Page 10 of Mafia Kings & Wedding Rings 2: The Finale
“She’s going to start a bidding war,” Michelle cackled just as keys jingled at the door, and I heard the definitive sound of the lock clicking.
The two of them straightened up like soldiers in the army when Saleh stepped inside. Two large men hovered behind him on opposite sides of the doorway, and I immediately spotted the Glocks on their hips.
“Well, well. Good job.” He clapped. “I need you two to go and make sure the other girls are ready to be presented. We’ll start taking them up in groups of five. I will let you know when to bring each one in.”
“Yes, Saleh,” Taryn and Michelle spoke in unison before bowing their heads and shuffling toward the door.
“You are the type of beautiful that radiates in any country. Syria would be honored to have you.” Saleh came up behind me in the mirror. “But I cannot guarantee that.” He lifted a hand to my shoulder and caressed it, dark, haunted eyes staring at me through the mirror now.
A cold, flu-like chill swept over me, flooding my arms with goosebumps.
“We’ll save the best for last. See you soon.” He winked and moved over to the door.
I wanted to fight or scream, but judging from my surroundings, I wouldn’t get far. My stomach rumbled anxiously, and I went over to the bed and sat down. “Brick, wherever you are . . . I need you,” I whispered.
An eternity seemed to pass before someone finally came and opened the door for me. The broad-shouldered man took up the doorway, bald headed with tight, inwardly slanted eyes looking me over.
“It’s time to go.” His deep voice practically sent a vibration over the concrete walls.
Looking past him in the hall, I noticed two more guards and four other women lined up waiting. Reluctantly, I stood and marched toward the door. I’d never been a coward, and I wouldn’t start now. I was raised to hold my chin up no matter what. Darlene was everything but a child of God and somebody stayed testing her kids. Not only did my brothers have to fight and take ridicule, but so did me and my sisters. We were guided up a set of concrete steps with candle fixtures arranged on the walls giving it this ominous glow. Low classical music thrummed in the distance, growing louder with each step. When we reached the top level, Saleh stood with two other men exchanging handshakes before acknowledging us.
“Right on time. Let’s go. One by one.” He waved for the first girl at the front of the line.
The way he had to hold her up and how she swayed with her steps had me guessing she was drugged. Most of them moved like zombies, much like me. She was ushered up a set of smaller steps to what looked like a stage with a curtain drawn. Saleh lowered her onto a bed made of gold, covered in rose petals with a gold-patterned backdrop. He fixed her long auburn hair before padding over to the other side of the stage.
“Ladies and gentlemen, in our final sale of the night, what I like to call the crème de la crème, I give you . . . Sarah. Bidding starts at fifty thousand,” he announced as the curtains slowly drifted open to reveal Sarah.
There were some low hums before I heard voices call out different denominations back and forth. Each girl was bid on before me, all being cashed out for hundreds of thousands of dollars, some close to half a million. My ears couldn’t believe it, and I kept wondering if I had somehow slipped into some alternate universe. This could not be my life right now. When Saleh came for me, my feet wouldn’t move. He had to drag me up those steps. It all seemed to go by in a blur. Him sitting me on the edge of that bed, posing me like a doll, and flipping some of my hair over my shoulder. The cold, distant glint in his eyes was the look of a monster.
When the curtains parted, the spotlight nearly blinded me, causing me to squint. There was a large crowd in front of me, at least fifty people or more gathered, all in masquerade masks and their best costume attire. Some gripped champagne glasses, and everyone ogled me like some product on a shelf. Searching the many faces, something off to the side near one of the doors caught my eye. For a moment, I thought maybe my mind was playing tricks on me.
A man with a hand covered in tattoos lifted his mask from his face. Brick. Blinking rapidly, I tried to tell myself I was tripping, until he brought his whiskey glass in the air and lowered the mask back to his face.Sealed with a sip.My pulse quickened as my eyes drifted over the rest of the crowd.
“This one is certified in purity, ladies and gentlemen, so the bidding will start at seventy-five thousand!” Saleh announced.
There was an uproar as people went back and forth, calling out figure after figure. In just a matter of sixty seconds, the number was up to three hundred thousand. Saleh’s wicked grin was all I could see before all hell broke loose. Rapid gunfire broke out, leaving people fleeing in fear. Glass shattered, and a series of screams erupted as people stampeded toward the door while some of the men drew weapons from their waistbands. When they tried to break through the doors, it seemed they’d all been barricaded shut. Some of the women fought against the push bars, trying to get out, screaming and banging on them. A few of the men tried to use their weight to bust out, but the doors wouldn’t budge.
“Get the girls! Take them out the back!” Saleh hissed to his men as he stomped toward me.
Snatching me by the arm, he pulled me to my feet, and I got winded when my chest hit his.
“You come with me.”
“Let her go!” Brick’s deadly voice was like music to my ears.
Saleh went into his waistband for the gun, but I moved quicker, snatching it off his hip and bringing it to his chin.
“Men like you deserve to rot in hell!” I screamed.
Pow!Blood sprayed over my skin and dress from the shot that sent him crumbling and twitching on the ground at my feet. When I looked up, Brick’s wide eyes fixated on me, and he also had his pistol in the air, ready to fire. He peeped Saleh on the ground one last time before lifting his eyes to mine. I ran towardhim, heels clicking against the wooden stage. Lifting me into his arms, he held me so tight it squeezed the breath out of me.
“You good, mama. Come on. Let’s get you out of here.” He kissed the side of my face and grabbed my hand.
We moved backstage where some of Saleh’s men were trying to transport the other girls through an exit. The minute they spotted me with Brick, he shoved me behind him, shielding me from them as they raised their guns. He shot first, taking two of them down as the girls ducked to avoid being hit. Screaming and covering their ears, they cowered on the ground, and Brick dragged me past them. At the end of the hall there was a single large door with a lock.
“Step back,” Brick instructed, raising his gun.
He shot the lock off and used his foot to kick it open. Grabbing my hand, he pulled me through with him into the cool night air. That familiar scent of rain cloaked the air as the gray clouds shifted in the sky. His eyes darted around, and seconds later, a black SUV rolled up on us. Ivo had one arm hanging out the window and the other gripping an AR-15.
