“But we have money. Lots of it. We live in a large house.”
“And we’re at risk of losing it. I wasn’t going to marry you off to some asshole who wasn’t going to pay off my debts. This way, you’ll be married and my debts will be handled.”
One thing my dad says hits me. “I’ll be… married? To who? What is going on?”
“Just follow the man, Irina. Dexter will help you. I promise you. Just go with him.”
Dexter can’t even smile to make me feel better.
“No,” I say, shaking my head.
“Irina. No objections. You’ll be fine. Just go.”
I’ve never been one to disobey my father but in this moment, I take off running towards the door. But he only catches me and throws me to the ground. It knocks all the air out of my body.
“Go with him,” he snarls.
I’m not getting out of here, I realize. What has my father gotten me into?
Slowly, I push myself to my feet and stare at my dad for a long moment before I follow Dexter into the main theater. A curtain is drawn over the stage. But what I can see is multiple men seated in the small, intimate theater. They all look rich in their suits and expensive watches on their wrists.
None of them say a word to me as Dexter leads me down the aisle towards the stage. I don’t say a word myself. My tongue is stuck.
The stage is like ice on my feet as I walk up the stairs. We walk behind the curtain and that’s when I freeze at what I see.
Two other women are there. Kneeling on the ground with their hands tied behind their backs. A rag is in their mouths.
My first thought is why are they not running? But that’s when I see the men standing behind them… all with guns pointed right at their heads.
They’ll be killed if they run.
“What –,” I start to say when Dexter pushes me to my knees.
“You’ll be shot if you make a scene,” he says. “So don’t make a scene.” He quickly ties my hands behind my back and stuffs a rag in my mouth. Just like the other women.
He stands up and dusts his hands down his jacket. “There. That’s better. We can begin the auction now. Raise the curtain!”
The curtain is pulled up by someone I can’t see. How many people are working this operation?
When the curtain rises, I look out at the wealthy men in the seats. It’s an auction, I realize. An auction to buy… me?
Dad did say he was in debt. I’m the payment. That thought hits me so hard, I slump forward, feeling woozy. My dad is selling me off to the highest bidder to pay back his debts.
The daughter he kept safe. I thought it was all for me but now I’m learning that it was all for him. How he kept me sheltered. How he controlled my body. It wasn’t for my benefit.
“Get her up,” Dexter snaps. Someone grabs my arms and pulls me up so I have no choice but to look out at the sea of men’s faces.
One of these men is going to buy me.
Dexter stands behind a small podium and brings a gavel down onto it. The loud bang makes me and the other women jump.
“Let’s start the auction, shall we?”
Chapter Two
Irina
All I can see is the silhouettes of the men who will be bidding on me and the two other women. I can’t make out faces, which makes it all the scarier.