CHAPTER 6: RUN!

CHAPTER 6: RUN!

[SOFIA]

As I walked behind the guard, I bit my lips, trying to stay in control of my emotions. I was angry at my father and the man he had trusted to protect me. The very man who had turned out to be nothing but a monster.

And yet, beneath that anger was a deep, aching regret. I had left the United States for Italy without informing the one person I’d longed my whole life to meet; my father. If only I had known what was waiting for me here. If only I had seen the signs…

I was led to a dark room, and I stepped in as soon as the guard held the door open for me. I was surprised to see him come in after me and shut the door.

“You look as good as you'd taste” he had said.

I had no idea what was about to happen, yet a surge of fear swept through me and I had edged backwards.

Suddenly, he was above me, clamping my mouth shut with one hand and unbuckling his belt with the other. I screamed, or at least I tried to, but it ended up coming out as muffled cries.

And so I was fuckin’ grateful when Lucas broke into the room, but received the biggest shock of my life when he pulled out a pistol and gunned the guard down without thinking twice. Then, he grabbed me by the hand and led me out of the room.

•••••••••••••••••

My mind spinned from the scenario that happened out minutes ago, and as I dutifully followed Lucas to wherever he was leading me to, my hand in his, I was still reeling from the shock of what had just happened. I had no idea how Lucas seemed so normal, like he hadn’t just committed murder.

We got to another door a few meters down the hallway, and Lucas paused to bring out a bunch of keys from his breast pocket. He unlocked the door and pulled me in roughly by hand.

He shut the door firmly, locking it and tossing the keys back into his pocket.

Then, he suddenly became restless, pacing about the room, casting quick glances at me all the while, like he was unsure of what to do next with me.

“Why?” I asked suddenly, startling him.

He turned to stare straight at me. “What?”

“Why?” I asked again. “Why did you shoot him?”

He gave a short dry laugh. “Why did I shoot him?”

“You could’ve chosen to punish him somehow, you didn’t have to shoot him. You just killed someone,” I said.

“Well that goes to show that I've got zero patience for people who betray me,” he replied, his tone so icily cold that I felt myself shudder.

I willed myself to speak, to give him a response, but I was tongue-tied. I walked to the leather seat by the bed and sat down.

“I don’t know if I can trust any of these boys anymore with you, so you just stay here for now. I’ll come and make routine checks on you, to be sure you’re fine,” he said, walking to the door and unlocking it. “And I’m sure I don't need to warn you not to make a funny move, do I?”

I nodded as he walked out, locking the door. My mind raced as I thought about how much Lucas had changed. Barely three days ago, he had looked at me with such raw desire. He had made me feel wanted and seen in that hotel room as he had sex with me.

But now? All I could see was a dangerous, ruthless man who wielded the powers he had without the slightest taint of mercy. He hadn’t even acknowledged what had happened between us, hadn’t said a thing about it, and then it dawned on me that I was trapped. Damn it! I was trapped with someone I couldn't even recognize.

Fear filled me as I realized that I couldn't stay here any longer. I knew it was risky to try to escape but I couldn't bear the thought of hoping to be protected by the same man who could pull the trigger at me at the slightest opportunity.

Not with what I'd already witnessed. I rose to my feet and began to pace the room, thinking of a means of escape.

My eyes caught the bedsheets and an idea sprung up in my head. I grabbed the bedsheets, knotted them together and tied one end to the mahogany table by the window, and tossed the other end outside the window. I spotted a small pocket knife on the desk and quickly tucked it into my pocket.

Within minutes, I was already making my way out of the window and down the bedsheets.

My legs barely held me, but somehow I found my way down.

“Boss!” Someone cried out as soon as my feet hit the ground.

I glanced up to see one of Lucas' men peering down at me from the open window. Panic seized me and I took off, running towards the cluster of trees at the edge of the vast property.

I kept running, gathering as much strength as I could, looking back at random to be sure no one was after me. Just before I disappeared into the woods, I looked back again and found Lucas standing at a window I had just gotten out of. His arms were folded as he watched me from above.

He was quiet, and he gave no reactions, neither did he yell at me. He just stood there with his lips set in a tight, hard line, and that stillness scared me more than I ever imagined.

I kept myself on the run, increasing my pace as much as I could. I had no idea why Lucas had seemed so chill, but I sure as hell knew that I had to escape because there was no telling what he would do to me if he finally caught me.

It wasn't long before I heard loud shouts behind me and I knew that Lucas had sent his men after me. I increased my pace, ignoring the burn of my lungs.

Hide! A thought crossed my mind.

Immediately, I spotted a large tree deep in the woods, and I quickly ducked behind it, blending into the shadows. My heart pounded heavily, holding my breath as I made a silent prayer. Within minutes, the men breezed past me, oblivious to my presence.

I heaved a sigh of relief, struggling to catch my breath.

Now, what was next? I wondered to myself. How was I supposed to find my way out of a place I wasn't familiar with?

I didn't wait too long to figure out my next line of action as I stepped out from the shadows, my sandals in my hand..

Then, I felt a gentle tap on my shoulder.

I froze as a large palm clamped over my mouth from behind. I tried to scream but in one swift movement, a dark sack was placed over my head.

“Your time is up.” A low husky voice chuckled