Lacy - Z.M (Book 2, Malik Series)

71

BOOTS

"I'm not going to lie mate. I'm a little nervous." I murmur into the headpiece.

"You'll be fine. We will both be fine. Remember, You're there on behalf of me since I'm in some, I don't know, meeting. Make up something if people ask." Zayn replies through the mic.

"There's a lot of people." I swallow before gazing up at the reasonably sized house.

"You'll be fine." Zayn says reassuringly and I nod towards a few slave owners before walking into the house.

My skin crawls at all the crawling slaves and I frown before pulling myself together. I still don't understand this life and yet I've been dragged into this because of Zayn.

"Boots, is it?" I hear a voice behind me and I clear my throat and turn to face Niko.

Just like Zayn, he was way too young to be in this life. Too good looking for their own good, they had so much more potential than this life they've made for themselves.

Niko, by what Zayn had told me, was basically brought up around slavery so I guess it was only natural for him to start off with his own 'empire'.

"Yeah." I offer my hand and he narrows his gaze at me before shaking it.

"I wasn't aware Zayn was showing up." Niko frowns.

"I'm here for Zayn. He couldn't make it." I lie swiftly before readjusting my tux.

Niko nods. "Well, welcome to the auction."

I nod and clear my throat as my nerves settle in when I see the security guard around the house.

"It's good to be here."

"The catering table is in the ballroom over there. Help yourself before we get into mains." Niko gestures me away before continuing to greet other sickos.

This place just gives me the creeps.

If Niko wasn't what he was and could be a suspect of taking Alissa, I may have considered befriending him.

"Any luck?" I hear Zayn in my ear and I frown before walking up to the table and picking up a cube of cheese.

Throwing it in my mouth, I whisper into the ear piece.

"I just spoke to Niko. But nothing yet." I murmur as my eyes continue to sweep over the food.

I'll just stand here for most of the night.

"Look around the house. Even in his wing. If he took her, she's most likely in there." Zayn says before cutting off straight away.

I swallow. Goddamn. This is intense stuff and I only just got here.

I take down another cube of cheese before grabbing a grape and I sigh tiredly.

Twenty go by and by the looks of it, most slave owners had finally made into the ballroom. I had never felt so out of place in my life.

Niko has said his speeches and continued on with a sadistic show that involved a slave and his 'pet' so he called her.

I look away and continue gazing at the food as my appetite vanished.

My eyes search around the room and when I realise everyone, including security is watching everything up on the makeshift stage, I pull myself out of the room and back into the hallway.

I have never been in this house, and I know for a fact, based on the outside that it's huge in here.

I make my way up the staircase and frown when I noticed how much doors there were.