The betrayal

"You can't do this to me, Antony. You can't just sell me off to some criminal because you fucking owe some petty amount of money to him!" I screamed at my stepbrother who in return tied the ropes around my hands and feet even more tightly as I kicked, trying to put up a fight.

Grabbing me by my shoulders, he slammed me into the wall, his expression furious and mouth twisting into an ugly sneer.

"It's five million dollars, you bitch!" He spat, glaring at me. "It's your fault I'm under this debt, so it's only right that you pay it off with your body. It was your selfish mother who left nothing to me and donated all of her money to some bloody orphans instead of giving it to me, her own stepson! Did you think I was gonna take care of you forever?" He gripped my chin forcefully, causing me to wince in pain as my backbone dug into the hard, cold wall behind me.

"If you were that concerned about your well-being you should have fucking asked your mother to leave some money for me and my father before she died. But you didn't. What has happened now? My father is dead. He fucking died leaving me to pay off his debts. And now, you will help me pay those off." He muttered darkly, his crazed eyes scanning my face as a nasty smirk crossed his lips.

"Xavier Dallott is no ordinary man, little sister, but I'm sure for a pretty little thing like you in return for the money, he'll let me live."

"You're disgusting!" I spat as Antony slapped me across the face, his chest rising and falling with each breath. He looked like a crazed man. A man so scared that he would stop at nothing to escape what he feared.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures, little sister and for now, you're my ticket out of this mess." He answered. "Dealing with Xavier Dallott is like dealing with the devil himself, Tiffany. He can force you to be disgusting, to be animalistic and lowly. Because being all of those is still better than being at the tip of his gun and facing his wrath."

I threw a hesitant glance at my stepbrother as he backed away from me, his clothes torn and his body bruised and I drew in a long breath trying to think just when and where had things gone this wrong.

Just a few minutes ago, I'd been just another twenty-one year old, an ordinary girl mourning the loss of her parents but then Antony—my stepbrother who I hadn't seen ever since my mom's death had come storming inside my small apartment house, his face bloody, his nose broken and his hair dishevelled, saying that he had struck a deal with the most powerful mafia boss in the country.

A deal in which I was the innocent prey and Xavier Dallott , the predator.

Looking at the state of the man in front of me, I couldn't help but swallow nervously.

Antony was always a rather cruel person by nature. Just how much more cruel and powerful was this Dallot person to have my stepbrother shaking in fear like this?

I curled back into the wall, gulping nervously, my eyes full of hopelessness and terror as Antony fixed me with another no-nonsense look. "Now, listen here. His men will be coming to get you anytime now, Tiffany. Better get ready before they arrive."

I didn't even think of asking any more questions because I knew another word out of my mouth and Antony was going to explode, probably hit me more until they had to carry my unconscious body to the said mafia boss.

So I watched quietly as I walked to my closet, he threw open my wardrobe, hastily going through all of my belongings. Packing some clothes into a bag, he threw the bag in my direction and slammed the wardrobe shut before levelling me with another cold, hard look.

"My life is in your hands, Tiffany. So don't even think of running." He warned before getting ready to leave.

"I won't let you do this to me." I shouted, heaving through my angry tears.

"Try and stop me, then." He barked as he lunged towards me. My eyes widened as he brandished a knife out of his pocket, pointing it towards me, inches away from my face. "I'm not a fool to still be here when they come to get you, my dear sister. But that doesn't mean I'll let you escape. I'll be watching you and if you don't do as I say and don't surrender yourself to Xavier Dallott , I'll hunt you down and make sure that we both go down together. Dead!!" He snarled.

"Whatever happens, I'm not going to be the only one who dies like a pest..."

Saying so, he dragged the knife against my neck, making my eyes widen in fear as I watched him turn around and leave.

Sobbing, I buried my head in between my knees as I slid to the ground, gritting my teeth as I struggled against the ropes holding me captive but to no avail.

Before I could even catch my breath or force myself to think rationally, the door to my apartment was being thrown open again as a couple of men dressed in all-black suits stepped inside.

"Where did that coward go, girl?" A man knelt in front of me, his eyes cold and expressionless as he took in my pathetic state.

Virtually shaking with sobs, I shook my head, no voice coming out. "I-I don't know. He ran away." I whimpered as another man slammed his foot down onto the floor. "Stop fucking crying. We won't hesitate to slit your throat open if you continue to babble like this."

I don't know what took over me, but listening to him growl at me just made me even more scared than I already was. I could see all my hopes and dreams come crashing down to the floor. If these men took me now—

The thought made me cry even louder as my soft sniffles turned into full-blown crying. I didn't care if these men would kill me, it was better to die here anyway. The fact that they were all young men and were probably just as old as me, and yet were so dangerous and intimidating, threatening to kill without any conscience, scared me out of my wits and I continued to sob even as I felt myself being pulled up forcefully.

I flinched as I saw a man raising his hand to hit me but another voice stopped him.

"We were told not to lay a hand on her, 012. You do know that disobedience means death, right? Back off." The man in front of me muttered calmly, his voice still ringing with dominance as all of them pulled away, their heads lowering immediately.

"What's your name, girl?" He questioned again as I took a few calming breaths. So far, none of them looked poised to hurt me.

"Tiff… Tiffany Joyce" I squeaked.

"And do you know who I am?" He questioned. "Look at me!" He instructed sharply and I finally dared to look up, my breath hitching in my throat.

He was so handso—

My eyes widened in surprise as I saw his hands move. I was terrified of the uncertainty but all I felt was a soft cloth being pressed against my nose as the world slowly swam in and out of my focus, turning all black in seconds as my body slumped.