>>Seraphina

I was not expecting someone to come and catch me.

It didn't even cross my mind.

I only wanted for it all to stop.

I looked back at him with horrified eyes, "Let me go," I tried to resist and he found my words offensive.

"No," He yanked me back, trying to take me back to the shore

"Let me go!!!" I yelled but he didn't listen. So, I tried running, hoping that the sudden force would set me free. But when I tried to run, he grabbed my clothes to pull me to a stop.

"You're not going anywhere, love." His strength was marvelous. I was giving it my all to try and escape him but he seemed to be putting the bare minimum effort and managed to stop me.

"Boss!?" There were more men there, standing at the shore, "Boss, why did you go in?"

Boss?

Is he from the mafia? The debt collectors? My heart fell to the pit of my stomach

No, it can't be. I was so sure I left them all behind!

I squirmed around.

I can't just get caught at the end. I don't want any of this!

"It's fine," The man replied, "I'm already done, so stay out of the water." He yanked my hair back with him, causing the pain in my scalp.

"Let go!!" I yelled, splashing the water around with my legs, "Let me go!! AH!" He used my hair to drag me back. I couldn't resist anymore because of the pain and with Eris in my arms.

He ignored my yelling and walked back to the shore.

"Boss, I could have gone in!" One of his henchmen said.

"Well, why didn't you?" The man replied, "You're all so slow I had to do it myself!" The sound of water splashing against our bodies died out as he dragged me out of the water and threw me onto the sandy beach.

"AH!" I let out a gasp as I fell to my knees but I made sure to keep my little sister safe in my arms.

"Just a few more seconds and our only lead would have ended up as fish fodder." I raised my head to look at me, then flinched

!!

He was looking down at me. For a moment it looked like he was contemplating whether to kill me or not and that sent a shudder down my spine. But right the next second, a smile was on his face.

"I'm all wet," He clicked his tongue, and looked at his henchman, "Go get me some new clothes."

"Yes!" And the minion was running away

"And you," He stepped closer to me, "I get that you want to kill yourself," His hands reached out toward me, "But why take the kid with you?" He grabbed Eris from my hands. No, he tried to steal her from me.

"Stay away!!" I tightened my grip around her, "Don't touch her!!" I glared at him.

He paused, then crouched down in front of me with a nasty grin on his face, "You don't want me to touch her?" He raised his left brow at me, "Why? You think I'll do something to her?" We looked at each other with ill gazes, "I don't think I'll be doing anything worse than what you just tried."

!!!

His words hit deep.

The reality of what I was going to do crashed down on me, forcing me to look down in shame. My grip on Eris loosened and he grabbed her, snatching her away from me.

"Hey!" It was a moment of weakness, "Don't!!" I tried to stand up but my legs felt weak and I ended up back on the sand, "Please!" I insisted, "I already told them I don't have the money!"

Eris saw how she was taken away from me, and as soon as she saw the man's face she began to throw a tantrum in his arms.

"Woah!" He smirked, "A feisty one,"

"Give her back!" I pleaded, "Please,"

He looked at me, "I have a question first," He tried to get Eris under control but she started throwing her hands and legs around, "Ah, for fucks sake," He lowered her down and put her on the sand. Eri came running to me and I opened my arms for her. She jumped and wrapped herself around me.

The man watched the whole thing, "The kid's so attached to you," He folded his arms, "She was even ready to die with you." He stepped closer to me and crouched down, "So tell me," He stared into my eyes and it felt like he was staring into my soul, "What did the kid do wrong?" He had a dangerous vibe to him, "Why take her with you? Do you hate her or something?"

"No!" I was quick to answer, "I could never hate her," I squeezed her tightly, "She's all I have,"

"Hmm~" He stared at us

"Well, whatever," He lost interest and stood up, "There's something else I need from you."

"I don't have any money," I looked away.

"Money?" He looked at me with a disgusted look, "Why would I ask for money from a beggar?"

!!!

He sure had a nasty tongue.

"Aren't you with the debt collectors?" I asked, "Why else would you come and get me?" I was wary of him. It was cold, not that the weather was cold, it was summer. But being wet from the sea and it being windy was making my body cold.

"Me? A debt collector?" He looked at me as if I had said the funniest thing in the world, "That's funny, maybe I give off that vibe," He let out a laugh, "Are you serious?" He asked but I didn't reply. I just kept staring at him, "You did say you didn't have any money when we were in the water," He scoffed, "You must be serious," He let out another laugh.

I watched him, he was enjoying my words like I was some sort of a clown. I know I don't have much but I still have my self esteem and he was doing a great job at crushing it.

"Then what are you?" I glared at him, "What do you want from me?" My body began to shiver and I felt my toes go cold.

He stopped laughing, and then kept looking at my face.

"You do have a pretty face," He answered, then scoffed, "Ah, that son of a bitch," He moved his head around, shaking it in disapproval. He then paused and looked back at me.

His gaze lingered on my body which made me self conscious.

What is he planning?!

"Raye," He called his minion over,

"Yes, Beta Azef!" He answered immediately,

"Put them both in the car."

"Right away," The Raye dude was shorter than this person named Azef, who was definitely taller than 6 feet. And Beta? What kind of term is that? I've never heard anyone use that before. But maybe it's a gangster thing.

Raye came over and picked me up, dragging me away

***

The car was warm, Eris fell asleep immediately after feeling the cozy heat. And I don't know why Azef chose to put me in a car but it can't be because he saw that I was cold, right?

I looked at the side where he was sitting with his changed clothes.

He doesn't look like a good person.

He placed his hand on his cheek, leaning against it as he watched me and my little sister. Eris was leaning against my body life before.

"You don't look like her mother," He said,

I placed my hands over Eris protectively, "What makes you say that?"

He smirked, "There's this vibe to you," He folded his arms, "That only virgins have,"

!!!
His words caused my ears to heat up!

What a shameless man!! But then again, these people don't have any morals and shame.

"What do you want from me!" I glared at him again, "You said you weren't with the debt collectors, and I've never seen you before! So who are you?"

"Of course you haven't seen me," There was this subtle smile on his face that he liked to keep on, "You and I had no reason to meet."

"Then why-?" He cut me off by raising his finger in the air, "Your father though," That was all I had to hear before my heart dropped, "Is another story."

I frowned, "What did he do now...?" I couldn't help but knit my brows together in worry, "Look, whatever he did, it has got nothing to do with me or my little sister!" I looked at him again, "Please, understand this," I looked at him with eyes full of desperation, "Just let us go, Please,"

"..." He watched me curiously, "Little sister," He nodded, "So I was right, you're not her mother,"

!!!

He focused on something completely off the point and that got me angry.

"Is that important!?" I asked, "I'm talking to you about something else!"

"Depends," He wasn't thrilled about what he was saying, "If I choose to sell you, virgins pay better."

!!!

My eyes went wide at his words

"W-what are you saying?" My voice got lower as a knot tightened in my chest, "W-w-why would you say something like that?"

Sell me? Why would he want to see me? For that?

!!!

Wait, he said something about me having a pretty face. Was that his focus?!?

"Hmm? Why indeed?" He kept his gray eyes on me, "Why do you think? Take a guess"

My chest felt queasy and my heartbeat got erratic but the cruel part of it all was, I was well aware what the reason could be behind his.

"Because of my father?" My eyes softened due to the misery

"Bingo," He gave me a thumbs up.

"What did he do? If it's about the money, I'll try to do something-"

"It's not about the money," He let out a sigh, "I already told you, I don't need money, not from beggars." He looked me dead serious in the eyes, "And I don't have a stupid business like lending money." He calmed down fast, "Your father ran away with something very important of mine." He tapped his finger on his folded arm, "That son of a-" He got annoyed for a moment, then cooled down, "Well, that was a mistake on my part, I shouldn't have handed someone so important to a loser,"

I was well aware how much of an asshole and a loser my father was. Who would know better than me? But hearing it from the mouth of someone else makes me feel so humiliated.

"So?" I looked down in shame, "What now then?" Considering its father. I'm sure he ran away with something pretty valuable. He must want to sell it to someone and make some quick easy cash and he won't even come back till he's thrown all of it away.

I closed my eyes for a second as the previous distress came over again.

"It's simple," He answered, "When he took that thing from me, he put you down as collateral."

I shot my eyes open and looked at him, "What?" I pointed at myself, "He put me down as what?!"

"You heard it right," He pointed at me, "You belong to me now." He smirked, "And I can do whatever I want with you,"