Page 3
Story: Sold to the Beret
One million dollars.
I glance in the direction of the man who spoke last, my heart rate picking up as my gaze clashes with a pair of dark, soulless eyes. Bold. Possessive. My breath hitches at the intensity of his gaze and for a moment, I forget how to breathe. Suddenly, every other person in the room fades away, except him.
“One and a half million,” another voice calls, breaking my trance.
Even then, I can’t seem to look away from the dark-eyed man. Something about the way he’s holding my gaze keeps me grounded. Safe.
Is that even right?
Just like every other monster here, he’s here to buy girls for his sick pleasure. So why am I rooting for him, silently hoping for him to outbid everyone else? Maybe being in the auction house for so long has done something to my head.
“Two million,” he counters. His voice, although low, carries an unmistakable edge. Something dark and dangerous.
“Two and a half,” someone calls out hesitantly.
“Three million,” another says.
He remains silent, and just when I start to think he’s given up on the bid, his deep voice reverberates through the room. “Ten million dollars.”
A soft gasp escapes my lips. A tense silence falls upon the room until it becomes clear no one is willing to challenge him.
“Well, we have the bid at ten million,” the auctioneer announces, his voice ringing with excitement. “And it’s going once…twice…and sold!”
My heart slams hard against my chest in time with the sound of the gavel. I stand rooted to the spot, momentarily losing awareness of time and space. I’m lost in those deep, dark eyes, drowning.
I can hear the auctioneer’s voice, dishing out instructions, but I can barely make out the words. My body is strung tight, my heart beating too fast, and the exhaustion and anxiety of the past few days are suddenly catching up with me. My vision blurs and I sway on my feet.
Suddenly, a pair of big, strong arms come around my waist, holding me steady. I raise my head and my gaze clashes with those arresting dark eyes that kept me captive throughout the bidding. I stare blankly at the man, unable to wrap my head around how he got to me so fast.
Wasn’t he just at the back of the room?
“You’re okay,” he whispers into my ear, his deep rumbling voice sending thrills across my skin. “I’ve got you.”
I let my gaze roam his face, taking in his perfectly chiseled features and ruffled dark hair. A thin scar runs across his forehead to the space above his eyelid, giving him a dangerous edge that’s terrifying yet exciting. I thought his eyes were black,but they’re a deep, soulful brown—the most beautiful shade of brown I’ve ever seen.
My God, he is beautiful.It’s an odd thought, but I can’t help it.
“Hold on tight, princess,” he says, suddenly picking me up bridal style. A shocked gasp escapes my lips even as I instinctively wrap my arms around his neck. My breath hitches as I stare into his arresting brown eyes, my heart pounding hard against my rib cage. The coldness I saw in his eyes earlier has been replaced with a gentle warmth that makes me want to drown in their beautiful brown depths.
“W-what’re you doing?” I ask, barely managing to push the words past the dryness in my throat.
“Taking you home, princess,” he answers, like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
I’m about to ask what he means by that, but the auctioneer’s voice interrupts my thought. “You can’t leave unless we confirm your satisfaction with your purchase, sir.”
The man hesitates, and his arms tighten around me. My face is so close to his I can see a muscle in his jaw twitch. He looks angry, like he wants to fight back. But then his gaze darts to the guards at the door, and I follow his glance. One of the guards has their hand rested casually on their gun, and his eyes are alert as he waits to see what happens next.
“Of course,” my brown-eyed hero says, as if that was the plan all along. He carries me off the stage and back to his seat, whispering in my ear, “I’m going to protect you, princess, I swear it. We just need to give them what they want, and then we can go home.”
His voice softens at the word “home,” and somehow I know it right there and then. This handsome stranger is my knight inshining armor. He’ll protect me no matter what. I don’t know how I know that, but I can feel it down to my bones.
I bury my face in his neck, snuggling deeper into his warmth as he sits down with me on his lap. The hall is quieter than before, and I can feel the weight of all those hungry male gazes—I know what’s expected to happen next, what they want me to do. I heard the other girls talking while we waited to be sold.
I have to please my buyer.
“What’s your name?” I ask in a bid to fill the charged silence between us.
“Damien,” he answers simply. “Damien Hart.”
I glance in the direction of the man who spoke last, my heart rate picking up as my gaze clashes with a pair of dark, soulless eyes. Bold. Possessive. My breath hitches at the intensity of his gaze and for a moment, I forget how to breathe. Suddenly, every other person in the room fades away, except him.
“One and a half million,” another voice calls, breaking my trance.
Even then, I can’t seem to look away from the dark-eyed man. Something about the way he’s holding my gaze keeps me grounded. Safe.
Is that even right?
Just like every other monster here, he’s here to buy girls for his sick pleasure. So why am I rooting for him, silently hoping for him to outbid everyone else? Maybe being in the auction house for so long has done something to my head.
“Two million,” he counters. His voice, although low, carries an unmistakable edge. Something dark and dangerous.
“Two and a half,” someone calls out hesitantly.
“Three million,” another says.
He remains silent, and just when I start to think he’s given up on the bid, his deep voice reverberates through the room. “Ten million dollars.”
A soft gasp escapes my lips. A tense silence falls upon the room until it becomes clear no one is willing to challenge him.
“Well, we have the bid at ten million,” the auctioneer announces, his voice ringing with excitement. “And it’s going once…twice…and sold!”
My heart slams hard against my chest in time with the sound of the gavel. I stand rooted to the spot, momentarily losing awareness of time and space. I’m lost in those deep, dark eyes, drowning.
I can hear the auctioneer’s voice, dishing out instructions, but I can barely make out the words. My body is strung tight, my heart beating too fast, and the exhaustion and anxiety of the past few days are suddenly catching up with me. My vision blurs and I sway on my feet.
Suddenly, a pair of big, strong arms come around my waist, holding me steady. I raise my head and my gaze clashes with those arresting dark eyes that kept me captive throughout the bidding. I stare blankly at the man, unable to wrap my head around how he got to me so fast.
Wasn’t he just at the back of the room?
“You’re okay,” he whispers into my ear, his deep rumbling voice sending thrills across my skin. “I’ve got you.”
I let my gaze roam his face, taking in his perfectly chiseled features and ruffled dark hair. A thin scar runs across his forehead to the space above his eyelid, giving him a dangerous edge that’s terrifying yet exciting. I thought his eyes were black,but they’re a deep, soulful brown—the most beautiful shade of brown I’ve ever seen.
My God, he is beautiful.It’s an odd thought, but I can’t help it.
“Hold on tight, princess,” he says, suddenly picking me up bridal style. A shocked gasp escapes my lips even as I instinctively wrap my arms around his neck. My breath hitches as I stare into his arresting brown eyes, my heart pounding hard against my rib cage. The coldness I saw in his eyes earlier has been replaced with a gentle warmth that makes me want to drown in their beautiful brown depths.
“W-what’re you doing?” I ask, barely managing to push the words past the dryness in my throat.
“Taking you home, princess,” he answers, like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
I’m about to ask what he means by that, but the auctioneer’s voice interrupts my thought. “You can’t leave unless we confirm your satisfaction with your purchase, sir.”
The man hesitates, and his arms tighten around me. My face is so close to his I can see a muscle in his jaw twitch. He looks angry, like he wants to fight back. But then his gaze darts to the guards at the door, and I follow his glance. One of the guards has their hand rested casually on their gun, and his eyes are alert as he waits to see what happens next.
“Of course,” my brown-eyed hero says, as if that was the plan all along. He carries me off the stage and back to his seat, whispering in my ear, “I’m going to protect you, princess, I swear it. We just need to give them what they want, and then we can go home.”
His voice softens at the word “home,” and somehow I know it right there and then. This handsome stranger is my knight inshining armor. He’ll protect me no matter what. I don’t know how I know that, but I can feel it down to my bones.
I bury my face in his neck, snuggling deeper into his warmth as he sits down with me on his lap. The hall is quieter than before, and I can feel the weight of all those hungry male gazes—I know what’s expected to happen next, what they want me to do. I heard the other girls talking while we waited to be sold.
I have to please my buyer.
“What’s your name?” I ask in a bid to fill the charged silence between us.
“Damien,” he answers simply. “Damien Hart.”