by Haley Ladawn
I aimed the handgun at Everet’s shoulder, keeping my eyes trained on the two of them. His brother survived the shot earlier, but I knew he wouldn’t survive another bullet. It was the only leverage I had. I needed to get the hell out of here without failing this time. Not everyone gets a second chance. I needed to make this one count.
“It looks like the tables have turned,” Elliot said with a calm voice.
I kept the gun pointed at the both of them as I backed up toward the door carefully. I tried to canvas the rest of the room with each step, making sure no one was there to get in my way.
Once I reached the threshold, I noticed that the hallway was completely empty. Before I turned to make a run for it, I took one last look at Elliot. His brother stood by his side, shooting me daggers from across the room.
“If you leave, I will find you.” Elliot narrowed his eyes at me, rolling up his sleeves. The muscles in his biceps clenched. “And when I find you, I’m going to fuck you so hard that you won’t be able to walk ever again. I won’t have to worry about you trying to escape then. I promise.”
“That’s one promise you’re going to break,” I said while forcing a smile. “You will never touch me.”
I should’ve left on that note, but his promise was something I had to make sure he wouldn’t keep. I took a breath, firing the gun in his direction.
I could feel each bullet leave the chamber as I kept my aim on Elliot. With the first shot, someone began to scream. After the second and third shot, I made my break for it, running as if my life depended on how fast my legs moved.
I still had a few rounds left if I had to shoot someone. This time, I made it to the oak doors, thanking the heavens for letting me make it this far. I unlocked the door and pulled it open with my free hand. It took a little longer than I expected to get it open, but there wasn’t anyone or anything behind me.
I was safe— or so I thought.
Chapter 11: Friendly Fire
I was so close to freedom that I could taste it on my tongue, but someone was waiting for me on the other side of that door. Someone I never thought I’d see again. I stopped dead in my tracks, my stomach lurching at the sight of them.
“How?” I asked with a quiver in my voice, feeling my breathing slow to a stop.
“How what? How am I so handsome? I ask myself that every single day.” The dangerous man bit back an evil laugh, sounding like a deranged villain. “Don’t look so upset, baby girl. Your boy toy is back from the dead. You get to play with me again, and god have I missed you.”
His voice was low and quaking, but I could still recognize who it belonged to. Connor. My boyfriend who had died two years before to a random act of violence, or so I’d been told.
I blinked my eyes several times, trying to comprehend how the man standing before me was alive. His hair was no longer golden, but more of a dirty blonde. There was also something wrong with his eyes. Rather than his normal hazel color, his irises were darker and enlarged. Even his skin tone seemed off; pale, flaking, and bruised. As if he spent years hidden from the sun.
I already began retreating my steps, nearly running backwards. With each step he took forward, I took five more in the opposite direction. Still, my eyes remained on the man that stood in front of me, blocking my only exit. How was he standing here?
“Haven’t you wondered where I’ve been all this time?” he said with a devilish smile, running a hand over his face. “I haven’t been in Heaven. I’ve been to Hell and back these last couple years.”
“They told me you died instantly,” I recalled quietly with reservation in my voice. “Was that all a lie? What about the pain you put us through? How could you do that to us?”
He gave me an offhand shrug, fidgeting with the cuff links on his tailored suit. The fabric looked as if it had been recently ironed, hugging his body with no visible wrinkles.
“Does it matter? The past is in the past.” He said with a half-dead smile. His lips were white and cracked at the edges. “More importantly, do you like what you see? Not half bad for being dead for two years. Am I right?”
He flexed his muscles, taking another step in my direction. I countered each move he made, refusing to let him get too close.
“Don’t give me the cold shoulder, baby girl.” He pouted his lips into a dramatic frown, shaking his head back and forth. “I just want a warm embrace. Didn’t you miss me?”
“I did, but that was before I learned that you faked your death. I hate you for the pain you caused and I hate you for not explaining why.” I gritted my teeth together, trying to slow the rapid beat of my heart. At this rate, I felt like I was going to have a heart attack. “Why are you here and why are you dressed like them? Please don’t tell me that you work for them. I saw one of them kill a girl.”
“I’ve killed before.” He ran his fingers along his jaw, tilting his head back to stare at me. I sucked in a sharp breath, frightened by his dark revelation. “And I’ll kill again.”
“Why are you t-t-telling me this?” I felt my hands tighten around the gun slowly. His predatory gaze made me aware of all my surroundings.
“Because you asked why I did what I did and now I’m telling you why.” He stepped forward, unfazed by the firearm that was trained on his heart. I’d spent the last two years of my life thinking that he was dead. Perhaps, now, it was time that he actually was. “I was running from someone. I figured that they would stop chasing me if they thought that I was dead.”
“Who?”
“It doesn’t matter anymore.”
I clicked the gun back, aiming it higher in the air so that it was on his skull. I just had to pull the trigger, and he would disappear all over again. That would give me enough time to run in the opposite direction.
“Put the gun down, Lily!” he scolded me, pursing his lips into a thin line. He looked like he was going to attack me at any moment. “I almost died once. I won’t do it again.”
There was a warning to his voice, or maybe it was an unspoken threat. He wasn’t going to let me shoot him. That’s what the look in his black, soulless eyes told me.
“Shoot him, fiorella.” Elliot appeared in the room out of nowhere, coercing me with an encouraging smile. “You could use the target practice. You missed me again.”
“Where did you come from?” I pointed the gun at Elliot, but he didn’t even bat an eye. “Someone better tell me what’s going on before I shoot everyone!”
“Go ahead.” He seemed amused, biting down on his bottom lip. “I’d like to see you try.”
“What the fuck is happening here?” I screamed in frustration, feeling more delirious with each passing moment. “First, I’m kidnapped by a sex-crazed psychopath who likes to dress unconscious girls in lingerie, while they are tied up. Then, I find out my best friend is now working for said kidnapper. Last, but not least, my ex-boyfriend that I thought was dead shows up at the front door, looking all fine and dandy. Someone tell me what the hell is going on before I start shooting!”
“Oh, I think I can explain” A perky voice crept up from behind me. Before I could turn around, I felt a quick jab to my waist. It was so light, almost like air, but it stung like fire.
The gun fell from my hand, as all my muscles began to tense all around me. I cocked my head back to see Elisa standing behind me, holding a syringe in her hand. It was completely empty. The contents had been injected into my body.
“You should have looked behind you.” Elisa laughed wickedly, giving me a crooked smile. “There’s always someone behind you.”
“You bitch!” I tried to move my hand back to slap her, but my body was stiff. I could feel my eyes getting heavy, beginning to lose contact with the real world.
“I know that I’m a bitch,” she whispered into my ear, moving my hair out of my face. “Tell me something I don’t know.”
I tried to curse and scream, but nothing came out of my itchy throat. There was nothing I could do but stand there until my body became too numb to support itself.
I couldn’t help but wonder if anyone would catch me, or if they’d let my skull bust against the marble floor.
The last thing I heard was Elisa telling me goodnight.
Chapter 12: Kiss Me or Kill Me
I woke up in a white room that glistened from a bright chandelier. It glimmered with crystals, catching the morning sunlight beautifully. It didn’t take long for the luminous lights to start irritating my eyes.
A heavenly sound filled the silence of the colorless room, and I identified it as the sound of a grand piano.
Whoever was playing it was a skilled pianist. Just the melody alone sounded as if an entire orchestra was playing. I listened to the music intently, almost willing myself back to sleep. The rhythm was soft and dream worthy.
A few moments later, the door creaked open, but I didn’t open my eyes. The sound of the piano playing in the background lulled in the back of my mind, which kept me calm. The tranquility echoed off the walls.
“Am I in Heaven?” I asked breathlessly.
The soft, linen bed sheets wrapped around my body made me think it was plausible. I was comfortable and at peace for the first time in a long time. The warmth of the sun and the softness of the bed made it feel all the more likely. In addition, the piano playing was something I had always envisioned when I thought of heaven. Ever since I was a child sitting in church, I would imagine music playing at Heaven’s gates.
“Sorry to disappoint you, but Heaven was never an option for you,” a deep, baritone voice answered me. “You curse too much, Rose, but I like your dirty mouth.”
“So, it sounds like I’m in Hell” I raised my eyebrows, finally opening my eyes. It seemed like such a task to blink them open again.
Elliot stood in the threshold with his arms folded across his bare chest. Water trickled down his face, curving around the bridge of his nose and falling onto his soft lips. It was as if he’d just gotten out of the shower. The towel on his waist confirmed my suspicions. This was the second time I’d seen him mostly naked and I’d only known him a handful of days.
“See something you like?” he asked playfully.
“No, I don’t.” I furrowed my eyebrows, ignoring the smug smirk that tugged at his smooth lips. “The only thing I like about you is hidden behind a towel.”
I regretted those words as soon as they left my mouth. I was just trying to insult him, but that’s not what slipped out.
“You like my cock, gattina?” He bit back a dark laugh, taking his lower lip in between his teeth. That was such a simple gesture, but it sent a shiver down my spine. I wondered what it would be like to kiss him. Would he bite me in the process or be gentle? “Wouldn’t it be a shame if my towel just… slipped? You could see every inch of my wet, naked body, but somehow, it’s still not as wet as yours. You’re like a slip and slide, Rose. Wet and ready.”
“Why do you keep calling me that?” I asked in annoyance.
His long pause before answering made my skin crawl and my heart beat a little faster. Elliot was never silent. He always had an insult hanging at the tip of his tongue.
“Like a rose, you’re both delicate and dangerous.” His blue eyes glanced over me before falling to the ground. “Your emotions bloom and they wilt. You have sharp thorns, but you have soft petals too. In a garden of flowers, you’ve always stuck out to me. I had to remind myself that if I pulled you from the ground, you would die. I couldn’t touch you, and you couldn’t touch me.”
That reminded me of a quote by Anne Bronte, “But he who dares not grasp the thorn, should never crave the rose.”
I narrowed my eyes at him, feeling all sorts of confused. I wasn’t expecting that at all. “What are you talking about?”
“I don’t know.” He grimaced at me, shaking his head back and forth. “I stole that from some poet in Italy. I didn’t mean a word of it. I call you Rose because your cheeks get rosy when I talk dirty to you. I can see the anticipation on your face even if your mouth denies it.”
My face turned red and this time, it wasn’t out of arousal. I was pissed.
I rolled my eyes as I clenched my hands into small fists. “That’s your explanation for constantly getting my name wrong? Are you that much of an asshole?”
“Of course.” He nodded with a smug smile tugging at his lips. “It’s my one true talent. I’m surprised you’re just now noticing it. I’ve been a stronzo to you since we’ve met.”
“Does stronzo translate to insane, backstabbing, Italian jerk?” I lifted my chin up high, wanting to break his gaze. He seemed too amused by my insults, and that made me even more upset. They were supposed to cut him to his core, not make him chuckle.
“You really need to work on your insults, fiorella.” He ran his fingers through his hair absentmindedly, giving me a childish grim. “At least you didn’t compare Everet and me to Mario and Luigi. You would be surprised by how often that happens. It’s a me, Mario!”
His Italian accent broke through perfectly, and I couldn’t help but smile at the sound of it.
“Mario doesn’t kidnap or murder girls,” I finally said when I managed to stop laughing like an idiot. I sounded like a dying velociraptor when I laughed.
“That’s because he spends all of his time eating and fucking Princess Peach.”
“Thank you,” I murmured underneath my breath, cringing inwardly. “It took you two seconds to ruin my childhood. I should punch you for that.”
He gave me a corrupted grin, narrowing his eyes in my direction. It wasn’t meant to be a friendly look. He was trying to challenge me.
“Good luck with that, cara mia.” He shrugged, biting his lips to hide the ghost of a smile. “Something tells me that you’re not going to touch me anytime soon.”
“How much do you want to bet?” I glared at him from the bed, debating on whether or not to pounce on him. There was a good chance that his towel would come off in the process. Not that I would really mind… maybe I could strangle him with it…
“More than you’ve got.” He chuckled, motioning for me to come forward with teasing fingers. “Be a good little girl and come here.”
That provoked me and there was no way in hell that I was staying in my seat now. I was going to knock those perfect little teeth straight down his throat. Then, I was going to make a run for it. Third time has to be the charm, right?
I tried pulling myself up from the silky bed, but it was harder than it should’ve been. I had control of my body, but I couldn’t move my hands that much. It’s almost like they were— “You tied me up again?” I shouted when I noticed the red ribbon tied around my wrists. It was so smooth that I hadn’t noticed it before.
“At least this time, it’s to a headboard, and not a towel rack.” He winked, stepping forward slowly. He was only doing this to push my buttons, and it was working.
“I’m going to murder you once I’m free!” I yelled at the top of my lungs, shaking my head in frustration.
“You’re very ambitious, fiorella.” He gave me an infuriating smile. “You’re going to make a great intern one day.”
“How many times do I have to tell you that I’m not going to work for you?” I squinted at him. “You’re not going to turn me out like you did Elisa.”
“I’m not a fucking pimp, puttana.” He glared at me, stepping closer until he was at the edge of the bed. “I didn’t turn anyone out. Your friend just likes riding my brother’s dick. Metaphorically and physically.”
“I don’t need to hear this.” I broke his gaze, staring at the open window. It looked bright outside, and the breeze had a chill as it rushed through the window.
“I think you do.” He ran his finger up my leg slowly, stopping at my thigh. He traced delicate patterns there for a moment. “Your friend fucked you over because she’s in love with my brother, and she will do it again. Love makes people do reckless and unforgivable things, but so does hate. I think you loved her before, but how do you feel now?”
“I feel…” I thought about it for a while, unable
to come up with a good answer. “Hungry.”
“Do you want a treat, gattina?” He purred into my ear, moving his fingers further up my leg. He came to a stop just below my hips.
“Not that kind of treat.” I narrowed my eyes at him, as his touch lingered there longer than what was necessary.
“Are you sure?” He leaned over me and I could feel his chest rising and falling to the beast of his heart. He turned his head to the side, just enough for me to see his eyes and the dark stubble on his jaw. “I bet you taste sweet like a cherry…”
“Your cheeks are starting to get red again, Rose.” He let out a husky laughter that sounded so masculine and warm. He moved away from me, leaving the smell of his aftershave behind. The scent was rich and fresh.
I fought the urge to pull him on top of me, but I reminded myself that I was stronger than that. I wouldn’t succumb to whatever darkness oozed out of every pore in his body. I wouldn’t be like Elisa.
“Here is your treat,” He threw a red bag of chips at me and it landed in my lap.
“Thanks.” I mustered a smile that was not at all genuine. I didn’t owe him gratitude. I didn’t owe him anything.
“You’re welcome.” He flashed me a wicked smirk, stepping toward the door gracefully. “Good girls get rewarded and bad girls get punished. Remember that, yes?”
I nodded, watching him carefully as he reached for the doorknob. “You’re just going to leave me here?”
“I do have to get dressed, Rose.” He shook his head, biting back a sarcastic laugh. “I know you love seeing me half naked, but clothes are a cultural norm. I can’t wear a towel all day long.”
“Are you coming back?” I asked, sounding a little too eager.
“Do you want me to come back?” There was an arrogant look in his eyes that made me want to stay silent, but I couldn’t help myself.
“I mean, I don’t want to be tied to a headboard for hours. It brings back the painful memories of the time a certain jackass tied me to a towel rack.”