Chapter 1

Chapter One

It was the crack of gunshots from the distance announcing someone was attacking.

The boat we were on raced to an impossible speed, bouncing us around like rag dolls inside the hull.

The two other women I traveled with stared at me with terrified eyes, screaming in panic.

All of this told me one thing…

Today I was going to die.

"Oh my god, what's happening?" cried the woman whose name I thought was Rue.

Her name very well could have been Ruth or Ray, for I hadn't been paying that close attention to my travel mates. None of us had really spoken much. We had all voyaged together for the same purpose—we'd been sold to some rich asshole or promised for an arranged marriage—but none of us connected over that fact. There were no long, bonding talks about what it would mean for us once we reached our destination. Nor were there confessions of fear or nervousness about meeting the men who would soon own us.

We all were tired and battered from the long journey when the three of us connected in our final boat to travel the rest of the way as companions. Most of the time, we slept or stared out the windows at the vast, open ocean with stars shimmering against the blackness in the far distance. Until now, it was a near solitary and silent trip.

The other woman in our group, Dabney, held a golden cross around her neck between her fingers and sobbed uncontrollably. Maybe she was silently praying through all those tears, or maybe she was mourning the life she once had.

I pulled back the ship's dirty curtain to see if I could figure out where the gunfire was coming from. Maybe I should have been crouching on the ground like the other two, but I wanted to stare death straight in the eye.

"Close that!" Rue shouted. "Don't let them see us! Don't let them know that we're on this boat!"

I glanced at her, not knowing how to tell her that there was nothing we could do. We were most likely going to die, no matter what we did. There was nowhere to hide in our small boat. We were at the mercy of the approaching men with guns, and I wasn't going to delude myself into believing this would end well.

I did as she requested, however, since I couldn't see anything but the ocean's tumultuous waves.

Dabney's sobs grew louder and more ragged, blending with the howls of the wind outside. Feeling sorry for her, I reached for her hand, maybe offering a little solace to her in her time of death. I wasn't one to give comfort, affection, or any act of love often.

Growing up in Moscow, as well as being raised by a strict, pious priest had taught me to be cold and distant. It was the way of my family in our neighborhood. My father made choices for his family. He made choices for me. My hate for my father and his choices had all led me here.

"I don't want to die. I don't want to die. I don't want to die," Rue chanted in a tiny breath as if that would help the situation.

Screams from all of us ricocheted off the vessel's walls as a bullet shattered the glass and whizzed by our heads. Gunfire intensified, and then eventually the boat slowed until it reached a complete stop.

The shooting had ended, and all we could do was wait.

Dabney clenched my hand, but silenced her sobs. We waited. We waited…

I could hear movement above, the crunch of boots against glass, and it was merely a matter of time until I would be staring directly in the eyes of my would-be murderer or if I was super lucky, possibly my kidnapper. I put my finger to my lips, signaling for the other women to be quiet, although I had no idea why I did so. The men above had to know we were inside. They knew.

The door opened, causing all of us to jump and cower as far away as we could.

"Well, ladies, it looks like today is your lucky day," the man announced, as if we shouldn't be afraid of him, even though he was holding a gun. "We just saved you from your sex traffickers." He took a few steps back, opening the clearing of the doorway. "Come on out and meet everyone. Don't be shy."

Both Dabney and Rue looked at me for guidance, as if I had somehow become the leader of the ‘damsels in distress' gang. Not having any other options, I nodded and led the way to what I could only hope would be safety. I didn't know what to expect, but we wouldn't be killed instantly , at least. I couldn't rule out eventual death yet. Though the man who'd greeted us looked dangerous and rough, wearing all black and almost military in style, he had been civil. He'd even extended his hand as I exited what I once believed would become our coffin.

When I reached the deck and steadied my legs, I saw two other men of similar appearance raiding the bloody, dead traffickers' pockets. I hadn't spoken but a few words to our escorts, but I still felt awful for their demise. They had bullet holes all over their bodies, and a final look of terror frozen on their faces. Both Rue and Dabney gasped when they, too, saw our guides' fate.

The two men stopped their scavenging and came to where we all stood. One of them looked directly into my eyes with his dark brown ones. His black hair peeked out from under the black wool of his winter hat. He didn't look like what I imagined a ruthless criminal would look like, but he was stealing from the dead, so he clearly was one. He was tall and broad, and as he drew closer, both Rue and Dabney took steps nearer to me, as if I could somehow protect them.

"Were you on your way to Seattle?" he asked, almost seeming angry at us for doing so.

"I think so," I said, not breaking eye contact. I didn't want to cower to his intimidating presence, but I was smart enough not to provoke the man by acting defiant. "They weren't exactly free with the information, but I did overhear them talking about Seattle."

"Did you hear them mention the Godwin family? Poseidon enterprises?" He continued to grill me.

I had, so I nodded.

"We got the right boat," the man standing behind us spat. "It's Poseidon's sex ring for sure."

"How did you get here?" the first man, still glaring at me, asked.

"I think you know the answer to that." I swallowed back my sour disposition and took a deep breath. Acting sassy or righteous wouldn't help any of us. "We were all… sold to someone who is waiting for us once we arrive."

"But you have never met these men waiting?" he asked with what appeared like genuine curiosity.

All of us shook our heads in answer.

He glanced at the dead men. "And these men?"

"They were just getting us to the States," I answered.

"From where?"

I looked at the other ladies, and assumed they came from Russia like me, but couldn't be sure. "Moscow."

"Lookee here, boys. We got ourselves some Russian princesses," said the other standing next to the man who was still staring me down. "Not much of a haul on this piece of shit boat, but we got ourselves some princesses out of it at least. One for each of us." He chuckled, clearly enjoying his own sick humor.

The man couldn't be serious, but it was enough to terrify Dabney all over again. She clutched her cross and began crying. Her little whimpers were the only sound unless you considered the waves slapping the hull.

The man from behind walked around and stood in front of us. "No need to cry. We aren't going to hurt you. Well… unless you give us a reason. I'm Pasco Cullen, and these are my two younger brothers Erik and Shay." Erik was the one who hadn't taken his eyes off me, yet I still refused to back down from his stare. The depth of the brown in his eyes threatened to swallow up my soul, but I held steady. "Hell, if it weren't for us, you all would be sold at some fucked-up sex auction or be added to some sex-slave group."

"What do you have in your belongings?" Pasco sized up the boxes stored in the hold. "Any valuables?"

I shook my head. "Just clothing." I didn't know if that was the truth for the other women, but admitting to jewelry or family heirlooms wouldn't do them any good.

"No money?"

I shook my head. I didn't have a cent to my name, and based on the fact that both Dabney and Rue were being sold to some unknown situation in the States, I assumed their financial situation was the same as mine.

Erik stepped into the hold, tossing the boxes up to his brother Shay. "Get what you can carry, and dress warm. We're heading toward the northern part of the island of Heathens Hollow, and the nights get cold, so this isn't the time to take your vanity into concern. If you got thick shoes or boots, pack those as well." His voice was deep and husky, no nonsense laced every syllable he spoke.

"We're going with you ?" Rue stared at me like she needed a translator.

"Where the hell else are you going?" Pasco asked with a smirk. "You want to wait here and hope your buyers, or whatever they are, will come find you?"

"But they paid our family for us. A deal was made. They will expect us to arrive," Rue said with the rising panic inside her obvious in her tone.

Pasco laughed. "Fuck 'em. The poor fools who are waiting for you will just have to keep waiting. You ladies now belong to us."

"But—"

Pasco went up to Rue and grabbed her firmly by the arm. "Finders keepers. My brothers and I own everything that is on this ship, is the way I see it. It's not the first time we stole from Poseidon, and it sure as hell won't be the last." He glared at her and didn't even soften when tears fell freely from Rue's eyes. "If it weren't for us, you women would be in a far worse situation. You don't think you were being delivered to luxury, do you? Trust me, we know what was waiting for you." Pasco looked at me. "Now be polite and tell us your names."

"My name's Maya," I began. "And the woman you're hurting is Rue." I then pointed at Dabney, who still cried and had turned the shade of crisp white linen. "This is Dabney."

"We don't have all day," Erik called, coming from down below. "Poseidon might have boats meeting these guys. And our piece-of-shit fishing tin can can't outrun anyone. So get busy."

I led the way to the boxes, knowing the other women would follow me. The men weren't harming us yet, and they had a point. We weren't exactly heading to a good situation, regardless of how much my father had tried to convince me the arranged marriage I was heading to was a beneficial arrangement.

I opened my small box, knowing there was no way I could take the entire thing with me. I wasn't really sad about leaving it all behind as I could see that Rue and Dabney both seemed to be. I had no family heirlooms or anything of my mother's that meant anything. Abandoning it would be fine by me. I rummaged through my clothing and pulled out a gray wool coat that had kept me warm in the harshest of Moscow weather. Russia had winters that could make any bone so brittle it could break like a twig, but this coat had always provided me warmth. I also pulled out thick leggings to go under my pants, a heavier shirt, and a lace bra that had been one of the few luxuries in my life that made me feel feminine and pretty. I also grabbed a pair of thick-soled boots I wore often back home while helping my father with outdoor chores. They did a good job at keeping the wet and cold out.

Erik had found some burlap bags and tossed each of us women one. "Fill these up with what you can."

I took hold of the bag and was able to cram everything I wanted inside. I still had some free space, so I reached for my ivory brush and mirror. They were the only possessions of any value I had ever owned, and when I saw that Erik noticed I'd pulled them from my box, I froze. I expected he would confiscate them for himself and possibly be angry that I hadn't admitted to having them earlier.

His dark eyes studied them in my hand, then he looked at me, but there was no anger present on his face that I could discern. Erik then surprised me and nodded, silently giving me permission to place the brush and mirror in my sack, which I did before the other brothers took notice.

"Are there blankets down below?" he asked me.

I nodded.

We each had several to help keep us warm and comfortable during our journey. Erik entered the lower part of the ship, then quickly exited with the bundle of blankets in his arms. He headed over to the boat that belonged to the brothers where they were preparing to leave and tossed the pile into the much-smaller fishing boat. He really did seem to be taking our warmth into consideration.

Erik returned to me. "What about food?"

I pointed to a compartment on the floorboards of the ship that held a large bag of supplies. "They kept the food in there. Some dried meats, some beans, and some rice." There actually was a good deal of food. I would say a few days' worth for five people. As Erik was pulling open the compartment, I added, "In that chest behind where the drivers sat, is where they kept all their cooking supplies and pots."

I wasn't sure how to view the brothers. Were they our rescuers? Or were they our kidnappers? Should I be helping them, or figuring out a way to run and escape? But I did agree that we couldn't simply sit here on the boat and do nothing.

I wasn't one to ever be helpless; I had grown up tough. My father ruled with an iron fist and a brutal cane he often and relentlessly used. My father had resented that I was not a boy, and he'd made me pay for that daily. And if he wasn't making me pay for it, then he made my mother pay for only giving him a useless daughter, for which she would then turn around and make me pay for as well. The only good that came from the hell of my youth… strength. So yes, I wasn't one to be helpless, but as I struggled with the large chest belonging to the drivers, I was beginning to feel pretty damn weak. No matter how hard I pulled, the heavy trunk remained in place.

"Fucking hell," I murmured under my breath as I put my back into it and gave it my all, but still to no avail.

A big hand covered mine, and I looked over my shoulder to see Erik behind me, reaching over to assist in pulling down the cooking supplies. "You shouldn't speak like that." His voice was deep, and he wasn't really scolding, but more informing. "Your name is Maya, right?"

I didn't reply, and I certainly didn't apologize for my profanity. I didn't belong to this man nor did I answer to him, and after the situation I just experienced, I had every justification to say whatever curse word I pleased. I had left the tyrant, otherwise known as my father, not only miles and miles behind me, but I'd put an entire ocean between us.

Of course, being owned by a man I had never met before in the States opened the doors to possibly meeting another tyrant, but if it ever got too bad, I could simply try to escape and at least I'd be in the United States. If I had to, I could figure out a place to hide and start a new life. Anything was better than Russia and my father.

"We need to get going," Pasco called out.

Erik nudged me out of the way while he lifted the trunk I was struggling with, then placed it on the ground. He tossed me another sack. "Fill this up with the essentials." He then went and began helping his brothers load everything onto the fishing boat.

I quickly went to work filling the bag. I grabbed a cooking pot, all the bowls, cups, and the utensils. I then saw the large knife used for cutting the dried meat. Stealing a glance at the brothers, distracted with loading everything with their stolen cargo, I wrapped the knife in a muslin cloth and secretly stuck it into my boot. The brothers hadn't done anything to hurt us… yet. But I wasn't going to be foolish enough to assume they never would.

After a few more minutes of grabbing the last of the essentials, the brothers agreed they had acquired enough, and it was time to go. Erik reached for my hand and led me to the boat. Without asking for permission, he placed both of his beefy hands on my hips and lifted me off the ground, assisting me onto the weathered wooden seat. Both Dabney and Rue seemed panicked when Pasco and Shay did the same and placed them next to me.

We were leaving our transport vessel, our dead escorts, and our one-way ticket to becoming a wife, a sex worker… god knows what was in store. What happened now, however, I had no idea. But we were alive. I had to count that as a blessing.

Before boarding, Erik reached for one of the dead men's wool beanie. He removed the hat and placed it on my head before I could even flinch away.

"I don't want it," I argued, disgusted that its owner was now dead, staring at me with hollow eyes. The thought of his soon-to-be decaying body made me gag, and I worried I would vomit what very little food I had in my stomach. I couldn't risk losing the calories, so I struggled to hold back the bile forming in the back of my throat.

"You will wear this. You'll need a hat to keep your head warm and you from getting sick."

I shook my head. "No. It belongs to that man."

"That man is dead."

"I can't. It's wrong."

"Wear the hat. Final." His voice boomed, and the way he glared at me from over his shoulder made my heart skip and my belly flip. "Or else."

I swallowed back the stream of curse words that wanted to fly from my tongue and nodded. I hated that I allowed him to win, yet I wasn't prepared to go up against his wrath… at least not yet.

Satisfied with my answer, he hopped in the boat with everyone else and sat down next to me… too close. I had no choice but to press my body up against a complete stranger, as I wore a dead man's hat, riding off to the unknown.