10. OWNED

MAE

I could not wait until I got to my room, I stopped in the middle of the hallway and called Liam back.

"What the hell did I do? What was I thinking?" I muttered to myself repeatedly, the tears streaking down my cheeks all over again.

Liam had told me dad was beaten by another set of gangsters this morning and he told me he could help me pay off the debt if I promised to pay him off in two weeks.

It was 5000 grand.

I ended the call and went to sleep. Truthfully, a huge part of me was tired, and I felt like it was better to just give up… let them do whatever they liked to dad. I ignored his calls and everything. Even Liam's.

Finally, I picked up Liam's call while dressing up to perform tonight.

He told me that he had just seen dad and he has to rush him to the hospital. He yelled at me for wanting to let him die.

It would be easier for me that way, you know? But I did not tell him that.

When I finally broke down in tears was when pictures of dad were sent to me and I saw him struggling to breathe with cuts everywhere on his body.

He called out mom’s name, and that was the last straw.

We both missed her so much. Ever since she left us, he became like this, and our lives turned upside down. I knew I had to focus more on finding her now. Dad would be better again once she was back in our lives, I just knew it.

"Pick up, Liam, please pick up…" I muttered, staring at the phone, my eyes clouded with tears.

I had to ask him if he had admitted dad to the hospital and then go ahead to have sex with this guy that frequented the club and had been texting me since the first day I had started dancing here.

He gave the fattest tips too. I planned to do what Isis had suggested. But I would not be giving Scar half as agreed. A little above quarter, maybe.

I had bills to settle.

"Rivera."

I dropped my phone with a thud and before it clattered to the ground, Liam's voice rang out,

"Mae? Hello—"

The phone went off as soon as it reached the ground, thankfully muting the voice and I twisted around to face Owen, shaking like I had done something bad.

Worry lines splayed on his forehead as he watched my face like he was trying to figure me out. Still overwhelmed by the whole surprise appearance and my dad, my brain was working overtime and I could not quite place what was wrong.

Until he started, "Why are you crying?"

I blinked once. Then blinked again, and quickly spun around, wiping my eyes with the back of my hands frantically.

He waited, saying nothing else until I slowly turned back to him again, my eyes unable to meet his.

The last thing I expected was his single finger under my chin, and the way he tipped my head up so I looked into his eyes.

I did not bother with any makeup tonight, so I knew he could see it all. My red eyes, nose and the eyebags.

He did not do it in an affectionate way though. This man scrutinized me under his gaze like he was still trying to understand me, or maybe the concept of tears, even.

I gently pulled his hand away and he dropped it at once, though his lips slightly parted and his eye twitched at what I had done.

I chuckled emptily, "I guess no girl has ever told you to take your hands off her. That's why you have that look on your face, right?"

He was still silent, and then after sometime he glanced at my phone and back to me,

"Who were you speaking to?" He questioned and I opened my mouth to answer at once but he stopped me, "I will advise that you keep whatever sassy reply you have to yourself as you speak."

I knew he was not joking. Heck, this man looked like he could not even stand the word, 'jokes'.

I decided to not get myself in trouble, "I… my friend. He… I mean, she! She—"

He scoffed, "Why are you hiding the fact that you have a male friend? I heard his voice. Or did anyone say that was prohibited?"

I shook my head no immediately. "Yeah, no… I just felt.. never mind. I was just talking to my friend."

He nodded, "Why were you crying?"

I shrugged, trying to play it cool and hoping that he stayed the cruel monster he was… not going ahead to console me or say sorry. I knew if anyone tried to do that right now, I could just explode.

But thankfully, I was a bit confident that he would not sympathize with me.

"How many times would I have to remind you to use your words when you speak to me, Rivera?" He inquired, and I fought the urge to roll my eyes.

"Uh… just my dad and a few problems back there. Nothing serious."

He smirked, and I almost lost it, "More debts? Did they kill the wasted bastard this time?"

I raised my hand and only stopped midway when I heard Isis's piercing scream, "Mae, no!"

My hand hung really close to his cheek and with my heart almost beating out of my chest, I lowered the hand and tried to force an apology out of my mouth but it just felt like I would burst into tears if I said anything right now, and this man had seen enough already.

Isis disappeared from behind him after that, or more like she was dragged off by someone, leaving me to Owen's mercy.

When I met his eyes, I wished I hadn't. His gaze was pure terror and I almost peed my pants just looking at him. I realized he had not tried to catch my hand before I hit him or anything. I was sure he had fast enough reflexes but chose to let me hit him, probably so he could be able to punish me? Kill me?

When I could finally talk and break the tension-filled silence between us, I began to ramble, "I… Please don't kill me. I just want to… I want to help my dad. I promised to um… have sex with someone tonight so I can pay off my dad's recent debt. If you kill me, then he'll truly have no one… It was… It was my emotions, I really—"

"You want to fuck someone and keep my money?" He asked with a deadly calm that sent chills down my spine.

"It's my pussy, how is it even right that he fucks me and you get the money?" I snapped, then slapped a hand over my mouth.

He scoffed, "You really do not get it, do you? As long as you are indebted to me, you belong to me. Body—pussy included, mind and soul. Until you pay up everything you owe, that is the only time you can be free to do as you please."

"Then, please help me." I resorted to begging, reluctantly going on my knees before him. I hated it and also secretly loved it in a way—the way he looked down at me, the way his eyes darkened as soon as I knelt before him…

I continued, "Help me, please, I'll do anything. I just can't let my dad die."