Traded

3- I should have stayed in bed

"Wake up Naomi!" I could hear my dad's voice as he shook me awake. I stared up into his face as I opened my eyes and saw his uncertain expression. It worried me and I sat up straight.

"Dad... what's up?" I asked, grabbing his shoulder. It worried me to see him acting like this.

I heard him clear his throat before talking, "It's nothing wrong, my sweet girl, just that I don't want to wake up the twins! They need to sleep, and your dad needs your help." His voice was quiet as he spoke.

I look around the room and notice the window. It's still dark outside, "Dad... what time is it?" I ask him through a yawn as I realize that I'm still tired.

"It is 3:30 in the morning, just come on we need to get going right now. I have to meet this guy at the tracks and I am still buzzing from all the alcohol I drank. I need you to drive me!" He spoke rather rushed throwing my blanket off of me and handing me my slippers. I gave him a quizzical look before standing up.

"Why are you meeting with this guy in the middle of the night? I'm tired and want my sleep, plus I haven't got my license yet, remember?" I ask my dad as I grab my slippers out of his hand.

He looked down to the floor, I could feel the shame rolling off his back, "Naomi, look I have to do this to take care of something... and I have to do it right now!" He said, his voice going deeper as he continued. "Naomi... he found me and now it's either I meet with him now, or I die tomorrow, and you three are thrown out in the streets. I have to do this right now, it's now or never." The change in his tone sent shivers down my spine alone, not to mention the threat on his life. I knew he was probably serious, he would kill him. I knew this would happen eventually, so I begged my father to change his ways. But I could tell in the pit of my stomach that something was wrong about what happened earlier in the living room, and now... this didn't feel right at all. Something was going on here that I wasn't going to like at all.

I look at him and realize that even though I didn't like what was going on, I was still going to help him out in the hope that it didn't have any effect on the twins. I will do whatever is necessary to protect them from harm, "Okay Dad, just give me a second... I will meet you in the car." I whisper and I notice his shoulders relax as he walks out of the room.

I walk into my bathroom, see my reflection in the mirror, and pull my long hair back in a messy bun. I slip on the slippers and decide to relieve the pressure before heading outside to the car. I open the front door, the air felt crisp and cold, as the wind nipped a bit at my nose, I reach over and grab my jacket, zipping it up as I walk out to the car. My Dad was waiting for me in the passenger's seat, and I shrug my shoulders as I climb behind the wheel. Fortunately, my Dad did let me take driver's education, so I knew how to drive, but he never let me get my license. I turn the key and listen to the engine roar to life, and I drive my Dad straight to the train tracks to meet this man who had to meet with him right now.

After pulling into the empty parking lot, it sure felt like a ghost town all deserted except for that one car located at the very center of the lot. It had the headlights on, so the engine was probably running to keep the interior warm for the man inside. "That's him! Pull up in front of the car!" my Dad calls out pointing an index finger in the direction of the car, all I could see were the headlights that were shining straight at me as I stopped and parked in front of the car. I put the car in park, and my Dad, without wasting any time, opens his door to step outside. "Stay here Naomi!" he orders in a sharp tone of voice, before slamming the door behind him.

I see my dad cautiously approach the car, I notice a group of men who look very similar to the two who were at my house earlier step out. I watch as the boss man, or whom I assumed was the boss man finally steps out and my dad and he get into a heated argument, and then I notice my dad point at me. I try not to let it get to me, as I see them shake hands. My dad then turns and starts walking. He carefully approaches me but instead of climbing into his seat, he opens my door.

"Honey, can you please step out here?" he asks sweetly. My dad never uses a sweet tone with me, so I was immediately surprised.

I look up into my dad's eyes, "Why?" I ask him. Clearly hesitant to do anything he was asking me to do.

"Naomi, let me introduce Milo Hawthorne. He just wants to meet you, will you please just step out of the car and stop being so stubborn?" My dad raises his voice at me in his commanding tone, now this was the tone I was used to the most. He holds his hand out for me to grab.

"Ugh, fine!" I say rolling my eyes at my father, ignoring his outstretched hand as I exit the car. Standing straight up, I brush off my sweatpants and turn towards this Milo guy who just had to meet me for no apparent reason. I plaster a massive fake smile on my face.

"It's nice to meet you, Milo!" I say, trying my best to keep my voice calm, even though I could feel my body trembling. I extend my hand for a shake, trying to be respectful. Ignoring my hand, I watch as he holds one of his hands up to his face and stares at me, gazing up and down the length of my body as if he was assessing my worth. I was feeling extremely uncomfortable as he looked at me like that as if I were just some piece of art he valued. He just kept looking at me, running his eyes up and down my body. It made me feel extremely uneasy, and I looked at my father with confusion in my eyes.

"Well, John, are you really convinced that she is worth that much money?" I heard the guy finally speak and I wondered what he was talking about.

"She's worth it and then some Milo, she is a Virgin!" I heard my dad say with a big smile on his face, and it confused me as to why he would talk about me in this way. What was going on here I wondered.

"You can guarantee that?" the guy asks my dad, and I widen my eyes, daring my Dad not to answer. Why did that guy need to know that? Gross... I noticed the raised eyebrow the guy was giving my Dad like he didn't believe him.

"Yes I actually can, I haven't let her date because I know just how much Virginity is worth!" I hear my dad reply and I turn to stare at him, confusion and shock clearly written all over my face as I stare him down.

I couldn't keep quiet. "Wait... what the hell is going on here Dad?" I asked uneasy, raising my tone at him. I did not like standing up to him because I knew it made everything so much worse if I did so.

"Well, I think we have an agreement, John. I'll take her." He says and holds out his hand to my Dad for a final shake, ignoring my question which really irked me.

I stepped in to block their shake. "Dad... what's going on? What deal is he talking about, taking who?" I repeated my question, keeping my tone level and calm as I begged him to answer. He nudges me to the side and shakes Milo's hand to seal the deal. He turns towards me as he takes a deep breath and smiles at me, I wondered why he suddenly seemed so happy.

"Don't worry my sweet Naomi, he is going to take good care of you! He assures me of that, now I am completely debt-free finally!" I hear my dad practically sing at me, and I turn my head to look at this Milo guy, who exactly is he? Who does he think he is, making those kinds of deals with people.

"What? What do you mean?" I ask him walking up to him, I throw myself on him. I couldn't stop myself from trembling. I couldn't stop my eyes from tearing up. "Dad... I'm not going anywhere with this guy!" I shriek as the tears roll down my face. The realization of what had just transpired hit me hard, my dad had sold me to this guy... a total stranger. How could my dad do such a thing to me... his daughter?

I heard a throat clear, and I glanced back slowly in that direction. I couldn't care less about my tears streaming down my face at this time. "I'm sorry to say this, but I own you now so you'll be coming with me," he says, smirking, his demanding tone getting my full attention. "Truly, I just accepted you as a trade for the money your father owed me and a few others as I offered to pay the debts off. See, your dad was in a lot of trouble and he owed quite a lot. I decided to accept you rather than kill him since I knew he couldn't pay the amount he owed. Technically speaking, my dear... I own you... and I'm out a total of two million dollars, so consider that the amount I paid for you." he says calmly, glaring directly at me as I skulk.

I turn and glare up at my dad, "You can't be serious, Dad?" I plead with him.

"I'm sorry princess, but there is no other way I can pay back that amount of debt! Now I have to decide what is best for the twins, you're old enough to leave the house anyway, so you'll be fine. Plus Milo is a very generous man as well. He is showing us that right now, he has told me that I won't have to worry about you." He spoke while tears rolled down his face.

"What?" I was shocked, how could he do this to me? I am only 18 years old, I am still in high school... I can't leave now. What about Jax? I glance back at Milo, dropping completely on my knees and putting my face in my hands. I cried out all my frustrations right then and there; I didn't care how it looked; I was so over this situation.

"Well, I have to go now. Drive safely home to your other daughters and stay out of debt. John, I promise you that I will not do this again. This is your last and final time, do you understand me?" His tone was sharp and demanding, so I glanced up in time to see my dad nod back in reply before turning around and getting behind the wheel. I watch as he drives away leaving me with this stranger he sold me to. "Come now girl, we need to leave before the cops arrive. Do not test me, because I'll be mean with you if I have to." He says as he starts walking back to his vehicle. He is surrounded by his men and holds open the door for me. I stand up and slowly walk up to him, pause, and then get in. At that moment I knew this was a limo, he let out a low growl before forcing me inside and climbing in behind me. I tumbled onto the ground and was picked up with little difficulty by him. He placed me on the seat next to him. Then I notice that all the mean-looking guys sit all around us. "Now Naomi, I have a few rules you must follow and be aware of. One... you will do everything I tell you to do. Two... you don't talk unless you're spoken to. Three... You will not talk back to me or to my men, or you will face the consequences. Four... you will work hard to repay me either in my warehouse or as a maid at my home. I haven't quite decided what to do with you, any further rules you will learn on the job. Do I make myself clear on this?"

I glance around at the menacing faces staring at me, feeling like they could kill me right now. "Y-yes, sir."

"That's a good girl, remember if you don't do as you are told there will be consequences!" I glanced up into his face, before quickly looking away. Nodding up and down. "Use your words Naomi!" he growls out, irritated at me.

"Yes, I understand," I say quickly, afraid of what he might do to punish me.

"Good, always remember this is my house, not yours. You are only here because I let you be here, but this is not your home. As of right now, you are homeless, and I am caring for you out of the goodness of my own heart." I look outside at the big home that came into view as he said this. It had a huge, covered entryway, red brick exterior, with big pots of flowers placed on either side of the door. The long brick driveway on one side of the house gave the home a normal appearance, nothing like you'd think a guy like this would own.