Chapter 2 - Maria
Kicking at the closed bedroom door, I yell as loud as I can, even though I know it isn’t going to achieve anything.
I’m sick and tired of sitting here doing nothing. I’m going crazy with boredom and frustration.
Less than a week ago, I was at home in Detroit. It’s where I’ve lived all my life with my brother, Misha. Until four days ago, when my entire world got flipped, confusingly upside-down.
I’ve known Artur for many years. Not so much in this last year, since he and my brother had some big falling out, but before that, they were best friends. Practically inseparable. He was always over at our house and seemed like part of the family.
But now the man has clearly lost his freaking mind.
He came into my bedroom, in my home in Detroit, and literally kidnapped me.
Misha was away for business, and somehow Artur managed to get past all the guards. He took me right out of my home and dragged me to Chicago.
He locked me up in this bedroom in what I assume is his mansion, and then that asshole justvanished.
I haven’t seen him since. I’ve been completely alone with one security guard delivering a plate of food twice a day.
That’s it.
I have no idea what I’m doing here, or what he wants from me.
I kick the door again and scream for Artur to let me out.
The first day I was locked in here, I screamed for hours. My throat was raw, and I was exhausted, but it didn’t achieveanything. When the guard came to bring me dinner, I begged and pleaded, but he didn’t say a word to me.
He never speaks. I can insult him, swear at him, be sweet as sugar, throw pillows at him…he hardly reacts at all.
Where the hell is Artur? What does he want with me?
The sound of the door unlocking has me leaping to my feet and standing at the foot of the bed, ready to try and communicate with the guard again. But to my surprise, when the door swings open, it’s Artur standing there.
My heart leaps into my throat as anger spikes through me.
“How dare you!” I shout, stomping my foot and fighting tears. Whenever I get really angry, I cry. It’s embarrassing because I want to look powerful or scary, but I just end up looking like a stupid girl with tears on her cheeks.
Artur smiles at me. Can you believe it? Hesmiles.It’s cold and unfriendly, but a smile nonetheless.
“How are you, Maria?” he asks, wandering into the room.
“How am I? Are you serious? I’m horrible. I’ve been kidnapped. I’ve been isolated for days. I’m going crazy, and I want to go home!”
He saunters over to me and stands right in front of me.Dammit, he’s tall.I have to crane my neck back to glare at him. He watches me with those coffee-brown eyes and his shaggy, dark chocolate-colored hair long enough to hang over his brows. He’s also beautiful. When he was friends with Misha, I had a massive crush on him. But that was then, and this is now. And right now, I’m so furious that it agitates me; my mind still wants to think of him as sexy.
I press my lips together and clench my fists.
“What do you want with me, Artur?” I snap, tearing my eyes from him.
He cups his hand beneath my chin and forces me to look at him.
My heartbeat quickens, and I huff, scrunching my nose and pulling a sour face when he won’t let me jerk my head away.
“You’re still so cute when you’re angry,” he taunts, the smile gone.
“My brother warned me about you,” I blurt out. “He told me you turned cruel and evil and that I should watch out for you.”
“Oh no, he warned you? Should I be offended?” he mutters, letting me go and turning his back on me.
