Chapter 9 His Prisoner
Anna's POV
His voice came out weak. “I… I sold his body. To organ harvesters.”
My stomach lurched, Sold? To organ harvesters? The lie was so disgusting it made my head spin.
Xavier studied Patrick for a long moment. “Oh, really?” He leaned forward. “That’s quite the business deal. But here’s the problem.”
His eyes darkened. “Sam stole from me. And Someone has to pay. If I can’t make him bleed, then…” His gaze slid to Patrick, “I’ll take my payment from you.”
Patrick hands clasped together as he begged. “Please, Xavier, please! Killing me won’t bring your money back. Please, I’ll find another way. Anything! Don’t kill me. Take her instead!”
The words sliced through me like ice. My breath hitched as I turned to stare at him.
Take me?
But I didn’t speak. Couldn’t speak. Linda’s body was still a reminder of what happened when someone dared interrupt Xavier.
Xavier rubbed his temple, as though Patrick’s plea was giving him a headache.
He sighed, muttering under his breath.
Then his eyes drifted to me.
“Anna, darling,” he said smoothly, “do me a favor. Stand up and give me a quick 360.”
My stomach twisted into knots. For a second, my legs refused to move.
His gaze hardened, and I knew refusal wasn’t an option.
Swallowing hard, I stood on shaky legs.
My body felt stiff as I slowly turned in a circle. His eyes roamed over me like I was a piece of property.
When I stopped, he leaned back with a satisfied nod.
“Hmm. I could sell you off to the highest bidder and make a neat profit.”
His words stabbed through me. My lips parted, outrage bubbling inside me, but before I could say anything, Xavier rose from his chair.
He moved with predatory ease as he closed the distance between us.
My body tensed. He stopped so close that I could feel his breath against my forehead.
“Don’t.” The word screamed in my mind. But my voice refused to leave my throat.
He tilted my chin upward with two fingers.
His piercing eyes locked onto mine and then, before I could react, he pressed his lips against mine.
Shock froze me.
His kiss wasn’t passionate, it was a claim. A stamp of ownership.
When he pulled back, a smirk curved his lips. “You’ll make a fine sale.”
I stumbled back a step, my heart racing, my body trembling with confusion and disgust.
Xavier didn’t even glance at me again. He snapped his fingers.
“Bring her along.” Then he turned to Patrick. “Goodnight, old friend.”
He sauntered toward the stairs, humming softly.
Two of his men stepped forward, guns raised, their eyes cold.
My pulse pounded in my ears as rough hands grabbed my wrists, forcing them behind my back.
They tied my hands with a strong rope.
“Move.”
I glanced back once, catching a final glimpse of Patrick, his face pale, drenched in sweat, his body trembling. He didn’t meet my eyes.
The men pushed me through the doorway and outside.
One of the men yanked open the back door of a car and shoved me inside.
The door slammed shut behind me.
Within seconds, the engine started, and they drove off.
After what felt like an eternity in the car, the vehicle finally slowed in front of a massive estate.
My stomach twisted at the sheer size of the place. Stone walls stretched higher than any I had seen before, and iron gates loomed like sentinels.
The car glided through the entrance, and came to a stop near the front of the mansion.
“Get down,” one of the men ordered, his voice clipped.
I hesitated for a heartbeat, scanning the estate.
This had to be Xavier’s place, no one else could command such a fortress.
The building itself seemed to hum with authority, with guards stationed at every visible angle and cameras blinking in silent surveillance.
I stepped out carefully. The men flanking me didn’t even bother to hide their impatience.
One of them reached for me, a hand attempting to guide me or perhaps drag me.
“Hey!” I snapped, spinning slightly.
But before I could do more than flinch, a cold, calm voice cut through the air.
“If you lay a single hand on my property, I’ll bury you alive," Xavier threatened.
I froze. Property?
The man froze mid-motion, his eyes widening, and immediately withdrew his hand.
His lips pressed into a thin line as he glanced at the others, who all avoided Xavier’s gaze.
I exhaled quietly, relief washing over me, but only for a second.
As the men began to turn, assuming they were dismissed, something in me snapped.
I opened my mouth before I could think better of it. “I’m not your property.”
The words sounded small at first, almost a whisper, but the men stiffened, shock flashing across their faces.
Xavier, who had been stepping forward, froze mid-stride.
His head tilted, eyes narrowing. “What did you say?” he asked.
I swallowed hard. My throat was dry, my hands trembling, but I forced the words past my lips. “I’m not your property.”
For a long, tense moment, he simply stared at me.
I thought I saw a flicker of something behind his dark eyes, surprise, perhaps? Amusement? Or maybe he was deciding how he was going to deal with me.
I braced myself, expecting a snap, a punishment, a command, but instead he smiled.
“Very well,” he said finally, his voice almost smooth again. “Let the female workers search her.”
Two women stepped forward, they motioned for me to stand still.
I exhaled a quiet sigh of relief. At least this search would be done by them and not by his men, or worse, by him.
The female workers conducted their search quickly.
Just as the women finished searching me, a male voice called from inside, “Welcome, boss.”
I turned toward the sound, and my eyes widened when I saw him.
It was the same man I met at the prison-Lucas.
Unlike the others, he had been strangely kind to me.
The moment his eyes landed on me, his face shifted in surprise.
Xavier didn’t seem to notice. He simply turned toward Lucas and said, “Meet our new guest. Take her to her quarters.”
Then Xavier leaned close, his breath brushing against my ear. “I won’t forget your act of defiance,” he whispered.
I froze, my body stiff as stone, but I forced myself not to react.