Page 29 of Vicious Savage

The workout has left me feeling thirsty and deprived. I play Scarface’s words over in my mind; I wonder if I’m so exhausted that I dreamt the whole thing up. Was it just a dream? His words play on a loop in my mind, too vivid to have been a figment of my imagination.

“No questions… just do as you’re told and try to stay alive.”

Something is coming. I can feel it in my bones. Something big.

30

LUNA

I’m sitting on the dusty ground with my back against the edge of the wooden plank when I hear the footsteps. Not my father’s. Scarface. The beat of his rapid steps echoes through the chamber until he’s standing at the bars, his eyes adjusting to the dark. I look up at him; he sees me sitting on the floor and a flicker of emotion crosses his face before he tilts his head, inviting me to approach him.

I stand, wipe my grimy hands on my jeans and approach him. He hands me a bottle of water and a protein bar.

“Eat, drink,” he commands, watching me carefully. Like a parent would watch a child to make sure they’re getting all their vegetables.

“You sure you haven’t put something in this?” I ask, taking a bite of the bar. Again, it is sealed, but he seems mighty invested in making sure I eat it all. Which gives me cause for concern.

He rolls his eyes and shakes his head slightly, urging me to finish. When I’ve consumed both items, he tucks the remnants into an internal pocket in his jacket and watches me. His hands reach up to the bars, his fingers curling around the metal. His knuckles go white from how tight he holds them.

“Listen carefully,” he whispers.

“I’m all ears.”

For some reason, my snarkiness irritates the hell out of him, and his eye twitches as he grows impatient with me. I don’t think he’s much of a jokester, even if only to lighten the mood.

“Okay, I’m listening.”

I could give him that, at least. I move closer, eager to hear what he has to say. Obviously it’s important, or he wouldn’t be down here.

“There’s no time to repeat myself.” I nod quickly, telling him that I understand. “There’s going to be an auction. Two nights from today.”

“An auction?”

“For fuck’s sake, don’t interrupt me.”

He is seething.

“Okay, okay.”

“Castillo is going to auction you off to the highest bidder.”

He could’ve slapped me and I would’ve felt more emotion. Instead, I stand numb and speechless as his words sink in. When I open my mouth to protest, he shuts me up by pressing a finger to his lips. He wants me to listen only, and I understand the urgency in his message when he turns to look quickly toward the exit of the dungeon.

“Listen to me. It can’tnothappen. That auction has to happen, so make sure you’re at that auction.”

“But…”

“If I’m unable to come again, just know. That auction is the only way for you to get out of here. Don’t fuck it up.”

* * *

When I was younger,I quickly learnt the power I wielded as a woman. Great women have brought greater men to their knees. Great women have toppled empires. Great women have shattered, destroyed, ended dynasties. I am no exception. I may not be able to overthrow a whole entire cartel, but I do have the power to bring men to their knees. I learnt this early, from the moment I turned twelve and boys started looking at me differently. By sixteen, the courageous ones who weren’t afraid of my brothers or my father started flirting and asking me out on dates. Of course, I was never allowed to go out, so it wasn’t in the cards for me to be moonlighted by some teenager. But of course, when I went to university, there was no stopping me. Especially with the level of anonymity I was afforded. No one knew who I was. Even I didn’t know who I was.

I went to college all the way on the other side of the country, and with a surname as common as Castillo, I was able to blend seamlessly into the landscape of college life. The boys came flocking. In droves. Being unattainable made them want me that much more.

I knocked each and every one of them back until I found a man. A real man. A totally hot local businessman who was ten years older than I. He was my first and he spoiled me and treated me like I was his queen. I thrived on his attention; it lasted four months, until I found out he was married and broke it off without a backward glance. I think it hurt him more than it hurt me, because he wouldn’t let go. I couldn’t get rid of him until I threatened to tell his wife about us. I never heard from him again after that.

So I’ve always known my worth as a woman. But I’ve always been able to pick and choose who I wanted to be with and which direction I wanted an encounter to go. That’s why when my father tried to marry me off to Nestor Gamboa, it felt like he was driving spikes into my soul. I couldn’t be a part of something I couldn’t control, or in a relationship with someone I didn’t want to touch.

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