Kylie Bray (Love, Hate and Billions)

Beggar lays writhing, her back bending into a deep arch as her legs splayed open.

Her hands wrap around her long neck choking herself, until her face is blue, as she screams, and screams her tortured soul out with one word, Padrone, owner.

Zero is not here, he left sometime while I was in my mind.

Her top rides up as she writhes but still choking herself. And I stand here until I see the redness on her torso. A step or two I take until I'm right there, my knees touching the shaking bed.

I snap out of whatever it is, and the first thing I see clearly is that her skin is changing color, she's going to choke herself into unconsciousness. I spin into action jumping on the bed and go to grab her arms pulling them off her neck. Her high pitch scream wrings in my ears as she fights me. Pulling it back, as I pull her hands to me.

“Zero,”

I scream,

“Zero.”

The door bolts open seconds later, but it's those seconds I take my eyes off her and those seconds that spin my world on its axis.

Beggar opens her mouth like something is getting shoved inside and it doesn't take a college graduate to guess what she's picturing, what she must be reliving.

Zero pulls her hands easily into one of his, her wild movement lifts her top up and the branded burn I see almost makes my knees buckle.

I can't believe what I'm seeing but after I see it again my eyes widen, there's no doubt what it is.

Zero lifts her up and crushes her to his chest. “Sssshhh, Beauty, I got you, it's me Zero, you need to wake up now, okay, wake up Beauty. Sssshhh.”

He is so strong, his words soothing, his voice firm, but I see the horror on his paled skin, I see it as I feel mine.

I rush out of the room and barely make it to the bathroom before I spill my guts out in the toilet.

My mind boggles. He said they didn't do it, he said his people never took women.

They would never traffic, never enslave.

as I know that the mark burned into that girl's stomach is the mark of his kind, the mark of possession, the mark

don't waste time doing anything. I don't even

gold Mercedes. My keys in my hand clicking buttons before I slide in, turn

the hotel. I get my phone from the compartment in the center of the car

It rings three times,

me you miss my ass,” His way of

alone,” I ask through

for

“Yeah, hit me.”

push the cruise

Kevin talking about a girl yesterday, came to Kanla with Diamond a day early to see her for myself, her name Beggar by

some digging. Some homeless girl they

he put her on the bed she starts having some sort of seizure or nightmare

the hooter in frustration, this is my brother I don’t

about this

and I sigh, shit, me and my

wanted to tell you but I don't want you worrying when you got enough shit going

I

your fault, if you didn't tell them they would've figured

pisses me off, I make another turn and

kidnapped, it's not your fault okay, Diamond is doing this for you, don't be ungrateful and squander your life away. You dropping

at the

it? What do you need

sigh, “Beggar has a mark on her stomach and brand, guess from

“Biker or Outlaw.”

from good ole

“What. The. fuck.”

mark, the one they brand

him that where they put

“whatcha need Ky.”