I recognized one of the men that was walking toward me across the room from when I was picked up outside of the library. He came around to where I was on the other side of the bed and grabbed my hair, then pushed me ahead of him toward Adrian's father.

"You have no right to do this!" Adrian screamed at his father as he walked in the door behind him.

"Oh yes, I bloody well do," the man said as he walked up to his son. Adrian towered over his father but it was becoming clear to me that Mr. Bellini always got what he wanted no matter who was standing in front of him.

"That girl is my property. She belongs to me and you had no right whatsoever to take her out of the training grounds. She is leaving with me right now. She's going to be taken straight to her father so that he has his final chance to pay off his debt and then she is going to the auction block."

"You can't do this! She hasn't even been trained! This is insane!"

"And who's fault is that? If anything goes wrong, if she's killed because she doesn't comply with her new owner's wishes I'm afraid you will only have yourself to blame, Adrian."

"New owner? Where are you taking me? Adrian, please don't let them take me!" I screamed as I clawed at the man who was holding me. He had now picked me up and was carrying me across the room, but Adrian flew at him and grabbed him around the neck. I fell to the floor and crawled underneath a table and watched as Adrian fought with the man.

There was a moment when I thought that Adrian was going to win, that he was going to beat the shit out of the big thick neck lunkhead. But just as Adrian pulled his fist back to throw one final blow his father pulled a gun out of his coat, cocked it, and held it to Adrian's head.

"Is she really worth this much to you, Adrian? Are you willing to die over a transaction?"

"Will you quit calling her that? She's a human being. And yes she is worth that much to me," he said as he held his head down. He looked defeated with the knowledge that his life was being threatened by his own father.

"You're out, son. I want you to pack up whatever you can put in a bag and get the hell out of here. You're out of the business, you're out of the family, you're out of the will, and I never want to see you again. And if I do, you can be sure that you won't be very happy to see me. I guarantee it," he said as he de-cocked the gun and put it back in his jacket.

Adrian's father looked over at me where I was crouched down on the floor, shivering. "Get up you fucking whore. Now!"

I jumped up and watched as the big husky man took one final swing at Adrian and put him out flat on the ground.

"No! Adrian!" I screamed as his father grabbed my arm and dragged me out of the room.

"Oh, God, please stop! I didn't do anything! Please don't do this to me," I begged Adrian's father as he dragged me down the stairs to the front entrance of the house.

"The arrangements have already been made. There's nothing to be done at this point," he said with a smirk as he opened the front door.

I was taken out of the house and put in the back of the limousine, then Adrian's father got in the back with me. It was the longest half hour of my life riding to his private jet with him.

I didn't understand what he had meant by the arrangements already having been made. Did he already know what was going to happen before he talked to Adrian? I was terrified of this man. He was so cold hearted and callous toward me and all the girls he called transactions, but the way he treated his son. It broke my heart to see the look on Adrian's face when he realized what his father intended to do.

Had his life always been like that? Always hoping to gain approval from his father and never getting it. And feeling like he would just be thrown away if he showed any will of his own? Adrian's father was the true monster. He had raised two sons with no regard for their own dignity or the dignity of anyone else. They never even had a chance to make any decisions for themselves. He was a vile, sadistic lowlife and I hated him.

We arrived at the family's private airstrip and I waited while the two men talked about me like I wasn't even there.

"Take her to her father's house and let him see her. I know he won't have the money but he might try to make a deal. Let me know what he says."

"Wouldn't it just be faster to take her directly to the auction house? I mean, if this guy doesn't have the money like you say then what's the point..."

"This is the way it's done, Mario, you know that. If I don't follow through with the terms, if I don't give Pierce his last chance, I could be fighting a mob war. He has connections too. He's not stupid. We're doing it by the book, the way my family has always done it, you got me? I just lost a son today and I need to know that I can trust you. I need to know that I can trust someone in this goddamn world."

"Of course, you can trust me, sir. I'll do exactly as you say. I'll contact you as soon as I hear anything from Pierce."

"I'll be waiting."

I was dragged out of the back of the limo and onto the plane, then thrown into a plush beige leather seat. Mario sat down across from me, buckled his seatbelt, and threw one of his feet over the other knee. He stared at me for quite a while and I was terrified that he was going to take advantage of having me all to himself, but eventually he started reading a celebrity gossip magazine and the stewardess brought us some food.

I was actually surprised that they let me eat. I wasn't sure what was going to happen but I had a feeling that this was going to be one of my last pleasant meals. Maybe they knew what I was in for and they felt sorry for me. Although I've doubted very much that they ever felt sorry for any of the girls.

I couldn't stop thinking about Adrian. About how his situation and mine were not that different at all. My father had thrown me away to save his own neck and Adrian's father threw him away because he had the nerve to stand up to him.

I closed my eyes and tried to drown out the fear that was making my whole body shake by thinking about Adrian's face when I woke up and saw him looking over at me. It was the most wonderful moment of my life and I knew that no matter what happened to me, if I could conjure up that memory and the feeling of pure bliss that it gave me, that I would be able to face anything.