Chapter 1 - The auction

Chapter 1 – The Auction

The auction was underway, the room filled with excitement and anticipation. Everyone was excited for the auction held by the Field’s family. They’re the only family to rival the Graves family in the underworld. Slade and Lucifer Graves were known to be animals. The Graves family always made sure outsiders never saw their faces, yet they were feared by everyone. Emiel Field’s blew up Slade’s Manhattan home while Slade was out of town, everyone knows about it because Emiel has been bragging out it to anyone who would listen. Slade has kept quiet about the fire and has yet to retaliate.

Rowan Priest sits in the private room randomly scrolling through his phone. The auction of bidding on women were underway but he could not care less. He wasn’t interested in any of that shit.

His father’s birthday was coming up and this place was the only that had the painting his father wanted. And of course, he was here for pay back as well. Blowing up his house when he had a friend staying there for a few weeks. He looks up at Emiel talking to his wife… His focus goes back this his phone.

He rolls his eyes when he sees his identical twin brother at yet another frat party. At twenty-nine Damien Priest was known to be anywhere a party would be. He would party with nine-year old’s if it were allowed. Damien was nothing like him. Damien was the fun brother, shouldered no responsibility and was the life of the party.

From the stage Grace shivers from the cold, chatter whistles creeps eyeing her body dressed in a little sheer dress. Her entire body on show for all the men present.

Her body trembled for the past two years she’d known this day would come one day yet she still feared what one of these creeps would do to her once she was theirs. She was just a toy for them to play with and throw away once they were done with her. Her wrists chained to the floor so she couldn’t run or try to escape. Like she had the energy to. She can’t even remember the last time she ate. It took all her energy to even stand up straight.

The more uncomfortable she felt the louder the cheers became.

“Next, we have Gracie, she is a virgin. She has never been touched by another man before. She is as innocent as they come. Age twenty-one. We start the opening bid at one million.” With the announcement of Grace being a virgin, all the men became excited. They could not wait to make her theirs. To break her.

The bid continues up to five million.

In the private box, Rowan finally looks up from his phone. His eyes find the girl on the stage down below.

His eyes landing on Grace’s form. She is shivering, her grey eyes wide, innocent and fear behind them.

He could not help taking a double look at her. Her blonde hair almost white hangs straight down to her hips.

She looked so much like her it was frightening.

“Interesting…” a smile tugs at his lips. “This ought to be fun…”

“What do you think Andre?” he asks his right-hand man. Andre Rossi has been working for Rowan for years, they trained together as kids. His father was Rowan’s father’s right-hand man.

“She looks so much like…” Andre is cut off by Rowan’s fierce glare. “Sorry Slade…” he bows his head and apologizes.

Rowan bites his bottom lip and presses the button. An automated voice from the VVIP room rings out through the auction house. “Fifty Million…”

The entire auction house falls silent. Only one person could be in that room and a shiver ran down each and everyone’s spines. Emiel’s eyes found the box and fear showed in his eyes. The room was dark so he couldn’t see Slade. But he knew his days were numbered. He tried acting as though he was sweating from head to toe.

Everyone lowered their paddles they knew better than to bid further. No one had a death wish. Those who bid on the girl earlier prayed he did not catch their names. They quietly got up and fled the auction house.

No one even looks at the girl anymore. They look down at their feet.

“Fif-Fifty Million going on-once. Going Tw-twice… Sold! To Mr. Graves!” the announcer could barely keep his voice. He had not been made aware of Slade’s presence here tonight. He didn’t even know he was in town. If he had known, he would have given him the catalogue for tonight so he could have first pick. Shaking he looks at Gracie she was going to experience true hell.

Gracie was then led into the VVIP room. They did not want to delay. Wearing a mask and blue contact lenses, Rowan let his right-hand man Andre Rossi let his prize in.

He orders everyone else but Andre to leave the room.

“Sit little girl…” he says taking his eyes off her. He shrugs off his blazer and hands it to her.

Grace flinches. But takes his jacket. She thinks him meekly.

She takes the seat beside him. He does not look at her, but she looks at him. He is wearing a mask that covers his entire face. The room is dark so she cannot even tell the color of his eyes.

“Dre when’s papa’s painting supposed to appear?” Rowan asks impatiently.

“Last…” Andre says promptly.

Rowan sighs. He looks at Grace. “You are legal right?” he asks Gracie.

She looks up at him. She nods. “I’m twenty-one…” she says softly.

Rowan frowns. “And you’re a virgin?” He highly doubts a twenty-one-year-old would still be a virgin.

She nods.

Rowan’s frown deepens. He does not like where his head is at. He would get his parents off his back for sure, but was he really for that? He would have his freedom back yes, but he’d be giving up a lot more…

He looks back at his phone scrolling through Damien’s posts. Damien’s going to freak the fuck out. Damien is going to fucking hate it.

The auction goes on until the painting his been waiting all night for comes up…

Rowan finally shows interest… placing his phone down on the armrest, he looks at the stage.

When the bidding begins. Grace bites her nails when she looks at the painting with interest. The more she looked at it the more she could see the imperfections. The screen zooms on the painting and she cringes.

Rowan catches her just as he was about to press his bidding offer. “What?” he asks.

Grace flinches. And looks at him wide eyed. She jumps in her seat.

“Th-the painting…” she points to the stage.

Rowan frowns. “Yeah, what about it?” Rowan asks.

“It’s fa-fake…” she says so softly her voice is barely audible.

Rowan frowns. He does not ask her how she knows. He gets up. “Let’s go.” He says.

Grace sits back, biting her nails.

When she does not get up. Rowan looks at Andre before walking out of the room. If she did not want to follow him, he had a million other ways to get her moving without the use of her own legs.

The screams from the room soon followed by dead silence causes Rowan to smile.

Rowan Priest in these parts of the world known as Slade, the destructor. He is known to his wild side. Or if you could call it that. A frown on Slade’s face causes grown men to pee their pants. His reputation proceeds him. He is known for burning a mansion down because the owner pissed him off.

That is not the reason for burning the place down, but Rowan did not mind. It made people fear his gaze. It made business deals easier.

He walks out of the auction house. His driver opens the back door for him. Rowan climbs into the car. Andre walks to the second car and places an unconscious Grace in the car.

Rowan picks up his phone and dials a number. “Have fun friend…” he says cheerfully.

“Fuck off.” A gruff voice says before hanging up.

As Rowan’s car drives off police cars rush toward the auction house.

Rowan watches the chaos from the mirror. It would teach those shit head better than to burn what’s his. Oh, the payment wasn’t even half of it. He was going to make his life a living hell, it started with the arrest... Rowan didn’t know shit about paintings, but for some reason he trusted the scared little girl when she said that shit was fake, shocking himself.

If he had given that shit to his father. It would embarrass him in front of his father. Austin Priest also known as Lucifer, is known for his life for finer thanks in life. That goes to the most expensive suits, women, clubs, paintings. Anything expensive and illegal. The painting was supposedly stolen from a Museum in Baltimore. The thing was stolen before, before it was returned in 2014. Rowan didn’t know much but he did his research. He looked up this prized painting his father had wanted in his collection for years.

Rowan takes his mask off. Ripping off the shirt, changing into a wife-beater, and shrugging on a black leather jacket. Changing his black slacks for a washed-out black pair of jeans.

He knocks on the driver’s seat. The car stops at the curb. Rowan gets out and driver drives off. He walks over to the Harley on the side of the road. He gets on shrugging the helmet over his head. He straddles the bike before starting it up and drives off. He had business to take care of.

His father sent him to Chicago to attend a meeting with a business partner in Chicago. Austin Priest pretends to be retired but runs the business behind the scenes.

If Sandra Priest found out her husband has really retired, she’d take his master card and buy out a high-end brand store. The thought brought a rare smile to Rowan’s face.

He drove all the way across town. When he stopped in front of an abandoned warehouse. He takes off his helmet and places it on the bike. He takes the keys and puts them in his jeans back pocket.

He enters the building the shouts and screams loud. He nearly cringes at the sight of all the people in the warehouse.

“Right this way sir. We’ve reserved a private room under Master’s orders.” Says a scrawny kid who looks like he’s ten second from shitting his pants.

I nod following him away from the crowd. It’s a big showing for a last-minute party.