Chapter Eighteen . . .|
-i think i can take it from here.
Taehyung heard people go by, prices going at hundreds to even thousands but nothing over two-thousand dollars. He was sitting as he waited, the slaves and 'objects' being sold would stare at him as they were next, some disgusted and others seemed begging. All he could do was breathe out sorries to them all.
His heart was aching and all he wanted to do was leave and hug his brother. The least thing he wanted to do was hug his brother for a final goodbye since he never got that sort of closure.
His heart was thumping, feeling so outrageously loud in his ears, person after person walking out to be sold right in front of him.
"Mr. Kim" Taehyung snapped his head up, eyes meeting Jeongguk's. He was startled and woken from his train of thought. "Last person, you're up." He held his hand out, the guards forcing Taehyung to stand, making sure he couldn't run.
"J-Jeongguk," Taehyung teared up. "P-P-Please . . . I'm- I'm begging you . . . D-Don't sell me, please." He pleaded, a small and wet tear rolling down his beautiful face, tracing the makeup down to his jawline. "I just . . . I just want to be free"
Jeongguk would deny it but seeing Taehyung look so broken ached him inside, never to be admitted that it ever did. "Princess," he started. "Even if I were to keep you, you would never be free. Maybe if you beg these people hard enough, they'll think about it."
With those sour and venomous words, he took Taehyung's hand and pulled him onto the stage. The lights shown on the precious commodity once more, his body clearly trembling with anxiety and extreme fear; being petrified.
"As said before, a hundred thousand dollars to start off this wonderful bid! Use your money wisely and start us off smartly!" Jeongguk smirked, looking over everyone in the crowd.
"All the money I own! Take me!" Seokjin stood once more. He yelled and shouted. "You can take me, own the fucking business, take every dollar I own! Please! I'll do anything just to set him free!" Seokjin cried out.
"Princess, do you want to tell your brother everything I've already told you? Everything I've said when you used that trick on me? The 'I'll give you everything I own' plead?" Jeongguk chuckled lowly, holding the mic out to Taehyung's pouty lips.
Taehyung shook his head but Jeongguk glared, making Taehyung look out at Seokjin.
"H-He already owns e-everything, hyung." Taehyung's small voice hit the ears of everyone but this didn't stop Seokjin.
"I'll work until I die in this shitty mafia, provide anything I fucking can just to let him go!" He yelled, anger and sadness riddling his face faster than a blink of an eye.
Jeongguk took the mic back to his thin lips, wetting them before speaking out. "There is one thing I want, Mr. Kim Seokjin. Want to guess?" He cocked his head in Taehyung's direction. "I only want him and I want to sell him. Too bad you don't have anything more I want that I don't already have." He shrugged, mocking Seokjin's frown.
"Two hundred thousand" a bid was shouted out, a small sign raised in the air to show who offered.
"You're a sick fuck! How can any of you sit in here and bid on fucking people! It would be different if it was your little sisters or any of your family! Or even fucking you! You ALL deserve to rot in hell! Fucking burn for your crimes!" Seokjin wailed, Namjoon standing and picking up Seokjin, moving his hand and pinching a small piece of skin on his back. This action made Seokjin whimper and cry out, the small pinch just making him cry more.
Namjoon removed Seokjin from the auction, the bid now officially starting without the disruption.
"Two hundred thousand, do I hear higher?" Jeongguk asked.
The bid continued, people shouting out price ranges and offers for the ethereal beauty that cried profusely. Taehyung was even hyperventilating.
The price was at one-million, five-thousand dollars. It rose quickly, someone new shouting a price right after the other. They wanted Taehyung as much as the next person did.
"Someone want to offer a bid that will stump? These offers are pennies in pockets, let's go to two-million." Jeongguk said, getting irritated with how slow it seemed to him.
That's when a price was shouted, the room going mute. The person who shouted it was standing nice and tall, eyes piercing into Jeongguk's. He took two steps forward, some more light tracing his well-structured face and elements.
"Twelve-million dollars, I'll give in cash." He said in a low, intimidating voice. It was the same voice that left Jeongguk a voice message.
Jeongguk's eyes were widened. He knew no one was going higher than twelve million dollars — especially not in cash.
"Jung Hoseok," he breathed. "I didn't expect you to show, more or less just your guards to offer for you but not you yourself, Mr. Jung. Can I say I'm impressed," he added to his exclamation. "Twelve-million it is." Jeongguk snapped his fingers, calling for the end of the bid. The guards picked up Taehyung and carried him out, the aforementioned crying loudly.
He was taken to a separate room, being cuffed to a chair and told to stay still while Jeongguk gathered the money. He screamed at them, screaming so loud his voice cracked. Taehyung kicked his feet and tugged at the handcuffs, throwing a fit. They had already exited the room but that didn't matter.
He didn't care anymore. He wailed and shouted, face bright red with tears racing down his cheeks.
Jimin came across Taehyung's door, he reached his hand for the doorknob, wanting to comfort Taehyung and try to help him. He paused and pulled his hand back, sighing and shaking his head. He couldn't. Not in these conditions.
He turned on his heels, ready to walk away but he heard his name, turning to see Jeongguk walking down the hall.
"Jeongguk," he hummed, folding his arms over his chest. It bothered him to hear the screaming from the room directly beside him but maybe Jeongguk would hear and change his mind. Maybe give sympathy.
The mafia leader caught up to him, eyes narrowing when the screaming was much more clear. "Is that-"
"Mr. Kim." Jimin said bluntly. "It's Taehyung in there screaming like that."
Jeongguk frowned and went over to the door only to be stopped by Jimin, hearing a, "Don't you think you'll only make it worse?" Come from him.
Jeongguk looked at Jimin but swatted his hand away, opening the door anyways and letting himself in, the older quick to follow suit.
The sight was heartbreaking, Taehyung was pulling at his wrist, yanking and tugging like no tomorrow. He was doing it so hard to the point his hand was purple and small cuts were appearing from the shackles digging into his precious skin. He was using all his might and trying to break them, jerking his wrist back.
The mafia leader's lips parted, seeing the CEO's face in so much distress. Without an actual thought, Jeongguk dashed over and wrapped his arms tightly around Taehyung, pressing his chest to the other's back.
With this action, it only caused for Taehyung to scream more and throw a bigger fit, not knowing who it was holding him for he paid no mind. He thought it was someone taking him to Jung Hoseok.
He wailed and threw his elbow back and even hitting Jeongguk in the face, not giving a care in the world to what his punishment would be. Taehyung seemed extremely strong compared to what Jeongguk's worked with before. He was twisting and hitting and kicking.
"M-Mr. Kim!" Jeongguk winced and gripped Taehyung's wrists, turning him and shoving him on the couch. He rose his fist but the younger didn't flinch.
His eyes locked with Jeongguk's and vice versa, Taehyung's eyes clearly reading out that he didn't care what would happen and that he wasn't afraid of him anymore.
Jimin watched the whole thing go down, surprised with the actions from both men in front of him.
"Fucking stop!" Shouted Jeongguk, lowering his hand to grip Taehyung's wrists. "I oughta beat the living hell out of you but you're not my property! What the fuck are you even doing?! This doesn't help your case, you fucking idiot!" Jeongguk was loud.
Taehyung just glared at him anger and tears.
"Did you think causing harm to yourself would make God see how helpless you are?! Would make someone pity you?! You're in the mafia, not your easy normal life with shit handed to you!" Jeongguk was intimidating, voice loud and brows pinched.
"I think I can take it from here," said a voice beside Jimin, Jeongguk and Taehyung looking over to see Hoseok standing with hands clasped in front of him.