Bound by Shadows

Isabella’s POV

I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Goosebumps crept on my skin as I shuddered, hoping the sudden shake would knock off the pairs of eyes staring at me. Loud chatters and mumbles filled the room and despite the loud voices, I couldn’t make out one word each patron was saying. The stench of alcohol mixed with smoke coiled around me, threatening to knock me out. I flicked my eyes shut as Papa’s words rang in my ear.

Just go in there, and I will take care of it. All you have to do is sit and wait.

Apparently, I’d been waiting for hours. The auction had started a good while ago, but I was number 10, the last of them all. I felt my stomach churn as I scanned my immediate environment, taking in the view in front of me.

Men, ranging from young to old, scattered around the chairs in the auditorium, each one brandishing either a cup of whiskey or a cigarette in one hand. Others had both in their palms, and it made me wonder the kind of psychopaths they were. Amidst the familiar and unfamiliar faces of the heads and capos of different families, the one I yearned for was nowhere to be found.

Papa was nowhere to be found.

“Shall we start?” a young feminine voice spread out in the auditorium. I turned to my right, and the clicking of heels made sense. “We’ve wasted a lot of time already.”

“Took you long enough!” a man yelled from the back, his voice thick with an accent. I didn’t want to know where it originated from. “Let’s get on with it.”

“Number 10.” I flinched at the name directed at me. Back at home, I was my Papa’s Amore; to them, I was too low to even be addressed by my name. Like a commodity, these men wanted to purchase me for their own personal use, whatever that may be. “She has the rarest blue eyes you’ve ever seen, and her red-colored hair is just an expression of her feisty spirit. Asides from that, she’s never been touched before; this is actually her first time here.”

“Interesting.” I trailed the purr to a man upfront. Grey hair matted his forehead as he let a cloud of smoke shield his face for a while. “Untouched, you say? When does the bidding start?”

“Right now, of course…”

“A million dollars!” The words had barely left her lips before the man interrupted. I stared at him, wide-eyed and shocked at his action. How could he? That was Capo Perez, the head of one of the mafia families in the area. Disgust washed over me as his eyes raked over my skin, a growing and burning desire in them. He couldn’t seem to tear his eyes off of me, and that’s when I realized my dress was as transparent as ever.

The auction had provided my clothes, and I was too distracted not to notice it earlier. I clung to the over-flattering neckline of the white dress I was putting on. The dress shimmied down and stopped a little below my butt, exposing the rest of my thighs to the world. I could see other patrons sizing me up and doing whatever it was they wanted to me in their heads. It was messed up, but that was how it was done.

“Two million dollars.” Another hand went up, a small placard in his grip. I saw the amount he’d just mentioned written boldly, and I shuddered again. “Clearly, you can’t be serious. A million dollars for this angel, you’re a joker.”

“Well, well.” I could feel the smile and happiness in the auctioneer’s voice. “This is getting intense. Is that final? Two million dollars for number 10?”

“Three million dollars!” I could no longer feel my legs at this point. Slowly, my limbs were beginning to lose their usefulness as I watched, slightly paralyzed. Maybe this was a good thing. If I was so useless, I couldn’t even move, no one would want me anymore, and I would be able to go back home. “I’ll take her for three million dollars.”

“Five million.” The crowd burst into an uproar; some cheered while the others groaned and fidgeted. I blinked back the tears that were threatening to spill, strengthening my eyes so as not to leak. Behind the strong urge to break, I squared my shoulders as I managed the best stoic expression I could put on. The more unapproachable you looked, the lesser they were to bid on you. “I’ll take this angel for five million.”

“Five million, is it?” the auctioneer called into the microphone again as the other hand grabbed her gavel. “Does anyone want to beat her current price?”

I could feel my eyes sting with sadness. It was all over; my fate would be sealed in a matter of seconds, and I would have no other option than to…

“Seven million dollars.” I locked eyes with the last bidder, and everything my mouth couldn’t say, I expressed it through my eyes. He gave a curt nod before raising the placard higher, willing everyone to turn around and outbid him. “I’m taking the girl for seven million dollars.”

“Do you even have that much?” someone whispered harshly to my savior. “You’re just going into more debt. Would you rather only have a whore you just recently acquired rather than build your dying family from the ashes. Leave the bidding to those who actually need it!”

My savior said nothing. He nodded to the auctioneer, whose eyes were gleaming with pride.

“Number 10 going at seven million dollars.” She crooned again. “Seven million dollars, going, going, going, go…”

Before she could get the final word out, another voice filled the room. It was unlike the other men; his voice was low and chilly, and I felt cold seep into my bones.

“50 million dollars.” I swear I heard the microphone slip from the auctioneer’s hands. “I’m ending the auction at 50 million dollars.”