Victoria POV

Erika's story of imprisonment deflates any of my earlier attempts to escape. Our only hope of getting out of here lies with our family and the police.

The image of my parents' heartbreak after finding out the news of my kidnapping is like a stab to the chest.

I bring Erika into my arms, and she crumbles to pieces.

"You aren't alone, Erika, you have us," I assure her, and my words have incited a sense of relief in her.

"Thank you so much, Victoria. You don't know how much this means to me," she exclaims, looking between Sofia and me. There's a friendly tenderness amidst her unshed tears, and my heart aches for the pain life has given her.

"Erika, what exactly is going to happen to us?" Sofia breaks the silence with her question.

Erika's eyes soften at the sight of our fear.

"Once they drug you both, they will put you in separate cars and drive you to the auction. Wealthy men like politicians, sports directors, judges, doctors, CEOs, and basically anyone with a lot of money will be there." As she explains, Sofia grabs onto me, and a sudden throb of fear clutches my body.

"They bid on the girls they want. Those not bought are brought back here to pleasure Adriano's men unless they're virgins. They save the virgins for the men attending the auction. If the girls get auctioned, the winning bidder gets to spend the night with the girl, and if they like you, they can buy you for an extra cost." Erika wraps her arm around us, and I let out a ragged breath, my eyes blurry. I take in the sight of my equally frightened cousin and look at her hard, knowing this will be the last time I might ever see her.

"Will we see you again?" Sofia asks Erika, wiping her tears with a shaky hand.

"I don't know, but time will tell," Erika says, and I can hear the tears in her voice. "Remember, never give up on hope. Maybe you will have better luck than me, and someone will save you one day. It's only a matter of time."

The door to the room opens, and three men in all-black suits walk toward us, with a syringe in their hands.

Sofia cries out, and she grabs onto me. I hold her as tight as I can, and our embrace is unlike anything before.

"I love you. I'll find you," I whisper, even though I know it might be impossible. But I'm determined not to give up; this can't be our fate. I wasn't born to be a sex slave to these perverts.

Sofia presses our chests together, and her heart beats fast against mine.

Our screams fill the air, echoing and reverberating off the walls.

Their bulky hands grab onto our tiny bodies, and they work to pull us apart.

"No! Stop!" Sofia screams, unwilling to let me go. Her nails dig into my arm.

The man holding her wraps his arms around her midsection, lifting her while the man holding me does the same. Our interlocked fingers pull apart from the growing distance, and it's as if my heart is being stretched as her touch disappears forever.

"Please don't do this!" I beg, dropping myself to the ground. The man holding me struggles to restrain me, his breath labored and hot against my neck.

"No, please, let me go!" I shout, kicking under me when I'm lifted from the ground.

"Don't forget me!" Sofia screams, and the fear in her voice sends me tumbling into a dark pit of sadness and panic.

The man holding her punctures her neck with a needle, and she falls limp in his arms.

I feel intense pressure on my neck, and my world turns upside down.

Within minutes, I lose total control of my body. Before my eyes close, I watch as a man pushes Erika onto the bed, forcing her legs apart.

She turns away, and our eyes lock. Tears stream down her pale cheeks, and she gives me an assuring smile even though she's in pain.

Her eyes screw shut right as the door to the room closes.

The man's moans resonating from behind are the last thing I hear before I succumb to profound darkness.