CHAPTER 4 SEDUCTION NIGHT

Apollo was quite uncomfortable with the atmosphere at home. His parents did not sound thrilled, even though they were all smiley. They were so glad to see him, but he was sure there was something else they were uneasy about. He had just returned from the army and was excited to be home. He had gathered enough money to claim his bride, and he had spoken to his parents about it, and they had been happy about it, but he had not wanted to tell Cassandra's family. He wanted it to be a surprise. But with the negative vibes he was getting that night, he knew something was definitely up. It must be news about Cassandra getting married to another man. He had braced himself for that news.

He let it hang in the air until he was done freshening up and until his mother served the dinner. As they ate, he observed his parents and realized they had avoided any topic concerning the Lopezes. He dropped his spoon when he couldn't pretend anymore, drawing his parents' attention.

"Okay, can someone tell me what's wrong? Did Cassie get married to someone else? I won't be surprised."

"What? No," his mother said and tried to chuckle it off. "Cassie is still your bride..."

"Stop it, mama, I am not a kid, two years is a long time, and I wouldn't blame Cassie if her heart beats for another man, even though it's going to hurt a little... a lot, actually."

His parents exchanged glances, and his father cleared his throat and leaned closer. "Son, it's good that you thought this way, but the situation is quite different. You know Cassie's father owed the Mafia a huge debt and couldn't pay it back even after Celina died. The Mafia took Cassie away."

"What?!" Apollo sat up, his eyes darting from his father to his mother. "Eros Castillo took my bride away?"

"Apollo, there is nothing anyone can do about it. We will have to wait and see how it unfolds," his mother said.

"Bullshit! Mama y papa," [mama and papa] Apollo shot up from his seat. "Bullshit! Cassie is my bride, and I love her." His voice was filled with bitterness. "I am going to pay back all that money and get back my woman."

"Apollo, please, don't get involved with the Mafia. Eros is too dangerous for us to handle. He is dangerous and won't hesitate to kill you. Where will you see that kind of money to pay him back? You are our only son," his mother pleaded.

"It's Cassie we are talking about here, mama." Tears were already in the eyes of his mother. His father stood up and walked up to him.

"Apollo, we never wanted to tell you because of this reaction. You just said you understand if Cassie's heart beats for another man."

Apollo turned to look at his father. His eyes were already glassy. "Are you serious, papa? Cassie was taken against her will, Papa, ella aun es virgen!" [Papa, she is still a virgin]. He walked towards the door and turned to his parents. "If I don't have the money to get her out of there, I will get her my way. If it's not Cassie, it's no one else." That said, he bolted out of the house, leaving his parents staring at him as he went.

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The night that had been so glorified by the other girls finally came, and Cassandra didn't know how she felt about everything. Earlier, she had been caught in a web when Lucia had asked her if she was a virgin, and a statue she had so proudly held with her head up suddenly made her ashamed to admit it. She had looked from one girl to the other, and they had all stared at her with curious eyes.

"I rather not say," she had said to them.

That had brought scowls and more scorn for her, but she didn't care. She knew that wasn't her place, and she wouldn't stay there forever. The Chief had called other ladies who had dressed and made them up. Cassandra wasn't comfortable with the dress. For one, they were too skimpy and exposed much skin, bringing her even more hateful glances as the Chief commented on her.

"This one is a looker," Chief said once she was dressed. "Going to make a lot of money, huh?"

Cassandra overheard what the other girls said about her but pretended not to hear, completely ignoring them. Those girls didn't know that she found the Chief's comment quite offensive; if it were on usual grounds, she would have lashed back at the woman. She hadn't planned to be noticed this way anyway.

"Look as pretty as you can tonight; this is the only night you get to be free in one month," Lucia walked up to her with a hairpin and pinned her hair.

Cassandra turned and smiled at her in appreciation. "Who is Elena?" she whispered in Lucia's ear. Everyone has been saying she was going to be the second Elena.

Lucia huffed and put on stud earrings. She had outdone herself that night, and it got Cassandra wondering if she would ever become like those girls. Would she ever be grateful to be able to see men just for one night? She was not ready for that kind of life.

"Elena, poor girl," Lucia said sadly. "But she got what she deserved. She was too stubborn and behaved like she didn't belong here."

Cassandra was baffled. Was anyone supposed to belong here? She wanted to speak some senses into these girls' heads, but she could only do that in her dreams.

"Get ready to leave, girls! Tonight will decide your fate!" The Chief's voice rang throughout the whole place.

The girls stood up and quickly left their rooms, going out one after the other in a single file. Fearsome men stood by the entrance with machine guns, looking at the girls as they filed out of the shithole they had been put into the breezy night. Cassandra followed behind Lucia, who was humming as she saw the starry sky. At that moment, Cassandra felt a tinge of relief for those girls felt. She had been locked up here for just three days but was grateful for the fresh air; somehow, it promised freedom.

They were led towards the main building and into a large room with dim red and blue lights. Disco light rotating. Everything was fuzzy, but there were a lot of men. Lucia leaned closer to Cassandra's ear.

"Did I tell you? This is also a night that most girls are sold to other masters?"

"What?" Cassandra whispered back, entirely uninterested in what Lucia was saying. She was carried away, looking at the other girls going over to men and seducing them. She didn't see any man who resembled the one who kidnapped her. "Why are they going to those men?"

"It has already started. I would soon find a catch. You are not allowed to get a catch just yet unless Eros rejects you," Lucia said, winking at a man at the end of a pool table. "Feel free tonight and do whatever you want. Once Eros comes, the game will begin."

"What game?"

"Orgy game, wait and watch." Lucia winked at Cassandra and went to the man she had winked at.

Cassandra found a seat in a secluded corner and sat down. She didn't know what the hell was going on. A man offered her a glass, but she refused. She didn't want to start drinking; she didn't know this kind of thing existed. She has heard of orgy parties, but she has never experienced them once. The party was filled with all kinds of nudity. Some girls were pole dancing naked, while some lap danced on men.

Just when she was trying to relax, the front door opened, and the night air hit her from across the room, making her look up. Four men walked into the room. Their presence commanded the attention of everyone in the room, and there was murmuring and whispering in the house as they entered, especially from the girls.

These must be the natural demons. Cassandra thought as she took in their every detail.

Everything about them was intimidating, from their hair to their toe, especially the one that stood out as the leader. Cassandra recognized him, not him but his big foot. He was the one that had knocked her down back at home, and he was the one she had watched the day she arrived. Now, she could see his face thoroughly, and although the lights were dim, she saw him anyway. If he was the Eros Castillo everyone had talked about, then she had agreed in her heart that he was indeed Lucifer's reincarnated. He was beautiful in the face and had a sexiness that seemed so loud that it was almost deafening. The grace at which he walked was too much for any average man to bear.

He looked like sin, but sweet sin, Dangerous temptation in fine cotton. What was she doing? Was she checking him out? Just as she was about to remove her eyes from him, he turned, and his eyes caught hers. She felt a sudden spike in her heart rate and her hands suddenly quivering. She needed to look away from him, she tried to will her mind away, but she couldn't. His eyes still stayed on her, locked and piercing. It took a mental vice to force her eyes away from him. But she pleaded for the ground to open and swallow her up when he approached her.

Her life was suddenly going to take a very bumpy turn.