LUCA
"Get out!"
She opened her eyes slowly, hardly half awake. Her clothes were still all over the place.
To say I was irritated was a short shot compared to what I felt. To be honest that is how I felt about every girl I ever woke up next to.
"GET OUT!" I was louder this time, my irritation very much visible in my words.
"Excuse me?"
"Do you wake up deaf or do you just want to rile me up further?" I asked, looking her dead in the face.
"Is that how you were brought up to treat ladies?" she asked, looking astonished.
"Just get dressed and get out" I replied, completely ignoring her question.
She got out of bed pulling the sheets with her in a bid to cover her naked body. She reached for her clothes on the floor and hurriedly started getting dressed murmuring something under her breath.
The paranoia associated with my profession made it expedient to order my driver who was also my right-hand man to run a background check on her that same evening.
As one of the biggest dogs in the city, rivalry was normal as every other subordinate gang wanted a slice of the big cake so I had to be careful and keep my eyes behind my head.
I dropped an envelope on the bed and she picked it up and scurried out of the room cursing at me under her breath.
"Boss"
"Yes Carlo" I answered while looking at my phone
"The boys said to inform you that what you asked for has been done"
I looked up at him my attention fully fixated on him this time
"When" I asked, gathering the rest of my stuff left at the table side.
"Last night boss" he replied in a low voice.
"Get the car ready, we are leaving" and he left to do as I asked.
I didn't know if I did what I did to her to prove a point and further inflate my ego or if my desperation just got the better part of me.
I think it was both.
Nobody ever rejected me. I always get what I want.
I felt conflicted. Torn between the urge to prove a point and the yearning to know more about this woman whatever her name was.
I had never looked at any woman once and felt like I wanted to have more than one conversation. But this woman sparked my interest so much she was on my mind the whole evening.
As we drove through the huge gates of the Villa I kept contemplating the drastic step I had taken.
I wanted to see her face again, I wanted to see her wrinkle her forehead when I make audacious comments again, I wanted to watch her get lost looking at me without realizing that she was doing that, I wanted to see her AGAIN.
The car eased to a stop and I got off. Occasionally this place felt like my haven of protection other times it felt like a place wanted so badly to escape from.
Today, it felt like both as I walked into the house.
My palms were sweaty, my body weight felt ill-balanced on both my legs.
I glanced around the room in a slightly fidgety manner and my eyes caught Nanny Nancy.
"My sweet sweet baby boy" she called out to me, her arms stretched out wide. She had a sweet smile on her face.
Nanny Nancy was like the mum I never had. She took care of me as a boy and as a grown-up she still always did.
She dragged me in for a big hug, squeezing me tight and planting kisses near my cheeks.
"How are you, my boy" she asked with both my cheeks still cupped in her hands.
"I'm fine Nanny Nancy" I replied, forcing a tiny smile.
"You don't look fine to me". One thing Nanny Nancy was sure to do was to read between the lines, code, and call my Bluff.
"I'm okay Nan I promise it's just business" She was looking at me very intently, scrutinizing every blink I made.
"Okay boy", she said obviously unconvinced "I'll let you go this time but expect me in your face the second I catch you being Moody okay?"
"Yes, Nan I know", I said and smiled again.
I strolled to the office compartment first. I needed to get my acts together.
"Has she eaten?" I asked one of my men at the door.
"She has refused to eat anything boss" as expected I thought to myself.
"Take me to her".
SAMANTHA
My head was fuzzy, my vision still dark as night, and trying to recall why my vision was dark made it even harder for my brain to pick itself up, it made my head throb.
I felt hot and cold all at once. The breeze I felt from whatever hole didn't soothe the hotness I felt and the heat I felt didn't make me feel any less cold.
What I was laying on felt comfortable, silk sheets? Not even at my house did I sleep on silk sheets.
I felt goosebumps work their way from my arm straight up to my neck. I was scared shitless.
I wanted to scream but the strength in my body didn't feel enough to do that. As much as relaxation wasn't the logical thing to do at that moment, it was either that or I passed out again.
"Relax Samantha, relax"
I allowed myself to relax, and I didn't ask myself any more questions. I had all the time in the world to do that. I wasn't hearing any voices. It didn't look like I was going to be released soon.
I heard the sound of a key turning in the keyhole. I sat up my anxiety spiraling. I heard footsteps.
"Who is there!"
"Let me out of here!!!" I yelled, completely terrified and oblivious of what was about to happen.
I felt like someone was hovering over me, riddled with fear I started shifting to the edge of the bed.
"Take your hands off me!!" I yelled as I felt a hand touch me. The hand moved to my hand in a bid to untie me but my blindfold was still on.
"Coward! Cowards!! That's what you all are". I thundered, completely neglecting the consequences. I got no response, the silence was deafening. Why wouldn't they speak to me?
I could hear the sound of a chair scraping the floor. "I brought food", an unfamiliar voice said.
"Please let me out" Tears welled up in my eyes. I was tired and disoriented. I didn't even know what day it was, I didn't know how many days I was out for.
I just wanted it all to be over, I didn't know if I was supposed to take off my blindfold. I was low-key scared of meeting my captors and maybe not seeing them would make the experience bearable.
I summoned the courage to take off my blindfold. My pulse raced as I struggled to control my quivering palms.
My eyes struggled to get used to the minimal light present in the room. The room was furnished to taste and the bed had silk sheets confirming what I felt previously. This didn't look like an ideal place to hold a person hostage.
It looked like a vacation house. Was I going to be fattened up first like a cow before slaughter?
"Here's food ma'am" " a man dressed in a neat black suit with dark shades said to me pointing in the direction of a big tray positioned by the bedside.
There was a whole buffet laid out. From the regular English breakfast to various other breakfast options.
There was coffee, fruit juice, and an unopened bottle of wine. Wine?!!
Another guy was standing, his job probably was to man the door. He was dressed the same as the man who was offering me food which I obviously wasn't going to eat.
They both looked like they did some sort of casting before they were picked for the job.
They had the same or close to the same muscular features and they were both dressed the same.
My head was aching, I was still struggling to assess my surroundings. The man stood up and made his way to the door in an attempt to leave.
"Who are you"
"Why have you brought me here"
"Please let me go" I whimpered, begging with the least amount of strength I could feel coursing through my veins.
I got no response still, he left slightly banging the door behind him. The floor was rock hard and felt cold under my feet.
I felt tension in my muscles like my ability to move was abandoning me.
I felt cold shivers in my spine and at the same time beads of sweat formed on my forehead. I dropped my head as it was spinning and my nose caught a strong metallic smell.
It was the smell of blood, I was bleeding. I felt the back of my head bringing my hands back to my face and I saw blood on my hand.
I heard the door begin to open again. I should have made a run for it but I couldn't, there was no window.
The door opened revealing a familiar face. I was stunned, bewildered, and fueled by rage.
"YOU?!!"