by Haley Stuart
“F-fuck you.” His words come out muffled.
I give him the sweetest smile I can muster. “That’s not begging.”
I am about to pull the trigger when I experience a sharp pain. I recognize the pain instantly. Alexander must have shot me when I have run into the bathroom. But it feels like a graze. I have to get out of here before I lose too much blood. I look back at him.
“You’re not even worth it.”
He should bleed out, anyways. I tuck the gun away in the pocket of the massive coat and sprint out of the room to find the keys.
* * * * *
I jump into the car that the key I’ve grabbed onto is for. It is a big SUV. My breathing is hard, and I can barely see. Probably from all the blood loss. And now that the adrenaline is no longer pumping through my veins, well, the pain I am feeling is excruciating. I need to get to a hospital fast. I start the engine and speed out of the garage to my freedom. I am so glad Alexander doesn’t keep people guarding his home.
The fight to stay awake is so hard. I am losing so much blood that I can feel it soaking the clothes. The snow outside is thick, and I can’t drive as fast as I want to. I have to think about the safety of my child. I crank up the heat because I am growing so cold. I don’t know how long I have been driving for, but my eyes are getting more and more heavier by the second. As hard as I try, my eyes eventually close on their own accord.
A violent shaking wracks me from my sleep. I am jolted awake, and I can feel even more pain exploding over my body. I look up, and the front of the car is smashed into a tree. I have passed out and wrecked the car. I’ve wrecked my only chance at escaping! The glass around me is shattered, and I can feel blood trickling down my forehead. I open the door and look around me. Snow. There is snow everywhere.
I jump back in the car, but it won’t start. Dammit! I hit the steering wheel in frustration. I have to survive. I have to get out of here for not just me but my baby as well. But I am losing more and more blood by the second. My struggle to stay awake is a stark reminder to that.
I have to get somewhere. I trudge through the knee-deep snow, making sure to get off the road just in case anything happens. I don’t know how long I have been walking, but my breathing is becoming a struggle. The snow behind me is tinted pink from all the blood I am losing. So this is it, then. This is how I am going to die. Walking through the snow in some bastard’s clothing, trying to protect my child when I can’t even protect myself. I can feel the tears of frustration begin to well up, but I blink rapidly, trying to push them back. I have to be strong. The world around me is swaying bad. Not only that, but it is also becoming blurry. Before I can think of anything else, I fall face-first into the thick snow, passing out.
* * * * *
There is a fire. I can smell the wood burning. I slowly open my eyes, and an excruciating headache begins pounding at my skull. My head feels so heavy.
I look around the room I am in. It is small and cozy. There is carpet on the floor, and directly in front of the bed is the fireplace with a TV mounted on the wall. The windows are open, and I can see the snow falling outside, which means I am still somewhere in the mountains. I look at my arms and hands to see them engulfed in bandages. I reach up and touch my forehead, and there is a bandage over the scar I’ve gotten from wrecking the car. I am still in the same clothes, but my jacket is gone, which means so is the gun.
The door to the room is cracked open. Where the hell am I? What is going on? I look around the room for the coat because it has my only weapon in it. I slowly get out of bed and walk to the cracked door. I pull it open slowly and walk up the hallway.
The smell of bacon wafts to me. And I am starving. I step out of the hallway, which reveals a nice little living room that overlooks the kitchen. And in the kitchen is a man. He is turned around, focusing on cooking. He has light-brown hair, and that is all I can see from here. But he does have a nice build. He turns quickly, as if sensing my presence, and pauses when he sees me.
I stare him down untrustingly. He slowly raises his hands in the air.
“I mean you no harm. I was just out going for a walk when my dog picked up your scent.” He is looking at me with wide eyes that I notice are a dark blue. Like the ocean.
I open my mouth to speak, but the headache is too much and I sway on my feet.
He rushes over to me, helping me take a seat on the couch.
“Whoah, there. You shouldn’t be up with your injuries.”
I jerk away from his touch, and he flinches back at my abruptness. “Who are you? Where am I?”
“My name is Eli. You’re in the mountains in my cabin.”
I jump in fear at the mention of being in the mountains still.
“I’m still in the mountains? Oh god, I have to get out of here.”
I am pretty sure I look like a crazy person whispering to myself. I have no idea if Alexander is dead or alive. If I am still in the mountains, he can come after me at any moment. I have to get out of here. I look frantically at Eli. I can feel myself beginning to hyperventilate, and I begin frantically running my hands through my hair in fear.
“Wait, miss, just calm down,” Eli begins, but I can’t hear him.
Fear has enveloped me completely. I feel hands over mine and am pulled out of my panic as I stare into a pair of deep-blue eyes. He is speaking to me, but I can’t hear him. It is like my head has been submerged underwater.
“Just breathe …” His voice breaks through, and he slowly breathes in with me, trying to get me to calm down. Tears are welling up in my eyes and falling down my face. I have risked so much. I’ve come too far to be caught.
“Look, I found you outside barely alive. Judging by the scars and bruises you had, I figured you were running from someone. And knowing who lives up the mountain, I’d say I made a pretty good decision by saving you. I was going to call the police, but they won’t be able to make it up the mountain in this weather—”
“No! No police,” I interrupt him. If there is one thing I know, it is that the police can’t be trusted. It is the justice system that has gotten me into this mess in the first place.
He raises his hands again as if in surrender. “Okay, okay, no police.” He watches me with careful eyes, but I don’t say anything at all. I just need to think.
“Where’s my coat?” I ask quickly.
He points toward the door, and there is a rack with coats on it. “Right there,” he says. “Look, why don’t you just go take a shower? I have some clothes around here somewhere that you could fit, and when you’re done, I’ll change your bandages and we’ll get you some food. Okay?”
I eye him skeptically. “How do I know I can trust you?” I ask him wearily.
He gives me a confused smile. “Ma’am, if I was trying to kill you, I would have done it a long time ago. Where I’m from, if somebody is in need, you help them out.” He stands from his seat and offers me his hand. I lightly take it, and he leads me up the hallway to the bathroom.
“You can go ahead and shower. I’ll leave you something to wear on the toilet.” He then exits the bathroom.
I turn on the shower, letting the steam waft in the bathroom as I take each of the bandages off. I strip my clothing and stare at my body in the mirror. Hideous bruises litter my skin, as well as cuts. I look at my palms, and they look as if they need stitching. They sting in pain as I take the bandage off, because the gauze has crusted to the wounds. I slowly peel back all the bloodied bandages, cringing in pain each time one is dried to my scabs. I check the sweatpants for any blood or signs that I’ve lost the baby and smile in joy when there is nothing there. I slowly rub my hands over the area that is now elevated with the life growing inside of me. Tears of joy fill my eyes and spill over.
“Yes!” I squeal in happiness. I jump up and down and do a little happy dance naked in the middle of the bathroom. I am just glad I am free. Free at last. On my own accord. I’ve saved myself. I’ve saved my child. I’ve done it all on my own. I’ve fucking done
it.
“Yes, yes, yes!”
I push all my hair back away from my face as I step under the hot spray. Even though it is stinging all my open cuts and sores, I am happy. Beyond that. I don’t have to worry about anyone coming in the bathroom unwelcomed to have sex with me. I eventually just sit in the shower and let the steaming spray wash all the dirt off. Due to the fact that my hands are sliced open, I can’t put any soap or shampoo in them.
I turn off the water and step out, grabbing the towel that is waiting for me on the sink. After I put on my clothes, I step out into the hallway, making my way back to the kitchen. Just as I enter, Eli is stepping toward the table with a plate of pancakes and eggs. He smiles when he sees me. But it isn’t that possessive smile that Luca has or that sadistic smile that Alexander has. It is a genuine smile. That he is glad I am in the room.
“Nice to see you. I was beginning to think you fainted in the shower,” he jokes with me. He walks to the counter, pulling out a metal box and sitting down at the table, pulling a chair out in front of him. He pats the top of the chair.
“Come.”
I slowly walk toward him, brushing off the uneasiness I feel when he’s given me that command. He takes out a needle, and I can see that he is going to stitch me up. I sit in front of him.
“So your hands were pretty bad. I couldn’t stitch them earlier because they were dirty and you needed to clean them. A shower is just what you needed.” He gives me a warm smile, but I don’t return it. Why is he being so nice to me?
I hold out my hands to him, and he begins the stitching. I hiss in pain as he does it.
“I’m sorry, miss. If I had any sedatives here, trust me, I’d let you have one.”
“Elise,” I say.
He looks up, startled at me speaking. “Excuse me?” he asks in confusion.
“My name is Elise.”
A warm smile slowly spreads its way onto his face. “Nice to be of service, Elise.”
We eat the food in silence, but it isn’t a fearful silence. It is comfortable. And I am starving. I eat about five pancakes and drink several glasses of milk. Eli watches me carefully the whole time.
“So what’s a girl like you doing all the way out here? Looking the way you do, no less?” he asks, genuinely curious.
I slowly set my fork down as an uneasiness washes over me. “I was sold. To the highest bidder,” I whisper quietly. “I finally worked up the nerve to escape on my own, and almost did, but I lost too much blood. Which is how I wrecked and passed out.” A lump forms in my throat.
“I’m so sorry,” Eli’s voice comes through. “Look, I really appreciate your hospitality, but I’ve got to get going. I need to get out of here.”
“I swear I’m not trying to keep you here, but we’re expecting a storm coming in. It’s actually, in a way, a good thing that you stumbled upon me, because if you kept driving, you might not have ended up in a good place. The drive to get down the mountain takes a while, so the storm would have caught you.” He is watching me with genuine concern in his eyes. “I can tell you’ve been through something big. But my cabin is all but remote. No one can even find it, and that’s the way I’ve liked it. You’re safe here. So you can stay here as long as you like. I’m always willing to help someone in need. Once the storm passes, I can take you into town.” He smiles at me.
I slowly nod. “Why are you doing this for me? You don’t even know me,” I ask, genuinely confused by his hospitality.
“Like I said, where I come from, it’s a sin not to help those in need.” He stands from the table and grabs my plate along with his, clearing it. “You can go get some rest. I know you’re probably exhausted.”
I stand and nod wearily. Just before I head to my room, though, I step to the door, grabbing my jacket. I look in the pocket, and my heart jumps when the gun isn’t there.
I look at him accusingly, and he is watching me intently with a look of focus.
“Looking for the gun?” he asks.
I nod frantically as I watch him through narrowed eyes. A small smile plays at his lips as he walks to the living room and opens one of the drawers, revealing my gun. He takes it out.
“You don’t have to tell me now, or ever, for that matter. But I know you’ve been through something big. Especially since you were bloodied in the snow with this.” He holds the gun out to me, and I take it immediately, checking the bullet chamber. I relax when I see the bullets in there. I look up and see Eli looking at me in amusement.
“You can sleep with it if it’ll make you feel better. Just please don’t try to kill me in my sleep,” he says, walking away.
I quickly head to my room, closing the door behind me and locking it. I crawl into the soft, plush bed, pulling the covers up to my chin and setting the gun underneath the pillow next to me.
I don’t know why this stranger is being so nice to me, but I will have to accept his hospitality for the time being. He is literally all I have right now. I stare at the fire crackling in the fireplace, and eventually, my eyes grow heavy. I finally let a peaceful sleep overcome me.
Chapter 41
Luca
“How could none of you find her? She’s one fucking person!” I shout, throwing the papers across the room. My office is messy. The desk is overturned, computer smashed, papers askew everywhere.
People are standing around me in fear. Fucking good. It is as if she’s disappeared off the face of the Earth. We can’t fucking find her! I pull out my gun, walking to the nearest person and pressing it to their temple.
“Know what I think? I think we could use some goddamn motivation!” I shout.
“Luca!” I pause as Matteo steps into the room. He has just saved this man’s life. Matteo holds the phone out to me. “It’s for you,” he says.
I growl out loud in irritation, “Tell them I don’t want to fucking talk!”
Matteo steps farther into the room. “I think you may want to take this one.” I notice the tone of his voice and look up at him. His face looks as if he has seen a ghost.
I yank the phone from his grasp.
“Everyone get out!” I bark at everyone in the room. They immediately take off out of the room. Even Matteo tries to leave, but I grab him by the collar, forcing him to stay.
“What?” I say into the phone.
“Uh, Luca …?” There is a woman’s timid voice on the other end. I swear, if Matteo has interrupted me for a washed-up whore’s attentions, I am going to be very upset.
“Yeah, and who the fuck is this?” I say, irritated.
“This is Lucinda, your father’s last, uh, mistress before his passing,” she says, as if I were supposed to know her. I don’t know half the whores my father has screwed.
“Okay, what the fuck do you want?”
“It’s about your wife, Elise. I was with her in the auction.”
My irritation evaporates as pure anxiety and fear rush through me. She doesn’t wait for a response before she continues.
“I’m so sorry for waiting this long to contact you, but the last man that had me didn’t allow phone calls, so this is the first time I’ve been able to get one.”
She is whispering, so I am guessing she is doing this against someone’s orders.
“I saw who took Elise. She was sold last in the auction, but I caught a glimpse of the man that bought her before he went to his car.” She is cut off as a man’s voice comes in the background. “Yes, sir, I’ll be just a moment!” she shouts, probably to her new owner.
“I gotta go. It was Alexander Croff who took her. I really hope you find her, Luca. She was really scared before she was bought. And she told me to call you when I got the chance. Good luck! I hope you’re not too late,” she hastily whispers before she hangs up the phone.
I stand in the middle of the room in shock, not knowing how to feel. Alexander has her. He has her this whole time, and he has smugly lied to my damn face. He has her, and I have been there. She has been in the same house as me, and I haven’t even
known it.
I can feel my rage boiling up to the surface. I turn to Matteo.
“Ready my room in the catacombs!” I growl to Matteo.
I hastily step out of the room. Romelo is right on my heels, as well as Nicolai. The catacombs are where I do all my killings. Where I torture and drain the life from my enemies and victims. And Alexander is going to be my next victim. The smug bastard has had my wife the whole time.
There is no telling how much abuse Elise has endured at his hands. A horrible feeling makes me sick to my stomach just thinking about it. Elise. I hope I’m not too late.
“Luca, what’s going on?” Romelo asks behind me.
I don’t even turn around to respond.
“Alexander has her. He had her the whole time.”
Romelo is silent. He doesn’t have to say anything more. He knows what I am thinking. I have to get to Elise. And I am going to murder that bastard. In the worst way I know how. And I am going to fucking love every single second of it.
Chapter 42
Elise
“Rocco, get down!” I look up as Eli shouts at his dog for what seems like the thousandth time now. Rocco is a golden Lab with the most energy I have ever seen in a dog.
The storm has been going on for three days. I have met Eli’s dog the next morning I have been here, and he absolutely loves being near me. I think he can sense the hormone levels in my body and that there is currently a baby brewing inside of me. He even comes to my room and sleeps on the end of my bed.
“It’s okay, he just wants some love.” I smile at Eli.
He has been nothing short of a gentleman since I’ve been here, and I actually believe him when he says he wants nothing but to help me. I sometimes catch him watching me, but not in a lustful way. There is pity in his eyes. He is the one that tends to my scars and bruises, and each time he does that, I can see the pity lurking beneath his eyes. I don’t want his pity.
I want this storm to stop so I can get off this mountain. I need to see a doctor as soon as possible to check for any problems I may have due to my time with Alexander.
