Chapter Twenty-Five #2
The master of ceremonies continued to display the women, listing their attributes that the men gathered would enjoy.
I grew up among these woman, and suddenly Roberto and his assholery didn’t seem so bad.
He had protected me from these predators when he could have sold me off to the highest bidder, and broken my soul instead of finding me a husband.
These woman had been a group of bitches, and now I knew why. They had created a persona to cover the pain their families had caused them.
“Ten thousand for number three,” a voice behind me called out.
The woman’s head dropped, but the master of ceremonies raised her face with the end of his cane. “I think we can do better than that, this woman has class.”
“Twenty for a no rules night,” a different voice called, and there was a familiarity to it that made me cringe. Surely Papa wasn’t joining in this sick event.
“Thirty with no questions asked.” Silence followed that bid, and my ass clamped together at the fate that was about to befall that poor soul.
“Sold!” The master of ceremonies replied, banging his cane on the ground. “Enjoy your purchase.”
I wanted to scream she was a person, not a commodity, but there was no one in this room who would listen to me.
The auction continued with terms I had never heard before such as “consent non consent”, and I had to bite my tongue against asking Maximus what it all meant. I pressed myself against him, my mind spinning at the horror of the cattle market surrounding me.
“Now that the taster session is over, let us begin the real auction of the evening,” the master of ceremonies announced, waving to one of the waiters dressed in all black, including a black mask.
Two bowls were brought in and left on top of the piano.
“The first bowl contains the name of every family represented here this evening,” he continued. “The second what they must put up for auction.”
A cheer rippled around the room, as the predators became excited.
I had heard the whispers between Mama and her sister, and she had been horrified. It was the reason she spent so much of her time in England, where these people couldn’t reach her.
It was so much worse in real life, standing here and watching the salivating rich men planning to live their darkest fantasy.
The man orchestrating this show held the first ball out to Enzo.
“Armand Barretta,” he read out, as he picked a card out of the other bowl. “An unquestioned favour.”
“That doesn’t sound too bad,” I whispered, nudging Maximus.
He tugged me in front of him, his hands on my stomach, and his mouth close to my ear. “That could mean anything from murder, to alibi, to cleaning up a legal mess.”
“I had been thinking of giving someone a lift home, or a bed for the night.”
His laugh tickled my ear, and sent shivers of awareness through me.
Bids flooded in for a favour from Papa. The darker side of this world closed in around me with images of death and body disposal flashing through my head. Purchasing a marker chip to be called in without question was worth a lot as the bid ended in the millions.
Papa waved to the winner. “You know where I am when you need me.”
The next man had to hand over his signature car, the next a foreign property, and the next an ironclad alibi.
“Alexander Marino.” Enzo delved into the other bowl. “Your wife for a day.”
I had hoped the rumours weren’t true, but this was evidence that it was.
He replied with a pretend groan. “I insist on condoms this time, it isn’t the first time there has been a questionable pregnancy after an all-day event.”
Was he serious? Why was he not arguing and demanding they take his car?
There were laughs around the room at Alexander’s words. “Who needs condoms for vacuuming and dish washing?” A man called out, amid the laughter.
“I see Nico has little maid fantasises,” another man called out.
I could see why most of the wives were absent. No one wanted to witness themself being bought and sold as if their emotions were worth nothing. These were their wives and the mothers of their children, and they were treated as nothing but sexual cattle.
The bidding started, Alexander whipping up the crowd with his comments, almost as if there was pride in getting the highest price possible for your wife.
“My wife is worth more than that! Have you seen her ass for a woman in her early fifties. She is the ultimate cougar material, so keep your sons hidden on the day!”
I leaned further back into Maximus, and his chin touched the top of my head.
The bids kept creeping higher, and I could finally understand the disgust in Mama’s tone.
“Philippa is well trained, and those who have had the privilege of bidding on her in the past can testify to her talents,” Alexander continued, and the bids went higher again as men agreed with him.
Her soul was finally sold for two million dollars, her husband smiling and waving at the crowd. I was ashamed to be in the same room as them.
“Maximus Rossi,” Enzo’s voice carried around the room, and every muscle in my body froze. “This is your first year as head of your family. Congratulations.”
Clapping echoed around the room like a drumbeat of doom and destruction, leading a sacrifice to their death.
“Now let us see what your tariff will be tonight!”
I didn’t doubt that the cards in that other bowl were all blank, and that the task had already been set for every man here before they walked in. Someone was orchestrating this, and I doubted it was any of the families who believed themselves to be in power.
The master of ceremonies took the card from Enzo, fanning himself with it. “What luck that your beautiful new bride is here tonight so she can show herself to the bidders.”
I felt every single eye in the room turn in my direction, everyone studying me.
“No.” Maximus’ single word was met with a wall of hostile silence.
“The auction doesn’t work like that,” Enzo said, bowing slightly. “There are rules which govern these proceedings, and they have been the glue that keeps this organisation together.”
“As you pointed out, Olivia and I are recently married, and trying for our first child. There is no way that I intend to risk my heir in an auction. Choose something different,” Maximus replied, and it felt as if he had stabbed me in the heart.
Not that I was his wife and he demanded respect, that he didn’t want me impregnated with another man’s child.
His right hand on my abdomen dug into my flesh in silent communication, so I kept my mouth shut, and my eyes open.
The master of ceremonies replied. “As Alexander pointed out earlier, it is not the first time a pregnancy has occurred, it is a risk that every man in this room takes at the auction.”
“I am not every man,” Maximus replied easily. “And before I walked in here, no one even bothered to explain the rules, so you’ll have to excuse me for not giving a fuck about them.”
“I believe my son offered twenty million for her, perhaps I should buy her for him to enjoy and return?” The man bore an uncanny resemblance to Sam, including his bad attitude.
“And maybe if you do that, I’ll have his head returned to you in a box,” Maximus retorted. “Choose something else.”
“But we don’t want anything else,” the master of ceremonies replied.
The realisation hit that this wasn’t about anything other than breaking Maximus, and making him do what they wanted. He had always been such a free spirit, and they wanted to control him.
“No one touches my wife but me,” Maximus’ tone brooked no further discussion, no debate.
“We have no problem taking her by force to auction, and make you watch as the successful bidder enjoys his prize,” the master of ceremonies dropped his jovial act, his eyes dark and dangerous. “All families are equal in this room.”
“And I have no problem hunting every single man in this room down and executing him.” I felt him stand straighter behind me. “You all know I’m telling the truth. My father may be a businessman, but I am a monster with no soul.”
“Five million,” a voice to my right called out. “I’ll take my chances.”
“Six,” someone replied behind me, and my pulse sounded in my ears.
I felt Maximus chest expand as he sucked in air.
“Ten! I’d like to see a son of mine as heir to the Rossi family.” The comment made nausea burn my throat.
“Twelve, so her mother doesn’t shout at me,” Papa called out.
“Fifteen.”
My eyes closed, and I silently prayed.
“Twenty million,” Maximus said in a tone colder than the polar icecaps. “And if anyone tries to outbid me, I promise I’ll be the last thing you see before reaching Saint Peter.”
Silence so loud it was deafening surrounded me.
“That is not in the rules,” Enzo replied.
“No?” Maximus queried. “Show me where it says I can’t bid.”
Enzo and the master of ceremonies exchanged a look, before they returned their attention to Maximus.
“It isn’t in the rules because it is not gentlemanly,” the master of ceremonies replied.
“I was a gentleman and you ignored me. Now, I’m pissed. Twenty million, and I let you live. The choice is yours.” Waves of cold fury emanated from the man behind me, and I didn’t need to see his face to know he was furious.
“Is anyone else prepared to bid?” Enzo queried, looking around the room.
“I could buy an entire harem of already trained sex slaves for twenty million,” a familiar voice to my left said. “Let him keep his wife, everyone gets burned eventually and he can’t afford twenty million every single year.”
Maximus’ dark chuckle vibrated against my back.
“You have no idea what I can afford or what I’m capable of.
” I saw the emotion in the man closest to me, and he knew Maximus’ reputation.
Even I had heard rumours before I married him.
He was the monster he said, a man who could kill without conscience, and attend a formal event straight afterwards, as Tobias could attest.