. There is no point in fighting them–they are heartless, cruel beings who won’t hesitate to kill me.
Before I’m ready, I’m being led out of my home. My heart constricts, and panic seizes me as I try to look at my dad one last time. “Daddy…” I manage to gasp out before my ears fill with my dad’s broken, sobbing voice.
“Amara… Amara… I’m so… Amara!” My father’s wails will be in my mind until I see him again, whenever that may be.
My throat constricts with sobs wanting to erupt, but I can’t let them out. I can’t break down yet, so I let anger take over my heart. When we stop at the SUVs, I turn to Lorenzo with fire in my eyes and heartache in my voice.
“You didn’t even let me say goodbye! You didn’t give me a chance to pack or take anything important to me. I need my phone, schoolbooks, and laptop. I have classes I need to finish.”
Lorenzo chuckles at my outburst, and his eyes light up like he’s enjoying my dismay. He is fucking laughing at me!
“Oh, my darling Amara, you won’t be returning to school, and you don’t need anything from your old life.”
“How long do you expect me to stay with you?”
“Indefinitely,” he says like he is absolutely sure of the future. My mouth pops open, but no words come out. He can’t be serious.
“You are mine. Your life is mine. Your memories, emotions, desires are all mine. I own you now. Your life as you knew it doesn’t exist anymore,” he continues explaining to me as if he’s talking to a child.
It’s at this moment that I realize what I have gotten myself into. He is expecting me to stay longer than a few days.
As the realization quickly settles in, I make myself a promise. I will play Lorenzo’s game, and I will let him think he owns me, but he will never control my mind or my heart.
I take a deep breath, allowing my new resolve to fill me. “I know I agreed to go with you and all, but what exactly am I to do?” I hadn’t even thought of that. I just wanted to find a way to save my father’s life and get these men out of my mother’s home.
“We’ll start off slowly since we don’t know one another. Every day we’ll work up to the best part of all…” he whispers, his breath tickling my ear.
“What’s the best part?” I ask innocently.
“When you ride my dick.” A smirk pulls at his lips as I gasp, and my face reddens. I’m not stupid, I know what will happen. I know someone like him doesn’t just take someone like me and force her to clean his house or complete menial tasks. I just didn’t expect him to be so blunt and straightforward with his words.
“Does that bother you? Riding my dick? Because you will ride it. You’ll ride it long and hard. I will fill your pussy and fuck you into oblivion.”
Without warning, a rope is pulled around my ankles, and a scrap of fabric lands in Lorenzo’s hands. He leans in closer than before, and I open my mouth for him to put it in. His hands wrap the fabric around my head as he secures the gag.
Then the asshole behind me tightens it even more, and my vision starts to go blurry just as my eyes land on a very pleased face. Lorenzo may have gotten what he wanted, but I earned my father’s freedom.
3
Amara
I’m surprised when they put me in the back seat, laying me down across the bench instead of throwing me in the trunk. I’m even more surprised when Lorenzo opens the door on the other side and gets in. He lifts up my head and sits down, lowering my head on his lap. I’m on my side, facing him. So I’m looking at his stomach.
Painfully aware of how close I am to the cock he expects me to ride soon, I close my eyes to avoid looking at him. I try to scoot away from him as much as I can being tied up and all, but that only makes him pull me closer.
One of his goons gets into the front seat and starts the car. I keep my eyes closed and pretend to be someone else, going somewhere fun. That is until I feel fingers brushing over my forehead.