Mafia's Property

Chapter one

I could not remember my life outside the four walls of the place I had been locked in for so long but I remember the look on my family's face while I was being taken away, relief and happiness. That was the day I realised you only have yourself in this world, just you. Life within these walls was my hell, a hell I had to burn through day and night.The stench of fear was strong in the room, the barely there lights cast an eerie glow on the faces of the terrified girls huddled together. I had lost all sense of time within the confines of this place. At first, I had counted each passing day and night, but as they stretched into months, I abandoned the idea.The room was quiet, aside from the usual sniffles and dry cough, the rest of the girls were lost in their world, some sleeping while others stared off into space. Beyond the room, I could hear the boots and cheers of the men, they were probably drinking again, and I feared what would happen when they ran out of alcohol or things to entertain them. When it happened, they turned to taunting and hurting us for entertainment.My trembling body was pressed against other girls who shared my fate. One of the girls had begun to cry loudly, her body wracking with harsh sobs, the girls beside her tried to comfort her, whispering words I knew held no meaning in this place, with a hand around her shoulder. Her sobs grew louder by the minute and soon I could no longer hear the laughter of the men. As if on cue, the door to the room swung open, making me hold my breath in fear. One of the men walked in, his hand wrapped tightly around a pistol, his eyes scanned each of us before settling on the crying girl. He took a few steps towards her before yanking her off the floor by her arm, we watched with bated breaths as she staggered to her feet, her loud cries had slowed down to violent tremors."The sound of you crying is beginning to piss me off, shut the hell up!" He shouted in her face, shaking her with such force it almost sent her to the ground if not for the right grip on her arm.The girl responded, her voice shaky. "P-please I just want to go home."Her confession amused the man holding her, he let out a loud laugh, it sounded empty and menacing. His eyes settled on her when his laughter had died down. Nothing could have prepared us for what happened next, one minute we were watching the exchange, and the next minute there was a loud smack and we watched the girl crumble to the ground holding her cheek, blood dripping from her split lip. I couldn't help the gasp that left my lips, or the tears that welled up in my eyes, seeking comfort, I huddled closer to the girl on my left."You are delusional if you think you are gonna leave this place, this is your new home now sweetheart, get used to it." He taunted, waving his gun in the air. "In fact, why don't I give you a tour of your new home, a welcome home gift even."With that, he roughly snatched her off the floor again and hurled her towards the door, ignoring her pleas. "Stop, please let me go! Please, I beg you."I listened to her scream and shout until they were out of earshot. I was terrified, this was the second girl they had taken out of this room, the first had still not returned, I assumed she was dead already. The other girls tried to silence their whimpers and stifle the sobs. We had just witnessed that crying too loudly drew the attention of the men, and seemed to fuel their anger.I felt a nudge on my side, I turned my head to see Anna, the somewhat friend I had made while here, "Do you think she's going to come back?" I didn't have the answer to her question but for both our sakes I offered a wry smile hoping it would do some good in calming her nerves."I don't know Anna, I don't know." It was silent after that.I had just started drifting off to sleep when a nudge came again, tiredly I glanced at Anna, she had this determined look in her eyes that scared me as much as it made me curious."We are going to escape," she said with a sure nod. I continued to stare at her in confusion."Stop joking around Anna and try to be quiet okay?" I moved to lay on my side trying to get comfortable but Anna wouldn't let me be. This time when I gave her my attention, she was waving a pocket knife in the air. I was quick to bring the hand holding the knife down, looking around to make sure no one had seen that."Are you out of your mind Anna? Where did you get that from?" I asked in a hushed voice."I stole it from one of the men when I went to the bathroom earlier," she admitted with a proud grin, I shook my head at her, her idea was dangerous and I did not want to be a part of it."Come on Elena, Do you want to die in here? When they come in again, we can use this knife," she argued.I tried to object but a part of me liked the idea, wanted to execute it even, who knows, we might be able to make it out of here."Okay, but how?" Anna's smile grew wider as she proceeded to explain the plan to me in detail."When they return, you'll distract them. Just pretend you are sick or something and when he leans in to check on you, I'll attack him with this knife."We waited for our chance. My breathing deepened as the footsteps of the men drew closer. The door opened and two of the men entered inside. I feigned sickness, clutching my stomach and groaning, the men were at my side instantly, looking over me. From the corner of my eye. I watched Anna rise to her feet, slowly approaching one of them from behind. But just as Anna lunged at him, the man spun around, his eyes locking on the knife, in seconds he had the knife in his hand and Anna on the ground.I took pride in being rational and thinking things through but I hadn't considered the consequences if Anna planned to fall through, I only realized how stupid it was when the first blow came, and the next, and the one after that.Anna watched from the corner as I took the beating for both of our actions, she had been quick to deny everything and pretend like I was the one who found the knife and orchestrated everything. I struggled against the men while she watched me, occasionally mouthing the words "I'm sorry"

CHAPTER TWOPain erupted from all over my body. My fingers shook as I gently probed the wound on my cheek, wincing at the searing pain that shot through me. I could feel the blood flowing out of it and it made me cry harder, on top of that, my side throbbed with a dull ache, and I feared they may have broken some ribs. They left me alone probably realizing if they continued hitting me, I could die. Moments passed before the door groaned open again, flooding the room with harsh, blinding light as more men entered.

Their faces held no emotion, their eyes cold."Get up! all of you!" one of them barked, cocking his gun, eliciting screams from us.I cautiously rose to my feet, limping with each step, the chains on our feet clinking with every movement. The room felt even smaller as we were led toward the door like a group of helpless animals. We came to a stop in the middle of an open floor, in a single line like we had been trained to do any time we moved out together. I was still in pain but I made sure to stay quiet.The man whom I remember looking at in confusion when he showed up at my door with two other men appeared before us, a lit cigarette in between his fingers. They looked questionable then, with dark clothing, tattoos, and matching scowls, now I understood why. He had been polite until my parents introduced us, after that, he had snapped his fingers for the men to grab me and myparents said nothing, they continued to look at him as if he had hung the moon, not sparing me a glance even as I was dragged away."I see that some of you are getting ideas, thinking you can one up on us?" He said, bringing the lit cigarette to his mouth, his voice filled with amusement. I felt his glare trained on me but made no move to lift my head."Let this be a warning to anyone who thinks she can play smart, I have no problem making you disappear, after all, I can replace you, I own each one of you, don't ever forget that." He said, the warning clear in his voice.The sound of heels against the floor drew my attention, but I didn't dare lift my head as it was forbidden to look the men in the eyes. A woman in a gold dress and bright lipstick made her way towards us. The gold dress accentuated her curves making her look straight out of a fashion magazine."You are late Victoria," the man with the bald head and tattoos covering half his body glared at the woman, jutting out the butt of his cigarette in her direction. She scowled at him in return, making a show of flipping her hair and rolling her eyes. In a second he was on her, his fist wrapped tightly around their throat, as he angled her face towards his, purposely blowing the smoke in her direction. Victoria immediately began coughing, as she struggled to breathe from the smoke and the hand around her throat."Hey hey listen, because I let you have free reign here doesn't mean you can disrespect me! Show some respect you whore!" He growled in her face, she kept clawing at the hand around her neck, her face turning slightly red but he didn't let up.The men around who had also heard erupted in laughter, making crude comments about the woman and hooting after their supposed boss. I saw a flicker of fear pass her face before she quickly schooled her features. With a sultry smile, she whispered in his ear, and he visibly relaxed, his lips curling upwards in a grin. They shared a kiss, his hand still in her hair and the other firmly gripping her behind.He released her after a moment, making a show of slapping and squeezing her behind, before turning his attention toward us, "This is Victoria. She's in charge of ensuring that you look presentable tonight, you answer to her. One screw-up, and you're dead," he announced with a twisted smile before he turned and walked away, leaving a trail of smoke in his wake.As soon as he left, Victoria furiously rubbed at her neck, she tried to disguise the way she was gulping air. After some time, she rolled her shoulders and turned to us with disdain, her nose upturned in the air as if we were a burden to her. She clapped her hands, demanding our attention, when her eyes met mine, her lips split in a twisted grin as if she were mocking me.

"Oh, foolish girl. It's so easy for you to think you can escape Boris," she threw her head back and let out a loud cackle."News flash darling, you are stuck here, well up until another maniac buys you tonight." with another grin my way, she addressed the rest of the girls. I stood in my place, her words replaying in my head."Okay, girls, this way," she led us into another section of the room where a group of women waited beside small dressing tables scattered with makeup and racks of clothing lined up against the walls of the room."Those are the showers. You have five minutes to wash up before I let these men drag you out if you waste a second longer," she said. As she spoke, the men began unlocking our chains, freeing our feet. When none of us moved immediately, Victoria clapped her hands again."The clock is ticking, girls!" and with that, we all clambered into the stalls, some sharing to make the most of the little time.Minutes later I was seated in front of a mirror as two women fussed over me. One kept pulling my hair, trying to force the wild curls into a bun, cussing whenever my hair failed to stay out, while the other dabbed concealer on my cheek, a large amount that I suspected was to hide the bruises I had gotten today, that she had only cleaned with a wet rag and antiseptic. I felt like an animal being prepared for slaughter. The makeup did a good job of covering my bruises but the more I stared at my reflection in the mirror, the more repulsed I felt, I just wanted to crawl into a corner and cry.The woman pulling my hair soon left it after deeming it presentable, to move on to the next person."Oh don't start crying now, I just did your mascara," the makeup artist sighed in exasperation. Although she didn't seem bothered by my tears despite her words. She just added a few more coats to my lashes and began packing up her things.I took that as my opportunity to ask for help, "Miss please can you help me get out of here? I was kidnapped by these men and I just want to go home," a flicker of frustration and weariness crossed her face."Don't you understand? There is no escaping this place, the sooner you realize that, the safer for you," the small glimmer of hope I had desperately tried to cling to disappeared. Her last words were like the final nail to a coffin."I advise that you smile and pray that you get sold off today, even if you tried to escape, Boris would find you and kill you."

CHAPTER THREE

As I stood, my fingers continuously gripped the short ends of the dress I had been forced to wear, to pull it down but it kept riding back up my thighs. The dress clung uncomfortably to my body, pressing against my sides, making bouts of pain erupt anytime I moved. The dress was a size too small and did nothing to hide the creases of my body. We were ordered to stand in a straight line again. During this time, Anna had found her way back to my side, she tried to apologize once but I ignored her, I was not in the mood for her chatter. I was still upset with her and I wanted to make sure she knew it.In the distance, the auctioneer's voice echoed, announcing and describing us like objects to be bought and sold, which in this instance, I admit we are. I tried to block out his vile words, focusing on the faces of my fellow captives. Some cried quietly, while others trembled in fear. I prayed for my soul, wherever it may end up tonight.From where I stood I was able to get a glimpse of what lay behind the curtain. Rows of chairs were arranged, and men littered the place, I could tell that hardly any male in that room was less than powerful. At the front of the room was a raised platform where the auctioneer would put us on display.Soon the auctioneer began calling us by our assigned numbers, I was number 8. After a moment of listening to the girls before I got sold, it was finally my turn. I stepped out onto the podium, the bright lights momentarily blinding me. My fingers trembled and my body shook with emotions as I listened to the auctioneer list off my qualities.I tuned out his voice and my surroundings, keeping my head low and eyes downcast. But the moment the word 'sold' rang in the air my head snapped up in search of my buyer but I couldn't pinpoint anyone. I was led off the stage and back to where the other girls waited to be called upon.The bald man stood to the side talking animatedly with another equally intimidating man. Their voices grew louder as I neared them.The man I did not know stopped talking as soon as he spotted me, "Is she the one?" The bald man nodded grimly, not even sparing me a glance."She will do, take her to the car, I'll join you shortly." One of my captors reached to take my arm but a gunshot rang in the air, stopping him and freezing me in my place. I looked to where the man had been standing but he was on the floor, clutching his wounded arm. He cursed loudly in Russian before retracting his gun, aiming it at the man who had shot him and almost immediately he had more than five guns pointed back at him in return.

"Tell your man to stand down, or my men won't hesitate to put him down," the man calmly stated.Boris, as he had been referred to, seethed in anger, "You shot one of my own first!"The other man sighed as though he was bored, "You know better than to touch what belongs to him. Now, my men take her to the car while you and I have a nice chat." Boris reluctantly retracted his weapon and gestured for the injured man to do the same.A hand hovered over my waist an, guiding me out of the building and into a waiting black SUV.The car sped far away from the auction house. My thoughts jumbled together as I tried to make sense of the events unfolding around me.As we drove through the streets of the city, I kept stealing glances at the man sitting beside me. I assumed he was the one who had bought me at the auction, the same one who had shot the other captor who tried to touch me. His face was stony, designed with scars and a five o'clock shadow that told stories of a harsh life. His eyes, however, held no emotion, just like the men that had held me captive, and that terrified me.The silence in the car was suffocating, only the distant sounds of the city at night seeped in. I swallowed hard, my mind running wild with the imagination of what lies ahead of me. The girls had spoken about the harsh lives after you are bought. Some are turned into paid prostitutes, maids, mistresses, and sometimes even breeding machines."Where are we? W-where are you taking me?" I whispered out, pressing myself further against the door, trying to put some distance between us. The thought of being trapped in this car with these men heightened my anxiety. My fingers curled into my palm, pressing down painfully.Just when I thought he hadn't heard me, he spoke, "We are in Moscow," a beat of silence passed again before he continued, "We are going to New York." That was the last we spoke throughout the car ride and even when we boarded the plane, no one spoke. The man kept talking in Italian to the other men around him and into the phone that stayed pressed to his ear throughout the ride. I must have fallen asleep at some point because I was shaken awake and led out of the plane and into an awaiting vehicle.The vehicle came to a stop in front of a magnificent mansion. Its size was intimidating as well as captivating and I couldn't help but tremble as I was led out of the vehicle. The man signalled for me to follow him.As I entered the mansion, I was met with luxury that contrasted the horrors I had experienced. Crystal chandeliers dangled from the ceiling, emitting a glow over the marble floors. Art hung on the walls, and the fancy furniture displayed wealth.He led me as we weaved through the hallways until we reached a room at the end of the long hallway. The man opened the door, revealing a spacious bedroom."You will stay here," the man said, his voice unexpectedly gentle. "I will send someone to brief you on your duties, for now, take a rest."I couldn't find my voice to respond, my mind was still reeling from the succession of events I had just gone through. Shutting the door behind him, he left me alone in the room.The truth was, I had been removed from one nightmare and forced into another.