Twenty. Five.
Did he just say twenty-five?
"Wha—"
"We're here," the driver announced, stopping the car and turning off the ignition, while I was still stuck on the fact that the guy sitting next to me, the guy that kidnapped me, is six years younger than me. Six. Years. And there I was, lusting after him, looking at his plump lower lip while he stared down at his phone.Oh my fuck.
I was lusting after a younger guy. A guy that was in Primary School when I was in the middle of College. A guy that looked like a freaking model, while I looked like a swamp monster on good days.
The doors opened on both sides, and as Nicolas tugged me out with him, only one thought kept flickering through my mind.
I was a cougar.
5
AJLA
Haveyou ever watched one of those movies where people had sprawling mansions in the middle of nowhere, with massive driveaways, a mix of Victorian and Gothic architecture, and their own butler? I had. And I always wondered what kind of a job someone had to afford something like that.
Now I knew—they were probably part of the mafia.
The man who’d sat on my left during the car ride, whose name I’d learned was Gio, pretty much dragged me through the house, up the stairs, and toward what was no doubt my prison. Nicolas was nowhere to be found after we got out of the car, but that didn't stop me from yelling as they dragged me inside or trying to fight them. It was futile, I knew, but I had to try.
I still had no idea what they wanted with me or why I was even here, and Nicolas's reassurances that they weren't going to kill me weren't enough to stop me from looking for an escape. Tonight, I wished I had enrolled in the special forces when my mom suggested it instead of going to the College for Business and Economics. But there was no time to wallow in self-pity and what-ifs. Not right now.
My eyes scanned every surface of the house, or the castle, which felt more accurate, trying to figure out the path to the front door, especially since they hadn't blindfolded me. Then again, they probably didn't bother because they knew I had nowhere to run. The moment we'd exited the car, I’d noticed the massive illuminated gates with guards stationed at the entrance. Even if I managed to escape this hellhole, there was no way I'd be able to climb those fences. And even if I did… where would I go?
There was nothing for miles around.
I understood why. If I were involved in some shady shit, I wouldn't want eyes on me either. I wondered if Nicolas's boss was somewhere close by. Maybe he was more reasonable than the fucker who’d taken me.
Gio led me to the last door on the second floor, at the very end of the hallway, his mammoth sized hand wrapped around my upper arm. But therewas no pressure this time. When they’d stopped me from leaving the restaurant, when they’d lifted me off the ground, I thought I was done for. Gio didn't exactly look like a teddy bear, especially with his size and shaved, tattooed head, but he also didn’t strike me as cruel for the sake of it.
"Am I going to die here, Gio?" I asked as we came to a stop in front of the door.
He took a deep breath, opened it, and led me inside without a word.
I tried to squash the disappointment in my chest. If I was a prisoner here, it would’ve been nice to have someone to just talk to. Someone who didn't want me dead.
Gio flipped on the lights, revealing the bedroom that was almost bigger than my entire apartment. A king-sized bed sat in the middle with a beige headboard and gray sheets, but it was the small nook right by the windows that caught my attention. If this were a different situation and if I hadn't been brought here against my will, I would've said that the little nook looked like a perfect place to just sit and enjoy a good book.
I didn't miss the fact that the room was barely decorated, or that there weren't any belongings lying around.
The exhaustion I hadn't known Icarried in my bones dragged me toward the bed. When I sat down, I finally looked up at Gio. "Could I get some water?" God, I just hoped they weren't planning on starving me. "Please?"
"Of course." He stepped closer. "And ma'am?—"
"Ajla."
A small smile played on his lips. "Ajla, you're not going to die. My boss might be many things, but he isn't the monster people make him out to be." Easy for him to say. "I'll bring you water. And a change of clothes."
I looked down, only then realizing I was still in my little black dress and heels that weren't made to be worn this long. I would’ve killed for a shower, but as I looked toward the open bathroom door, I couldn't bring myself to get up. I just wanted to disappear for a while. Close my eyes and pretend this was all a nightmare.
"Thank you, Gio. And… sorry for the scratches," I said, looking at the bright red marks on his neck. I knew I needed a manicure, but I hadn't realized I was capable of leaving such marks. "Heat of the moment and all."
"Don't worry," the giant laughed. "I've had worse."
I'm sure he did, but I still felt bad.