Chapter 6

The Dark Stranger....

“Do you really think he'll leave any one of them behind?” A man's voice touches my ears and I freeze.

Shit!

The sound is coming from somewhere behind me. I panic and frantically look around, spotting two tall pillars supporting the paneled ceiling of the hall across from Balthazar's office. I don't think twice and jump behind the left side pillar, pressing my back tightly against it to keep myself out of his view.

Please God… help me!

“I'm not so sure. He picks up at least seven girls at a time and pays a really good price for each of them. But this time, he had demanded for 10 girls but we picked up 15, excluding this new girl collected as a payment for some kind of fucking debt.” Another man responds and I listen with my breath held. “Do you have any idea about this?”

I had guessed right.

Balthazar is really involved in this illegal marketing of girls. God, where have you got me? How am I supposed to get out of this hell and where will I go?

I never had any official place for myself in London and after leaving the English ground when my parents had warned me 3 years ago, I never came back here. I know next to nothing about this place. And if this is really his estate then he must have his men in every corner of this place. I'll be damned before I'll even know it.

I don't know anyone in this country.

And I'm not sure if I can trust the police either.

I'm fucked in every way.

I don't know what I was thinking before skipping out of Balthazar's office, I'll be as good as dead when he'll find out I've left and tried to escape out of his territory, even after his threat to double my punishments.

Should I go back?

The thought only makes my heart start pounding inside my chest but I don't have much choice. I can make it back to that joint room before he is back if I skip now.

“No, he never mentioned anything about this debt before. But you know what? I want Master Black to take away all those girls. This batch is a little extra whiny. It's harder to keep them quiet and under control.” I hear man no. 1 speak to the other.

So the feared infamous stranger is known as Master Black…..

I shake my head to get rid of the distracting thought.

Focus, Rose, focus!

You're not interested in knowing about this guy. You're interested in getting away from him, okay?

Holding in my breath, I sneak a peek from behind the pillar and find them walking through one of the hallway passages towards the office.

Oh God! Are they both going in there to look for me!?

Of course they are!

Fear traps me inside its suffocating cage and I struggle to think of something to do in this situation. I'm damn sure they'll inform Balthazar immediately upon finding the room empty and my rope lying on the floor near his desk.

I rub my free wrists while trying to come up with a plan.

But I can't help snickering at Balthazar's idiocy. I mean, who keeps a knife in the first drawer of their desk? Anyone can find it and use it to free themselves, just like I've done.

“He will take that batch only. Balthazar had hand-picked all those girls especially for him. You know why?” Man no. 2 replies to his partner. He seems to have got all the juicy news on this matter.

Shut the hell up, you bloody gossiper!

No matter how much I try to ignore the nagging in my head, my curiosity gets the better of me and I find myself leaning in closer to hear his voice.

Curiosity killed the cat.

I have heard this saying, now I'll watch it happen with myself only.

“Why?”

“Because he's even more of a pervert than Boss. I've heard some rumors about him in the illegal market and most of them are true. He's a twisted bastard and rich as hell, no girl survives with him for more than a month, that's why he has to get new batches after every seven months. Nobody knows who he is or where he gets all his money from. Some say he's a high-ended assassin and others say he's a notorious criminal. Our boss might be merciless and a pervert, but Master Black, he's a monster, he's ruthless and relentless. He ravishes those girls like a wild and hungry animal, loves making them scream in pain.”

“Well, he sure as fuck looks like a Dominant or a fucking sadist, doesn't he?”

“Yeah, the most dangerous and violent one.”

I'm regretting my decision to eavesdrop already.

That's why Nana used to chide me whenever I eavesdropped on him. But what to do, bad habits die hard.

Master Black is a Dominant or worse…. a SADIST!

My mouth has gone completely dry.

That's the reason why Balthazar didn't want him to see me. He must have known that a girl like me would have never survived in this man's clutches even for a day. But I don't think that he would have picked me over all those girls or Balthazar would have let him take me for that matter… Or would he have?

He had said that if I behaved properly and did as he told then he might keep me for himself. It shows one thing very clearly, he likes to share his women and he already shares them.

What a depressing situation I'm stuck in?

And I have to compare between two men (who want girls for only to satisfy their perverted fetishes and sex,) to figure out who is less likely to kill me as soon as he gets his hands on me.

I pull myself out of my miserable and pathetic thoughts.

I'll not let those bastards take me. I'll only allow them to touch me over my dead body.

I don't know from where I've got this inspiration to fight them but I'm going to hold onto it if it can help me get out of here.

I wipe my tears furiously and with a last glance in the opposite direction, I bolt down the other passage. I don't look back again and keep moving. I don't know what I'll find on the end of this tunnel like passage but I can't stop just because I don't know where I'm going.

Those two men must have already informed Balthazar that I'm not in the room. There's no going back now.

I slow down from running to jogging when I reach a bend in the passage. The tunnel is so poorly lighted that it's hard to see anything after a few feet. I take measured steps and turn the corner only when I'm sure there's no one coming from the opposite direction.

Finally, I reach the end of the tunnel.

I have taken three turns and two intersections to get here. I wasn't sure which way to take so I stuck to the way to my right side every time I came across such intersections.

There's nothing but a blood red door standing in front of me.

God, please let this door lead me out to my freedom.

I force my exhausted limbs to move and walk over to the door.

This is it. Either I'll find an old storage room, which will get me caught and dead in a matter of time or I'll find the back exit door, which will lead me out to my freedom.

I grab the knob with trembling hands and twist it, the ominous sound of the door cracking open grits on my nerves as I, oh so slowly, push it open…..

…..only to find my merciless fate standing in the middle of the huge basement, with a hundred girls of every race, complexion and country kneeling behind him in columns and restrained down with loads of chains. There's something smoldering held up in Balthazar's hand and he's branding the girls with it. And to complete the horrific scene, more than 50 men are lining up all the four walls of the basement. They all are dressed in red army uniforms and are armed with different types of guns.

I feel like I'm living a nightmare, which keeps taking turns for the worst, like the scenes from a horrible action movie.

I had tried to open the door as quietly as I could but the room was already dead quiet and the cracking of the door got everyone's attention.

All pairs of eyes are focused on me now.

I notice Balthazar's eyes widen in shock but he recovers his surprise too quickly for me to be sure if he was really shocked or if it was my imagination.

“Miss. Danforth! What are you doing here? And how did you get out of my office?” His voice is completely indifferent, but I can see the rising panic behind his black eyes.

Why is he worried? Shouldn't he be angry at me?

“I —” I stop, clear my dry throat then start again. “I was looking for you.”

“Looking for me or the exit door?”

Crap!

“I need some water.”

He eyes me skeptically, his jaw set and hands clenched into fists.

His physical strain shows that he's scared of something and trying not to let it show but his face is clean of any emotion, his eyes are cold and dead.

“Take her back to my office and get her a glass of water.” He instructs someone then turns back to attend his business like nothing has happened. A tall dark man steps out from one of the lines to take me back.

“Wait.”

Another command resonates around the room, but it's not Balthazar's heavy voice. The voice is much deeper and ominously calm, like the calm and silence before the storm. The same accented rumbling voice I had heard speaking in Balthazar's office….

The tall man stops dead in his tracks and Balthazar's eyes flicker to the farthest corner of the room.

I follow his eyes to find a man leaning against one of the bare walls, the red uniformed men are standing far away from him. He could have caught anyone's eye even if the men were surrounding him, as he's in a total black gear, an evident contrast to all blood red. He's wearing a thick trench that hugs his upper body perfectly, showing off the defined contours of his biceps and shoulders.

So he's the notorious Master Black….

God, he's freaking intimidating!

“What's the hurry? Won't you introduce me to your guest, Balthazar?” Master Black shoots a knowing look in Balthazar's direction before fixing his curious eyes on me.

I immediately bow my head, looking down at my knotted fingers to avoid his eyes. Only one look is all it takes, my breathing picks up and my heart starts going crazy inside my chest.

I've never seen such an exotic pair of eyes.

His eyes are the darkest shade of blue like gunmetal, bold and alive but filled with icy coldness. I swear I can feel his eyes on me, like cold fingers touching my heated flesh.

Is that why I'm trembling like a fluttering leaf?

“She's not a guest, Monsieur. I didn't bring her up for show because she's not that important and neither is she for transaction. Roma, get her out of here. ” Balthazar responds quickly, his heavy voice failing in hiding his fear miserably.

Roma seems to be his most trusted man.

I am ready to beg him right now, if he'll get me out of here.

If Balthazar is so scared of this man then he must be really very dangerous.

“I said WAIT.” Master Black emphasises on his last word and Balthazar freezes.

“Roma, back to your place.” Balthazar orders, panic and stress coating his voice and sweat beads popping up on his forehead, glistening under the fluorescent lights. “Miss. Danforth, step inside and close the door behind you.”

What?

“But you said I can go.”

“No, no one is going anywhere. Please, close the door and come here.”

“No! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to disturb you! Please, I can find my way back. Let me go.” My eyes go wide and my voice turns frantic, I take a step back but before I can turn and bolt out of the basement like room, one of the men slams the door shut and locks it from inside.

“Balthazar! Let me go.” I run up to the door and start twisting the knob in vain. “Please.”

“Come here, Miss. Danforth. No need to panic.” I turn to find him walking towards me, a pensive look painted on his face.

What the hell is he going to do with me now!?

“You should have listened to me for once and stayed inside the room.” He whispers to me when he gets near. “Now you'll pay for being stubborn. I had warned you but you didn't listen. Now face it.”

I start shaking my head with dread. “What do you mean? What are you going to do with me!?”

Balthazar shakes his head. I don't know if I'm imagining this or not, but I think there's pity showing up in his black eyes.

God…. what have I gotten myself into!?

“Now come. Let me do the introductions.”

I scream when he grabs my upper arm, where he had dug his nails earlier and try to oppose his movement with all of my strength. But I'm nothing in compared to his bulky form. He drags me to the middle of the room and tries to put me down on my knees.

“No!” I put up one hell of a fight for him. “Let me go, you bastard!”

I try to pull my right arm free one last time and this time, succeed in doing so. Without thinking, I pull my hand back, loosen up my palm muscles and give him a tight slap across his left cheek, just like he had slapped me in my apartment.

The sound of my palm connecting with chubby flesh, bounces around in the room and an ominous silence follows the commotion while Balthazar tries to process what has just happened.

I stumble back, breathing hard from exertion and wipe my tears with the back of hand while dread continues wrecking through my brain.

I've slapped him in front of everyone!

He's going to kill me now!!

“YOU FUCKING SLUT!” Balthazar shouts when the realisation hits home, his voice breaking through the silence. “How dare you!”

He lunges at me like an angry bear with a brutal growl and a scared scream tears out of my throat. Fear grabs me and I start kicking and flailing my arms and feet. My left knee connects with something but I don't stop. I keep fighting to preserve myself.

I wait for him to rip my hair out of my skull and strangle me to death but instead, distant cries of pain fall on my drumming ears. When I dare to sneak a peek through a single eye, I find Balthazar lying on the floor and rolling around with his face screwed up in agony.

“Fucking bitch! My balls, oh fuck!” A string of obscenities rain down from his mouth while he continues clutching his crotch and rolling around.

Laughter booms out in the basement when someone starts howling with amusement. I glance over my shoulder to find the intimidating Master Black laughing his heart out, his eyes are watering and he's clutching his abdomen.

“Hilarious —” Another round of laughter interrupts him and he caves in, giving into the uncontrollable urge and lands on his knees. “Oh My God! I don't think I've ever laughed so hard in my life.”

He puts his palm face down on the ground and tries to control his laughter. After a minute or so, he pulls up to lean back on his heels with a deep sigh and wipes his watery eyes before getting up on his feet. He straightens up, looks down at Balthazar's face, which is flushed with pain and embarrassment then bursts out laughing again.

I can't help but try to suppress my own amusement.

God, this guy is contagious.

His sweet sweet laughter can make anyone feel like laughing their heart out.

When he has regained his composure, he straightens up again and starts walking towards me.

My heart starts hammering inside my chest.

He throws me a wicked grin (which takes my breath away) and I blush, getting all hot and flustered.

“You're such a badass, Miss. Danforth.” He whispers in a deep and low voice before walking past me (his musculine smell teasing my senses) to kneel in front of Balthazar.

“I want her.”

Master Black demands in his authoritative voice, there's not even a hint of amusement in his voice now and he's back to being in total control of himself.

I gasp in shock. Is he talking about me??

When I glance down at Balthazar, I see all the colour drain down his face.

“At any cost.”