I just stare at him as his eyes roam down and up my body before he whistles, ‘damn you look hot.’
I suck in a breath through my nose. If I wasn’t still traumatized by the flash back of him holding a knife to my throat I would snap the harsh word clouding my mind. But I know better not to poke the psycho.
‘How about a long time no see?’ he tilts his head to one side.
Okay I give up trying to keep peace, ‘how about you move your car and let pedestrians walk in peace,’
He chuckles, ‘that’s the plan,’ he steps away from the door, ‘why don’t you step in?’
‘I am in the middle of something.’ My brain companions give me a thumps up for my calm voice.
‘Come on it won’t hurt,’ he lifts his eyebrows. Translation, it would hurt more if they have to force me inside. A chill a rushes through me the same moment a lump hedges itself in my throat. Alex gestures to the car with the manner of a gentleman.
I grab the strap of my purse as I step forward. Each steps feeling like a darkness is closing over me. Well I can’t say the inside of the car is well lit and illuminated. I flinch when Alex hold my arm to help me into the car and gasp out loud when I do sit and turn to meet Luther’s malevolent smile. Okay maybe not really malevolent, but I am a freaked out woman right now.
Charli turns to offer me a small greeting smile from the driver’s seat and I don’t know what is wrong with me because I nod in return. Alex slides into the passenger seat and Charli immediately gets the car back on the road.
‘I have to say the way you look Heather makes me want to get someone pregnant as well.’ Alex says from the front seat while I am inching away from Luther. He is a quiet rough one like Charli and from what I have studied the quiet ones are the most ruthless.
‘Oh shut up Lex.’ Charli grows, ‘the thought of you breeding makes me want to reach for a pistol.’
Luther snickers beside me.
‘But aren’t you curious if you are able to?’
Charli glances at him, ‘I don’t mind dropping you in the middle of the high way.’
‘If you don’t mind taking over my job.’
Charli doesn’t say anything else.
‘Boss will give your position to Julian as a punishment.’ Luther says and the sound of his voice or maybe I am just surprised that he can speak at all, makes me flinch each time.
‘If he can see past the little bastard’s smart mouth.’ Alex counters.
I start taking deep breaths to calm my racing heart. Please circular medical procedure you got to work right now. Breathe in, breathe out. I close my eyes and try to drown everything out. I don’t think a full blown panic attack is good for my current condition. I continue my little procedure with my eyes closed as they continue on with casual banter as if they just didn’t kidnap a six months pregnant woman- like its ever day patrol for them.
I can feel my mind slipping away from the present and it’s like I am opening pages upon pages of happy memories. There is even a song in the background, and it always starts with the camping trip. I see myself laugh freely. Smiling faces around me. The times when I could walk down the street and no bad rich pyscho knew that I existed.
Then the picture changes, I am running towards an inviting field of yellow flowers. There are plenty of them everywhere. Soon my body is half emerged by sturdy green stalks and yellow blossoms. I stretch my arms and do a spin. When my spin ends and my gaze returns to where I had been facing, there is a darkness that is quickly closing in, like the darkness that comes when a heavy dark cloud comes to chase the sun away.
The flowers bend their head and begin to wither before thunder claps above me. I immediately start to look for shelter but it’s too late, the air is permeated with rain. Heavy drops start falling. I cover my head with my hands and pause when I see a red stain at the sleeve of my dress. I bring my hand down to wipe the stain away and it only makes it worse.
I bring both my hands to my face. They are both covered in blood. I gasp in horror. It’s not raining water, but blood.
My eyes snap open and I gasp loudly as I sort of jump out of my dream. I am still in the car, beside Luther, Alex glances at me with a worried scowl that looks so wrong on him I should call the cops. I was dreaming; it was a dream. I glance out the window, the sky hasn’t changed much.
I sag against my seat the same moment Luther hands me a bottle of water. I look at it distrustfully. Luther rolls his eyes
‘We won’t be stupid to hurt you Heather while Boss is in a grand daddy frenzy okay.’
My heart screeches to a halt. Oh crap—they are taking me to Mr. Abiwu. For a crazy moment I consider the guys in the car with me. Can I negotiate anything with them?
The ride to the house is very long and really quiet. I suppose these guys have got nothing to say to each other. And yes it’s another different house, maybe bigger than the last I say him, that would be four months ago. Its walled and two stories. It looks like a laid back suburban neighborhood with a stillness and quietness that maybe be bordering towards boredom.
I stare at the streets as the electric gate slowly opens and Charli is drumming his fingers on the steering impatiently. The houses are all the same ridiculously big structures with a hint of old money stretch down the streets with no sign of human life prancing around.
I guess the walls around the houses suggest that the people here do not move around that much. Charli sighs in relief as he finally gets the car into the yard and the gate surprisingly closes fast like there is a chase. Clever I note.
I didn’t expect anything less than the big French doors and wide porch with round stylish pillars. The property is actually bigger than what is seen from the outside. A neat pretty lawn that has me longing to go and sprawl my limps on the fresh looking grass stretches from the gate all the way to the front of the house. Stopping only where the pavement and driveway starts. Then there are the vases and plots of flowers surrounding the house. Windows that seem too good to even imagine looking through from.
Just how many houses does this man own and this is the best of all the abodes I have found him so far. Charli parks the car alongside the others that are there. I am thinking this is the parking area or open garage?
I don’t realise that my mouth is open until Alex opens my door and takes my hand. I flinch at the contact but he doesn’t let go until he pulls me out of the car and closes the door. I finally manage to stop drooling at the surroundings and bring my eyes to his face, not sure whether to glare or scream in terror. Well this is the Alex after all.
‘Come on.’ He swings his arm around my shoulders, I flinch again as he leads me towards the house behind Charli and Luther who are marching towards it like the two dark princes. Not like the kidnappers that they are.
I mean come on, kidnappers are tacky desperate people looking for a ransom. These kidnapping stereotypes of three hot dudes who walk like they own the world are only found in films and novels.so in conclusion, my life is a novel. The front door opens before Charli has the liberty of knocking and reveals a middle aged woman who flashes gentle smiles at them.
‘Master Charli, Master Luther, welcome.’
‘Hello Gertrude.’ Charli nods at her as he strides in, Luther does the same.
Master?
‘Master Alex!’ Gertrude’s smile falters a little when her eyes land on me. Well I think they don’t bring kidnapees here very often.
‘Gertrude.’ Alex says holding me closer and I am for a second tempted to stamp on his foot, ‘please meet Heather, Master Taylor’s wife.’
Gertrude’s eyes bulge out followed by a gasp and I think that smile means that she is happy to see me? ‘Oh welcome, it’s an immense pleasure to meet you Madam.’
I can’t say the same? But my tongue is too thickly glued at the roof of my dry mouth.
‘Heather had quite a day.’ Alex’s hand comes to my tummy and I swat it away before I give him a glare.
Gertrude gasps again, ‘oh dear, please come in and I will organize something to get you comfortable.’
Alex nods at her as he ushers me inside, his arm still possessively around my shoulders. I try to shake his arm of but it’s a weak protest because the interior of the house is equally bewitching as the exterior. This could be a little palace all on its own. It’s spacious, warm colors and something I would easy find in those furniture magazines. It’s weird that I am liking this place. But I don’t think anyone could help falling in love with such beautiful taste in home decorating.
‘Come on and have a seat.’ Alex’s voice is all gentle and sounds caring I have to remind myself that I am being kidnapped over here. He leads me to a sofa and pushes me down. I don’t protest, for one I am tired and two I am still being bewitched by the house I am in.
Alex moved away from me and sits on another couch at my right side while Gertrude returns with a tray of refreshments and flashes me a gentle smile I do not return. But she doesn’t seem fazed.
‘They will be down in a minute.’ Gertrude tells Alex who nods and takes a glass of drink from the tray. She turns to me and hands me a glass, ‘is there anything I can get you?’
I want to say- if you can get me out of here and drive me back to reality I would surely appreciate it, but I doubt the woman would be convincible to betray her masters and all that. Does she call Mr. Abiwu Master Rolland? He would be a great uncle too if he weren’t the leader of the clan.
‘No its fine.’ I respond to Gertrude who is still patiently waiting for an answer.
She smiles warmly at me before leaving the room.
It’s just so—wrong of a personality like her to be here. There is something different about this house. Because it almost feels normal. And Mr. Abiwu doesn’t do normal. I know.
‘How do you like the place?’ Alex’s voice startles me out of my thoughts, I look at him while my fingers are squeezing the glass in my hand, ‘what? No retorts or smart come backs?’
I take a deep breath, ‘I am working on it.’
He chuckles, ‘would it be weird if I say that I kind of missed you?’
I nod, ‘yeah it would be weird.’ I say, ‘didn’t you have anyone to kidnap for a while?’
He sips his drink, ‘no unfortunately no one was misbehaving enough—I’ve been miserable.’
‘Surely there are other ways a psycho path can be entertained?’
He shrugs, ‘I suppose, do you have anything in mind?’
I narrow my eyes at him, ‘I will think of something.’
Seriously what am I doing here?
Moments later I literally hear footsteps coming this way. I am not sure from where. I sit straighter and put the glass down before it breaks in my hand. Alex himself, sits back on the couch and lifts his legs on top of the other one. I think he is mocking me.
I remove my eyes from him and my eyes collide with Mr. Abiwu’s the same moment he is stepping into the living room with three great uncles behind him. My jaw drops open when Julian walks in after Mr. Abiwu pulling the front of his jacket down. He gives me a small smile and proceeds to sit with the other uncles that would be Luther and Charli.
I can’t resist studying the four great uncles here together in one place and I am trying to remember their positions in the family tree. Mr. Abiwu is the oldest, followed by Charli, then Luther, Alex then Julian. Okay that picture is going to be eternally embedded into my brain I am sure.
And I should say it’s very comfortable here being in this large rich room surrounded by five ruthless men and a maid who walks around with a gentle peaceful smile on her face as if she is not serving the devil in hell.
‘Heather.’ Mr. Abiwu speaks, his gaze pinning me in the spot instantly, I hate it that he looks like Taylor even though he is the old darker version, ‘welcome to my home.’
The uncles bend their heads in what seems like a bow or a nod or whatever, because I really don’t care right now. Air is rushing out of my lungs pretty fast I think I’m going to faint and if collapsing doesn’t come I may have a heart attack or both. Whichever comes first?