Chapter Thirty-Four
As I slowly opened my eyes, the haze of sleep still clouded my mind. I tried to lift my head, but a dull ache resonated through my skull, making me wince. Groggily, I attempted to sit up, but a sharp jolt rocked me back down. Confusion swirled in my disoriented brain as I struggled to comprehend my surroundings.
My blurred vision gradually cleared, revealing an unfamiliar ceiling mere inches above my face. Panic set in as I realized I wasn’t in my bed, nor was I in a room I recognized. The air was thick with the scent of worn leather and stale air, a far cry from the familiar comforts of my own space.
Instinctively, I tried to stretch, extending my arms and legs to shake off the remnants of slumber. But my body was met with resistance, confined by the cramped quarters of… a vehicle? The jolts and bumps I felt were not from a bed, but from the motion of a car driving on a rough road.
My mind raced as I scrambled to piece together the events leading up to this moment. How did I end up here? Where was “here”? The questions swirled in my head like a maelstrom, but answers eluded me.
With each bump and jolt, my body bounced up and down, my head hitting the ceiling with a dull thud. The discomfort and disorientation only added to my growing alarm. I strained to hear any sounds that might provide a clue, but the only noises were the hum of the engine, the creaking of the vehicle’s suspension, and the occasional whoosh of passing air.
Fear crept in, its icy tendrils wrapping around my heart. I tried to call out, but my dry throat produced only a faint croak. My voice was hoarse, as if I had been screaming for hours. The more I struggled to remember, the more my head spun.
Time seemed to stretch and compress, leaving me lost in a haze of confusion and fear. The only constant was the relentless motion of the vehicle, carrying me further and further away from the familiar comforts of my life.
As I struggled to sit up, my body protested with a wave of dizziness, but I persisted, driven by a primal urge to know who shared this confinement with me. My gaze fluttered around the cramped space, slowly adjusting to the dim light. The vehicle’s interior came into focus, revealing the worn seats and faded upholstery of a mini bus.
My mind reeled as I realized I had been laid across the last row of seats, my legs splayed awkwardly across the narrow aisle. The memories of how I got there remained shrouded in darkness, but my instincts screamed that something was terribly wrong.
As I strained to see beyond the seats in front of me, my heart raced with trepidation. Two figures, clad in black, sat with their backs to me, their silhouettes ominous against the faint light filtering through the windows. My gaze locked onto the gleaming metal of their weapons guns held casually in their hands, knives bulging from their pockets.
A gasp escaped my lips, loud and involuntary, as my brain struggled to process the danger that surrounded me. The sound echoed through the mini bus, shattering the silence. The two men snapped their heads around, their eyes locking onto me with an unnerving intensity.
Time froze as our gazes met, their faces etched with a mixture of surprise and calculation. My heart hammered in my chest, threatening to burst free. The air seemed to vibrate with tension, heavy with the weight of unknown intentions. I felt like a small prey, trapped and vulnerable, as the men’s eyes bore into me like cold, calculating blades.
My mind raced with thoughts of desperation and fear, “What have I gotten myself into?” I silently screamed, my thoughts echoing off the walls of my own mind. The two men in black, their faces stern and unforgiving, glared at me with an unspoken warning. “Cooperate with us if you want to come out of this less injured,” one of them growled, their Italian accent thick and menacing.
My thoughts swirled with questions, “What do they mean? Will they really spare me if I cooperate? No, they’ll hurt me anyway,” I tried to reassure myself, but the uncertainty was suffocating. I was trapped, with no escape from these armed and dangerous men.
As they turned back to face the front, their silence was oppressive, leaving me to my own thoughts. My mind wandered to Antonio , wondering if he was searching for me, if he was worried or angry. I thought of Charles, wondering if he had received my note, the note I came to pick, the note that got me into this mess and how these men had managed to infiltrate my home. I realized how much danger I had gotten myself into.
The sudden interruption from one of the men jolted me back to reality. “Miss, we will alight here. Try not to misbehave, follow orders, do not make any noise, or you are dead.” His deep Italian accent sent a chill down my spine.
I gazed out the window, only to find we had stopped at a desolate junction. “But this is just a junction!” I protested, my voice barely above a whisper. “Cooperate, young lady,” he repeated, his tone firm but laced with a hint of amusement.
I was nudged forward, the men following closely behind, their weapons at the ready. “Move, miss,” one of them directed, their eyes fixed on me like hawks. I stumbled forward, my legs trembling beneath me, as they guided me through the deserted junction, their grip on my arms like a vice.
The silence was oppressive, the only sound being the crunch of gravel beneath our feet. I was trapped in a nightmare, with no escape from these men and their sinister intentions. My heart raced with fear, my mind screaming for help, but my voice was silenced by the weight of their threats.
We trudged along, the silence between us oppressive, until we finally arrived at a dilapidated building. Its worn facade seemed to loom over me, casting a long shadow of dread. The men’s warnings still echoed in my mind, “Cooperate… ma’am can be very irritated… love your self, do as she says.” I turned around, hoping against hope that Antonio or even Charles would be lurking in the shadows, ready to rescue me. But my rational mind knew it was a futile wish. In fact, why would I expect Charles to rescue me, of course, the only reason he would rescue me is for me to continue my mission for him. What a jerk.
As we entered the building, I was met with a sight that made my jaw drop in shock. A woman, clad in a red, strapless dress that left little to the imagination, was engaged in a passionate embrace with a man. Their lips were locked in a fierce kiss, their bodies entwined as they moaned and gasped erotically in unison. The air was heavy with the scent of alcohol and desire.
My initial reaction was a whispered “Oh my God,” followed by a mutter “Horny bitch” as I forgot, for a moment, the precarious situation I was in. But as the couple finally became aware of our presence, my eyes locked onto the woman’s face, and my mind reeled in shock. I recognised her. It was… “What the fuck” was all I could manage to say, my voice barely above a whisper.
Time seemed to freeze as I struggled to process this unexpected revelation. The woman’s eyes, once locked onto mine, narrowed, her expression a mix of achievement and happiness . The man, still holding her close, looked at me with a mixture of confusion and hostility. The two men who had abducted me stood behind me, their presence a stark reminder of my captivity. I felt like a pawn in a twisted game, with no idea of the rules or the players involved.
Reina’s smile grew wider as she approached me, her arms open for a hug. “Oh my darling, look who we have here. I missed you so much, and I know you miss me too.” Her voice was laced with sarcasm, and her eyes gleamed with malice.Text © 2024 NôvelDrama.Org.
I recoiled from her touch, my face twisted in disgust. “I hate you,” I spat, my voice low and venomous.
Reina’s smile never wavered. “I know, honey,” she purred, her hand flashing out to deliver a stinging slap to my face.
I stumbled back, my cheek burning, and my anger boiling over. I pushed her away, my face inches from hers. “What do you want from me? Can you just let me go? I’m not ready to give in to a crazy prostitute like you!” I screamed, my words dripping with contempt.
The men who had abducted me took a step forward, their faces dark with intent, but Reina’s laughter stopped them. “Hitting her would be a waste of time, my great men. Leave her to me.” She gulped the alcohol from the bottle, her eyes never leaving mine. “I want you to leave my Antonio alone. He’s mine and mine alone.” She punctuated her words by poking her chest with a bony finger, her eyes flashing with a mad, possessive gleam.
My anger and disgust boiled over. “Oh really, coming from a person who was making out with a guy just a few minutes ago? You’re a desperate and shameless thing,” I snapped, my words laced with venom.