Point out my mistakes. It's way past 4 am and I was determined to finish this chapter for you guys. I've been up for over 23 hours now and only had less than 4 hours of sleep before. 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️ I'm beyond exhausted and I'm gonna pass out now while you all enjoy this update.

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(Arie's POV)

I bit the insides of my cheeks to prevent myself from yelping out in pain due to the torture the lady was busy inflicting on me. She ripped another wax strip from my lady below and left me dying inside.

"Very hairy," the stubby woman remarked as she ripped another patch of hair right out.

If my arms and legs weren't tied down, I would've smacked her teeth out by now and broke her fucking fingers, but letting my anger out on her wasn't going to accomplish anything.

"Yes," I mumbled, trying to keep my painful whine in. "I like braiding my pubes and accessorizing them. Don't you?"

"A smart mouth won't help you in this situation," she reprimanded me and moved down to my legs.

"I mean, you can help us all. You know what's going on in this dump, but you're over here grooming us to be sold like cattle. Why?"

She remained quiet for a few moments, silently waxing me smooth. Her short stature didn't make her cute in any sensible way. The death look on her face was intimidating enough, let alone the tattoos of skulls and destruction over her arms and chest. It was a piece of art I would've admired dumbfoundedly, but the situation left me with nothing but hate for everyone here.

"I was taken from my city to be sold too once." Her sudden confession startled me. "Some girls don't get auctioned off and I was one of them. Lawrence can't let any girl get off the island once they've arrived, so he gave me a job here and he pays well." She quickly tore another wax strip from my leg and tossed it in the bin. "I'm honestly grateful that I wasn't auctioned because I'd be dead by now out there by the hands of some evil men. Lawrence does monstrous things, but he isn't a monster. If you comply then everything is a piece of cake, and that's my advice for you. If you want to stay alive and in a better condition, convince him that you're worth staying here rather than being raped and torn to bits by another beast out there."

***

After my grooming session, I was forcefully dolled up in a long fancy white dress after I was paralyzed yet again following another rebellious attempt from me. However, it was the waxing bitch who used the button on the device and left me motionless for twenty minutes. Lawrence had given the lady the remote to keep me in line, but with her actually using it infuriated him.

Putting two and two together wasn't hard in this situation. During or after my truth serum session, the doctor must have implanted something in me that caused this with a press of a simple button. No wonder my back ached.

Once I was all decked up, one of his men injected something in me and left me unconscious. I was finally woken up by Lawrence who caressed my cheek. "Wake up, my feisty little kitten."

With a groan, I moved my head away from his filthy touch and looked around the brightly lit room to find myself seated in a chair. Giving me a chance to get oriented to my environment couldn't be risked by the fucker who yanked me to my feet at once and began dragging me into the hall that was illuminated by little red bulbs dangling from the ceiling. It left everything fairly dark before my woozy vision. Whatever they injected into me didn't leave me with enough energy to fight back at the moment. All I could do was wait for it to wear off soon.

"Where are you taking me?"

"I saved the best for the last." Lawrence flashed me a cunning grin. "It's time for me to earn millions now."

My heart sank and mouth immediately soured. The words from the bitch that groomed me circled my mind rapidly. "Lawrence, please! Don't sell me. You can keep me as one of your whores." Earning his trust and having him take me back would be a step in the right direction. I could lure him in just enough to cook up a plan to escape. It was an island where he operated from according to what the grooming bitch told me which is why Lawrence always said no one could get in or out without him knowing. "I can be more useful if I'm with you."

I'd have to pull a Verona and pretend for a couple of weeks at the least until the man became vulnerable around me. Then I'd stab him in his sleep and make a run for it according to plan once I had everything I needed.

"You may be pretty and feisty just how I like them, but you're also too clever for me. I'm not stupid; sweetheart."

"I'd rather be with you than someone else out there."

The man who'd buy me would most likely end up killing me or doing worse due to my known affiliation with the Bonferroni family. Maybe I could manipulate my buyer into showing me some leniency then making a run for it the moment I got a chance, but Lawrence could be persuaded from what I reckoned.

He snorted. "Is that so?"

"Please." I pushed him toward the wall with the strength of my body and met his blue eyes with my intense and pleading gaze. "Please, Lawrence. You're not the greatest choice, but the men out there are probably worse who would try to settle scores in any way they seem fit, so I'm willing to stay with you. I just don't want to be sold. For some reason, I trust you more than I trust those sadistic fuckers who are here to buy little girls. C'mon! You're smarter than this. You don't think Leo Bonferroni will get ahold of my buyer even if I'm killed? Hmm? Whose ass will be on the line?" I jabbed his chest with a finger and emphasized my point desperately. "Yours. I'll be traced back to you one way or another no matter what cave you hide in. I'm saying this for the both of us. I don't want to die out there. I'd rather stay alive with you. You have nothing to worry about since you said your territory is impenetrable."

Lawrence held my gaze sincerely for a few moments as if he was actually pondering the idea. He then grabbed me by my shoulders and forced me away from his body, signaling his goons to hold me.

"I deliver whatever I promise, darling." He fixed his suit jacket and slid on a mask that covered his face entirely. "My word has been given and it's what I value. It's a risky game, but we criminals tend to count on it or else the one who goes back on it is labeled a coward and there is no place for spineless cowards. Let's go now. Don't make me wait for my millions any longer."

Lawrence led the way down the cemented hall while my ass was being hauled in heels. "Fine. If you wanna sell me, go fucking ahead. I just need you to tell me what you did with the fifteen-year-old girl that came with me on that ship. Her name is Robyn."

"Oh, the British girl whose parents were killed on their trip to Thailand?" Lawrence clicked his tongue then inhaled sharply. "Everyone wants to get their hands on a beautiful, young virgin. Sold for two million pounds."

I promised her that I would save her, but I felt so fucking helpless. My own doom was being written before my very eyes with every step that I took and there wasn't shit I could do. It was inevitable. Fuck!

The two men removed their hands from me, allowing Lawrence to get his claws on me himself when we got to a door. We entered a dark room with a single light bulb. Lawrence positioned me right under it. My eyes frantically wandered around, but there was nothing other than darkness.

"The most awaited item of the night is finally here, gentlemen. Behold the Bonferroni Whore who warmed the bed of Leo Bonferroni himself. She is what most of you have been craving." Lawrence laid his hand on the small of my back before I swatted it away in anger. "She's a feisty one. Would be a wild adventure to tame her. Exciting and satisfying."

The boiling blood in me due to fear and rage started to heighten my senses, but I knew if I did something drastic, Lawrence would either press that button and paralyze me again or his men would have my brains blown right out.

"The reputation of that family precedes them so some of you might be reluctant to put your money on her, but you needn't worry. My girls have never been traced for a reason and you know it very well. This purchase will be secure. They threw her away for a reason. Do what you may with this one. Extract any information or fuck her bloody, your decision. The bid will start at five million, highest it's ever been."

I don't know how this worked, but I heard or saw no one. They were like monsters quietly lurking in the dark, waiting for the perfect moment to pounce.

"Be smart and walk away from this bid," I spoke, looking in every direction. "You'll have death knocking on your door if you make this purchase. You don't have to worry about the Bonferroni clan coming after you. I'll be the one ripping your eyes from your sockets and shoving your severed limbs in places the sun doesn't shine. Believe me. My hands have already bathed in blood. A little more won't make a damn difference."

"Like I said, feisty one with quite a mouth on her."

A screen suddenly lit up to one side and flashed the number seven in green.

"Seven million from Green." Lawrence's voice was calm and professional with a subtle hint of joy in it. Another screen next to it flashed red. "Red with ten million. That's more like it."

Screens with different colors flashed and the amount on me kept rising in millions. Twelve, fifteen, sixteen, twenty. These fuckers had to be loaded in order to be able to spend millions on me, or their desire to have me for whatever reason was too strong. By that amount, the bid slowed and only two colors remained flashing. Blue went for twenty and a half million. Yellow went for twenty-five immediately.

"Twenty-five million," Lawrence announced. I was sure this asshole was shedding tears of joy under that mask of his. "Anyone willing to go higher? She's the catch of a lifetime."

"He's right. Catch of a lifetime for sure," I snarled. "I'll be the last thing you see when I slice your fucking throat. Try me if you wish to. You'll just be another satisfying kill for me."

The screen instantly lit up white with the amount of fifty million which made Lawrence whisper in an accomplishing and satisfied tone. "Keep it up, sweetheart. You just sold yourself to the worst one."

"Fuck you," I hissed through my teeth and glared at the beaming screen.

"Is anyone willing to go over fifty million for this unique piece?" Lawrence waited for a few moments then called out. "Fifty million going once, going twice, and sold to the white shark of the night!"

"Fuck all of you!" I shoved Lawrence away with the sudden burst of energy in me before two guards emerged from the dark and grasped my arms in a tight hold. "I'm gonna find out about every single one of you motherfuckers and skin you alive, starting with this white shark who's gonna be a dead shark soon."

"Don't you just love her delusive threats and vigor," Lawrence scoffed then retrieved a small device from his pocket. He held it against the back of my hand until my skin started to burn under it. I grimaced in pain before he removed it quickly. The word "white" surfaced on my skin with a red tint of the burn. "Don't worry. It'll heal and fade away in a day when you're in your new prison. This is just a safety measure to make sure you get to the right client."

The goons that held me dragged me away back into the hallway. No matter how much I struggled, they had imprisoned me in a way I couldn't wiggle myself free or fight them. They both were twice my size. Once we reached the end of the hallway, I was thrown into a room where all the other girls were sitting on the floor. So many terrified faces in the same room set reality in for me. Some had a look of utter despair on their faces. They had given up all hope. I couldn't let any of them be taken by those monsters. I had to do something to save us all.

"Arie!" Robyn cried my name and attempted to get up.

"Sit back down!" One of the two men in the room that kept an eye on us pointed his electric baton at Robyn who immediately seated herself in fear.

Oh, how I could just snap his neck right now, but I swallowed my anger and sat by the fifteen-year-old girl. "Are you okay?" I whispered, searching for any angry faces among us whom I could use.

"They're going to take me." She trembled in fear, resting her head on my shoulder. "I don't want to go."

The door opened for two men who walked in with a purpose. "Who has red in here?"

None of the girls reacted which prompted the man to repeat the question in an assertive and threatening tone. A girl slowly rose from the floor and cried on her way toward the man. She couldn't have been more than eighteen. Jesus! She began pleading for mercy in Spanish to which the men responded by laughing.

The other man looked around the room and waited. "There's another red."

Another girl stood up and walked tearless. It was evident on her face that she had accepted her cruel fate. The two men escorted them out of the room and shut the door once again.

"Don't worry." I squeezed Robyn's hand. "I have a plan."

***

(Leo's POV)

I poured the police chief of the Istanbul province some whiskey in the limo where our meeting was being held. Beads of sweat covered his forehead, a clear sign of fear which was good.

"I have a sniper on your son right now. Where is he again?"

"In a pub in Liverpool with a few friends," Mike answered and shook his head. "You're wasting your money on the boy's education in England. He parties more then he studies."

"If you don't believe us, call your son and ask him where he is." I offered the man a cellphone to call from. "Here. Go on."

Desperation was evident on the man's face and tone as he spoke. "What is it that you want?"

"Right to the point," I smirked and took the glass of whiskey from him. "There's going to be an attack on the Topkapı Palace in a few minutes. Precisely, a blast and a hostage situation. You are going to have everyone believe that it's a terrorist attack and have every officer in the city on it."

"What?" The older man wiped his sweat away in bewilderment, the nervous flush on his cheeks growing crimson. "You cannot attack the museum."

"The attackers are already in position. They're just waiting for my word." I leaned forward and patted his hand. "Don't worry. No one will be hurt at all. You're going to be the head of the operation, handling every single move. As long as no one goes in, everyone will be safe. Once I get what I want, the hostages will be released and you may arrest the perpetrators. Your name will be praised. They get sentenced to life in prison, but you will pull some strings and fake their deaths. Like some other prisoners killed them in a fight or something, but you will release my men back to me. No one will know what happened and why it happened. Easy."

"That's impossible." The man shook his head. "Every reporter will be on it."

"And that's exactly what I need."

"Can I ask why?"

With a sigh, I leaned back against my seat and shrugged. "I just need a distraction."

His lips parted and brows pinned together in bafflement. "All just for a distraction?"

"It's a good thing I have more than enough money and power to afford such a distraction. Now agree to the plan or else your son is going to meet a fatal accident. I'm giving you money here too."

"Okay, okay!" The man nodded vigorously. "I need no innocent blood on my hands. No casualties."

"No innocent casualties."

I looked at Mike and gave him the go. "Fire it up, boys," Mike ordered into the phone then opened the limo door for our guest as a deafening blast was heard through the speaker of the phone. "Now go do your job and have every officer on it no matter what other duty they're on right now. This should be their priority. Go."

The chief of police exited our vehicle and climbed his own car, driving away at once.

"You guys are fucking ruthless," Ashton snarled and looked down on us as if we were the rats found in the sewers. He had been sitting at the other end of the limo with Eros, quietly for once until now. "You're seriously going to send a whole ass country into a panic 'cause you need a distraction."

"It's the mafia. What the fuck do you expect?" Eros countered. "Everyone will be too focused on the attack to notice what's gonna happen on the outskirts of the city. Cops are guarding the warehouse we gotta get into, but this will most likely be their priority now due to orders from a higher authority so that we can get in and save the girls."

"You're new to this so this will seem like a lot, but there's worse out there, man," Mike chimed in. "You'll learn soon that you have to twist your ways for the betterment of yourself or for the people you care for."

"I just care about my sister and that's it," Ashton barked nastily. "I'll never be like any of you fuckers. I don't ever want to be a part of your sick world. I'm happy in my own with my family. You guys just fucked all that up."

"Ashton, you have one job." Eros started sliding toward the exit as I opened the door and hopped out of the limo myself. "Shut the fuck up before you get your head blown off."

Talking to Ashton always left me more frustrated so I refrained from even speaking to him. I couldn't believe he was Arie's twin. I loved that woman madly, but couldn't stand her buffoon of a brother one bit. However, their urge to protect family was the same which I admired.

"You stay here while I go rescue your sister." I began walking toward one of the many cars that had my assassins sitting inside with Mike and Eros right behind me.

"I'm coming along," Ashton argued, trying to catch up with us.

"You know what." I stopped in my tracks and turned around to face him with a smirk. "I think that's a brilliant idea. If I'm lucky enough, you just might lose your life in this battle and I wouldn't have to deal with your nagging and useless ass anymore. I call that a win. I'll just tell Arie it was very unfortunate. She'll understand that you were dumb enough to come on this mission and get yourself killed because you're not trained in our ways at all."

"Ha ha." His narrowed eyes glared at me with hatred as he took a second to rethink his decision. "Fine. I'll just..." He shook his head, fighting the turmoil inside him. "Fuck it! I can't sit around and wait for you to bring her back. She's my family. She would've come for me herself. Hell, she did come for me and miscarried a baby to save me. I'm coming along. Just... uhm... just give me a gun and I'll shoot if need be."

We had been at each other's necks every moment we spent together on this mission. We were both worried about Arie here. She was his sister and my love. Although we didn't see eye to eye, I knew he was worried for her just as much as I was. We had to work together for her. However, not only Arie was at stake here, Athena was too. I had to bring them both home. I couldn't afford to lose either of them.

"Fine."

We all got into different vehicles and headed toward the private factory where the auction was taking place. Police vehicles ran past us. From the information I was receiving, the little attack was blowing up on all the new outlets of Turkey and other foreign nations. Hopefully, the policemen guarding the auction unknowingly would be called in for backup. Other criminals were my preference to kill. Honest cops didn't meet a brutal fate by my hands.

The factory was surrounded by an extensive metal fence like a prison. We drove past it and parked out of sight to avoid any suspicion. The other cars with my men parked elsewhere. When the last cop car left the factory, I stepped out of my vehicle and watched from a distance. There were still a few officers guarding the metals gates attached to the fence.

"What do you see?" I asked into the phone.

"There are two cameras by the gate, boss," Mathias, one of my trusted men, answered. "And there are four police officers and two regularly dressed men."

"Disengage the cameras and put the men to sleep."

Within a minute, I was given the green light to proceed. From all different directions, my men inched toward the gates with me. The cameras had been shot down and the six men on the ground had tranquilizing darts sticking from each of their necks.

Noise from a walkie called our attention. I picked the device up and listened carefully. I had learned many more languages over the years, including to Turkish, but I still wasn't very fluent in it.

"What's going on?" the man on the other end of the device queried worriedly in Turkish. "What happened to the cameras?"

One of my men grabbed another walkie and responded on behalf of the unconscious men. "I don't know. A wire must've been pulled. Don't worry. We're still guarding here."

"Warn if any problem arrives."

"Copy that."

My other men stashed the bodies away from sight and scattered around the factory. Mathias brought the limo and allowed me to get in. The one and only Mehjabin Begum was already seated inside in a classy silver dress. I had decided to bring her with me on this little adventure. If she informed anyone of my arrival prior to this, her life would be at stake here too, and besides, she was acquainted with some men here and knew the requirements. Since it was an invite-only event, I just needed a bit of time until my men got in position. Then the bloodbath would begin.

We both concealed our faces with full face masks, the same as the men who had come to buy their personal sex slaves. Mehjabin knew how one of these exclusive auctions worked. I had seen a lot of cruel things in my life, more than anyone could ever stomach. I also knew how these operated. I had a meeting with a man in a dingy bar once where women were being auctioned off like cattle. I didn't interfere because of unknown territory at that time. We were all criminals and evil people. Just different kinds of evil. However, this particular auction sat at the top of the chain with influential folks lined up for the girls.

"Don't think about acting out," I warned Mehjabin as Mathias drove the limo down the long concrete ground that led to the actual massive building. "You may not care about your life, but I found your daughter and she'll be killed if you jeopardize my position here."

"I wouldn't dare after you murdered my people yesterday."

"Good."

Mathias halted the vehicle at the entrance of the factory. Other fancy cars had been parked to the sides. The two men standing guard by the door grew alert and pointed their handguns at our limo. They weren't wearing police uniforms like the others at the metal gates up front so they were fair game.

Mehjabin and I stepped out of the vehicle cautiously with our masks on. "We're here for the auction," I spoke with an accent to blend into a different persona and raised my hands a little to indicate compliance. I just needed to stall until the time was right to attack.

A masked man walked out of the factory with two additional men who I assumed were his bodyguards. They dragged a petrified and sobbing girl by her arms. She couldn't have been any older than Lina which heated my blood. Thankfully, these idiots couldn't see the anger on my face.

"The auction just ended," the armed guards spoke in unison, their hands only growing tighter on their guns. I was right on time.

"Your boss has a special item for me," I responded whilst looking at the girl crying for help as she was being hauled toward a Mercedes.

"The one I believe you're speaking of has already been sold."

I turned back to the two idiots whose walkie went off at once.

"The girls are escaping. I repeat the girls are escaping." A man's voice coming from the device was full of distress. "Don't hurt them and don't fucking let them get out. This bit-"

The man's words transformed into a shrilling scream followed by a woman's voice. My calm heart suddenly skipped a beat and then sped up just like that. Every muscle in me grew stiff. I could separate that beautiful yet demanding voice from a million others in a heartbeat. The power she had over me was undeniably and intensely strong. After the hurdles we had faced with Astor over five years ago and the countless gut-wrenching tragedies in this past year itself, our bond had been sealed in a way that could never be broken. We grew through each calamity separately and together which ultimately made us one and stronger than ever. I wasn't letting her go again. If need be, I'd walk to the depths of hell to get her back. She was my salvation.

"No one is going to save you from me, you sick fuck."

That's my girl.

Before the armed guards could shoot us or head inside to capture the girls, I forcibly and swiftly turned the glock in the first man's hand and shot the second one while Mathias shot the first one. The gunshots had probably informed everyone of my arrival and it was just on time. Turning to my side, I killed the two men who had just thrown the girl into the Mercedes.

"Don't move," I warned the masked man who was hurriedly trying to get into the car himself. He put his hands in the air and stood still, murmuring chants of mercy. When I got closer, I removed his mask. He was someone I didn't recognize. "What's your name?"

"Ahmet Ozan," he answered, almost desperately.

"What business do you run?"

"I have distilleries here in Istanbul and Bulgaria."

"Ah, you're not important enough to stay alive." I pointed the barrel of the gun between his eyes and pulled the trigger without remorse. If he was a much more influential entity, I just might have let him go but made sure he didn't make an attempt to buy another woman again. The bigger someone was, the more questions it'd raise regarding their death which would have people sniffing in the wrong place. It was something that couldn't be allowed.

I opened the door to the Mercedes and offered the girl a hand. "You're safe now. Come on out."

She shook with fear, reluctant to trust me, but she eventually gave me her hand and allowed me to get her out.

"You're free to go now. I have a few men at the door. Run to them and they'll get you wherever you need to go. If you don't have a place to go, just stay with them and we will find you a safer place. Do you understand?"

She nodded vigorously through her sobs and then suddenly wrapped her arms around my torso. "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. You're an angel."

Her words left an unsettling feeling within my chest. Almost sickening. I was far from an angel. I was the devil in disguise for the majority. Instead of bursting her bubble, I let her believe whatever she wanted to believe before I had to separate her from me.

"Now go." I tipped my head toward the gates in the distance. "Run as fast as you can and don't look back."

She didn't need to be told twice because she threw her heels off and sprinted like a cheetah to taste freedom in the air. That was one down and many more to go.

"Mathias, stay here with Mehjabin," I ordered and reloaded the gun with the ammo from the dead bodies. "Any girl that comes out, direct them toward the gate where we can take them to safety."

"Yes, boss."

I entered the vast building and witnessed chaos in different hallways and the main area. My assassins were fighting off the petty goons hired by the mastermind of this auction. They were just idiots who were given guns to exert power. Without them, they were utterly useless. Hell, a child could probably do better than these fucks.

Every unmasked man in my path was shot down while the masked bosses who had come to buy were fleeing the place like a bunch of headless chickens. I wish I could shoot each of them dead, but I didn't have the time to check who was important and influential. Once I ran out of ammo, my fists were the only weapons I had left on me. Specks of blood tinted my suit and covered my hands. My only goal was to find Arie and my body was growing hotter in anticipation. I was sweating profusely under the mask, but I couldn't reveal my face. The subtle pain in my thighs due to the gunshot wounds didn't help one bit.

I climbed up the stairs and chased the sounds of grunts and struggle. The hallways here were lit up by red lights that didn't do much good to illuminate the area. I walked forward cautiously into the last hallway where I finally saw her slicing a man's throat then quickly turning to fling her knife at me instinctively. I caught it between my hands right before it could lodge itself in my face and end everything.

"Almost had me there, my love," I smirked, unable to take my eyes off the woman whose white dress was stained with blood from the top to bottom. Her long beautiful locks were a mess, her wild eyes slowly calming down. She still managed to look breathtaking. Elegant yet deadly like a bloody queen. Mia leonessa (My lioness). Mia Regina (My queen).

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Yay or nay?

Sorry for the long wait but I had a lot going on and now I got finals next week and big remediation shīt to do so I'm gonna have a lot on my plate unfortunately 😭😭 which me luck

Who could've bought Arie? Who could the white shark be?

Leo and Arie are finally face to face!!! Who's happy?

Are they gonna make it out alive or not?

Will the attack on the museum be a distraction enough from this fiasco or will it be an epic fail?

Who's wants to see little Ashton in a bit of action? 😈 (just tiny action)

What's gonna happen next?

Thoughts on Leo?

Or Arie?

Further comments and questions are always welcome ❤️

HIT ME WITH THE THEORIES!

Follow me on INSTAGRAM @reetilicious for sneak peeks of the future chapters and fun question times.

Much love ❤️
~Reet