Page 32 of Revengeful Punks (Dolls and Douchebags)

“Don’t leave our sight tonight. Stick close to one of us at all times. When Dom shows up, it’s going to be a fucking massacre.” Logan talks to me but he has this half smile on his lips that looks cocky and ignorant as he glances at the “guests” once we reach the last step and people openly stare our way.

If you look past the fake smile and stare into Logan’s eyes long enough, you can see how hard and deadly his gaze is as he looks at everyone, almost like he’s memorizing faces to kill later.

“Believe me, I’m not going anywhere,” I reply, suppressing a shudder as he leads us around the fancy, red velvet couches and selects one giving us a viewpoint of the stage and the stairs, so we can see who’s coming and going.

That eases me a tad because I know no one can sneak up behind us since there are concrete walls behind our couch. I glance around and my lip starts to curl in disgust at the walkway and stage, as if it’s a fucking model catwalk, when in reality, it’s just a perfect circle so you have a view from all angles of the human body that’s going to be on display. The guys take a seat with Logan in the middle, and he pulls me down to sit on his lap as Nicky and Dalton sit on either side of him with Tey on Nicky’s other side. All the guys' moods are pulsing in waves, brooding and silent. They hate this just as much as I do.

“Two o'clock, Tillie. No surprises,” Dalton mutters in a gravelly voice, suppressing a throaty growl at whatever he’s looking at.

I’m almost afraid to look. I could just keep staring at the stage but the goose bumps on the back of my neck won’t go away and demands I scan my surroundings until it finds the source of the creepy feeling. I know who he’s looking at before I even glance over.

Has the hair on your arms ever stood on end? Have you ever been scared of the dark because you feel like your worst fear is going to be right behind you, breathing down your neck?

That’s how I’m feeling right now. Sweat slides down my back and my stomach sinks, as if I can’t decide if I want to throw up or if my whole body is going to become cold and numb before shutting down. I gaze to where Dalton pointed out and my gaze immediately connects with Cruz. He’s already staring at me and, I swear, my heart stops beating for a split second. That look scares me. Cruz’s gaze holds so many emotions that aren’t normal. Possession, like I’m an object, lust, as if he’s thinking of all the sick things he wants to do to me against my will because he gets off on it, and rage. That rage is what scares me. It’s not directed at me but at my guys as Cruz’s gaze shifts towards them before settling back on me. It’s a promise in his eyes that speaks of death.

“He’ll never hurt you again, my sweetness. We’ll paint a whole room with his blood then burn it down to ashes,” Tey says maniacally, his tone so dark and seriously dangerous that it makes me shiver with a bit of fear and lust.

Dalton places his finger under my chin and makes me break eye contact with my worst nightmare. Violet eyes hold mine now, piercing into my soul until a faint smile spreads across Dalton’s face as he traces my bottom lip with his thumb.

“Happy place, little bitch. Don’t look at him again,” he says, taking an inhale that I mimic. I can breathe a little easier after I do it a few times.

I didn’t even realize that my breathing had picked up and that I was on the verge of a panic attack.

“Fuck,” I whisper, shifting closer against Logan to try and warm my exposed back whilst I try to keep my expression neutral, as if I’m bored, like the guys.

I don’t want to be looked at like I’m weak, and I need to make sure no one can get a read on my emotions ever again. They’re currently all over the place with dread, fear, panic, and a small area in my heart of pure love, but all these people here will only see the collected Tillie from now on.

“Here we go. Don’t react,” Nicky warns just as the lights dim and everything goes silent. Theguestsquiets down as the curtain at the end of the walkway parts, a spotlight shining brightly over the entry.

I hold my breath as the silhouette of a body edges inside and pauses in the light with a big, muscular male at the female's side. I’m confused at first by what I’m seeing, but hot rage quickly gathers right down to my soul as it clicks what’s happening. I become rigid in Logan’s lap and a hand snakes into mine, squeezing tightly as we watch the drugged-out girl get practically dragged down the walkway by one of Jin’s men. She trips over her own feet, head rolling on her shoulder as the guy grips her elbows and stares straight ahead with a bored expression. She’s skin and bones. The white, see-through dress shows just how starved she’s been.

“They start with the least valuable, and towards the end, the best is saved for last, the ones who will bring a very high price,” Nicky says from beside me with a tone that almost makes him sound like a robot, but when I look over at him, his fists are clenched on his thighs and his neck is straining with tension. I rub my thumb over the hand Dalton is holding and slowly reach over with my other hand to Nicky, sliding my pinky over his wrist.

Nicky’s breath stutters out, like he’s been holding it in. I make eye contact with Tey on his other side, seeing him press his thigh firmly against Nicky’s. He’s not alone in this, and I can’t even begin to imagine what it was like for him having a father like Jin. Maybe we’re more alike than I thought.

“Bidding starts at ten thousand,” a voice says over the speakers, making me jump in Logan’s lap. It sounded so loud when everyone was being so quiet, except for the once-in-a-while murmurs.

Logan’s hand smooths across my lower back out of sight, sliding back and forth over my scarred skin. Maybe he needs the contact to keep him grounded because right now, I’m seconds away from grabbing his gun and shooting wildly, hoping I hit every fucker in here. I can’t even imagine what he’s feeling right now.

I glance around, seeing men in freaking butler suits with trays standing on the edge of each section of couches, far enough away to create privacy, but the moment someone raises their hand, the butler comes over instantly with that damn silver tray. I watch in bewilderment as a piece of paper is placed on the tray and the butler walks away, heading right for Franco. I didn’t notice at first but he has a section all to himself, and Jin is on the right corner of the stage with his triad guards surrounding him. The butler hands Franco the folded paper, who reads it and signals to the man holding the girl up in the middle of the stage. The guard nods and starts dragging the girl back towards where they came from, the spotlight shutting off so we can’t see them leave on the walkway.

“What...” I trail off, confused as fuck about what’s happening.

“She was just sold. The guards at each section of guests get handed a bidding offer and delivers it to Franco and Jin. If accepted, the next person comes out to get sold,” Logan explains in a choked, tight voice, his hand now gripping my hips so tightly that I know I’m going to have a bruise later, but I don’t care.

My mind is racing and I’ve never felt so helpless. Not even when I was getting raped, beaten… This isn’t about me though. These people getting sold are going to go through so much worse than I ever did, and I’m just sitting here doing nothing. Absolutely nothing.

“Stop. Don’t do that to yourself. All this will end soon,” Nicky whispers so quietly that I almost can’t hear him, and I know he’s not talking about the auction ending for the night. He’s talking about Jin’s death.

I can hardly wait. It’s slightly easier to breathe, knowing the fucker is going to die.

Most people don’t know or believe that human trafficking is a real thing that happens every day. Women, men… children. They get kidnapped and sold to the highest bidder, and never seen again. There are some very rare cases where that person is found, but after so long being in the hands of a monster, they become an empty shell; having to fight every day just to do normal things like brush your teeth without looking in the mirror because you're scared of what your reflection is going to show you. I have to sit here, feeling helpless, and contain my anger after each new person is brought out and sold. I’m trembling. I’m so bloodthirsty that my body is literally shaking to cause chaos and murder. My mouth fills with the taste of copper as I bite the inside of my gums to keep from crying. My fingers grasp both of my guys so tight that I’m sure by the time they pry my fingers off them, there will be bruises left behind.

Sometimes, someone will cry because they’re upset, like angry or sad. To me, those two emotions go hand in hand. You can’t be sad without anger. You can’t have anger without sadness following. Like tears of love and happiness, it’s all the same. Right now, I’m so fucking angry and sad that this is their life. I’m not even sure how long I’ve been sitting in Logan’s lap, ridged like a statue. The guys don’t make a sound or look away from the stage. If you look away, it’s almost like you're ignoring what’s happening right in front of you… In this case, ignorance is not bliss.

“Pure and innocent. A feisty piece of work that needs just the right owner, bidding starts at one hundred thousand.” Jin’s voice is suddenly speaking, loud and clear from the microphone.

He sounds fucking delighted and smug, like he has everyone eating out of the palm of his hand.

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