The fancy limousine smells like musky sweat and cigars. There isn't a single stain on the entire interior, which is somewhat surprising considering Ryan is smoking inside the car while singing along to the lyrics of "feeling good" by Michael Buble.
I turn to the men sitting packed like fish in their seats; they are all curiously listening to someone telling them their life story.
"So, I noticed Isabella was texting someone, right? Her damn phone kept vibrating every fucking night, and she was very secretive about it," A man named Billy is shaking his head, while the other men are waiting for him to continue his story. "And so when I came home early one day, I found her in our bed together with Fernando, her freaking masseur!"
"Oh shit!" Someone exclaims. "Fucking whore!"
"And then what did you do?" Another one asks, biting his nails while staring at Billy.
"Yeah, what did you do, Billy?"
"You murdered the damn guy, right?" A guy bigger than a bear asks, and he sounds pretty dumb. "Because that's what I would do! No one gets to fuck my woman!"
"Of course I did! I shot Fernando first, and then I raised my gun and shot the damn bitch too!" Billy exclaims in triumph.
The men around me belt out laughter at Billy's horrible ex-girlfriend experience, and I sink further into my cramped seat, convinced all of the people inside the Mercedes are psychopaths.
"Ey, no funny business girl!" Giovani warns me when I accidentally push into his side. "Don't squirm around too much!"
I don't dare say anything. Enraging Giovani doesn't seem like a wise idea, not after I heard his story—the guy murdered his ex-boss.
Shit, it just dawned on me that they are all criminals!
Will I survive through this?!
My heart is racing, desperately trying to claw its way out of my ribcage. I'm squeezed between Giovani and Arthur, another one of Ryan's men, and I'm painfully aware of Arthur since he is currently pressing his revolver to my head.
"Don't-fucking-move," Arthur warns. "I'm tired of you moving around like a goddamn dog!"
Suddenly I got everyone's attention, and I find myself wishing I could sink through the seat. The winning emotion on the men's faces is curiosity, but some are looking ready to bring out the popcorn when they pay attention to Arthur's angry expression.
"Yeah, she is so annoying..." Giovani complains and then sighs loudly before looking up at Ryan. "What are we going to do with her boss? Are you planning on selling her? Will there be an auction?"
Oh-my-god, do these people deal with human trafficking?!
Goosebumps prickle over my skin, and I lift my chin to look into the rear-view mirror. Ryan is already watching me with his silent blue eyes. The lack of emotion within them got all the blood draining from my face, and my body turns stiff.
To think that I, for one second, believed he cared.
"I won't sell her before knowing what her talents may be. She might look useless, but maybe she is good at something that will turn her more valuable,"
Does he really think I look useless?
Wow, that cut pretty deep. I've been talking non-stop with the guy for more than a week, and I guess I'm not entirely over him yet—I still treasure his opinions.
Giovani nods. "So you're taking her to our headquarter then?"
"Yes," Ryan replies. He is looking at the road again. "She will live together with the other slaves in the cabin after I'm finished making her father's life into hell,"
Arthur clears his throat. "May I suggest something?"
"Go ahead," Ryan doesn't even sound interested.
"Let the girl sleep with me. I haven't gotten laid since Dana left me, and I could need some... You know," Arthus winks at the other men, who whistles in amusement. He then proceeds to find my gaze and licks his lips in this creepy fashion that turns me into stone. "You and I would have so much fun in my bed,"
Scared and shattered on the inside, I tremble in my seat until I see Ryan calmly moving his arms. He smoothly picks up something from the hands of the man sitting in the passenger seat, a gun, and then he blows Arthur's head off.
Blood splatters everywhere, onto the seats, onto my face. The other men are staring at Arthur; someone is screaming. But I just sit there, blinking in confusion. I've never witnessed someone commit murder before, never looked into the glazed eyes of a dead body.
Reality suddenly seems troublesome to grasp.
Did that just happen, or did I imagine that part when Ryan murdered Arthur in cold blood?
Is Arthur dead?
Unease churns within the pit of my stomach—Ryan killed his henchman without a second thought.
Is he even a human?
"Now, is there anyone else who would like to fuck or stick their dick into the girl that we kidnapped tonight?" Ryan asks.
Everyone is silent, probably not even breathing.
"Come on, guys, don't be shy," Ryan sounds darkly amused; his voice is smooth and wicked. I lift my chin to the rear-view mirror again and find him cruelly smiling. "Well then. Ola Svensson's daughter is mine until I say anything else—I believe I have made myself pretty clear,"
"Yes, boss!"
"Of course, boss!"
"I won't even look at her!"
"Me neither, boss! The young lady is all yours!"
Ugh, I want to tell them I don't belong to anyone, but I have to clench my jaw in my current situation. You can get killed for saying the wrong things in this car—Arthur is a prime example.
Bottling up my fear and anger is the only option.
I look to my left and feel suspicion slip into my mind when I see Giovani not chiming in with the others. Instead, he is staring down at Arthur with a hard-to-read expression, entirely absorbed by the blood. Had Ryan been on my side, I would warn him, tell him that Giovani might be plotting something, but Ryan kidnapped me, so I don't care.
Besides, Ryan finishing off Arthur was totally unnecessary. Indeed, the old geezer gave me bad vibes, but he didn't deserve to die simply for Ryan to prove a point.
I stare out through the tinted window, widening my eyes at the mansion coming into view. Am I dreaming? My father's place pales in comparison to this place—the thing in front of us is as big as a castle!
Giovani notices where I'm looking and laughs to himself, even being friendly enough to shove me with his elbow. "Pretty impressive, huh?"
I nod, entirely out of words.
All the men laugh at my expression and cheer among themselves before winking at me.
"She is impressed, huh?"
"The lady loves big things,"
"Hey, don't say that! Do you want to get shot?!"
"This place has made some history, I must say," Billy blocks out the other voices, and for the first time, I see that he is pretty handsome. Tall and blonde like a model. "There are smaller buildings in the middle of the main house, and if you're lucky, you will live in one with actual electricity. Winter is coming, and she isn't kind this year,"
Giovani is laughing next to me, causing even the seat to vibrate under his imposing weight. "Agatha, a slave girl who didn't know how to show other people respect, froze to death,"
I shudder in my seat like an autumn leaf. Sharing Agatha's fate definitely isn't what I yearn for. Anger is pulsating through my veins right now, shock too, but I know that I shouldn't act upon it. Being scared is better than being brave—at least then, you might survive.
"Hey, stop that!" A man is shaking his head at Giovani and Billy. Finally, someone who cares about me. "Don't tell her everything; it's better if she experiences the hardships on her own!"
My jaw drops to the floor.
Did he just...?
Fucking bastard all of them! To think I thought he was different from the rest!
After those words have sunk into every skull, all the men laugh. I'm the only one who isn't entertained. Instead of laughing, I glare at the man who opened his big mouth.
"Hi there," The man waves at me. "I'm Pablo,"
"Don't fucking talk to me," I manage to grit out between my teeth. I'm flipping furious. "I thought you were different... Pablo,"
Irritation floods through me when I see his big, confused smile, and I glance up, unintentionally catching a glimpse of Ryan's mouth in the rear-view mirror again—this time, he is smiling.
Stepping out of the vehicle would feel amazing if I wasn't painstakingly aware of Ryan studying me like a hawk even while standing among his group of men. He doesn't even seem to be paying them any attention, which causes me to sigh.I wish I could run away from Ryan, hide from those blue, penetrating eyes, but trying to escape from here wouldn't serve a purpose when each one of his men carries guns and weapons so heavy they can barely stand straight."What are you going to do with her?" Giovani asks, and I know without asking that they are talking about me.I remain painfully still as the men turn their heads in the background; their eyes feel like a physical weight on my shoulder. Still, I manage to focus on the world around me. Soft tufts of snow are circling down from the sky, landing on my red velvet dress as I stand there, blinking at the many cabins and houses in the courtyard.This place looks like a miniature town hidden away from the world.
I toss and turn in my slumber for what feels like hours before finally awakening from my nightmare. My breath is hitched, and I can't seem to relax, too shaken up by today's events. I'm freezing even though the sheets beneath me are drenched in a cold sweat.How I managed to fall asleep in the first place is a mystery, the temperature inside the room is freezing. A window is letting the moonlight come in and illuminate the wooden planks, and I shift until I'm staring at the chair where I've thrown my velvet dress.I'm so messed up. Fear is scratching within me, speeding up my heart and inviting the reality of today to sink into my brain by replaying the unfolded events.I was kidnapped, betrayed, and fooled by a man who played me for a week, and then I watched this man named Arthur die at the hands of the same man—Ryan is dangerous. That realization makes me cover under my sheets.Tired of acting strong, exhausted from playing tough, I let the tears
I have a theory that hating someone and being attracted to them is so scarily similar that I might have mixed up the two emotions. Attraction and hatred are both instinctive—your stomach mangle like a rag at the idea of that person. Your heart thumps painfully and brilliantly, almost to the point of threatening to burst out through your ribcage. It's impossible to stop thinking about the person, and every interaction with them fastens your pulse. Obviously, I'm not attracted to Ryan at all—I simply hate him. That is why I wasn't visualizing Ryan naked before I fell asleep yesterday or imagined his lush lips kissing my earlobe before biting down on it, whispering: "I want you, Amelia," Fuck. I wish Ryan was ugly. It would be easier to keep him away from my dreams and sweet reveries if he was a short, fat little man with a balding head and warts covering his entire face—stained, yellow teeth from smoking and a foul stench that followed him everywhere. B
Anger is sizzling through me, awakening vicious rattlesnakes in my blood until I'm standing there, hissing. "And how do I do that?""Do what?" Courtney sounds surprised; her facial expression makes me want to laugh."Find a man who isn't sick in the head?" My voice is loud and filled with rage. It's not aimed at Courtney but this entire situation. "Because I've only met evil ones!""Really?""Yes!" I'm shaking, tired of being at this place already. "Ever since I was kidnapped, all I've seen is blood, crazy men, and their stupid agendas. I might have lived under a rock my entire life, and yes, I don't know what's going on anymore, but I do not want to stay here if it means having to suck someone's cock,"Courtney witness the tears already gathering in my eyes. I'm pacing the room, clenching my teeth, and walking around with blinding fury rattling my bones. In an attempt to calm down, I sit down in the rocking chair, only to find myself unable to sit
I never thought it would be this hard to milk a cow—Courtney makes it look so easy. She is squeezing her fingers and sliding down weirdly, filling her bucket with ease while I'm struggling to sit straight on my chair. My back is already sore, and the three girls leaning over me, snickering at my technique, aren't making the situation better. "She is doing it all wrong," One of the girls complains and sighs in a frustrated manner that makes it sound as if she wants to step in and take over my job. "The bucket won't be filled until midnight..." There is a snicker. "I've heard the girl has been spoiled her entire life and had servants serve her dinner on a silver platter; I don't understand why Ryan has taken a liking to her," "Yeah, she is nothing special, and she isn't even pretty. So why is she allowed to live inside the luxurious cabin?" When I raise my head with a deadpan expression, the three girls freeze into their spots. They are leaning over the
Later the same day, I'm staring up at the hunting towers built around the large walls surrounding us. Men dressed in suits and fedoras walk around the planks carrying massive guns, patrolling the ramparts as if waiting for something to jump out from the woods. I shudder at the thought. The cabins where people live are scattered in a vast courtyard, more significant than a field, creating a small town hidden away from the world. But the question I've been asking myself is: who, or what are we hiding from? Why is everyone carrying rifles? The idea of there being an invisible enemy out there, one I don't know about yet, makes me want to throw up. My life has been turned upside down already. What else is happening in our strange world that no one has informed me of yet? My knowledge of the world isn't enough, but so far, I know world war three happened, that food and electricity are a rarity these days, shampoo is apparently a luxury... But why are people
Ryan locked the door as soon as we got inside, and now the angry brute is carrying me in his arms, ignoring me pushing against the muscles in his sturdy chest. I'm not even sure why I'm fighting him right now. Maybe because having his scent whirl around me while his big arms are pressing me to him is making me weirdly aroused? "Fuck! Will you stop squirming?!" Ryan growls, his deep, guttural voice startling me. I glance up to find him watching me with his unrelenting, stormy eyes. "Put me down," I tell him, not one bit afraid of the big brute. "I can walk by myself," I'm met with silence. Ryan looks thoughtful for a few moments, grimaces, and then opens his mouth when we enter the room upstairs. I'm starting to suspect he is a super-human; he doesn't show any signs of fatigue from carrying me up here. "I know you can walk on your own, but holding you is oddly calming, so I'm doing it for my sake," "Calming?" I snort. "You're not calm;
I'm late for my date with Courtney. Determination is pumping through me as I put on my rags. Ryan spoke from behind the door earlier; he told me his men found and killed the infected that had managed to get inside the courtyard without any casualties.After the information, I had told Ryan that I would head outside to milk the cows with Courtney since the threat is gone, and that had made him laugh and say: "Trying to win my heart by working, are we?" which had sent a spike of heat to my chest. It seems jokes and fun has become our new routine as of today.If only I hadn't fallen back asleep.Shit, I'm such a clutz!I rush down the stairs, halting when I catch Courtney's shoes thrown off on the carpet in the hallway.