I had spent the entire car ride staring into nothing, it took me a second to realise the car had stopped and Axel now waited on the curb for me. I didn't so much as blink as he wrapped his arm around my waist and led me towards the glass doors. We were in one of our casino clubs somewhere on the strip from the looks of it. There was a line of girls on the side waiting to be let in; The men we walked past did a double glance when they spot me. Axel leads me through another door before entering the lift. I looked down at my blue jeans and a white T-shirt. I even remembered putting on shoes.
"I have a meeting for the next hour, you can stay in the lounge." We were already approaching the arched hallway lined up with men in black each strapping a rifle.
"Someone will bring something to eat. We can go to the casino floor after and I'll let you win." A smile found its way to my lips. He was a cheat, he and Diego were the worst people to play cards with.
I could feel the music vibrating from the club above. I stared at the dark lounge he left me in, a guard stood by the door. The last time I was down here was years ago; when papa use to take us to work with him. Axel and I would spend the day chasing each other in the long hallway. But that all changed after when he turned 15 and his father started taking him to those meetings he had.
"Can I go upstairs?" I asked the guard. It was starting to feel suffocating down here.
"Boss said to keep an eye on you." That was the rough response. I eyed his gun; ignoring the terrifying feeling that washed over me.
"I'm going to the restroom," I announced. "You don't need to follow me." If he knew I was lying he didn't let it show.
🎶🎶
The lights blurred, the loud music vibrating through me. My body kept moving even though I'd stopped feeling any part of my limbs, they moved the beat. An uncontrollable laughter lips me and I looked up at the colourful lights, I kept jumping unaware of anything but the lights and music. Someone poured the liquid down my throat and I accepted, loving the warmth that flowed after. I only stopped moving to reach the white powder on the glass table. My head tipped back the second it hits me, as the blissful emptiness came back.
A palm wrapped around my waist and wet kisses fell down my neck. I didn't care who it was because it felt good, so good on my already sensitive skin. The wet kisses moved to my lips and I allowed it, a moan escaped me and the male growled in response. Fingers pushed my shirt up and another mouth covered my torso. I was going to combust into lights, or it might have already happened. I begged for more and whoever seem to comply as another hand was making its way between my thick thighs. I opened eagerly, needing the familiar ache to go away. My nails dig into my skin, a small bite on my bottom lips, teeth scratching my skin.
I couldn't do anything but protest with a moan when everything seized, my eyes too heavy to be open. A familiar rough voice filled the space, thick arms yanked me up. My tongue didn't move when I tried to speak, I couldn't beg them to continue, beg for them to finish what they started. Finally, my eyes obeyed my commands and familiar whiskey-brown eyes were staring at me. The music slowed as we stared, his eyes filled with fury but yet soften as he stared at my face.
"Hello, brother." I purred, wrapping my arms around his neck.
"I need...." The words nearly escaped me. "I need to forget."I tried pushing away from him but he only growled and held me tighter.
"You're done, Cat." There was no room for argument.
"Let me go!" I yelled over the pouring music. My skin felt too hot, it was going to melt off. My breath came in quicker. All the euphoric feeling had disappeared, now I had to get rid of this uncomfortable and unwanted itch. I screamed for him to let me go, to let me go back but he didn't much blinked as he hauled me out of the VIP section.
Im going to kill him. I'll shove his fucking gun up his ass.
"I'll like to see you try." Axel's voice filled my head. I must have been screaming the words at him.
My airway was already closing up. My nails clawed at my throat as I started gasping for air. I could hear him laughing, he ignored my screams and begging.
Axel started swearing, screaming at me to just let air in. I was placed on a hard surface before Axel came back into view. He pried my hands away from my throat, cupping my face as icy cold water poured down onto us. It sent my body into shock, waking me from my haze and I started swallowing air down greedily.
"That's it," Axel muttered. "Keep breathing." He didn't look affected by the cold and just kept stroking my face telling me to breathe. "I got you." He whispered pressing my face into his neck. When the shivering started, he carried me out of the shower. Placing me on a couch, getting a towel before joining me again and holding me close. My entire body shook violently as I tried to bring my head back to earth. I couldn't remember how I got here, the night blurred into a mess. I remember going up to the club for a couple of drinks and then being invited to the VIP lounge and after that, it was a blank.
"One of my men spotted you on the security cameras and called me," Axel spoke, his head resting on mine. "I got to you before it got too far." I could hear the tension in his voice, could feel the tightest in his body. It was my turn to tense up. The coldness in his voice was not my brother I knew, it was that of a made man.
"I'm sorry." My throat was tender with each word. "He's everywhere," I add quietly.
The drugs were still working their way through my system because I blacked out for the next few minutes. I awoke to Axel and I inside a car, my head resting on his lap as he runs his hands through my hair. I didn't have the time to let him know I was awake before the darkness came again.
The next time my eyes opened, we were in a dimmed room. I was on something very soft-a bed- my room.
Axel sat on the edge. He was unaware of my consciousness as he spoke to whoever stood across the room.
"She needs medical help not another fucking husband." I tried not to react to the other voice. "We agreed that for us to trust each other we need to become family."
"Then give him Carina," Axel growls at our Papa.
It felt like I was falling into my dreams.
"She was going to let a man fuck her in public without a care in the world," Axel exclaimed. My insides twist with disgust at myself. "I made sure the prick lost his fingers for touching her."
"The deal has already been made Axel, the wedding is in a month." Papa sounded tired.
"Give him Carina." Axel's words were tight. "Catalina can't do this, I fear the worst if you make her marry so soon."
"She's my daughter," Papa threw back. "I decide when she's ready. I won't have her wasting away her youth not when a man like Casimir Romanov wants her."
I stopped breathing entirely, waiting for Axel's next words.
Casimir.
Cas.
Cas.
It was the Russian stranger.
Worthless. Unloveable.
That's what I was.
A waste of life.
Why would he want me? For what Papa said he chose me; perhaps already knowing I once belonged to another.
"I'll kill you before I let a fucking Russian near my sister." I didn't have to look to know the words left Papa stunned. The next words were spoken in Spanish. I tuned them out expecting the numbness that filled me.
Unlovable.
The words kept echoing around me. Worthless.
But yet he still wanted me.