Chapter Three
Olivia
T he Escalade pulls up under the awning and I quickly slip my mask on. The gala is being held at my father’s country club tonight. I have only been here a few times but never allowed to come inside unless it was closed, and no one was around. Your safety is top priority - my father would always tell me.
The brick castle-like building where we pull under the awning is immaculate in size and windows. Though you cannot see in the windows from the outside, you can see out from the inside.
The car slows to a stop and Maxwell opens his door and steps out from his side. Opening my door, he holds out his hand, helping me out of the car. My heels hit the pavement with a click and the cool October air makes goose bumps scatter across my shoulders. Bending over slightly, I straighten out my slip from my thigh.
“Thank you.” I mouth to Maxwell, and he nods.
“Who is this gorgeous woman?” A few men ask as we walk past them. Their aftershave smells like old men and cigars, making me hold my breath as we walk by.
The driver pulls off and the rest of my security falls in behind us as their vehicle drives off as well. The hair on my arms and neck scatter goosebumps all over my body when I notice the attention of everyone is on me.
Timidly, I look down at the ground, trying not to make eye contact with anyone.
“Just walk past them, Olivia. Just ignore their comments.” Maxwell proclaims.
“Mr. Ashton told us to help you inside. Once inside, we are to stand at the entrance.” Maxwell whispers to me as we walk.
“Olivia, you are strong and resilient. Remember that!” He says as we cross the entrance, and he takes his arm out of mine.
I look at him, confused at his words, but he looks at me emotionlessly and turns his back. Facing the entrance with his men doing exactly what they have been ordered to do.
My nerves course through me.
Surely, I just heard him wrong.
What did he mean by that? I am strong.
What an odd thing to say.
Looking around the room, I observe everyone smiling at me and some men are starting to creep me out as their eyes linger more on my breasts than my eyes.
It does not take me long to realize there are more men present tonight than women.
Are they whispering about me?
“Miss Ashton?” A woman’s voice is heard behind me, grabbing my attention from the whispers.
“Yes?” I turn around, questioning.
“Hello, dear. I am Dorthy. Your father has asked me to keep an eye out for you. Let me take you to him.” She smiles, gesturing to a set of elevators.
“I-I’m sorry,” I pause, “I do not think I know you. I should get my security to come with me.”
She smirks, “Your father has told Maxwell and his men to stay at the entrance. I promise I am not a threat. I can call your father right now if it would make you feel better.”
“Please if you do not mind.” I nod at her, embarrassed to even ask.
“Not at all. Good for you being on alert. He has taught you well.” She winks and picks up her phone. I hear it ring once before she hands the phone to me.
“Father?” I ask.
“Olivia.” I hear my father’s voice, and I take a deep breath. “I am proud of you, dear, for not trusting Dorthy at first. I have taught you well.”
He chuckles, “Tonight is important for our family, Olivia. I need you to do everything Dorthy tells you to do. Do you understand?”
His tone seems different tonight. All my alarm bells are going off in my head.
Something is not right. What is going on?
But I know better than to question him.
“Yes, Sir.” I tell him.
“Good girl. She is not bringing you to me. She will be taking you to a room to get a number put on you for the auction tonight. You are going to make a man incredibly happy. Remember this is for our family. Do not disappoint me.” His tone is stern.
“Father, wh-?” I start to ask but the line goes dead.
“Come sweetheart. It’s almost time.” Dorthy says grabbing her phone from my frozen hand and my forearm pulling me with her.
“What did he mean by that?” I ask with a shaky voice.
“You are being auctioned off to the highest bidder tonight, Olivia. You are absolutely beautiful and will make some man very happy.” She smiles and leads my numb legs to the elevator.
The last hour replays in my head; I knew something was off. I knew something was going on.
My father auctions women?
For what? Sex? Wives?
I have so many questions.
The elevator ride to the second floor is so quiet. The only noise that is heard is the elevator as it rises to new floors and the buttons on Dorthy’s phone as she types on the keypad.
“Why was I not made aware of this?” I question in almost a mumble.
Dorthy looks up from her phone at me. “Dear, you are Frances Ashton’s daughter. You are THE Princess of the Underworld. A man would pay millions to have his arm on you and your father at his side for protection.”
“And the other women?” I ask. “What about them?”
She sighs, “Most of these women have been kidnapped. Sold into sex trade. They are here to make the men happy. That is all. It is a business, Olivia. A business of sex and power.”
My eyes widen. “My father is a part of the sex trade?”
She nods. “Not just a part of it, honey. He owns it. He is the man in charge. Drugs do not do it anymore for some of these men. They need women. And if the turn around for us giving them our bodies is wealth, we would be fools not to take it.”
I’m stunned at her words when the elevator door dings and opens to a dark floor.
“Come dear, let’s get a number on you and let you mingle with some of the women before you are out on the auction floor.” She steps out of the elevator, waiting on me.
It takes me a moment for my feet to connect to my brain so I can move. I want to run far, far away, but I know the consequences of disobeying my father. I had done it as a teenager; I was left in my room for days with nothing but water being dropped off to me once a day and maybe a sandwich to eat.
He is a powerful man, and he threatened me then that I would not live if I did it again.
There’s a light on at the end of the hallway echoing feminine chatter as we get closer.
Stepping inside, I notice women are walking around in formal dresses, their makeup done, and hair fixed. They all have numbers pinned on their dresses and some are wiping tears from their eyes with Kleenexes to keep it from ruining their makeup.
When I enter the room, they all turn to me, and I suddenly feel my emotions slip. Knowing what I know now about my father, he likely had a hand in some of these women’s mishap or misfortune.
“Everyone, this is Olivia. She is joining the auction tonight with you all. Please welcome her graciously.” Dorthy says to the group and walks off with another woman holding a clipboard.
A woman who doesn’t look much older than me walks up, tears in her eyes, and hugs me tightly.
Odd.
She leans into my ear and says, “You look so much like her. Your mother.”
I look at her in shock, “You knew my mother?”
“Olivia, here is your number.” Dorthy says, interrupting us.
I don’t miss the death glare Dorthy gives the woman and she backs up from me quickly.
Dorthy swiftly pins the number 69 to my dress. The power it took for me to hold in my eye roll because the irony of that number and the reason I am here is ridiculous.
“Okay ladies. We are going to go over a few rules for the night. Please pay close attention. We do not have a lot of time before the auction begins!” says the other woman as she looks down at her clipboard.
We all stand, some of us shaking, some of us fighting tears, but I choose to be in control, no way in hell will my father or these men get a single tear from me. If I am going to be someone’s whore, I am not going down without a fight and my dignity.
Hayes
My white mask covers half of my face for the auction tonight as we pull up under the awning of Ashton’s country club. His security has covered the entrance of the building which tells me all I need to know; this is not a regular gala – thankfully, I already knew that.
This event is one of his sex auctions. Ashton has learned to disguise it as a gala, keeping the outside world oblivious to the behind-the-scenes sinful mess that goes on.
The ladies are paraded around for his men to notice and when one wants to buy one, he simply gets to place a bid under the table, so no one sees the money being exchanged.
Ashton, the piece of shit that he is, will have his men kidnap women and make them go through the auction for his minions to use until they are either tired of them, fed up with them, or they die. Some have even been known to share the women with other men, get them pregnant and sell the children to sex trades as well. It is truly sickening and evil.
My father was trying to stop him. We may have most of the Underworld at our fingertips; drugs, Clubs, and all the luxurious businesses, but my father always said one thing he would never do was exploit women for his wealth. They were to be cared for, worshipped, and loved.
I can hear his words now telling me, Hayes, we might be the head of our home, but your woman is the neck, and she can turn your head anyway she wants.
I smirk to myself.
I’ve seen it firsthand, my mother putting my father in his place and him cowering to her. The outside world knew him as this grizzly bear of a man, but he was a teddy bear to her, and he taught me the same.
That is why I take care of the women who work for me. Yes, it is a gentleman’s club they work at, but I make sure none of them get hurt in the process of business. My men know to protect them at all costs or it’s their life on the line.
Tonight, the plan is to raid this party and save as many women from this auction as we can. My men know what to do; keep a low profile and get them out.
My car rolls to a slow stop and Alan turns to look at me. “Sir, ready when you are.”
I nod, grabbing the door handle. “In and out. No mistakes. Keep a low profile and play the part.”
He nods and holds his ear where his security head piece is. “Got that, men?”
I take Alan nodding as assurance that all my men are ready to go.
Opening the door, I step out in my suit, the men standing out front turn and notice me. Elbowing each other and whispering softly out of my ear shot.
I smile, some of these bastards have not had the privilege of meeting me yet.
How unfortunate for them that it’s under these circumstances.
Maxwell, one of Ashton’s head of security, notices me crossing the entrance, but instead of grabbing me, he grabs Alan from behind me, whispering something in his ear.
Maxwell is one of the few men on Ashton’s payroll that has never given me any issues and for that, I leave him alone.
A few moments later, Alan walks up to me, and I raise an eyebrow silently questioning what Maxwell needed to tell him.
A text pings to my phone, it’s a text from Alan: Watch for number 69 .
I nod and slide my phone back into my pocket.
Why is Maxwell wanting us to watch for number 69. – I think to myself – All these women are a priority to save tonight.
Maxwell is a good man and has helped me out a time or two on raids. He cannot stand his boss; but like most men under Ashton’s watchful eye, the only way to leave is through death. As long as he stays out of my way and helps me when I need it, I am thankful for the extra set of eyes I have on Ashton from the inside.
Remind me to thank Maxwell later for his help.
Making my way to the bar, I tell the bartender to make me a Jack and Coke before I turn, looking around at the floor before me.
Powerful men roam talking to one another. Some are politicians, some CEOs, and some just want to be bad boys.
Most of them are someone on Ashton’s payroll. Some are friends of those men who came along just for the fun. A few I notice I have kicked out of my club just for trying to buy time with the women who work there without signing our contracts first.
I deal with men like them all the time, coming into my club and messing with my dancers, bartenders, and waitresses. Sometimes, they will even wait in the alley for the women to leave and try to grab them on their way to their cars. They are all sick fucks if you ask me.
“Ricci.” A dark voice says to my right. I know who it is immediately and smile, turning around and sticking my hand out to shake Dante’s hand.
“Decided to give our world a try my friend?” Dante asks me as the bartender sits my drink down.
I grab it, take a sip and smirk, “You know me. Always looking for new businesses to get into.”
“Drugs are old news, man. This world is where it’s at. These women are a buffet bar.”
He leans into me, “Word has it that #69 is the one to watch out for on the roster tonight. Men are going to be shooting each other for a chance to buy her.”
He smirks, “We all know that most of us like to share anyways so I am not worried in the least.”
Who is this woman? I think to myself trying to act uninterested in front of this jackass.
My goal is to keep my face neutral and let the fucker talk himself into a hole. I’ve learned most of these men that have little man syndrome will give away all the secrets if you just sit back and listen.
“Not sure who I have my eye on tonight.” I grin, “Good to see you, Dante. Give my best to Ashton.”
He laughs, “Will not be doing that. Best if he does not know you are here.”
And I’d like to keep it that way.
Frances Ashton is too smart to know I would be here for business.
Dante walks off to talk to some friends and I watch as he whispers in their ear and the men look over at me.
When my eyes meet theirs, they look away immediately.
Cowards.
Dante is a lower man on Ashton’s payroll, and I am pretty sure he is one of the fuckers who tried to harm a few of my bartenders a few weeks ago when they left from their shift.
It was dark and my cameras could not get a good picture of him. I made sure to have more cameras put up the next day.
Thankfully, Ben was not far behind the women as I always entrust him to have a low profile but look out for their well-being.
He ran the guy off after getting a few shots fired at him.
Fortunately, Dante is stupid and not methodical at all, which is why he is one of my top suspects.
The lights dim, getting my attention to the stairs before me. The surround sound starts playing elegant music – ironically enough because nothing about tonight is elegant.
I look to my left where Alan has been standing all night, and I nod at him.
It’s show time, fuckers.
Father, I hope I make you proud.