9. Kali

9

KALI

M y body is aching while I stand on one leg. Matias hasn't stolen a touch since this training session started, and I hate it.

Why the hell do I want that psychopath to touch me?

My leg trembles as I struggle to maintain my balance. Sweat drips from my brow, stinging my eyes. I clench my jaw, trying to ignore the searing pain shooting through my calf.

But the physical discomfort pales in comparison to the turmoil inside me. My mind keeps drifting to Matias, his intense gaze that seems to strip me bare. I crave his touch.

What is wrong with me? How can I yearn for a man who's holding me captive, who's subjected me to such cruelty?

I glance at him and find his dark eyes on me. A shiver runs down my spine. Is that a hint of a smirk playing at the corner of his lips? Does he know the effect he has on me ?

Quickly, I break his gaze, hating the flush of warmth that creeps up my neck. I can't let him see how much he gets under my skin. I won't give him that satisfaction.

Suddenly, there's a thud beside me. Luna fell, her face contorted in pain. My heart lurches.

Matias sneers, "Can't even do a simple task, huh?" He moves toward Luna with violent intent in his eyes.

Thiago steps in front of him, his arm outstretched and blocking his path. "That's enough, Matias," he commands.

Matias's jaw clenches, turning around to face his brother. "Enough? Since when do you decide what's enough, Thiago? You're suddenly playing the hero now, pretending to be Taren. Do you think that makes you better than me?" There's no doubt that the man who fucked me last night, who made me come harder than I've ever come in my life, is unhinged. His nostrils flare, and his chest heaves frantically as if he's hardly controlling his rage.

Thiago holds his gaze, unflinching which only makes the tension heighten.

"You think stepping in for Luna makes you better, huh? You're just another pawn in their game!"

Thiago's face hardens, but his voice remains steady, "It's about ensuring we treat the assets correctly. No one wants to pay top dollar for a girl with bruises on her face."

"Right?" Matias laughs bitterly, "Right according to whom, Thiago? We've been doing this for years, and suddenly that bastard Taren turns up, and everything changes."

Thiago remains unaffected, staring at his brother.

"Enough," Taren's voice shatters the tension.

"I need to speak with you both," he demands, attention on Matias and Thiago.

Matias's gaze moves to me, eyes flashing before he marches out of the room behind his brother and Taren.

"Something's going on," Luna says.

Alice looks concerned. "Maybe."

I approach unshed tears in my eyes. "I hate Matias." It's a lie. A goddamn lie, but I don't know how to deal with the sick, fucked up emotions coiling through me.

"You and me both," Alice says.

I can't focus on anything except that Matias didn't touch me, and now he's gone. It's like my body is a live wire, every nerve ending screaming for his attention. I hate myself for it, for craving the touch of a man who's been so cruel to me.

Focusing on the pain in my leg and the ache in my muscles helps distract me.

"Are you alright?" Luna asks Alice. "You're shaking."

I notice that Alice is indeed shaking.

"I sense that something big is going to happen," Alice replies.

Luna pulls her close, and I can't help but join in the hug. My arms go tight around my friends, and I hate that one of us is missing.

"God, I hope Blake is okay," I murmur. Ever since she was sold, I've tried not to dwell on it. Avoiding thinking about what kind of hell she might be going through with that man, Gaston.

"I hate this," I whisper, so quiet I'm not sure my friends will hear.

"I know," Luna responds.

"The unknown," Alice murmurs. "That's what's driving us insane—not knowing what's happening or what's going to happen."

Luna nods. "We need to be prepared for whatever comes next."

Alice smiles, but it doesn't reach her eyes. "Easier said than done."

Suddenly, the three men reappear. My heart skips a beat at the dark, dangerous look in Matias's eyes. Immediately, his eyes meet mine, and I want to go to him.

Fuck. I need therapy.

Unfortunately, the only person who could have psychoanalyzed what the fuck is going on in my mind has been sold.

"I'm training you again, but not for long," Taren starts. "You'll be auctioned in three days before Mexico's rich and powerful."

Taren's words hit me like a sledgehammer, knocking the air from my lungs. Three days. Three days until we're put up for auction, displayed like cattle for the rich and powerful to gawk at and bid on.

But it's not the thought of being sold that makes my stomach churn. I realize I'll be ripped away from Matias in three days .

The thought sends a wave of panic through me so intense it nearly brings me to my knees.

How can I feel this way about a man who's been nothing but cruel to me? A man who's a part of the very system that's stripped me of my freedom and dignity?

It's sick, it's wrong, but it's there. And the thought of losing it, of losing him, fills me with a despair so deep I can hardly breathe.

Matias clenches his jaw, his eyes flashing with an emotion I can't quite read. Is it anger? Possessiveness?

I don't know, and I don't understand any of this. All I know is that the thought of being separated from him is tearing me apart from the inside out, not to mention being ripped away from my two best friends.

Thiago clears his throat. "Which means you need to be on your best behavior," he says, gazing at Luna.

Luna, surprisingly, bows her head in response.

Matias stares at me all the while, and I don't know why I say what I say next. "Good, anyone who will buy me will be better than you."

Matias growls and stalks forward, reacting instantly to my words. Maybe that's why I said it—I need him close. I want him to react and touch me. His face is twisted in rage, and his eyes are wild and savage. "No one else touches you," he growls.

And then he grabs my throat, casting a shadow over me. Thank God. My eyes flicker shut as I savor the feel of his rough hand against my throat, wishing he would fuck me right here.

"Back off, brother. Unless you've got millions of dollars to buy her, someone else will be touching her in three days," Thiago says, shattering the moment.

Matias growls and releases me, spinning on his brother. Immediately, I grieve the loss of his heat and nearness.

Taren steps toward him. "Control yourself," he demands.

Matias snarls again like an animal, but I hate that he backs down and stands beside his brother. Once by his side, he fixes his gaze on me, and I feel like he's trying to tell me something.

"Now resume balancing on one foot," Taren instructs.

We're back to training in a flash. All I want is to be able to speak to Matias.

Luna almost falls over again.

"How are we supposed to sell you if you can't even follow simple instructions," Taren growls, and a vein protrudes from his forehead. "Again," he barks.

Luna glares at him as she moves back into position.

The physical pain from balancing on one leg is the least of my worries. It's impossible to stop thinking about the auction, the fear of being sold to some unknown bidder, and the anguish of being separated from my friends.

But what scares me the most is the realization that I may never see Matias again.

I hate myself for craving his attention, for yearning for the very man who's part of my kidnapping. But I can't help it. The thought of never feeling his rough hands on my skin again, never seeing that dark, possessive glint in his eyes, makes my chest ache.

How did I let myself get so tangled up in this sick game? How did I allow myself to develop feelings for a man who's the epitome of cruelty?

I focus on maintaining my balance. Still, my mind keeps drifting to Matias as I steal glances at him, my heart racing every time our eyes meet. There's something in his gaze, a hint of the same desperation and longing that I feel.

But it doesn't matter. I'll be gone in three days, sold to the highest bidder. And Matias will be nothing more than a haunting memory, a dark yet addictive chapter in my life that I'll try to forget.

The thought brings tears to my eyes, and I blink them away furiously. I can't let Matias see me weak or let him know the power he holds over me.

As the session ends, I feel hollow in my chest. I'm terrified of what the future holds, of being ripped away from everything familiar, including the twisted connection I share with Matias.

But I have to be strong. For myself, for my friends, for the hope of somehow surviving this nightmare, even if it means leaving a piece of my heart behind with the man who's both my captor and my darkest obsession.