The auction

EAGAN

I let the rope go and I watch the huge metal fall on the man's burly body, squashing every bone in him. Blood spills to the walls and on my fucking face but his last cries are a goddamn symphony to my ears. 

It's everything I imagined it to be. His lifeless body glares at me and I can't help the satisfaction pounding against my heart.

"I'll be seeing you in hell, brother." I say, taking a longer look at the face that had left me sleepless for the past months. 

Now he's dead. Gone. Vanished. And I'm a step fucking close to getting what I want.

I stride out of the room, meeting a long trial of my men in the hallway. One of them hands me a towel and I wipe off the blood on my face.

"Congratulations, boss." Liam says from behind me, as we take the elevator.

"Thanks," I reply with an exhale. "We should celebrate this. You and me."

"Sure, boss. I'll have a few drinks ready."

We reach my bedroom on the top floor and he disappears to probably get the drinks. I head to my balcony, looking down on the dark, busy streets of LOVE ISLAND CITY.

The stench of the blood on me syncs with the buzzing traffic from the vehicles and brings a little flip-flop to my heart. A crazy combination of the two things I love the most. Blood and Love Island City. 

I live to kill. From the very first time I slit a man's throat at twelve, I fell in love with the dread and the intoxicating power killing makes one feel. And I don't do the quiet, bullet-to-the-brain kind of killing. I do the messy type. Bone squashing. Blood spilling. Brain wracking. It's more gruesome and feeds the darkness that lurks around my heart.

And then, there's Love Island City. The city has everything I need. 

Drugs. Money. Connections. Women. Power. Freedom. My past. Every-fucking-thing!

I wanna own it. But to own it, I need to kill the top families standing in my way. It's a crime city. Has over a hundred cartel families.

I came from the least. I started my family alone, until gradually, I built a fucking empire. I had a lot of good men clamoring to join the hood. And now, I'm in the top six in the hierarchy. 

Nah, not anymore. I just killed the only surviving member of the top five family, 'The Bales Brotherhood'.

Now, that takes me to the top five. I have to kill four more families to be able to own Love Island City. 

Four more vicious killings and I'll get what I've always wanted. Since the day I joined the streets. Since the day I sold my soul to the devil at an irredeemable price. Love Island City has been my obsession, and someday I'm gonna have it right at my feet.  

"Boss." Liam stretches out a glass of wine to me. I take it and sniff it a bit. A mixture of vodka and Red Bull. 

"Thank you, Liam." I click my glass on his and we drink in silence. But the approaching footsteps ruin the moment.

"I'm sorry, boss." Jethro halts with a bow. He's one of the few men who can fucking walk into my bedroom. Not many of them have that freedom.

"What is it?"

"This." He hands a phone to Liam, and he hands it to me. I took a few seconds to read the message.

"A reminder of my invitation to the 'Hunts' auction going on tonight. That's tempting." I toss the phone to Jethro and he leaves us.

"Will you be going?" Liam asks, fixing his curious, grey eyes on me.

"Should I?" I retort. Taking more sips, I try to analyze the situation.

The Hunts' brotherhood is the second in the hierarchy. I have to kill two more families before getting to them. They're powerful as shit and have a badass connection in the city and beyond.

No doubt they'll be hard to kill off but not impossible. I'll have to bring my A-game when it's time to deal with them. 

But it isn't the time yet. So should I honor the invitation? They hold the biggest auctions in the city. One of the lost illegal shit. They kidnap girls and bid them for crazy amounts. 

I've had my men go down there a few times to pick up girls for my sick pleasure. But I've never attended in person. Never had a reason to show my face among 'The Hunts'.

"If you want, I can represent you again this year. You don't have to worry about it." Liam says, taking my empty glass and placing it on the small table.

"No. I'll go." So what if I have two more families to kill before getting to the Hunts? The Hunts are still on my list and it's about time I get 'acquainted' with them. 

Liam has confusion in his gaze. "You're serious?"

"Yes, I'm fucking serious. Get the car ready. We leave in half an hour."

He hurries off and I quickly take a shower. I change into one of my numerous black outfits, with a scarf around my neck and concealing my fingers into black, leather gloves.

The cars are ready and lined up in the front yard. I get into one of them and Liam follows suit. There are five cars. And each of them has my men in them. Armed and alert. 

We get to the venue and it is a closed-off underground in one of 'The Hunts' properties. The place is jammed by every bastard who has a thing or two doing in the dark, illegal world. 

I didn't expect less than the gasps I received from all angles when I got out of the car and headed inside the underground, with my men trailing behind me. 

I'm not one to honor events and being here is shocking to everyone. And it doesn't help that every ass in here knows me, not just my name. But also my face. That's why I'm getting insane attention right now.

I walk through the little pathway, between the bleachers, checking for my spot. The auction has already started and a handful of people are yelling out their biddings. 

"Eagan." 

I turn in the direction of the voice. "Vicious." We shake hands with curt nods. 

Vicious Hunt. The underboss of the Hunt Brotherhood, the only son of his old father, Rick Hunt, the men I'll be killing soon. 

It's funny how I dine and have fun with these men but still kill them without a trace of guilt. Then again, this isn't some fantasy world. It's the real world, and here we gotta kill to get what we want. So that leaves me with no fucking choice.

"It's great to see you here. Please, have a seat." He points to two empty spots. 

"Thank you." I take a seat, and Liam joins me. I signal at my men and they disperse, each man to his corner.

I'm not here for the sick auction. I came here to spy on the Hunts. Pick up whatever shit I can use against them when I come for them. I need to know their weaknesses. That's the only way I can sweep them off the earth without any extra trouble.

I look around keenly, reading the room, but when a crazy gasp erupts in the hall, I find myself being curious. "What's going on?"

"A virgin for auction," Liam replies. There's a glint of amusement in his voice. 

"Oh really?" I reply with the least interest. Like I said, I'm not here for the auction. And the thought of bidding on some random virgin sickens me.

"She's gonna cost a fortune." 

"These horny idiots are willing to sell their souls. Can you try not to be distracted by that? We're here for a reason, remember?"

As my fucking right-hand man, he should know better than being distracted. 

"Sure, boss."

Swiping my gaze through the crowd, I spot every Hunts family member, including a few distant cousins who are present for the auction. 

Rumors have it that they're fucking twisted in their dealings. It's almost impossible to find a stain on them. But I intend to claw at their surface, stick my hungry fangs into their business. Surely, I must find something. A crack I can break into and drag them to hell. It's all a matter of persistence. Something I'm fucking good at.

"Uh, boss." Liam nudges me with an elbow. "You might wanna look at the auction stand."

"Why?" I drag my gaze to the stand. There's a girl dressed in a mismatched undies and tied to a pole. Her mouth is gagged, her eyes are dilating with dread and her skin has a few bruises.

At first, it's a mere, arousing sight. But then the vision gets clearer and I'm struck right to my feelings.

Goddammit! What the fuck is she doing up there?!