Gaia
The asshole who had followed me was not as clandestine as he’d thought he was. He stuck out like a sore thumb on my school campus. He was old enough to be a teacher but bigger and far more broody than any of the prim gentleman who taught at my school. He was sexy, too, if you were into the rugged daddy sort. He’d already caught himself some admirers, but it was not lost on me that he’d solely been watching me for a few days. I’d pretended not to notice, but I could see that he was getting restless. There was no doubt he wanted something. He didn’t look interested in me, which was pretty offensive at first, but he actually looked slightly bored. I was supposed to be teaching my last class but had asked a substitute to fill in. I hung around the hallway behind the fire escape, waiting. I assumed he would do the same thing he did every day: walk to the parking lot during my last lesson and wait by his SUV. To get there, he had to walk through the hall.
When I heard his footfalls coming toward me, I held my position. When he reached the door, I jumped out from my hiding place, catching him by surprise. I held a knife to his throat, but not for long. He gripped my hand, the knife slipping from it and falling to the ground. He gripped my arm and spun me around, caught me by the waist, and dragged me outside. I beat on his torso, shouting, and when he placed a palm over my mouth, I bit him hard.
“Fuck, you bit me.” He growled, still holding on to me by the waist. I wriggled and kicked him hard in the knee with my heel. His grip loosened, and I ran. He easily caught up to me as I ran toward my car. Halting suddenly, I turned toward him, another pocket knife drawn.
“You stay away from me,” my voice shook, looking at the size of him. I’d killed men in my life, but this one was a beast. There was a darkness in his eyes that I recognized.
He stalked toward me, unfazed by the knife in my hand. He reached forward and gripped my wrist, squeezing slightly, until I dropped my second knife that day. “Now will you listen? He growled.
“Let go of me.” I hissed, pulling his knuckles toward me, biting down again. Instead of releasing me, he twisted my hand painfully behind my back. “I have your brother. Come quietly, and I won’t kill him.”
I kicked a leg back, and it landed on his shin.
“Fuck! You’re a little animal, aren’t you?”
With those words, he released me and stalked to his vehicle, rubbing his hand. I had two choices, get in my car and get the fuck away from here, or believe him, and go with him which could likely get me killed. He turned and flung something toward me, it landed at my feet. I picked it up and started walking toward the brute because he’d thrown my brother’s ring, one I’d had made especially for him.
He insisted on blindfolding me.
“This is so fucking dumb!” I shouted.
We drove for at least an hour, his music blaring. He took a call from someone who I assumed was in charge of this whole thing.
“Where are you taking me?” I yelled over the music. “I’ll have you know my father is a very powerful man.”
“You’ll see when you get there.” He laughed. ‘And your father is a little bitch.”
“Turn that noise off. It’s bad enough you’re taking me against my will, I shouldn’t have to be subjected to your sucky music as well.”
“Sucky? What are you, ten?”
“Fuck off.” I spat.
He groaned, and I knew it was taking everything in him not to react.
We eventually came to a stop, and I heard the sound of a gate opening. I knew that sound well, it was a sound I heard every single day. We drove for a couple of minutes, then he stopped. I heard a door open and close, then the one I was leaning against opened, causing me to fall sideways until he caught me. He steadied me and removed my blindfold.
“Welcome home, princess,”He motioned to the mansion in front of me. I stood at the foot of the building, looking up at it. It was stark white Victorian, three stories tall. There were white columns and large windows overlooking the well-manicured lawns. Dual staircases led to a large patio. I’d never been to this place before.
“Where am I? Where’s my brother?”
“Home, for now.” He said sarcastically. “Come on, no red carpet here.”
I followed, wanting nothing more than to slit the man's throat. He led me into a huge entry hall. Fancy paintings hung on the walls, a round table sat in the center. We walked into another foyer, not much smaller than the one we’d just exited. Spiral staircases led to the top floors. There was dark wood paneling everywhere, the exterior Victorian style continuing inside. It was like a fancy hotel. Not impressive at all.
My eyes landed on the black grand piano that stood in the center of the room. In any other scenario, my fingers should ache to trail over the keys.
“I want to see my brother.” I turned to the man beside me.
“If it was up to me, you’d be tied and gagged with that mouth on you, but follow me.” He took the stairs two at a time, and I followed. I did as I was told, hoping that I’d see Gabe at the end of all this. Was he okay? Had they been torturing him? I would kill them all if they had hurt him.
He stopped outside a room then he opened the door.
“Just wait here until one of us comes to get you.”
“Wait, what the hell? You said you were taking me to my brother.”
“I didn’t, I just told you to follow me. Big difference, sweetheart.” His cocky attitude made me want to slam my fist into his face. I doubted that would end well for me, so I took a deep breath and turned away from him. The door closed, and I stared out at the grounds through the large windows. What the hell did these people want from us?
