Someone cleared a throat behind us. We broke apart. Taking in Rayden’s wet hair and bare feet, I realized he’d also taken a shower. Like me, he was wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt that looked two sizes too big for him. We moved to the table. Lorenzo sat at the head with Remo on the other end of the six-seater. I took the seat closer to Lorenzo and when Rayden slid into the seat next to me, Lorenzo shook his head.
“Here.” He pointed to the chair next to him and opposite me.
What the fuck?Did he think we were going to plan our escape if we sat together? Noticing my scowl, Lorenzo lifted a brow. I ignored him and watched Rayden walk around the table.
“You’re limping, Ray, what happened?” Panic squeezed my lungs as my thoughts turned chaotic with what they must’ve done to him.
“It’s nothing. Just a little stiff.”
Even though his smile appeared genuine, I didn’t believe him. “Are you sure?” He nodded. I turned to Lorenzo. “Would you mind if I checked his leg?”
Instead of an answer, he pointed to the food. “Eat.”
“You made pizza, Renz?” Remo chuckled, a far cry from his usual sullen behavior and constant smirk. “What gives?”
I caught Rayden’s surprised look as he glanced at Lorenzo who said, “shut the fuck up and eat, Remo.”
Still laughing, Remo helped himself to a slice and curious I asked, “you cook, Lorenzo?” He began eating. Offended by his dismissal for the second time, I glowered at him. When he continued to ignore me, I reached for a slice. After two bites, I had to say something. “Wow. This is good.”
“Yeah. When it comes to traditional Italian pizza, you can’t beat my brother.” Remo mumbled between bites.
There was no response from Lorenzo until Rayden reached for a second slice and he asked, “how’s the pizza?”
I stopped chewing. Like what the fuck? Was I invisible?
As if sensing my irritation, Rayden offered me a placating smile before answering, “It’s good, thank you.”
“Just good?” Remo snorted.
“Best pepperoni pizza I’ve tasted.” I wasn’t sure if Rayden was trying to buy our captor’s kindness until Lorenzo’s response.
“No more escape attempts then?”
Rayden nodded, avoiding my gaze. Okay. So, shit had gone down and I knew nothing. Rayden tried to escape. Was that how he hurt his leg? I cleared my throat to get his attention, but he didn’t look at me.
Annoyed, I turned on Lorenzo. “How long do you plan on keeping us here?” the words rushed out, a lot harsher than I intended.
He dropped his half-eaten slice onto his plate and glared at me. “What makes you think you’re returning home?”
That got Rayden’s attention and another annoying laugh from Remo. “What about our families?” Rayden asked, lowering the glass he’d been drinking from. “They’ll be looking for us if we don’t call. My father’s well known. He might stir up trouble if he doesn’t hear from me.” I could hear the panic in his voice, and I wasn’t sure mentioning his father was a good idea.
Neither it seemed, did Remo. “Are you saying we should fear your father, boy,” he sneered.
Swallowing, Rayden shook his head. I watched him try to mask his emotions. “I just...” he trailed off, dropping his gaze to his plate, his shoulders visibly sagging as he paid attention to his fingers in his lap.
My heart went out to him and I had no idea how to make him feel better. This was all my fault. If I hadn’t allowed him to help me, none of this would’ve happened. I looked up and was baffled to see Lorenzo watching Rayden. If I didn’t know any better, I was sure he liked Rayden. Was that even possible?
He scraped back his chair and pointed to Rayden’s leg. “Let me take a look.” Rayden blinked, glanced at me then shook his head. “Now, boy,” his stern command had Rayden stretching out his leg. I watched as Lorenzo lifted and rested it on his thigh. He examined the ankle before looking up. “Is it sore when I touch here?” he asked, running his fingers from the toes to ankle.
Rayden winced. “A little.”
Lorenzo massaged his foot. “It’s not swollen and there’s no discoloration. You probably just twisted it.”
“Serves him fucking right for jumping that wall,” Remo mocked.
Suddenly irritated, I got up without excusing myself and headed for my room. I hated being kept in the dark and I was sure my presence wouldn’t be missed. Pacing the floor for a full minute, I stopped in the center, scanning the room like I’d done a hundred times since being locked in. White walls and ceilings, thick dark carpet, and floor-to-ceiling windows which right now overlooked a large pool that glittered in the moon’s reflection. In the distance beyond, tiny yellow and white lights dotted the horizon, hinting at a city or suburb. I had no fucking clue where we were and that further irritated me. Raking a hand through my hair, my frantic gaze searched for a way out even though I knew it was a waste of time. I puffed out my cheeks in frustration and entered the bathroom not bothering to find an escape route.
When I exited the bathroom, I froze, my eyes meeting frigid blue ones across the floor. Hands folded over his chest, legs wide, Lorenzo stood next to the bed, his face an unreadable mask yet the rigid stance of his body told me he wasn’t happy. Chills slithered through every bone, the back of my neck tingling with that threatening stare, cold and devoid of emotion.
