He Actually Auctioned Me

My own father auctioned me like furniture. A painting.

I sat in my sitting room, staring at the news, my father auctioning me off to the highest bidder.

He used me for business. For money. For ego.

Everyone else was wise enough to auction a non-living thing. But him? He auctioned me.

And I knew that look he gave me last night. I was nothing but a woman who should be confined in a house.

The phone began to ring, and I was still staring at it. The tenth time he was calling in the span of an hour. I was an hour late. So?

I crushed the cigarette in my hand and walked to my room.

Dressed in white jeans and a red long sleeve shirt, I tucked my gun into my waistband before sliding my badge into my pocket. I didn't give a damn if I was meant to meet the man who would supposedly be my husband. Who knows? I might need to kill him before the wedding or even better, today.

Thirty minutes later, I pulled up in front of the house, my hair flowing down my back, my lips painted like the next Jessica Rabbit.

My father was always a man of culture and corruption. I was the exact opposite.

The door was pushed open, and I was faced with a room full of made men and two bodyguards probably sworn to secrecy. All eyes were glued to me, while mine locked onto my father's with a slight smile.

I was interrupting something.

"It's really interesting how the law and lawless meet. How are you all, amigos?"

I took a seat on an empty chair. Just then, a man who could age like fine wine in the future walked in and I immediately knew it was him.

How inconvenient.

"You must be my husband-to-be?" I looked at him. He raised an eyebrow with a very disapproving frown. Good to know we've already established our grounds.

"Isabela," my father warned, and I ignored the chill that gave me.

I'm not in the basement anymore.

"Tell me, Papa, is he truly the one you auctioned me to? I knew you didn't like me, but seriously?"

I gave him a look. "...Him?" I pointed my thumb at the man, reducing him to nothing.

"Mind your language..."

"Hush, Alvaro," he said, cutting my father off. Even I was surprised. No one ever hushed my father.

"You're late." He looked at me, and I could feel the tension in the air, saw how the other made men tensed.

"I had more important things to do."

"My time is precious."

"I don't care."

He raised an eyebrow, then looked past me. Someone behind me moved, and everyone but Papa left the room.

"Miss Jimenez, you are going to be Mrs. Delgado in two hours, and I do not tolerate my time being wasted. You will do as I say, give birth to my children, raise them like a good mother, and you will remain indoors."

He looked at me for a second longer, and I burst into laughter.

"That is the funniest thing I've ever heard in my life."

I wiped away invisible tears. "My fool of a father might not have mentioned it, but I am nothing like my sister. If you want obedient, prim and proper, I suggest you make a proposal like a man, not buy me off an auction like a leash holder. I am no slave. I don't care what agreement you have with him. I'm marrying you because the law says so..."

I sat up and pulled a paper from the table.

I yanked Papa's pen from his pocket while he stood in shock, wrote down my details, shoved it into his pocket, and tapped it lightly.

His jaw flexed with anger, but he kept his hand shoved in his pocket.

"That's my address. The dress and everything I need should be sent. I'll see you in five hours. Just because it's a contract doesn't mean you'll rush my wedding."

I walked toward the door and shut it in his face.

I heard my father talking, sounded like he was begging for forgiveness, but I'd had enough. I would not tolerate such disrespect, regardless of the fact that he was a made man.

I was walking down the stairs when my legs suddenly froze. My whole body was yanked from the steps and slammed against the wall.

His face remained neutral, but I could see the shimmer of rage in his eyes as he pinned me there.

"Let go of me," I said quietly, but he kept glaring.

"You'll remain in my custody until we get married and move into our house." He let go of my neck.

"I have work to do."

"Do away with it."

"You don't tell me what to do, Javier Delgado. You might order my father, but I'm not your slave! I'm going to work!"

I shoved him off and kept walking.

A hand grabbed me again and without thinking, I pulled my gun and shot his foot. Guns were drawn in my direction, but my eyes were still on him.

"Next time, I'll make sure to cut off those arms. I don't care who you are to the world, you're no one to me. Just a man with a narrow mind. I'll marry you. Don't be in a rush." I walked away.

His gaze burned holes into my back, but I didn't turn.

I pulled the door open and looked back at him once before getting into the car and driving away.

My phone rang in my pocket. I picked it up.

"We found nothing based on the case, except the dead man's wife is nowhere to be seen," Kamal's voice echoed through the speaker.

"Search for everything you can on Javier Delgado. Let Jenny handle the case."

I hung up and noticed a convoy tailing me.

That bastard sent someone to follow me?

Well, it's a good thing I'm ready to blow off some steam.

Imagine the scandalous headlines:

'Javier Delgado's Wife Found Having the Time of Her Life With His Bodyguard Hours Before the Wedding.'

I watched the wedding dress hang in the closet with a cigarette against my lips, and I was tempted.

Very tempted.

It was an hour to the wedding, and I was seated in the comfort of my study, watching the dress like a newly found game I had yet to figure out. But what if I already had?

I picked up the scissors and tilted my head while walking toward the dress, and a wicked grin spread across my face.

I began the work of Leonardo da Vinci, just with a dress, a pair of scissors, and a bit of red paint I had wasting in the back. Good thing I hadn't thrown it away.

"Oh my God!" I turned to look at the woman who brought the dress.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" I looked at my satisfied work. She looked like she had seen a ghost from her past life.

"That's worth $400,000! What is wrong with you?!" She walked to the dress and held it out before turning to me. "You are an ungrateful woman, and I'm certain it's because your father did not put a leash on..."

I slapped her across the face with the scissors, and she fell to the ground.

"You talk too much, Mira," I looked down at her. Her body shook. "Here." I tossed a cheque at her. "Fill it up with any amount and feed your family. I don't want to see you working with Javier ever again or anyone in this society. Do you understand?"

She looked at the blank cheque like she had finally seen the gold she'd been mining for. I glanced at the clock before slipping into the dress I now named Ruins.

I pushed my feet into a pair of black-heeled boots and left my hair in a ponytail before painting my lips deep red, just like the devil.

"Your blood is staining my floor," I frowned at her, and she immediately began to wipe it clean.

"Get out." She ran out, and I picked up my gun to strap upon my thigh.

I glanced up. I had ten minutes left. My phone buzzed.

"You might need to come down to the station." The hair on my nape stood. Without thinking, I grabbed my badge and drove to the station as fast as I could.

My mind raced as Kamal sent in a document on the possible person behind the agency. Turns out, there is an agency after all.

My boots clicked against the floor as I walked with my phone in my hand and a Bluetooth in my ear.

"Jenny, report."

"A woman called 911 out of the blue, reporting how she had witnessed a man kill an entire family last night by 4 a.m. She followed him without calling the police and overheard this..."

She played a recording on her phone.

"All of them are dead, but I'm afraid the police are fast on our tail. Albert was caught and killed by Boss because he foolishly left a handprint, hold on..."

There was sudden silence, then a gunshot. The recording stopped.

"Is she alive?" I looked at her, then turned to Kamal, who had little to no information on Javier's identity nothing on the murder map or the laptop.

"As of two hours ago, yes, she is alive."

"Keep her household under protection while I get married to my proposed husband." They both turned to look at me.

"What?" Kamal questioned. Then he realized what I was wearing. "You've got to be kidding me?"

"Does it look like I'm joking? Get back to work. I'll be back soon."

I was walking out when a phone call reached my ear, and I stopped in my tracks.

"Stop searching, Isabela Jimenez." A chill went down my spine, and I held on to the phone, listening. "You're digging your own grave."

"It's a good thing I love the feel of soil." I hung up and handed the phone to Jack.

"Find the voice." I headed out and drove to the church.

Was I late? Yes.

Was it considered bad luck? Yes.

Would my mother be acting up? Yes.

Would I care? Absolutely not.

Just like I assumed, everyone was waiting for the bride herself. Papa's smile fell from his face when he saw what I was wearing.

Oh, how I love being able to turn heads.

Sometimes for the wrong reasons.

"What are you wearing?" he growled. "I will not stand for your stupid behavior..."

"Hush! Do your job and walk me, or I'll do it myself. And your ego? Gone with the wind."

I gave him a bored look, and he grabbed my hand tightly and pulled me, gently yet roughly.

"If you mess this up with your stupid attitude, Dolores will be at the receiving end. Your sister is to marry a good man. If you ruin that, I'll smother you."

I laughed into the silent church. All eyes were on me and my dress.

"'Good' is not what you find in a man," I paused, digging my heel into his foot. I leaned in.

"Be nice, Papa, or I'll show the world just how bad of a decision the almighty Alvaro Jimenez has made."

His hand softened against my arm, and we continued to walk.

He cared too much about his reputation far more than his family.

I stepped upon the altar and suddenly became too aware of the man standing silently beside me.

The sermon, the vow, and everything else went by fast except...

"You may now kiss the bride."

I finally turned to meet his eyes. They were so dark, they could be mistaken for the night sky. And in a split second, a gunshot rang in the hall, and everything went into chaos.

So much for a wedding.

"Mario, take her to the car!" Javier yelled.

I smacked Mario with the back of my hand so hard and pulled the trigger on his head.

"You send one more person to get me into a car, and I will blow your head up!" He glared at me.

"Do not be stupid, I have no time for you games..."

"And I thought you were a made man." I pushed him out of the way and shot straight into the eye of a sniper upstairs. "Get in the car, Javier, and let me do my job."

I pulled my phone and picked up the second gun from the floor.

"How many are they?" I asked Kamal after stepping out of the church.

"Eleven. Two dead, and the rest in the vehicle. They'll be taken to the station, arrested, and questioned." He smiled at me weirdly, and I glared. "...Go and enjoy your honeymoon."

I smacked him playfully on the head with the gun, and he laughed.

"Take care of things while I'm gone or I'll kill you." He put his hands up in surrender before I walked to the car.

After I asked Javier to leave, I hadn't seen him again. So much for a made... My thoughts came to a halt when I met his eyes through the rear window of the car. I swallowed. Husband or not, I hated this man's guts.

"So you did go to the car afterwards." I shut the door, not taking my eyes off him, then started the car and hit the road.

Tension radiated from every corner of the car, and my hands were glued to the steering wheel like my life depended on it well, truly, it did, considering my husband had a gun pointed at my head.

"The gun is very unnecessary." I rolled my eyes. But the anger that glimmered in his eyes made me fear he might actually pull the trigger and that's not the headline I was looking forward to.

"I have tolerated your stupid and careless attitude, and it is enough. You are now my wife, and you will listen to every word I speak..." I opened my mouth to respond, but he beat me to it. "...It is not up for debate. And if you dare go against my orders, you won't like what you'll see."

I could taste his cockiness at the tip of my tongue. I licked my teeth.

"I should have let that sniper do his work. My bad, your highness."

I rolled my eyes and stepped hard on the accelerator, turning sharply and taking him by surprise but I really didn't care.

He was getting on my nerves. Who the hell was he to give me such orders? I pulled up in front of the house that was assumed to be where I should live from now on.

Curse you, Papa.

I threw the keys to the guard at the gate.

"If there's a single scratch on my car, I'll make sure you meet the Grim Reaper in person." I smiled and walked to the gates before pushing them open.

I have to admit, the house was nice and comfortable, but I needed a release any form of release.

Without thinking, I pushed a room door open and locked it. A scream escaped me. I pulled my gun out and pointed it at the wall, shooting like it was my target.

He had auctioned me. Where people auction properties. He made me a slave to a made man, knowing I was not in for the bullshit of the lawless. He forced a marriage, knowing I hated it.

The idea of marriage was ridiculous, and he did it all for money.

Just money.

He sold his daughter for money.

The door flew open, and I almost put a bullet in my husband's head.

"Can't you leave me alone for just a few minutes? I know you're obsessed, but seriously, give me some space," I frowned.

"You're putting holes in my wall."

"That can be repaired."

"What's your problem?"

"You. How have you not figured..." I was suddenly pinned to the wall, the space between us just inches.

His hot breath showered my face. I knew I needed to let out some steam but not like this, and definitely not with him. A jolt went through my body as I became suddenly aware of his fingers grazing my neck.

This should be an assault, but hell, it didn't feel like it.

I needed to get laid and not by this bastard.

"Let me go," I hissed and pushed him. He didn't budge, which made me shut my eyes.

"How are you, Isabela?" My name rolled off his tongue so smoothly, a chill went down my spine.

I stared into his eyes, and a dark shadow resided deep within those orbs. It almost seemed... devilish.

I wouldn't be surprised if he was the devil's child.

His eyes grazed upon my lips as I bit it and used the moment of distraction to hit him so hard he stumbled back.

"Stay the hell away from me."

"You are my wife."

"And I know you'd gladly never call me that for the rest of your wholesome life, so let's make this much easier. Stop interfering with my business, and I'll stop interfering with yours!"

I snapped, and he glared at me like he knew that was the only option I was giving him and I was not going to cower.

"No."

"Fine."

I moved away and walked toward the door. He moved, almost catching me, but I kept my distance and aimed my gun at him.

"...Stay the fuck away, or I might just be the first woman to send you to your grave. I'm sure you've sent a lot of them." His eyes darkened, like I had touched a memory. Disgust filled my tongue. "You have, then."

My voice was low. I chose not to entertain this godforsaken man. I left the room and walked into one with my name on it.

I guess he already knew I would find it.

My things were scattered everywhere. I picked my work bag and began creating a murder map on a wall corner.

Too many murders in the span of a few days and not just from the serial killer also from my supposed wedding

This had to be linked to something.

If each murder was targeted within a specific time frame, then it couldn't possibly be random. At the end, I was always close by when it happened.

This wasn't just some random killing. These were specific people. They were killing them for absolutely nothing because they were after me and they couldn't get to me, so they killed people in my proximity.

My phone rang, making me jolt. I picked up immediately.

"Kamal, I figured this out."

"It's high time you did, officer." A chill went down my spine as I heard a foreign voice and realized it was an unknown number

"What the hell do you want?"

"It's simple. Nothing." He hung up.