Page 23 of Tide
“Keep tryin’. It’s in there.”
“I can’t find it!” She screams this time. The lights switch back on, and she cries out louder this time.
“Just let me go!”
“Mylah, keep it together, darlin’.”
“Please! Just let me go home!”
“Mylah!” I snap at her. Before I know what’s happening, I’m lifted off the floor and dragged across the room. My tied hands are handcuffed to a post so that I can’t move at all. I look to Mylah as they stand her to her feet. She twists and turns trying to get away from them, but it does no good. She’s taken to the middle of the room and held there as lights start to flicker on. What is that? Are those cameras? I look around, trying to figure out what the hell is going on, when I see them. They are cameras. His auction has started. Fuck!
“Welcome, everyone. Tonight, we have a beautiful twenty-eight year old. I know she’s a little older than our usual girls. That doesn’t stop the beauty, though. Look at her. Not a single imperfection on her.” He drags Mylah around in a circle so that every camera can see her. My stomach knots as I try to remain calm. I’ll find her, I keep telling myself. I will find her. I will kill whoever buys her.
I take in a lungful of air when I see the man looking down at his phone.
“And the bids have started.”
“Fuck you! I’ll fuckin’ kill you!” I roar as I tug at the binds that keep me in place. I’m punched in the face before something is shoved into my mouth to keep me from screaming again. My muscles ache as I pull at the fucking cuffs, knowing I’m not going anywhere.
“Sorry for that little interruption. That will be our next auction,” the man says. Who the hell are they? Why are they doing this?
They keep twirling Mylah around so that the cameras can see her. Tears leak down her cheeks as she looks at me every chance she can get. This is bullshit. I should be able to save her. I should be protecting her.
“The bids are still coming in. Come on, this is a very beautiful woman for you to break.” Acid burns in my stomach as I watch the scene unfold. There’s nothing I can do. Not a goddamn thing. I scream through the gag, but it does no good.
“A few more minutes is all I’m allowing for this one,” the asshole says as he spins her around once more. He keeps checking his phone, and I assume that’s where the bids are coming in.
“And she’s sold! Number thirteen is the lucky bidder. Your prize will be delivered tomorrow,” he says. No. This can’t be happening. They can’t take her. I struggle with trying to breathe right now. I promised her. I promised I wouldn’t leave her and I won’t, but how the hell am I going to figure out how to find her?
Mylah cries, those tears running down her face as she’s dragged from the center of the room and cuffed to another pole. Then the asshole comes toward me with the phone in his hand.
“This is a special treat for you tonight. A member of the Soulless Bastards MC. He was in the wrong place at the right time. I know there are many of you out there that would love a round with him.” The camera's lights flicker back on, and I’m now in the spotlight. Mylah screams before a gag is shoved in her mouth. The man circles me, letting people put their bids in. And they do. They fucking bid on me.
I can’t even imagine what they want to do to me. I can’t think about it, I’m too focused on her. I turn my head, and our eyes lock. I can’t lose her. I won’t lose her. This is all so fucked up.
“Come on, people. This is a SBMC patched member! You know you want a round with this one!” He calls out as the phone pings over and over. Is there really that many here that want a piece of us? Of me?
The phone keeps pinging as the bids come in, and my heart beats wildly in my chest. I keep my eyes on her, though. I’m going to get out of this for her. It was stupid of me to think I could let her go. It was stupid to even entertain the idea of it. I can’t let her go. This connection runs too deep. There’s too much between us, whether we see it or not. I can fucking feel it.
“One more minute!” He calls out as I keep my eyes glued to hers. I won’t look away from her. I won't turn my back on her.
“And we have a winner!” More tears leak down her cheeks as she stares into my goddamn soul. She’s it. She’s all I want. Damn the consequences. Damn it all.
Chapter 12
Mylah
Was I stupid to fight my feelings for Tide? As all of this settles in and reality hits me in the face, I’d say yes. I should have gone with what I felt. I knew Christian and I were done. We have been for a long time now. He demeans me. He talks down to me. He isn’t the man that I thought I loved. And it all became so clear to me when the word winner left his mouth.I shouldn’t have fought this so hard. Now I may never get the chance to tell him what he’d felt? I felt it too.
“Tomorrow you will be going to your new homes. Hope you enjoy your last night,” the asshole says as he ungags and uncuffs me. My arms are still tied behind my back as I’m dragged and dropped in the middle of the room. I watch Tide, though. They search him, taking the knife from his boot as a soft sob leaves my lips. I should have gotten it out. How stupid am I? This is all my fault.
“You’re a dead man walkin’!” Tide roars as he’s dragged back to the middle of the room and dumped next to me. “I’m gonna enjoy guttin’ you motherfucker. I’m gonna make it all long and drawn out.” That’s when they kick him in the stomach. I hear the air rush from his lungs as he grunts. Then they all walk away, and the lights go out once more.
“You need to stop,” I say softly.
“Stop what?” he asks as he scoots in behind me.
“Making them mad. They’re hurting you,” I tell him.
