Lena Martins

Chapter Eight

" Being alone has nothing to do with how many people are around"

- Richard Yates

LENA'S POV

My head throbs painfully, my ears ring and I struggle to see what I have in front of me. It seems to me to find a feminine sillouhette what makes me deduce that it was Annaliese at first but when I blink, my vision becomes clearer and I see that this woman was not her, she was paler, much paler, So pale that I wondered if I was not hallucinating or looking at a corpse but she was not, she was well and truly alive, it did not take anything away from her breathtaking beauty that I could without doubt describe as the epitome of perfect, no pimples, no pores, no folds or wrinkles on her face, not a single imperfection in sight, she was like a doll with dark eyes looking back at me.
As dark as my despair for the last few months, as dark as my life, as dark as the world's cruelty. So dark that I was afraid to lose myself in them and die.

Am I in some kind of weird dream?

No, it can't be.

It can't not be true, I remember perfectly well being hit by Franky, hours ago, or days ago or.... I don't know, I have no idea for how long I've been unconscious.

How did this happen? Is anyone looking for me?

Footsteps reason in my ears, sending goosebumps and a chill running up my spine.

She wasn't the only one here.

A hand grabbed me by the back of my neck and I could feel his hot breath tickling my ear "Lena, nice to see you again"

"Albert" I murmured

" That's right, dear " he laughed

"Can't get enough of me?"

" You already know that " his hold on my neck tightens

"Aren't you tired of it? Can't you tell me once and for all what you want from me?"

"I want a lot of things from you but unfortunately you couldn't give me what I wanted most."

"What? Me?"

"Yes you, your heart, your body, your mind but you decided to give them to my idiot son, if there is one man who deserved it the least it was him but he still got everything "

"Such a pleasant way to talk about your son don't you think?"

"I'm not a liar"

"Oh, really?" I arch an eyebrow.

"Yes well, I am, I admit it but I know how to be honest when I want to and I'm not going to lie. My son never deserved you, he broke your heart, distrusted you, left you, he proved time and time again that he wasn't good enough for you but despite that you still chose him, still protected him. How dumb is that? "

"Very."

"But when you realized that it was already too late "

"What are you going to do to me? "

"I'm not going to do anything but you're going to"

" What? "

" We're in a brothel "

Don't tell me that's what I think it is.

" We're in a whore house?"

" Yes"

" No " I shake my head

"Yes and you're gonna make me some money so you better make good use of that sweet body of yours "

" Son of a bitch"
I spit on his face and he slaps me with the back of his hand "I like you even more like this but this is not the time to be disobedient unless you already want to get your first punishment? "

"Calm down, Albert and stop thinking with your fucking dick " barked the pale woman, a disgusted expression taking over her face.

"Oh how rude of me" he laughs mockingly " this is my associate May King, manager of this place"

What the fuck am I supposed to do? Say nice to meet you with a smile on my face?

"I know we are not meeting under the best of circumstances but it's necessary" May stated "if it makes you feel any better you are not the only one here, there are plenty of other girls working in this place "

"Of their own free will?" I scoff

"Of course not" she laughed heartily as if it was the funniest thing she had ever heard in her life "they were kidnapped but they are the best, they have no choice after all so do you"

"Untie her" Albert ordered

"Well I'm going to untie you Lena and you're going to do as I say without trying anything, understand?"

Does she really think I'll do it?

I nod , as she approaches me , slowly freeing my hands from the restraints and without further ado I headbutt her on the nose, she is bleeding, holding her face, several expletives escaping from her lips all under Albert's inquisitive eyes.
It doesn't seem to faze him in the slightest and he doesn't seem to care enough about his so called associate to come help her.

"What? Did you really think I was going to follow you nicely? You're fucking delusional! How can you not be ashamed of yourself for doing this to other women? It's illegal and disgusting ."

"Illegal? Do you think people like me give a shit if what we're doing is against the law? " she wipes her broken and swollen nose looking a little bit crooked "this kind of business brings us a lot of money to the table and that's all that matters so cry me a fucking river for all I care " she then firmly grabs my wrist dragging me into a dressing room where she throws outfits at me who lacked of too much fabric for my taste.

As I was standing with my back to her, I feel something prickly and sharp pierce my skin sending me crashing hard on the cold floor of the room

" This is what happens when you don't follow my rules, you pay for it, try to remember that next time. It would be a shame to have to damage your pretty face"