Sold to the Dragons

I received a call from the Drake brothers demanding the money I owed them. I want to pay them, yet I don't have the money due to circumstances as they are. I should have known when I got involved with these men it would not be a beneficial venture outside of being able to pay for some things needed. I sighed as I continued driving down the dimly lit road, noticing no streetlights. An eerie feeling washed over me as I took a shuddered breath, not knowing what to expect from these men.

The Drake brothers are downright intimidating with their muscular builds and fierce expressions. They are not men I want to mess with, without a doubt; I hope they will give me time to repay what I owe them! As the road got darker, I noticed red lights off in the distance, and I knew at that moment it had to be them. I continued, feeling my body tremble in fear of the unknown.

I pulled my car next to theirs and hesitated to turn the engine off. My instincts told me to keep driving where my logic told me I needed to handle this. Looking over at their car, I noticed two large bodies getting out of it. Something within me screamed for me to go; yet another part knew they would hunt me down if I did. With trembling hands, I turned off my car and opened my door. Stepping out, I noticed their arms crossed over their chests, looking irritating. I took a shuddered breath and began towards them.

One of them gestured towards a doorway as one stepped up and opened it wide. A bright light illuminated the room, revealing various objects, some antique and some needing repair. They have stored these items here for a reason, but Markis walked up to me with a scowl on his face before I could ask about them.

"You understand why we are here, do you not?" Markis asked.

"Yes, I owe you money. I promise I will pay you, but work has been slow. There is no way I can pay you at the moment. Can I have more time, please?" I asked.

Markis looked over to the other man, then back to me as he stepped closer, making me feel very uncomfortable! I backed up a few steps as they countered them, growing closer to me.

"Do you have any alternative to offer instead of money?" He asked.

I began racking my brain, thinking of something they would accept as payment, yet coming up with nothing. I didn't possess antiques or gold or anything worth value.

"No, I don't have anything worth of value," I replied.

"Do you have children?" Markis asked curiously.

"Yes, I have an amazing daughter! Her eighteenth birthday is tomorrow. I feel horrible; I don't even have a present for her because of the money situation." Replying with a sigh.

Markis looked at the other man as he raised his eyebrow. Their eyes locked as they seemed to come to the same conclusion.

"See, you have something of value! We will arrive tomorrow to collect payment, your daughter!" Markis deadpanned.

"No! You can't have my daughter! There is no way I will allow you to take her! I will get the money somehow, but it won't be tomorrow!" I yelled out.

The men began stepping forward more until I had backed myself into a corner with my back pressing firmly against the concrete wall. Shaking my head, No, they didn't seem to be phased by my answer. My eyes widened in realization at what I had just done; I gave them information about my dear daughter!

"Say your goodbyes. Your daughter is ours tomorrow!" Markis growled.

They both turned and walked out of the doorway towards their car. My heart felt as though it had stopped beating. How could I save my sweet Elena if these men intended to take her?

Racking my mind, the only thing I could think of doing was to flee with her and my wife. I need to keep them safe from my mistakes! Borrowing money from the Drake brothers was my worst decision ever. They warned me something would happen if I did not pay them, yet never gave me details about what.

Feeling ill now, I just wanted to get home, gather my family, and flee as far as possible. I ran to my car, jumped in, and sped off toward my house, knowing my time was fleeting in my ability to protect Elena. What in the world would I tell them about why we need to pack and leave as fast as we can?

Nausea held fast as I could finally see my home off to the right. The streetlights were lit brightly, and I could tell no one was behind me. Believing I wasn't followed, I quickly parked my car in the driveway and popped the trunk open. Every second counts. I thought.

Running to the house, I shoved the door open wide as my wife's face was full of concern.

"Love, what's wrong?" She trembled.

"I made the biggest mistake of my life, baby. Please run and go pack some clothes as fast as you can!" I blurted.

Her eyes widened, and she did as I asked. She scurried down the hallway, as I hoped she would also let Elena know. I rushed towards our room, wanting to get a few things packed, when a banging noise rang through the house. No, this couldn't be! There was no way they knew where I lived, and I was careful to ensure they did not follow me.

Feeling as if my heart rose into my throat, I turned and headed for the front window to peek out in a panic. Sure enough, there stood the Drake brothers, looking furious as Markis continued to pound on the door.

There is no way I am opening the door to those men, knowing what they are after! Wondering if there was a way to get Elena and my wife out safely without them knowing, I quickly ran to Elena's room, where my wife was helping her pack.

"I need you both to climb out the window and get as far away from here as possible! There are men after you, Elena; they are here now! You both need to run! Don't ask questions; just please go!" I blurted in panic.

"Bradley, what is going on?" My wife questioned.

"Just go!" I yelled.

I felt my heart breaking, knowing I had to be harsh to my family as I was trying to protect them. It is only a matter of time before Markis and his brother break through the front door and find my sweet daughter if they don't go quickly. The idea of that sent waves of fear rushing through me.

Once I saw my wife follow Elena through the window, I walked down the hallway towards the front door. Feeling more confident about my family's safety, I opened the front wooden door to find them both standing there, looking furious. Markis pushed me out of the way as he looked around the house for Elena.

"Where is she?" He snapped.

"Somewhere, you will never find her!" I snapped.

"You're playing with fire, Bradley! You have until morning to get her to this house. I am not responsible for my brother's actions if she is not here!" Markis informed.

I don't know what he means by that, but there is no way I am bringing her back here! I want her on the other side of the world if it will keep her protected from them. The question is how? How can I keep her safe from the men who seem the type to hunt people down? When I got involved with these men, I knew they were not the ones to mess with. My buddy Andrew had warned me. He said that they were peculiar and highly violent. He told me a story of when he had initially met them; they were with a man who he guessed borrowed money from them.

Andrew said the men were yelling at him behind closed doors when he heard a vicious growl. It was unlike anything he had ever heard outside of, perhaps in a movie, when a true beast growls. It didn't sound like a human or any animal growl he had ever heard. When I thought about our conversation, I remembered him saying that the men who came out of the closed room were covered in blood, and the other man didn't come out.

I began hearing things breaking from somewhere down the hallway. I assumed they searched everything, looking for Elena or something to help them locate her. I walked down the hallway, seeing cabinets knocked over as towels spilled onto the floor and bathroom products. Did they honestly think she would be hiding in the bathroom?

Praying that Elena and Tabby had gotten far enough away from the house to remain safe, the brothers continued tearing apart the house in search of them. They walked back to the living room, satisfied she wasn't there, as Markis slammed me into the armchair forcefully.

"You better tell me where she is if you know what is good for you!" Markis demanded.

"No idea!" I yelled at him.

I noticed Markis's brother holding one of Elena's sweatshirts. What did they intend to do with it? I wondered. They looked at me disgusted as they walked to the front door when Markis turned to face me again.

"You have until seven in the morning to have her here!" He growled.

I knew I was pushing my luck as they left, leaving my front door wide open. These were not men to play games with, yet I needed to do anything I could to protect my daughter! Running to the front door to ensure they both got into the car and left, I looked out into the darkness, noticing only Markis in the car, but he drove away, nonetheless. My heart felt like it had stopped, knowing that his brother was looking for Elena somewhere.

I slammed the door closed as I ran for the back sliding glass door in hopes Elena and my wife were not hanging around waiting for me. Thankfully, they were nowhere in sight! I stepped back inside and slid the door closed as my phone rang.

"Did you think you could send them off alone without us finding them?" The voice laughed sadistically.

"Don't you hurt them!" I screamed into the phone.

"First off, you don't tell me what to do! Second, you should have done what we said, and this wouldn't be happening. So now, we may or may not bring them back! Your wife is a looker; I am sure someone would enjoy her company." The voice laughed.

Worry filled me, not knowing if these men would bring my wife and daughter home or decide to take them both. I paced the floor, hoping that they would arrive at any moment when no one came. I sat on the couch for several hours until the morning rays began to shine through the beige curtains, and all hope vanished quickly.

I would never forgive myself if they kept my wife as well. The idea of them having my Elena destroyed me inside as well. What kind of treatment would she receive? Could she get free of them? So many questions with no answers swam in my mind. I rested my head in my hands as tears filled my eyes. Sobs broke free, knowing I was the reason I was sitting here alone!