I'm going under and this time I fear there's no one to save me
This all or nothing really got a way of driving me crazy
I need somebody to heal
Somebody to know
Somebody to have
Somebody to hold
It's easy to say
But it's never the same
I guess I kinda liked the way you numbed all the pain
࿎
My eyes welled up with tears as he stared at me. I looked away quickly and began grabbing my clothes.
"Lyla, what are you doing?" He said.
"I'm staying in Lance's room."
He opened his mouth to speak but I held my hand up cutting him off.
"No, I need to be away from you. You confused the hell out of me and I just need time."
I began limping out of the room.
"Room B12," he muttered.
I nodded and closed the door behind me as I walked toward B12 which was two doors down from us. I knocked lightly on the door. The door opened and Lance stood there, shirtless.
"Oh, shit! I thought you were Jaxon." He grabbed a shirt off the bed and threw it over his head.
I laughed. "Lance, I don't care if you don't wear a shirt. You might as well get comfortable anyways," I said, walking into his room slowly. He rushed to my side and wrapped an arm around my waist, helping me walk.
"Why is that?"
"I'm staying with you," I said, cheerily with a smile.
He choked. "What?"
"I'm staying in here with you."
"Jaxon let you do that?"
"I wasn't taking no for an answer."
"Lyla, there's only one bed."
"That's okay. I'll sleep on the couch."
"No, you take the bed. I'm on the couch."
"Will you treat me like a normal person?" I groaned.
"I am," he whispered. "I would never let the lady take the couch while I take the bed. That's not how I was raised."
I smiled at him. His cheeks flushed red but he turned his head quickly, avoiding my gaze.
"Well, I'm going to get a shower. I'll be right back," he muttered.
He helped sit me on the bed before heading to the bathroom.
I just don't get Jaxon. I know that Lance says he didn't mean what he said but why would he say it in the first place?
Maybe because you hurt his feelings, asshole.
Maybe. I just don't know what I should believe.
I sat there for another 15 minutes lost in my thoughts when the bathroom door suddenly opened.
Lance walked out in sweatpants and a T-shirt.
"Hey," He said. "Shower is yours."
"Oh, I already had one. Thanks, though."
He nodded. I pulled myself off the bed and began gathering blankets. I walked over to the couch and made a place for him to sleep.
"You didn't have the cover the whole couch, you know." Lance laughed loudly.
"Well, it's leather. I didn't want you to get cold immediately after laying down."
"Thanks, Lyla."
I walked to him and kissed his cheek. "No problem. Thank you for being such a good friend to me."
His face was red when I pulled back and he cleared his throat. "Uh, yeah. Of course," he rasped out.
I crawled into bed and turned the lamp off. "Goodnight, Lance."
"Night."
•••••••••••••••••••
The next morning, a loud banging woke me from my sleep. I jumped up and looked over at Lance who was already standing.
I rubbed my eyes. "I'm sure it's Jaxon." I walked to the bathroom to pee and brush my teeth. I yawned as I stretched. Outside of the bathroom was silent.
"Lance? Is everything okay?" No answer.
"Lance?" I opened the door to see Lance, sprawled out on the floor. A hand quickly covered my mouth.
"Time to go," a male voice said. He removed his hand just long enough to cover my mouth and nose with a cloth in the other hand. The world slowly faded to black. My mind screamed at me to stay awake and find Jaxon but the darkness soon took over me.
••••••••••••
I woke again, confused.
I groaned. "What happened?"
"Well, sweetheart, I kidnapped you. Just like I said I would."
I jumped at the sound of his voice. I tried to stand but I was chained to a brick wall. I looked around at my surroundings. I was in a dark room with medical tables set up on the edges of the room.
"Where am I?"
"An abandoned hospital in Cuba, piccolo."
"Cuba?" I panicked.
"Yes. Now Daddy and his capo will never find you."
"Jaxon will find me," I muttered. "He will always find me."
"Don't be so sure. He hasn't found you yet. I've had you drugged and out for three days."
Three days? I've been out that long?
My stomach grumbled loudly.
"I figured you would be hungry." He grabbed a plate off the table next to him and threw it on the ground next to me. "Eat up. You're my first item for purchase."
Tears blurred my vision. "Purchase?"
"Oh, yes. Since your father would not cooperate, you're the first woman I'm selling into the sex trafficking ring."
"You're supposed to be my uncle!" I screamed. "Family! Blood! Why are you doing this?"
"I don't have a family!" he yelled. "I do everything for myself. For personal gain. You don't allow yourself to have weaknesses in this world. Your father could never understand that!"
I felt tears run down my face.
"I'm going to kill you," I whispered.
He slapped me across the face so hard my head snapped back and hit the brick behind me.
I groaned. I felt blood stream down my face from my mouth.
"Aw, look what you did," I mocked. "You damaged the merchandise." I spit out blood onto his shoe.
"Shut the fuck up!" He spit. He kicked me hard in the side and I felt my rib crack. I whimpered in pain and pulled myself as far from him as I could.
"Dammit!" He roared. "Mary!"
An elderly woman opened the door to my left.
"Yes, sir?"
"Get her cleaned up and tend to her wounds. I'll be back in a couple of hours to take her."
He walked out of the room quickly and the woman stood a few feet away from me, staring.
"What are you fucking staring at?" I growled. She flinched. "I'm sorry," I whispered. "My rib just really hurts." I cried out as I tried to sit up.
"Please, let me miss." She rushed to my side and lifted my shirt. I looked down and a bruise was already starting to form.
"It isn't broken but it is going to hurt for a while." My breaths came out in short pants because it hurt to breathe.
"I can't just leave it like this. I'm going to have to wrap it and it's going to show in your outfit. Master will not be pleased." She whimpered in fear.
"Don't worry, I'll take the blame. I won't let him hurt you."
She looked up at me and I saw bags under her eyes. There was also a pretty sizable scar along her jaw.
"Did he do this to you?" I whispered.
She didn't speak. She looked away quickly and began gathering things to clean my busted lip with.
"This is going to burn," she whispered as she applied an ointment to my lip. I groaned as a stinging pain intensified.
"How did you get here?" I whispered.
"Master took a liking to me many years ago but I aged and he wanted younger." She grimaced.
"You loved him," I whispered.
She nodded. "I did. He used to be a good man. He's a monster now." I nodded and waited as she wrapped my rib cage. I groaned as she pulled the wrap tighter.
"I'm sorry miss."
After she was done, she stood and walked to another table. She lifted the lingerie off the table and walked back to me.
"He's really selling me, isn't he?"
"I'm afraid so miss."
My shoulders fell as tears welled up in my eyes. She laid the lingerie in my lap. I really wish I would've kept the device Jaxon gave me on the plane in my bra like he said. She unlocked my chains quickly and walked to the door.
"I'll be back in a moment miss."
I stood, wincing in pain, and walked over to the door she left in. I peeked out of the tiny window on the door and saw two men standing guard.
"Shit," I muttered.
I walked back to the lingerie, lying on the floor. I pulled my clothes off slowly and put the lingerie on. I feel disgusting. Nothing like I felt when I wore the lingerie for Jaxon.
Oh, Jaxon.
I'm gonna miss his smile and his eyes. His sexual jokes and sensual kisses. I closed my eyes, trying to envision him. Tears escaped my eyes.
The door opened again and I quickly wiped them away. I turned and Mary stood there with a silk robe in her hand.
"To keep you covered until you go out for bidding."
I smiled at her. "Thank you for being kind to me, given the circumstances."
"You don't deserve this. I'm here because I made a stupid decision that cost me my freedom. You're here because your father refused to go against his morals. It's not fair to you miss."
"Please call me Lyla," I said.
"Lyla," she smiled. "I hate that this will be the only time I'll ever see you."
"Me too."
She handed me the robe and kissed my cheek.
"Please take care. Try to run, if you can."
"I'll come back for you."
She squeezed my hand gently. "I wish it were possible."
The door suddenly opened again and Mary quickly released my hand and dropped her head in submission.
"Out, Mary."
As he walked toward me, I realized that I never knew his name. "What's your name?" I blurted.
He smirked at me. "What?"
"Your name. I don't know it," I lied. I knew his first name but his last name I did not.
"Stephano Marino."
Marino? How am I a Carter?
"Why do we not have the same last name?"
"We do, piccolo. Your father changed both his and your name to try to hide your Italian origins."
"So my last name is really Marino?"
"Yes. Now, enough questions. Bidding is about to start."
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Song: Someone You Loved
Artist: Lewis Capaldi