LONDON'S POINT OF VIEW
He grabbed my dress and ripped it. A long tear formed in the fabric, exposing my bra. He pulled even harder, until it was completely split in two.
"You can keep the high heels on. But take off your bra."
"Fuck you."
I had never felt so degraded in my entire life, stripped down and sexualized simply because I was a woman and not a man. I spat in his face and tried to kick him in the balls.
He parried the blow and slapped me across the face.
"Spit on me again, and you'll see what happens."
His hand unfastened the clasp of my bra with a swift, nimble movement. It slid down my arms and fell to the floor.
How had I ended up here?
"You're better than this, Crewe."
"No," he said coldly. "When someone mocks me, I teach them a lesson. You can try to escape it all you want, but you won't succeed. I hold all the power. You have nothing."
For the first time, I felt like bursting into tears. Hope drained from my body as I realized I was nothing more than property, livestock to be sold to the highest bidder.
"We are going to dinner now. You don't have to eat. You don't have to talk. Just sit there, that's all."
He grabbed my elbow and dragged me into the massive dining room. My breasts were completely exposed, and only my panties hid my virtue. I passed Finley in the hallway, but he had the decency not to stare at me.
Crewe forced me into a chair, then pushed it close to the table.
I immediately covered my chest, my lungs tightening with impending tears.
"Don't do this to me. Crewe, please..."
"Put your hands down."
He grabbed my wrists and pinned them flat against the table.
"Every time you cover yourself during dinner, I will slap you."
He leaned over the table until his mouth was pressed against my ear.
"Accept your fate. It's the only thing you can do now."
Finley announced the guest's arrival.
"Sir, Bones is here."
*Bones?* The name alone made me shudder. Without even seeing his face, I knew this man would make my blood run cold.
Crewe and Bones exchanged a few words about the weather, then Bones talked about his life in Rome. They made their way toward the dining room, their voices echoing louder and louder. I sat there in my panties, tears burning behind my eyes. A man was about to spend the whole dinner leering at me—as if I weren't a human being.
Bones walked in, fair-skinned with blond hair. He had a broad chest, and the atmosphere around him felt sinister and tense. When he set his eyes on me, I immediately covered my face, disgusted by his gaze.
Crewe placed a hand on my shoulder.
"Did you forget what we discussed, sweetheart?"
I refused to lower my arms, to let this twisted man look at me. He had a thick mustache and evil eyes. He was undressing me with his gaze, viewing me with impunity as a prisoner. He was even more terrifying than I had anticipated.
Crewe slapped me just as he had promised. The back of his hand struck my cheek, hard enough to leave it flushed from the impact.
I lowered my hands.
"She needs a good breaking-in," Crewe said.
"She's fascinating."
Bones approached and leaned over me, examining my body as if he had every right to it. Then he reached out and cupped my breast.
I shoved his hand away.
"Don't touch me."
He clenched his fist before smashing it into my face, making me scream in pain. He pulled his arm back to do it again.
Crewe caught his arm, holding him back.
"One blow is enough, Bones. Sit down, I'll let you taste my best scotch."
Crewe stepped between the two of us, using his size to shield me.
I shouldn't have felt grateful, but strangely, I was.
Bones moved to the other side of the table.
Crewe took his seat next to me and asked him about his arms manufacturing business. Apparently, Bones manufactured illegal weapons and sold them to the highest bidder, dealing with people from all over the world. I didn't know what Crewe and Bones had in common, but they clearly shared a business relationship.
Finley served the meal, but I didn't dare take a single bite. I felt sick to my stomach. The pain in my eye was unbearable. I knew I would wake up with a black eye tomorrow.
Bones and Crewe continued talking business, specifically about Crewe's experience in intelligence brokerage. They mentioned a certain Crow and the fact that he was selling weapons to their allies.
The conversation both bored and terrified me.
"So," Bones said with his mouth full. "Did you invite her just to get me worked up?"
"No. This pretty young lady is for sale."
"Oh, really?"
He ogled my tits again, still eating.
"How much? I'd love to have a go at her."
I wanted to throw up right on the table.
"Four million," Crewe said. "The price is non-negotiable."
"Four million? Are you kidding me?"
He sputtered food as he spoke, making him look like a pig.
"She's worth her weight in gold," Crewe said with conviction. "She has the kind of fire you love so much. Last night, she snuck into my room and tried to bash my skull in with a rock."
Bones burst into a guttural laugh that came from deep within his throat.
"She's got spine... I like that."
His blue eyes locked onto me again, seeming to pierce through my skin right to my soul. He wanted to take everything from me, everything I held dear.
"And she's got a sharp tongue," Crewe continued. "She's got quite the mouth on her."
"Even better," Bones said. "But her price tag is very high, I'm sure you'd agree."
"As if you can't afford her."
Crewe flashed him a charming smile, using his charisma even on men.
"Of course I can," Bones said. "But I spend my money wisely. I can get myself a pretty whore for a fraction of that price."
"I am not a whore," I hissed.
I was sick of them talking about me as if I didn't exist. They joked about my personality, but they didn't understand that I was just trying to survive. What would they do if they were in my position? Would they just give up?
Crewe patted my shoulder.
She's right. She isn't. And that's why she's more expensive. She was in medical school when I took her, so this will be her first time. She's going to need to be tamed. She's going to need to be broken. But in my opinion, that's where all the fun is.
Bones took another bite and nodded.
You're absolutely right.
I nudged Crewe's hand away with my elbow.
He let me do it and rested his hand back on his knee.
I'll let you think about it for a bit. But in three days, I'm opening up the bidding.
I have to ask, Crewe... Why this specific price?
Glad you asked.
Crewe drank his scotch before continuing.
Are you familiar with Joseph Ingram?
Vaguely," Bones said. "The name sounds familiar.
Well, that asshole handed me counterfeit bills. He was stupid enough to think he could get away with it.
Bones grunted quietly—his version of a laugh.
"That's insulting."
"If he had managed to trick me with a more elaborate plan, maybe I would have respected him," Crewe said, shruggling his shoulders. "But he acted like an amateur. Within five minutes, we knew we'd been screwed."
"Maybe he thought you wouldn't be able to track him down," Bones suggested.
"Well, it took us two days. We brought him and his men to our headquarters in Glasgow. After giving him a good beating, he doubled the amount he owed me. But of course, he never paid. He was never going to do it, so I took his sister."
Crewe wrapped an arm around my shoulders.
"He knows all the horrible things that will be done to her, and that's enough revenge for me. But I'm selling her for the exact amount he owes me—killing two birds with one stone."
Bones nodded slowly, then raised his glass to Crewe.
"I commend you, Crewe."
They clinked their glasses together.
"Thanks."
Crewe downed the rest of his scotch.
Bones did the same.
"It's the perfect punishment. But I need to think about it. I could get so many hookers for that price I'd lose count. Mind you, now that I know her background, I'm much more tempted. I'll beat her even harder knowing someone out there is suffering for her."
He stared at me, his cruel gaze burning into my skin.
I could feel the excitement oozing from his pores just thinking about all the horrible things he wanted to do to me.
"I'd love to break her knees and watch her crawl. I'd love to break her arm and force her to serve me. But she won't last as long as the others. She'll be buried in the garden in less than a year."
I forced myself not to shake, not to give in to fear in Bones's presence. But I had never been so terrified in my entire fucking life. My heart was hammering in my chest and I was on the verge of passing out. This man was a monster, far worse than my captor. Crewe had only slapped me, and even then, I had struck him first. When I begged him not to rape me, he listened. Crewe wasn't evil at all compared to Bones.
🥺 So family, I have something important to tell you.
This book is a Dark Mafia novel, and to stay true to the genre, I am sometimes forced to use raw, violent, or highly sensual language so the story retains its full meaning. Unfortunately, since I started publishing this book, Facebook has already flagged the page three times, and I am risking a restriction.
Honestly, I even thought about stopping the story to avoid losing the page. But if I take the risk to continue, it's because I've really noticed how much you love this book and the engagement you show with every episode.
So today, I have just one request for you: help me secure this episode.*
Drop as many ❤️ as possible in the comments.
*I truly hope I can count on your support. 🙏🔥