Outside, another session of fight was on going,
Gunfire
echoed like hell's drumbeat across the compound.
Easton
and Wells were back to back, surrounded, a ring of armed guards tightening like
a noose.
Their
eyes locked in silent calculations, hands moving with trained precision as they
reloaded and struck.
Wells
ducked low, slid beneath a guard's arm and rammed his elbow into the bastard's jaw
so hard his neck snapped sideways.
Easton
shot another square between the eyes. He didn't blink.
Harper
was perched above them like a phantom, her sniper rifle balanced on the ledge
of a busted staircase. Each time she pulled the trigger, a guard dropped. No
hesitation. Just death.
"Three
left on my side" she muttered into the mic, spitting out the cigarette she just
finished smoking and shot another. "Make
that two."
"Yo!"
Dinah's voice crackled urgently through everyone's comms. "You assholes need to
be done in five or we're fucked. Sirens are blaring from the east. This area's
about to be crawling with cops"
"Can
you stop talking like a fucking book whenever we're on a mission ??. Straight
to the freaking point, Dinah" Flora growled, smashing her knuckles into a man's
temple until he dropped like a sack of meat.
Camden's
voice chimed in coolly. "Police in the area. Police scanners confirm it. You've
got three minutes before blue lights light up your ass."
"Wrap
it up!" Enzo snapped, coming out with an injured Cassia.
She
stumbled out of the mansion's main door, blood soaking the left sleeve of her
black tactical gear, blood flowing off her shoulders. Her face was pale, jaw
clenched as she moved like she couldn't feel the pain.
"Holy
fuck, Cassia!" Harper slid down the side of the wall and ran to her, catching
her arm. "Your shoulder. You're fucking bleeding"
"I'm
fine," Cassia muttered through gritted teeth. "It's nothing."
"Nothing?"
You got fucking stabbed" Harper glared at her like she's lost her mind. "That's
not nothing, Cass!."
"I
said I'm fine." Cassia pulled her arm away and climbed into the back seat of
the black Escalade, pressing her hand hard over the wound.
Enzo
slid into the driver's seat beside her, glancing at the soaked cloth on her arm
"I'll
patch you up when we get back…"
"No
need" she cut him off coldly. "Mason will do it"
Enzo
brows lifted, but he said nothing and drove off, the rest following suit.
What
she didn't say was that the reason she got hurt, something that had never
happened to her before, was because she hadn't been paying attention. She had
been thinking about her. His girl. His supposed bride. Is she already meeting
him ? Is she pretty ? Did she have curves, boobs, ass, the kind Mason couldn't
resist ?? Fuck.
That
split second distraction had nearly gotten her killed.
She
clenched her jaw and stared out the window, fury burning behind her eyes.
••••
BLAKE'S
RESIDENCE
Sapphire
sat in front of her mirror, legs crossed under her, still in the pale pink slip
dress her mother insisted she wear to meet the "guests."
Her
fingers trembled as she tapped the edge of the dresser.
Her phone buzzed beside her.
Davis.
She
exhaled and picked up. "Hey."
"You
ready ? I'm pulling up" he said in his usual light tone.
"Oh.
No.. I'm not going in today" she said quietly.
There
was a pause. "Since when does Sapphire Blake skip class?"
"I
just.. I have stuff to help my mom with" she lied.
"You
okay?" His voice softened,
"Yeah.
Yeah. I'm fine. Just need the day."
"Alright.
I'll miss seeing your face though" he teased.
She
forced a smile. "Me too. I gotta go, later."
She
hung up and stared into the mirror. A sullen expression welcomed her face.
Her
reflection didn't look like her anymore. It looked like someone being sold.
A
soft knock came. She didn't answer. Her door creaked open anyway.
Her
mother stepped in, guilt carved into her face like it had been aging overnight.
"Sweetheart." She called.
Sapphire
didn't look at her.
"I
know you're angry. You have every right to be. But please.. listen."
"Listen
to what, Mom?" Sapphire's voice cracked as she stood and faced her. "That I'm
getting married to a stranger because you two made a deal with the devil ?"
Alice
sat on the edge of the bed, shoulders slumped. "We were drowning when I had
you. No money, no food, we couldn't even afford the hospital bills, barely ate
three times a day, even the damn diapers. Your dad.. he went to him. And.."
"And
he promised you could sell me if he couldn't pay back ?" She spat, voice
shaking with rage. "How the fuck is that normal ?"
"He
promised never to hurt you." Alive whispered.
"That's
a lie. You don't make promises for monsters"
Sapphire
folded her arms, trying not to cry, but the pressure in her chest threatened to
break her ribs.
"I
don't want this" she whispered.
"We'll
try to pay the money back, get you out.."
"Nineteen
years, and you couldn't even repay it"
Sapphire
laughed bitterly. "Let's stop pretending"
Alice
stood and held her daughter. "I'm so sorry. If I could trade places, I would."
Sapphire
didn't hug her back. But she didn't pull away either.
"When
is it happening?" She asked softly.
Alice
wiped her eyes. "Later today, they'll be coming and the wedding is tomorrow."
Tomorrow.
Her life would would no longer be her own.
Later;
THE BLAKE'S RESIDENCE; Living Room
Godfather
Peterson entered the Blakes's modest home like he owned the fucking world,
because in his eyes, he did.
Mason
followed behind him, looking dangerously hot as ever, with his buttons undone
low enough to show the ink crawling up to his chest.
Simon
and Alice both stood earnestly. The fakest smiles on their faces.
"Mason"
God father said smoothly. "Introduce yourself"
Mason
dropped into the sofa like he was doing them a favor. "Mason" he said flatly,
fingers tapping his phone.
Simon
smiled awkwardly. "You're very handsome."
Mason
looked up with a glare that could rot wood. Simon shut up instantly.
Sapphire
stepped in at that moment. She had to force herself not to retreat when the Peterson's
eyes locked on her.
"So
this is her" the man said, smiling with unsettling teeth. "She's beautiful. You
raised her well."
Sapphire
bowed slightly."I'm Sapphire."
"Mason"
Peterson said again, this time, irritation slightly laced on his voice. "Look
up."
Mason
looked up and their eyes met.
He
scanned her from head to toe.
Pale
pink dress, delicate long legs, innocent eyes, hairpins in her hair. She looked
sixteen to him, and soft. Too soft.
His
eyes narrowed in visible disgust. He stood and walked out.
No
words, just like that.
Sapphire
stood frozen, feeling the full weight of rejection slap across her like a
physical blow.
"Don't
mind him" Peterson said, waving it off.
Sapphire sat, but her stomach twisted. Was that the man
she was supposed to marry ?
Her hands shaking so badly, the way he looked at her
with disgust in his eyes made her nervous.
What if he start beating her after the wedding?? What
if he even kills her??
What if he stops her from going to school??
What
would she do??
So
many questions rang in her head at the same time.
••••
OUTSIDE
Mason
leaned against the black car and lit a cigarette with a flick of his Zippo. His
face was unreadable, his eyes with an empty expression and his jaws clenched.
Godfather
Peterson joined him.
"That
was rude."
Mason
exhaled smoke slowly. "You expect me to marry that kid ?"
"She's
not.."
"I
don't give a fuck about how old she is. She looks like she'll shatter if I fuck
her too hard and I don't do delicate, not even in the slightest. I hate
innocent bitches. She literally has no tits and no ass. What the fuck am I
supposed to fondle or play with, her wood of a body ??"
"She's
not supposed to be your type" Peterson said, surprisingly calm. "She's just a
contract. A responsibility. You don't have to want her. You just have to keep
her."
Mason
tossed the cigarette and entered into the car, face taut with fury. "Whatever."
They
drove off, silence stretching thick between them.
••
Sapphire
on the other hand has been watching from her window, she heard him.
Every
word.
She blinked out tears and rushed to the mirror to check
herself out.
Does she really look like she will break?? It's true
she has a slim figure but that doesn't mean she's going to break.
'Where are the tits and ass??' She remembered that also.
It's true her tits and ass are small but that doesn't
mean she doesn't have at all, she didn't know when she broke into tears.
"I
hate him" She whispered, her tears rolling down her cheeks.
But
that wasn't the worst part.
The
worst part was knowing she would still marry him tomorrow.
And
he wouldn't even pretend to want her the slightest bit.