Page 5 of Merciless Queen
I removed my panties and the babydoll, feeling Xavier’s eyes on my skin. Before I could pull the tiny fabric over my body, Xavier grabbed me and pulled me into him, his hot breath on my neck. His rough fingers dug into the flesh of my ass. I knew he would leave bruises. It wasn’t that hard to bruise me these days.
“God, I’m going to miss this sweet ass every night.”
My breath caught in my lungs.Was tonight the night Vincenzo decided to kill me or sell me to the highest bidder?He always preached about loving me, but he loved money more than me. And he had a lot of rich friends who liked me just as much. Xavier laughed, seeing the fear in my eyes, and I reached for the dress and slipped it over my body.
The white sheer fabric did nothing for me. It barely covered the swell of my ass, and my nipples could be seen from the moon. Although, there was not a single person in this club who didn’t see my body in some way at this point, whether prancing around the club or in one of the private rooms.
I heard another set of feet walk up behind me, and my body tensed as rough hands slipped between my legs. “Think the boss will get mad if I take her for one final run? My cock is going to miss her sweet cunt.”
“Sebastian, shut the fuck up before I tell Vincenzo and he blows your brains out.”
I wanted to scream. I wanted to know what the fuck they were talking about, and why people were saying they’d miss me—more my body than my actual being. “What are you talking about?”
They laughed at me and my head hung. Fucking stupid. It was a mistake to even open my mouth. “Vincenzo has a special surprise for you.”
I wanted to run. To hide. “I can find my way up to his office.” Xavier grabbed my wrist, and I jerked back. “I can do it myself.”
The intensity of his palm against my cheek stung as blood filled my mouth. His hand tangled in my hair before he pulled me through the club. I should have just shut up, but no one was giving me straight answers. I hated surprises when it came to Vincenzo. If I was going to meet the barrel of a gun, I wanted to know about it.
Xavier pushed me into Vincenzo’s office, causing me to stumble on my heels, but I caught myself before I fell.
“Xavier, you hurt her pretty face,” a deep voice mumbled.
“She got mouthy. I’m sorry, boss.”
Vincenzo walked up to me and grabbed my chin, lifting my face, running his thumb over my bottom lip where it was split. “No more hitting her face. Can’t have people think I am abusing my future wife, can we?” His lips curled as my eyes grew wide.
“W-What?”
“Congratulations, little dove. You’re going to be the future Mrs. Mancini. No more of my men having you. You’re mine forever.”
Forever…
What life would I have as Vincenzo Mancini’s wife? Yes, I wouldn’t be passed around, but I would be his andonlyhis, and that was a fate worse than death. It wasn’t as bad as the other girls here, but being alone meant…I couldn’t do it. Out of all the men who brutalized me, he was the worst. God forbid I disobeyed him or talked back. Vincenzo said he loved me, but love wasn’t supposed to be agonizing.
No.
I couldn’t be his wife.
Could I escape, though? His bed. His house. No more men watching me like a hawk. Maybe I could use this to my advantage. When he saw my inner turmoil, he smirked. He was teasing me. I would be his wife regardless of my answer.
“You can continue being a whore and go to thehouse, or you can be my wife.”
Thebordello. I thought the club was bad, but the women at the house were gang raped, mutilated, and tortured. They put my mother there for a while for her to learn how to be an obedient woman. But when she came back, she wasn’t the same. Most women didn’t come out alive. I couldn’t go there. I’d rather die. And I guess my death would be Vincenzo Mancini’s ring on my finger.
“I-I’ll be your wife.”
This was my defeat. I hated this. I wanted my mom. I wanted to hear her sweet voice singing to me as I cried into her chest. Why couldn’t my misery just end? I didn’t want to live this life anymore.
The ring felt like an anchor dragging me into a dark abyss as he slid it on my finger. “Let’s give the boys one last show before your body belongs to only me.”
He ripped the dress down the middle. It took three attempts to get the fabric completely off of my front as he pulled it offcompletely and grabbed me. His fingers caressed the brand on my thigh before he forced my legs open as Xavier and Sebastian undid their pants. One final dehumanizing tactic before my torment continued. I knew what would happen if I fought back, but I also wanted to be reunited with my mom in heaven.
My mom. God, I missed her. I wished I could wake up and this would be a horrible nightmare. She always supported me and made me feel like life was worth living. I remembered talking to my mom before everything happened and they took us. It was the middle of my sophomore year of high school. My birthday was coming up, and I kissed my best friend. I didn’t know how to react. She told me she would love me no matter what: if I was bisexual, lesbian, or dating more than one person. I didn’t know what I was and knew I could explore and find myself. It was a new thing, and it got destroyed two weeks later after someone took us.
“Come on, sweet girl,” my mom said as she extended her hand for me to take it.
It was a pretty spring day with the sun bright in the sky after two weeks of gloom from spring showers. We were surrounded by the sweet scent of freshly cut grass and the soft hum of bees flitting from flower to flower. My birthday was in a few days, and I kissed my best friend. The anticipation and fear were gnawing in my gut. I needed to tell her before I exploded, but I was scared.
