"It's only for three days. I'll be back before you know it. I would take you with me but this is dangerous Valerie. I don't want you there."
"And you think that you saying it's dangerous is supposed to let me convince you to go alone? Absolutely not! I'm coming with you!"
"I won't be able to focus if you're there. If I don't focus, the reason I'm going there will turn futile. Understand Valerie." He states, going out of the room as he marches towards his office. I don't follow, knowing it was no use. I've been arguing about this for a week now. What use will it be?
Grumpily, I settle down on the bed and continue with my studies, trying to ignore the nagging voice that was telling me to go and convince him.
When Darius did not come down for lunch, I decided to make peace with him by taking it up in his office for him. I entered without knocking, a plate of steaming hot food in my hand. I stopped at the scene in front of me, hurt briefly flashing at the first image of the room.
Prostitutes. Fucking prostitutes.
Not one but 7 of them were lined in the left corner, all of them flaunting their figures while Darius was looking at them with his chair turned to them. I reacted how any other girl whose man had cheated on her would.
Picking up the first thing that came in my free hand, I let it fly, hoping it would hit his cheating ass right in the face. Fucker caught it without even looking at me.
Slowly, so slowly that I was almost ready to wrap a cloth around his neck and choke him to hell and back, he turned to look at me, his eyebrow raised.
"This," He started, "Is not what it looks like Valerie. Calm down and let me explain." He rushed, getting up. Putting the plate down, I crossed my hands and cocked my head, waiting, my silent order crystal clear. Explain.
"I need to take one of them with me to Miami Valerie. I need them for something." My eyes go ablaze with fury at every word.
"You'll take a helpless woman- A bloody prostitute with you but not me!? Why!" I yell, ignoring the gazes of his men from the other corner.
"I need a sub where I'm going. Something you and I both know you aren't or will never be."
"What the hell is this thing you're going at?" I yell, eyes bulged as I think about things that were running in my mind.
"An event." He darkly spoke as I glare at him, telling him to explain more, "Something is going on there. Something shady, something I have not authorized. I've tried to find out, but it's too hushed. I have my doubts about what might be happening but if it's anything like what I think, I need to fucking stop it."
Hesitantly, my eyes travel to the bunch of prostitutes. My mind was made up before my eyes reached the last one in the line.
"Take me with you. I'll do it." I state, jutting my chin out as I looked straight at him.
"Valerie... I don't think you should come with me. This is not something you will be okay with. I do not want you seeing things that scar you. It's everything you believe against. Trust me, you won't like it."
"Darius please. Let me go with you. I-" My eyes drift back to the prostitutes meaningfully, when they went back to him, they had a pleading note in them that only a mate could see, "Can't-" He sighs, looking at my face for a long moment as if debating something.
"You can come with us. Cory, Liam, get these ladies out of here. Others get out." I move to shuffle out, not wanting to get in his way and annoy him. Don't want him going back on his word now do we? "Not you Val. Stay back. If you're coming, you need to know some things. Zach, stay back as well."
The next half a hour was filled with explanation from Regio, outraged shouts from me, solemn nods from Regio and blubbering disbelief from me. Zach only quipped in between with filling in some of the things Regio spoke, my anger and disbelief flying up the rocket.
"You say you aren't sure?" I question hopefully, hoping so badly that this was just a mistake and reality wasn't such.
"I haven't received information about the hosts even after prying. They've shown their faces only at these events and no one has described them even after I tried persuading them into telling my informants."
The way he spoke persuading was telling enough that those men were no longer on this earth, walking or breathing at least. "I've had my doubts. It's about time I play the game and see for myself."
"How will you get in?" I question since he did not have an invite.
He threw me a superior look. One where he knew know sane man would deny him of anything.
"I'm Darius Regio. Why don't we see who stops me?" He states, his hand resting on the table where he sat opposite to me.
"What will my role be?" I question, my voice soft as I look down from his regal eyes.
"You will be my... uhm girl. You'll accompany me there. Men that will attend that event are... sick. They'll bring pets."
Human pets.
I surmised that on my own, I look up at Regio briefly to show that I knew what he meant by that word, "You'll be mine." He finished, looking at me apprehensively.
"A fucking pet!?" I hissed, not being able to stop myself, "What the fuck do these men think they are!?" I yell enraged, slamming my hands on the table as I breath heavy angry breaths. The fucking nerve of these men!
"This won't work boss." Zach quietly piped in, looking at me. My eyes narrowed.
"Valerie. I cannot afford to have you doing this there. I need to act in the element. I won't be the man you know there and it might scare you. If you come there with me, you might have to do things that go against your beliefs and you might have to see sides of me you fucking aren't ready for! I will have to punish you like those men do if you misbehave in ways that will break you. Things and actions y-"
"I'll act like a fucking submissive. Just tell me how I'll have to-" I grit the words out, "Act. Behave. Whatever. But you're not going anywhere without me."
"Fine."
***
2 days later and here we were, a mile away from the dreaded event's venue.
I got out of the car with Regio, my face twisted into a scowl. Fucking stupid masochist men. Regio kissed my head softly, looking down at me quickly before turning to his father and Zach who came out of the other car for one final meet-up. Yes, you heard right. Father. His father was also accompanying us. Whoop-de-fucking-do.
We quickly go over the rules, most of which I sourly noticed were for me and discussed the last of details.
"The host won't be coming out till the end of the event, so it will be necessary to stay till the end. There's a private audience that only he picks out which are allowed to see him. I'll be acting dominant Valerie and I need you to go with it. Please. I apologize in advance for everything I do in there, just please try to remember I do not wish to ever do that to you. I'm fucking sorry for what you might see in there. But do not react and do not break any rules. I do not want to hurt or humiliate you in any ways." He muttered, his fists clenched as he looked at me.
I nodded, gulping. "It's okay. I know."
"Regio." A annoying voice called, looking at Darius pointedly, my eyebrows furrowing as Regio pulled me to him and sighed softly.
"You're not going to like this." He muttered, his hand going into his pocket and pulling out a belt. No no. That's too short to be a belt. My eyes widen as I take in the object hanging in his hand, my anger skyrocketing. Not a belt. A fucking leash. With the letters DRR on it. I knew what it was going to be used for long before me spoke.
"No. No. No. NO!" I yelled angrily, pushing the offending piece of leather away from me as I looked up at him. I am not wearing a fucking leash. Over my dead and decaying skeleton.
His face, to describe in a word looked pained.
"I'm sorry. You have to." he whispered, gently moving the hair away as I try to back away. The insult I was about to yell out at top of my lungs died down in my throat as I gulped and thought bitterly that I had agreed to this. I had agreed to being degraded.
Nodding, I looked further up, offering him my neck to go ahead. I turned my head when his eyes met mine, anger and humiliation pooling in mine.
Come on Valerie! It's just a piece of leather! Stop being a baby.
The leash tightened as he went to lock it, the leather digging into my neck. My hand went up to my neck, wincing as I coughed.
"Regio!" I choked out, trying to tell him that he had tightened it.
"Fuck!" He growled, quickly undoing it and loosening it. "Sorry!"
I went to move into the car, not wanting to meet anyone's eyes at the moment. I felt low. I felt degraded.
This was going to be harder than I thought. The leather burned into me as if branding me, the leash making me feel as if I had no worth. A pet. I felt like a fucking pet rather than a person.
A hand pulled me back, the leash on my neck taken off as he breathed down my neck. Regio rested his forehead on mine, breathing heavily while I gulped. "No. Never. Never again. Never fucking again." He muttered, rubbing my cheek lightly.
"Regio this is n-" A stern voice started, cut off by a menacing voice.
"One word father. One word." He hissed coldly, threat clear. His father stopped, never saying another syllable.
"I need you to wear it on your wrist. Not wearing it will mean you're free to claim. I'm sorry. I know it sucks but if you don't wear it and someone tri-"
"Here." I mumble, pulling my right hand up for him to take. He quicks puts it on, pressing a featherlight kiss on the inside of my palms once done.
"I'm sorry you have to go through this."
"Don't be. I agreed to this. I'm sorry for not-"
"Don't. I get it. Come on little one. Let's get the show started." He mumbled, kissing me and pulling me away. I didn't answer back, mind too occupied with wild thoughts running in my mind. What will happen? What will I see?
The answers I found to those questions were horrific. Simply horrific.
We had entered through with barely a word, my head kept low as I was told to do by Regio while I silently analyzed the area. I knew I would cry by the end of the night the second we entered the walkway on the outside of the building.
I had seen men with leashes in their hands and I had seen women connected to those leashes, walking like dogs and cats on their all fours with gags in their mouth, either completely naked or with the most flimsy piece of leather or cloth covering barely anything.
I had gasped loudly when I saw it, a few men that were near enough looking and chuckling, congratulating Regio on his new 'innocent' pet.
One of them had gone as far as to kick his pet, saying how his one was a nasty dirty whore making me clench my fingers around Regio's elbow where my hand rested.
"What's your name sugar?" A slimy voice called suddenly, my thoughts interrupted. I didn't look up from my lap, knowing I can't answer others till my 'master' allowed me to.
Fuck men! Seriously! They should just go extinct!
"She's trained I see." He muttered, turning to Regio and formally, respectfully greeting him.
"Answer him little one." Regio stated, pulling my jaw up.
"Valerie, sir." My voice spoke, meek, light and delicate, a tone of a woman that was just there to obey, gritting at the end.
"Is she exclusive?" The man's voice sounded breathy, his eyes raking over my form making me shiver in disgust as I gulped. Regio's hand on my jaw tightened before it dropped, my own head dropping with it.
"Oh yes." He gritted as nicely as he could, "I have big plans for my little one." His hand clamped on my thigh. "Don't I, little one?" I nodded, then remembered I have to answer him.
"Yes." Shit. "Master." I hurriedly added, hating the word the second it left me.
"She's new it seems. Does she cause any trouble? How do you set her in line?" She, I gritted in my head, thinking of a million ways to the man standing, is right here!
"She's pretty tame." A sugar coated voice spoke, the perfect amount of aristocracy mixed in his voice, "But when she acts out... well, let's just say she spends the next two weeks bruised and crying." He spoke with a hint of coyness, his chuckle sounding disgusting to me for the first time.
Regio, I realized at that very moment, could fool anyone. He was good at acting a part.
"I would expect nothing less from a man like you Mr. Regio." The fucker who can't regard a woman spoke, laughing as well. "It's a pity she isn't available to all though. Would've made quite a tasty treat." He huskily muttered and I didn't have to look to know he was looking at me. Ew.
Regio's arm on my thigh tightened, my own resting on it under the safety of the cloth covering the table, soothing him. Silently, he turned his hand and held onto mine and squeezed. I squeezed right back.
Sometimes, you don't need words to reassure you that no harm will come to you.
The man walked away and minutes later, Regio got up, looking down at me. I hurried to get up as well. Another fucking rule- stand up with your master. Pulling me with him, we walk out of the room and into the hallways when my eyes fall on the glass that seemed to separate something further down. Regio's arm around me tightened, making me think it was something I won't like.
"Mr. Regio! We heard rumors that you were here but we had to see for ourselves. Please let us show you our best performers. Their shows are quite... interesting." A few vices suddenly spoke, running up to Regio with their slaves in tow, trying to keep up on all fours and choking every time the leash pulled at their throat.
I cringed internally, feeling sick in the stomach at the action of these men.
"Of course. Do indeed tell. I haven't had the time to attend these event before but now that I'm here, I plan on attending every single one." Regio stated in a joyous tone, the hidden anger perhaps not detectable to anyone but me.
The men lead us down the hallway, towards the glass walls when Rex suddenly bent down to whisper in my ear. "The things you see might scare you, but do not Valerie, I repeat do not close your eyes. Please." He muttered quickly, his thumb rubbing soothing patterns on my hand as I gulped.
We stopped at a certain glass cell, the screen still black. It came on moments later, the scene in front of me making me want to burn my eyes.
A girl sat on her knees in the middle of the room, wearing nothing but heels. A man stood behind her, with a stick sort of thing in his hand as he started hitting her. The girl whimpered and struggled, but couldn't move because of being tied so much.
I had thought this was all he was going to do, hit her, but was horribly surprised when pulled the girl up by her hair, dragging her and pulling her up after in his arms and cutting the rope around her legs. The girl instead of kicking out went limp, muttering something while shaking her head frantically which we couldn't here. She was crying, but she was tired.
A huge pyramid sort of thing was placed on the table in front of them, a look of confusion coming on my face. What the-
The conical thing had a round platform as if to put it down somewhere, a short cylinder on top of the circular platform and the conical pyramid sort of thing on top of it. If I had to take a guess, I'd assume it was made of rubber. What use was this thing now?
My question was answered when the struggling girl was lowered on the table. I gasped when I realized what he was going to do. He can't- Its so bi- But its too wide- Its so fucking huge!
My hand shook as the girl was lowered on it, her head shaking back and forth as she cried and yelled. The man slapped her, probably telling her to shut up, the woman then crying silently but obeying.
Then the entire thing was pushed into her. I whimpered quietly, making sure no one hears me as I shake. What sort of sick shit is this?
Rex suddenly pulled me in him, his hand in my hair as he pulled me to kiss him. To others it might've looked like he was aroused and had wanted to kiss me and perhaps that's exactly what he wanted to show, but I had never been more grateful when he pulled me in front of him and I didn't have to look at the screen anymore.
"It's okay. I promise it will be over soon little one. Hold on for a while. Just a while." I looked up, wanting to look in his eyes for the comfort he was providing but thought against it. Can't bloody look up at him.
We walked up to various other cells, each of them having their own personal sick shows going on.
"Just like I fucking suspected." Rex growled the second the other men left and we were alone, his fists clenched to the sides.
"I assume the girls don't willingly agree to this?" I question quietly, shuffling closer to him, wanting to feel safe. Zach shakes his head beside me.
"They were kidnapped. I saw a few girls that were reported missing months ago. It's them. I did some research just in case boss could've been right. There's no doubt." He quickly spoke, voice hushed.
"Sex - trafficking." I heavily breathed out, my throat tightening.
"Zach?" A cold voice spoke, a shiver running down my spine at it. Fuck he was intimidating. "Heads will roll for this." He gritted angrily, his fist clenching. I knew better than to think that he meant it metaphorically. "People know I do not agree with this. I need to prove otherwise. Valerie. I might have to h-"
"I know. It's alright. I forgive you for whatever it will be. I get it." I quickly spoke, seeing that a man was approaching us.
"You're perfect. I'm so sorry for whatever it will be." He quickly muttered, turning to the man and talking animatedly. Zach came up beside me, nudging me just barely.
"Hello there little girl." He mumbled, offering me a soft smile. I don't look up but I do smile.
"Hi Shithead."
"Are you okay?" He seriously asked, my heart warming.
"I will be. The second the night is over." He nods, not saying anything. Regio sits down, not bothering to look at me but gesturing for me to sit as well. I quickly pull a chair, slipping in it.
"What the fuck is this? Get off the chair slave!" A loud angry voice yelled and a second later, I was pushed down on the floor, a hiss of pain escaping me as my right knee came in contact with the floor roughly. I still did not look up. "A free one, are you? I'll teach you your place!" He yelled from above me, my hands shaking involuntarily.
"She's mine. Get up little one." I obliged, going beside him immediately.
"She wears no leash."
"Her hand."
"Why is it not around her neck?" Fuck! What now?
"I like to choke her. The leash gets in the way." Regio solemnly spoke, his hand coming around my neck as if to prove his point.
"No matter! She needs to be punished! She can't jus-"
"I agree." I was slammed into a wall the next second, my breath leaving me immediately. "Tell me little one, what have I told you about sitting on a table?" He asked, his hand wrapping around my throat but not applying pressure as his green eye bored into me. The look in his eyes made me whimper. I couldn't help it.
"Not to sit, master." I whisper lowly, my voice shaky.
"Then why the fuck did you!" He yelled, my body flinching at the tone. It was the tone he used on his men, never on me.
"I'm sorry master. I-I forgot." I murmur, on the verge of cracking. I don't like this Darius.
"What happens when you break rules little one?" He questioned, a sardonic edge in his voice that made me quiver.
"Punished. You get punished master."
"Whose fault is it little one?" He hissed coldly, nipping at my ear as I shut my eyes in fright.
"My. Master." I whisper, waiting for something to happen.
"I'm so fucking sorry."
"I trust you." I whispered back.
It was then that Regio's hand started applying pressure. I choked, trying not to touch his hand to pry him off of me, knowing he'll have to do something more severe. His grip tightens, a whimper leaving me when it does, the air loss starting to affect me as I writhe and shiver.
He slams me into the wall, the impact making me huff as I gasp for air. His other hand pulls my hair, tilting my reddening face to the side.
"I need you to scream in pain. Or cry. I will try being gentle but I need to leave a mark. I'm so fucking sorry." His hand around my neck loosens, the quick relief short lived as he bites down on my neck after whispering this in my ear, the pain erupting as I scream loudly. That hurt!
A second later his hand was back around my throat with renewed force. I gasped and sucked for air, my eyes opening only to find his staring back at me. I was about to cry when his pained eyes looked at me, providing me comfort even though he was the one inflicting pain.
Believable. He has to make it believable. Buckle up Valerie! You agreed to this! Help him end this miserable place's existence.
I swallowed back the cry, knowing he'll break if I did cry.
My body stopped fighting and moving, the air completely sucked as my eyes rolled to the back of my head, my hair framing my face, now out of the up-do they were put in. His hand fell limp and I fell down, coughing and choking as I sucked in large gulps of breath.
Near-death experience is officially checked-off my bucket list.
An arm plucked me up, one that shot tingles down my spine and pulled my face up roughly.
"Did I tell you to sit?" He hissed, making sure people heard him.
"N-no master. Sorry master." I whispered back, voice meek, low and rough. I had no doubt that I was bruising. He had been too rough.
"Hmm. Stay standing." He growled, pulling me and sitting down. I stayed upright, fixing my hair quickly as I felt numerous gazes on us while chuckles rose, laughing at me, mocking me. Humiliated, an embarrassed blush coated me as I thought more about it.
"Make her sit. Show the bitch her place Mr. Regio. People here look up to you." The men who had shoved me down spoke, looking at Regio and trying to persuade him. Rex, in turn, looked up right at me. Not wanting him to blow our cover, I quickly kneeled in front of his feet, head low.
Degrading. This was utterly degrading. How did women like this? Swallowing the tears down as I do things I had vowed never to do, I kneeled down in front of a man, feeling a part of me break.
His hand rested in my hair, twirling it softly as I tried not to shake.
"Well. What is she waiting for her?" I looked around quickly, trying to see what else I was supposed to do. I saw several other women doing it, my fists clenching. Put my head on his lap! I had to offer my head on his thigh like a damn pig about to be slaughtered.
Some of the women who had done this were currently choking on... things. What if he makes him do that? Fear crept up my neck for the first time. I wasn't ready for that.
Instead of over-thinking and hyper-ventilating, I put my chin on his thigh, closing my eyes and breathing quick short breaths to calm me down. Soon this will all be over Valerie. Calm down.
And what does Darius do? He strokes my hair as if I'm a damn dog who he's very much pleased with. Throughout the course of dinner, I didn't look up, I didn't speak, I didn't make a single sound because I was trying to calm down every nerve in my body to calm down and not break down crying.
Sick. Sick. Sick. Sick. Sick.