I didn’t even look, only turned and sprayed. He cried out and I thrust my foot into his stomach, sending him to the ground. There were at least ten men descending on me, and I broke off into a run, heading for an opening between two of the cars.
I made it only two steps before hands were on me, but I didn’t stop.
The driver of the car that had followed me slid out to block the small opening between the cars I was aiming for.
He was tall with broad shoulders and an imposing aura, but I was too busy struggling against the hands on me to notice anything else.
I managed to spray one of the men touching me as I cried out for help. It was futile, I knew, but I wasn’t going to stop.
A slam of my foot into someone’s crotch, twisting, refusing to go calmly.
I would not go calmly into the night.
I’d trained my body, strengthened it for that moment, but there were so many of them.
The mouth of the man in front of me twisted into a smirk as he watched.
I’d thrown one man off me when a cloth was pressed over my mouth. My eyes went wide as I tried not to breathe in, still fighting.
The imposing figure stepped forward but with each step, whatever was in the cloth began to pull me under. My arms were locked, held out on each side as another man held me by the waist. One of my knees was kicked out from under me, and I slumped in the arms holding me. My vision turned fuzzy when he got close enough for me to see his face.
His hand wrapped around my neck, forcing me to look up at him. I continued to struggle, but my limbs had become sluggish and I knew they’d won.
The only thing I saw was a deep scar—and silver eyes that stared deep into mine.
“Nighty night, princess,” he hissed condescendingly.
The last of my strength left me, and I was unable to fight sleep anymore.
I was cold. So cold. That was the only thought I had as I began to shake the sleep that had ahold of me. More awareness surfaced and something strange kept me from clenching my teeth—soft, malleable, but solid.
I drew in a sharp breath hindered by what had to be a cloth in my mouth. Panic sent adrenaline surging through me and I sat up, only to fail and flop back to the cold ground.
Something sharp dug into my wrists when I tried to move my arms, which were locked behind me while my legs were bound together at my ankles.
I didn’t recognize the building, but it was obvious it hadn’t been in use for years, as evident by the layers of debris in my limited view.
The darkness made it difficult to see much, even with the moonlight, and my eyes had trouble adjusting. What little light there was streamed in through cracks from what I assumed to be windows and a large overhead skylight. The air was cool, damp, and so still that it stifled a scream that wanted to erupt from behind my bindings.
There were low murmurs in the darkness and the feeling of being watched, but I couldn’t see into the blackness of the shadows.
My heart slammed, breath coming out in harsh pants as I struggled against my bindings.
Cold steel bars surrounded me, no more than a five- or six-inch gap between them. Being tied up was horrible enough, but being caged sent my panic into overdrive.
Every inch of me was shaking. A combination of fear, anxiety, and cold seeped through every layer down to my very cells. Every nightmare or scary thought and every horror movie that involved kidnapping ran through my mind, giving me highlights of what was in store for me.
My breath picked up and it was a struggle to keep from hyperventilating as I fought against my restraints.
“She’s awake,” a voice said from the dark. A figure stepped out from the black, into the moonbeam, and I stared, wide-eyed, at the man in front of me. His hair was dark, the color of oil, but his eyes shone bright and blue. His features were soft, calming almost, and in high contrast to my surroundings.
I managed to get myself up into a sitting position and I noticed how much my knees ached.
“Shh. Don’t worry, everything’s going to be okay, I promise. I’m Roman.” He had a kind face and strong features that didn’t seem to hold an ounce of malice, which confused me. What was he doing there?
I couldn’t say anything in response, the gag making it hard to swallow, let alone speak. Even so, I could feel the chattering of my teeth.
With his hand he beckoned me forward. “Come on, it’s okay. I just want to help.”
With each inch I scooted closer, my body shook even harder, almost vibrating. He slipped his hands through the bars and I flinched, my eyes slamming shut as I froze in anticipation. There was no slap or hit, but rather a tug at the back of my head, then a pull, then relief as the gag was removed.
“Can you swing your legs around?” he asked as he flipped out a knife. The blood in my veins stopped, and I blinked at him. He stared back in confusion when I didn’t move, then gestured with the knife. “For the zip ties.”
Relief seeped in as I wiggled around, my feet closer to the bars. A quick swipe of the blade across the plastic and my legs relaxed down to the ground. They hurt, but it was a good pain.
He motioned for me to spin and I shuffled around, turning my back toward the bars and pushing my arms toward him. Another tug and there was a rush of pain in my shoulders as I drew my arms back in front of me.
“See? That’s better.” He smiled at me as he removed his hands.
I opened and closed my mouth, making circular motions with my lower jaw. “Thank you.” As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I regretted them. My parents had hammered manners into me, and if anyone ever did anything for you, a thank you was warranted, but I didn’t think I was in the situation they’d had in mind.
It felt so good to have the restraints off, even with the pain that came as blood flowed back into restricted areas and muscles and tendons released their stiffness.
He smiled at me. “You’re welcome.”
I opened my mouth to ask a question, but then closed it. A chill moved down my spine as I felt eyes on me.
“Stop talking to her,” a deep, gravelly voice said from the shadows behind Roman. It sent a shiver through me, and even the man before me froze.
In the darkness, a figure rose and stepped forward, the small amount of light illuminating a striking figure. Strong, hard lines made up his face, with full lips and dark eyebrows creating a shadow that made his silver eyes almost glow. The aura surrounding him screamed danger, and I couldn’t help but stare, unable to move a muscle.
He was the man from the bridge, the one who’d blocked my path.
Clashing against his handsome features was a long, thick scar that ran from the outside edge of his eye all the way down to the corner of his mouth, then moved back up, splitting his brow before tapering off on his forehead. It didn’t mar his beauty, but it did increase how menacing he looked.
My heart slammed in my chest as he continued farther into the light.
Roman backed away as the new man stepped forward.
“You’re probably wondering what’s going on, Ella,” he said.
I couldn’t help but nod, because I had no clue why anyone would want Ella Delgado. By calling me that, I realized they didn’t know who they really had.
“Please, let me go. I’m a nobody.”
He ignored me. “My name is Domenico, and I’m your new god. If I tell you to speak, you speak. If I tell you to suck my cock, you do it. Otherwise there are nasty consequences.”