Chapter 4

“Just so you know, I didn’t tell you my real name,” Leon continued calmly. “And you will never know what it is. You’re not allowed to ask any personal questions and I’ll let your behavior slide just this once, but it won’t happen again. Consider this a warning.”

I stared at him, stunned and furious, my chest rising and falling sharply. Was this guy even human? His voice was calm, too calm for someone saying the most insane thing I had ever heard. I wanted to laugh in his face, but all I could do was clench my teeth until my jaw hurt. A warning? Who the hell did he think he was, talking to me like I was his property already?

“So this is your brilliant solution?” I asked, my voice shaking with anger I could barely contain. “Buy a human being so your brother won’t sleep around?”

He nodded once, unapologetic, like he truly believed his madness made sense. “It was the only option left. I can’t stop him from having sex entirely and all my efforts to do that until now have failed. So if I give him someone of his own and someone he can have anytime he wants, he would stop going around getting in trouble. You’ll be with him always. You’ll keep him satisfied and in return, you’ll keep him from ruining my father’s reputation.”

I almost choked on my spit. My job is to keep his brother satisfied and in line? That was the bullshit coming out of his mouth? He said it so casually, like this wasn’t extremely fucked up. I stared at him like he had completely lost his mind. I felt my blood boil beneath my skin, hotter and my hands balled into fists because if I didn’t physically restrain myself, I was going to reach across this car and strangle him.

“You actually think I would do that?” I asked slowly, every word trembling with rage. “You bought me like I’m some kind of animal and now you’re here talking to me like I’m supposed to obey you? Like I owe you something? You must be out of your goddamn mind if you think I’ll listen to..”

I didn’t even get to finish the sentence because Leon moved so fast I didn’t even see it coming. One second he was sitting there like the cold psycho he was, and the next, his hand was around my throat so tightly that I saw white spots immediately.

My breath got cut off and my eyes widened as I started to choke. I clawed at his grip, digging my nails into his skin to try and pry him off, but he didn’t even flinch. His fingers pressed deeper, cutting off every bit of air I had left. He looked calm doing it and that was the worst part.

“What did I tell you about your tone?” he snarled, his face inches from mine. He didn’t start yelling like you’d expect from someone who snapped. No, he was quiet, deadly and that made him so much scarier.

My lungs screamed for air as I tried to pull his hand off, but he just squeezed harder. My strength was fading and my vision was blurring.

“Because I gave you the chance to speak to me doesn’t mean you get to talk anyhow,” he growled. “In case you’re forgetting the situation you’re in, your life is in my hands now and I own you.”

Own me? Those words shot straight through me that I had no control over my life anymore. My life wasn’t mine, my choices didn’t exist and worse, nobody in the world even knew where I was.

His grip tightened again and pain shot across my neck. My body started to shake and I could feel tears sting my eyes. I didn’t want to cry. Fucking hell, I refused to cry in front of this asshole but my body betrayed me and my stupid lungs begged for air.

“All you have to do,” he continued with a sneer, still choking the life out of me, “is to nod and tell me you understand everything that I want you to do. Is. That. Clear?”

I glared at him, even though every instinct in my body screamed to beg but I wouldn’t give him that. Even when I was seconds from collapsing, I still wouldn’t beg but I also didn’t want to die here like a stray dog so I swallowed my pride, what was left of it anyway and nodded stiffly.

For a second, something flickered in his eyes when a couple of tears escaped and rolled down my cheek. It vanished immediately and then he released me.

Air rushed back into my lungs all at once and I gasped like I had been drowning. I coughed hard, struggling to breathe, grabbing my throat. It burned like fire. I could already feel how swollen and sore it would be in a few minutes. I bet his fingerprints were already there too.

I looked up at him with pure hatred, and he just… sat back like nothing happened. He adjusted his jacket and continued talking smoothly as if he hadn’t almost ended my life.

“Kade will be leaving for college soon after this summer break,” he said casually. “All you have to do is keep him in line until then and I’ll let you go.”

I froze. What? Did he just say let me go? Was he serious?

“I’m being very nice here,” he added, his tone firm and unbothered. “Trust me, none of the other men would’ve given you what I’m giving you, which is a good deal. They would use you for years until you are no longer young or pretty anymore and when they get tired of you and when you can’t satisfy them anymore, they'd kill you, dump you in the ocean and every trace of you would disappear, like you never existed.

But the good thing is that my brother is not like them. He wouldn’t treat you like some sick pervert and all you just need to do is prevent him from being stupid and I’ll let you go.”

I didn’t say anything. I didn’t trust myself to speak yet. Let me go? Was I supposed to be grateful now? Thank him? Or smile?

Hell no!

I turned away from him and looked out the window. My mind was a mess. I was trapped in something I didn’t understand, something much bigger than me. I had just been kidnapped, sold like merchandise, drugged and shipped in a tinted car and now what? I belonged to some rich bastard’s brother as a sex pet slash babysitter?

My breathing went uneven with rage and disbelief.

“So let me get this straight,” I said slowly, forcing myself to stay calm as I turned back to glare at him. “Your brother likes men which isn’t a big deal but it is to your family. So why don’t you just take him to a country where he can be free? Where he can breathe? We both know damn well that there are places where being gay is accepted. Why not let him go live his life instead of doing this sick sex pet of a thing? Why not just let him be himself?!”