Sold to Diaz Cartel.Chapter 13: 13 Scars .“I have to punish you, Althea. Give me your hands or I will blindfold you and gag you,” Diaz orders coldly. “Give. Me. Your. Hands.” The small figure doesn’t move, fear overflowing her face. “Don’t make this harder than it has to be, Althea. I don’t like punishing you but you have to learn. You are only making it worse.” A sigh leaves his lips when Althea shows no sign of having heard him over the ‘I’m sorry’ s and ‘please’ s she can’t seem to stop spurting. “NOW.”Althea trembles, fighting her own body to lift her arms towards the brunette. She almost takes them back when she feels Diaz grab her wrists, almost.The older ties both her hands to each side of the bed, forcing her to kneel again while also making it impossible to move away from the belt as it makes contact with her back, slashing through the skin and pulling a heart breaking scream out of her barely healed lips. She feels the blood trickling down her body as the insurmou
Sold to Diaz Cartel.Chapter 14: She has suffered through it all..Janina wakes up, her heart beating incessantly and her erratic breathing puffing out of her lungs strongly, heavy with all the sorrow of a hunting nightmare.—The moment she nears the door she hears the unmistakable sound of pained screams, heart wrenching, soul breaking screams. A shiver travels through her spine as she knocks on the door.Nothing.Another scream breaks through the air and she can’t avoid reacting this time. Her muscles move almost autonomously as she opens the door and is met by a sad scene that strangles her heart with a silent cry.Althea is lying on her stomach over the kitchen table, her back open like a fruit without peel leaving the red muscle in contact with the air. Her skin is impossibly white and creates a gruesome contrast against the bright red of blood dripping down the side of her torso. Jana walks slowly towards her, all the air trapped inside her lungs as she waits for the figure
Sold to Diaz Cartel.Chapter 15: They all lived only for Diaz Cartel..“I miss him,” Diaz announces sighing. He puts the papers he has been reading down, stretching his sore muscles.“You have no right to talk. We are in this situation because of you.” Clyde responds, annoyance sipping in his voice. "And to think that even I was dragged into this.”“Don’t be dramatic.”“I haven’t been able to sleep with my wife in 12 days! Lucius probably gets to snuggle her as I lay sleepless on my bed.” The older complains to his brother with the same mannerism as a child making a tantrum. “I started smoking again, you know? It’s the only thing that helps me cope,” he confesses with a dramatic sigh. “I even got scolded by Jani.”“Maybe this is good. You are too dependant of her.”“It is love!”“Whatever. I’ll buy you nicotine patches,” Diaz brushes it off with a hand gesture.“You are still smoking?” Lucius shows up in the door, his hair a mess and blood splattered all over his face. “Jani will
Sold to Diaz Cartel.Chapter 16: why do you do the things that you do? .The nights are getting warmer as the winter is slowly replaced by spring. The mansion is quiet, as it gets after the clock hits midnight, most of the random guards taking their leave. Even after all this time, Althea still can't find it in herself to sleep properly, specially now that she can walk again, always rather choosing to roam the empty corridors at night.She really tried tonight, she tried harder to stay still and sleep but nothing seemed to work. As the clock hit 3am, Althea finally gave up on sleep. She got out of bed, careful not to make too much noise, keeping a vigilant eye on Jana.The older had been extra caring lately, after she found the bed devoid of a certain blonde last week. Althea is not sure why Jana had become this worried about her, keeping her sleep light so she could wake up if Althea needed anything or if she wanted to leave unannounced.Once out of the room, she walked straight
Sold to Diaz Cartel.Chapter 17: One Word .“Tell me, Lucius, why are you loyal to Diaz?”“Because I love him,” Lucius answers as if it was the only logical response. “He is my dearest friend. He has helped me so many times I wouldn’t be able to count them. I might be younger than him but I have the need to protect him, to shield him from any danger and do everything in my power to make him happy.”Althea’s mouth is dry. She never imagined how brutal words can be, yet, here she is. Being repeatedly punched while any hope warming her heart is being annihilated.“Even if it means...” She purposefully doesn’t finish the sentence, letting the question hang over Lucius.“No, no,” answers the raven. For a split second Althea lets herself claw to her fading hope. Deep down she knows but still, she wants to believe her anchor, her saviour, is on her side. She doesn’t want to let her light go. “Althea, Diaz breaking you is only his way to love you, to heal you into a better version of yo
Sold to Diaz Cartel .Chapter 18: The beginning of the end .“A dance studio…for me,” She repeats, unable to believe her ears. “I can dance again.”“Yes.”One word.That is all she needs to hear for her eyes to fill with tears.Althea twirls around the studio with tears falling down her face while she giggles happily. Diaz has never heard anything more beautiful, truly the laugh of an angel. Not wanting to interrupt, he walks silently towards the corner of the room where the sound system stands, connects his phone and presses the first song he finds.“Since you haven’t been exercising in a while I will only allow you to stay here for the next 20 minutes,” announces the older as he sits down on the only chair near the speakers.Euphoric, Althea nods fervently, thankful to even be allowed to stand anywhere near a studio. The blonde starts stretching without wasting a single second, eager to start dancing. Even in all her excitement, she takes extra time to warm up her muscles, her b
Sold to Diaz Cartel .Chapter 19: It is what it is..During the next weeks, Harley sits on the corner of the studio, managing the music for the younger while she dances. Althea tries to talk to him multiple times, not being used to people not warming up to her sweet personality. She doesn’t understand why the older goes to such lengths as to avoid her entirely during the day, materialising out of thin air once the clock hits 6pm.The cook omits the dancing blonde in exchange of looking at the million drops of water breaking against the glass of the window, silently ignoring Althea when she smiles at him.“Uh, could you...” Althea mumbles in a whisper. Her voice is so low Harley barely hears it. He looks at the blonde standing shyly in front of him, a light blush covering her cheeks and ears as she tries to speak clearly.“What?”“The song. Could you...repeat it?” Althea digs her nails on her palm. Talking to Harley makes her uncomfortable, specially since he ignores her so ferven
Sold to Diaz Cartel .Chapter 19: It is what it is..During the next weeks, Harley sits on the corner of the studio, managing the music for the younger while she dances. Althea tries to talk to him multiple times, not being used to people not warming up to her sweet personality. She doesn’t understand why the older goes to such lengths as to avoid her entirely during the day, materialising out of thin air once the clock hits 6pm.The cook omits the dancing blonde in exchange of looking at the million drops of water breaking against the glass of the window, silently ignoring Althea when she smiles at him.“Uh, could you...” Althea mumbles in a whisper. Her voice is so low Harley barely hears it. He looks at the blonde standing shyly in front of him, a light blush covering her cheeks and ears as she tries to speak clearly.“What?”“The song. Could you...repeat it?” Althea digs her nails on her palm. Talking to Harley makes her uncomfortable, specially since he ignores her so ferven
Sold to Diaz Cartel.Chapter 59: neither life or death .At first, Althea had thought of it as impossible. Soon enough she learnt that everyone knew the Cartel Family had defeated all the other mafias in past, rising to the elite position they enjoy now thanks to the strong loyalty everyone has for their leader. Yet, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. And Althea was the weakest of them all.Surprisingly, collecting information about the weaknesses of the mansion and its security was the easiest part. In the beginning, Althea was overwhelmed by the complexity of the task just to find out that men talk an awful lot when they think the slut sucking them is only there for the drugs.The hardest, and also the most critical detail of the plan was to break the blind trust Diaz had in his inner circle, something he takes so much pride on.Slowly, innocently, Althea carved doubt against Clyde inside Lucius’s mind, poisoning Diaz’s loyal dog for months. Feeding into his obsessiv
Sold to Diaz Cartel.Chapter 58: mix of butterflies and vomit .Janina is about to cry out in pain when it gets swallowed by the shock sent through her whole body as a blade pierces her stomach. The pain that spreads rapidly to every cell in her body forces a gasp out of her."Did it really have to be like this?" says Janina in a forced breath. "Were you really looking for Clyde to kill him like this?"The brunette cries as she is stabbed again and again, the pain no longer giving her a break to think. But even as she fights to live, she is grateful. Because it is her who's dying."You deserve to die for what you did to her; what you did to me! How could you keep her away from me?" Lucius rambles without noticing who is the receiver of his violence. " She will be better without you. I will take care of her like you never did, and I will love her like she deserves. Everything is okay now. With you gone, Jana will finally love me too."With lost eyes and gone mind, Lucius stabs his on
Sold to Diaz Cartel.Chapter 57: did it have to come to this? .Getting to the room had been easy because of the fight mainly concentrating in the middle of the mansion, but getting to the other side where the entrance and the kitchen were, posed a bigger challenge than Althea expected. Which is why the moment the kitchen comes into view, Althea thanks her past self for leaning the mansion's lay out to perfection. All those sleepless nights finally paying off."HOLY FUCK!" Lucius screams. The raven is ready to leave the kitchen, finally sure that Janina isn't there, nor alive or dead, when he is met with a small body. Of course, with a lifetime of training and experience under his belt, the first thing Lucius does is to bring the small knife in his hand to Althea’s throat. "What are you doing here? Where is Diaz? WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE?"Still with a knife to her throat, Althea just looks at Lucius, eyes full of surprise. She wasn't expecting this."Ah, sorry, I guess y
Sold to Diaz Cartel.Chapter 56: commotion, constriction.The pair keeps walking, Althea with a hand set seductively on Diaz’s chest and the burette letting himself be led backwards. They step slow and carefully but never taking their eyes off each other. Even with panic rising inside her, Althea knows she can control the situation as long as she keeps her eyes hooded and lips puckered."You drive me crazy," growls Diaz. His voice is low and raspy, full of arousal."I know." Althea pushes him, forcing the taller to sit on the bed.Althea doesn't know if it is because of her new hair but she has a newfound courage helping her stay calm as she drops to her knees and licks her lips, wetting the pink flesh in preparation. Diaz doesn't miss the signal, immediately relaxing his thighs to let them open wider. The small body in between them moves close to undo the button on the expensive pants, her fingers expertly acting.Seeing Althea on her knees with blonde hair always made Diaz think t
Sold to Diaz Cartel.Chapter 55: the only way out .One step at a time, Althea walks out of the bathroom and into the walk-in wardrobe where she covers herself with one of the thick coats Diaz had brought her a few months ago. The fluffy piece of clothing hangs off her shoulders prettily, falling just under her butt. Once warm again, Althea gathers herself once more, ready to walk to the bed.Except her legs disagree.A moment she is standing and the next she is falling to the floor. There is nothing soft to break her fall as her body refuses to keep fighting gravity, her head bouncing on the hard surface.Her head hurts as much as her body now. There is nothing left in her. No power. No will. No hope. Nothing. She doesn't even care that her coat's zipper has fallen open, letting the harsh wind bite at her skin. Althea knows she has to move but she can't find a reason to do it. There is nothing waiting for her but pain. What does it matter if she hurts there, on the floor or outsid
Sold to Diaz Cartel.Chapter 54: classical, isn't it? .The windows and mirrors are blurred by condensation when Diaz enters the dance room. Althea is in the middle, unaware of the predatory eyes following her body dancing fluidly to a classical piece. The music is morbid and sad, the violin resounding in the whole room with its sorrow, moving the blonde's body from one side to the other. Althea lets the music move and bend her in different directions until she feels like she is a mere doll being controlled by the changing notes echoing in her bones.It is a beautiful and devastating sight. Somehow, the skinny blonde who couldn't even manage to stand on her own is now gliding on the floor, effortlessly. The way she dances makes Diaz want to cry because as Althea moves perfectly to the rhythm of a weeping violin, Diaz can see and feel the blonde dying. The dead ballad keeps on playing as the brunette's eyes fill with tears and his heart shrinks with the fear of losing the only perso
Sold to Diaz Cartel.Chapter 53: hidden innocence .Althea stays hidden under the blankets, scared to face the world but too restless to sleep. Her mind buzzes with guilt and unsaid words mixed with the memories of soft touches and pleasure. She feels disgusting, not because of what she caused but because of the fear of getting caught. She is scared Diaz is coming for her, scared of the brunette knowing, somehow, that it was her who sent the message. The heavy weight of what she has done rests on her body, crushing her soul against the bed, yet, there is a single pebble of relief. At least she got to free Harley. I will bear it so you can be free.Because it doesn’t matter what she does nor how she thinks, Harley can never be saved. He is too enamoured by the hitman and too traumatised by the Cartels. There is no escape when the prisoners don't know they are in a cage.Finally giving up on sleep, Althea hops out of bed. Her feet hit the floor harder than she expects, the iciness c
Sold to Diaz Cartel.Chapter 52: Call me Sunshine? .The memory of the first meeting when they decided the details for the attack comes to his mind, accompanied with an awful thought. He looks at Ronan with pity, almost begging for forgiveness for the words that he is about to say. “Harley knew.”The air turns heavy with those two words. Ronan feels his heart stop beating and his blood start rushing to his ears. Everyone is looking at him, and Diaz has hate in his eyes.“That is nonsense,” whispers Ronan, but he can’t bring himself to sound certain.“He was in the kitchen when we met,” says Diaz through gritted teeth. “He is the only other person who was there.”“Even if he wanted to, he has no way of contacting Fernandez! Come on, guys! He is just a cook.”“Don’t treat me like an idiot.” Diaz’s voice is low and threatening, making even the hitman tremble. “You don’t think I know about that old computer you gave him for Christmas last year?! Huh?!”“Wait, what the fuck! How dare you
Sold to Diaz Cartel.Chapter 51: who is the unfortunate being then ? .Days pass in a blink. The mansion is pure chaos. Everyone runs from one place to the other, rushing to complete the preparations for the fast approaching war. All the men know something big is about to happen. They can feel it in the air, travelling into their anxious bodies and coursing through their veins. Everything is such a haze, nobody notices the sneaky blonde hiding in plain sight, stealthily scurrying in and out of the room behind the kitchen. No one pays attention as she tiptoes delicately nor when she fills her pocket with a bunch of colourful pills.With every trip to the kitchen, the hoodie in the corner of the wardrobe fills up with more pills. Althea thanks her past self for being smart enough to keep secret stashes around Harley’s room. Just in case.With the last of her secret drugs in her underwear, Althea waits until she hears Lucius limp out of the room and lock the door behind him. After loc