Four: Day One

She tried to read him. His eyes were cold, so much different from the time she saw her at the hall. He looked more like a businessman in a suit, but in a T-Shirt and jeans, he looked rouge, he had a gun which he laid on the table next to him.

She thought of her options. What would happen if she takes off her clothes in front of this criminal? Would she rather stay in her wedding gown that weighed a ton now and a cruel reminder of what an awful day she was having? What if he's a rapist? It would be harder for him to rape her if she stayed in that dress.

"I ... I think I'll change later," she said.

"Suit yourself," he sat back and didn't seem to have a care in the world.

"How long are we staying here?"

"It depends," he took a magazine and flipped through it.

"Depend on what?"

"I told you ... the less you know the better ... now just sit somewhere and be quiet, we're not here to chat, okay?"

She hesitantly sat on the edge of the bed. There was a mirror in front of her and she looked at the reflection. Her hair was a mess, her tiara was still on her head, her face was smudged with make-up. She looked like the bride of Frankenstein. Memories from the last moments at the house came flashing. The sound of the gunshot when that man shot her parents on their heads. The way their heads exploded and their bodies fell limp on the floor. And Armand ... she trembled and started to cry again. She was close to having a nervous breakdown.

The man exhaled deeply and handed her a napkin.

She took it. Her current situation was the only thing that kept her from breaking down. She needed to be strong because the ordeal wasn't over yet, not for her anyway. Her fate is now at the hands of this stranger that has yet to reveal what his motive was to kidnap her at the most crucial time of that day.

He turned on the TV. It was all over the news.

"The wedding of the century had turned into a bloodbath. The Lombardo / Montenero wedding that took place in Gastonburry was ambushed by a group of unknown gunmen who opened fire at the guests, eyewitnesses say. Gastonbury police are now conducting a massive investigation around the incident, isolating the location for forensic evidence and interviewing everyone who attended the party."

"So far we have received information that Alonzo Montenero and his wife Carlotta were among the deceased, also Veronica Lombardo was found dead at the scene. Cosimo Lombardo is now under high-security surveillance at a hospital, the details of his condition are not revealed by the police. They suspected that the ambush was an assassination order for the prominent mafia leaders and that the shooting was business-related."

Ariana covered her mouth, she didn't realize her in-laws were also shot.

"Armand Lombardo, the groom, was reportedly safe and is now being questioned by the police. He had shared information that his newlywed bride, Ariana Montenero Lombardo had been kidnapped by the group and a nationwide search will be launched to locate the missing bride."

They put a picture of her on the screen. A smiling picture of her from her pre-wedding photo. If anyone sees her now, no one would recognize her. The person in the picture was another version of her, a happier version that had no clue something like this was going to happen.

"Ten people are confirmed dead from the shooting and 25 injured, this is the biggest shooting that ever happened in Gastonburry history. We will follow up with more details of this ordeal as the story develops, stay tune."

He turned the TV off. He sat on the chair again and didn't say anything. She could see he was distraught by the news. People will be hunting for him.

"Why did they have to kill them?" she asked.

He rested his arms on his knees, he was looking down at the floor.

"If you let me go ... I won't tell anyone about you ... please ... I have to go back home," she pleaded.

He laughed softly.

She was baffled, what was so funny about her plea.

"I wish it was that easy ... I wouldn't go into this trouble just to let you go ... back to your husband ..." he laughed again.

"What's so funny?"

"You ... you caught him fucking another woman on your wedding day and you want to go back to him?" he looked up at her.

"How did you know he was sleeping with another woman?"

"He walked right past me with that woman about 30 minutes before you did."

She fell silent. It wasn't the first time she caught him sleeping with another woman. He was never a monogamist, not even when they first dated. But her options were rotten, going back to Armand or staying with the mysterious man.

"I have to go back ... my parents are dead ..."

He didn't look so amused anymore, he realized he was mocking a woman who was down on her luck.

"The only place you're going right now is where I'll be taking you ... your cheating husband can't help you."

"He's going to find us ... and he's going to kill you ... do you know who you're dealing with?" she was annoyed by his comment.

His expression was stern, "I know exactly who I'm dealing with, and believe me ... this is not what I signed up for." He threw himself back on the chair, "Those gunmen ... I work alone, and the killings had nothing to do with me."

Some of her questions were answered.

"I know he will send his people to look for me ... and you're not going to survive this ... that's why I'm giving you the chance to let me go right now and I promise ... I won't tell anyone about you."

He laughed, "You're amusing, you know that? Do you actually think you're in a position to negotiate in this situation? I'm telling you ... your best bet right now is to stay quiet and do as I say."

Her parents were dead. That was all she could think of. Whatever Armand had done, laying her parents to rest, and be with them one last time was more important.

"We can't stay here very long ... since your lovely husband is going to send people out to find us ... we better get some rest and leave before dawn ... are you going to take that dress off?" he raised an eyebrow.

She thought about it for a moment, she had been wearing it for almost twelve hours. She couldn't stand the corset anymore, she needed to get out of it.

"I ... can't get it off by myself," she was reluctant to say it.

He had a playful smile, "You want me to help you undress?"

She looked at him in desperation, "Yes ..."

He came over to her, "Turn around."

She turned her back on him.

He studied the dress. He pulled down the zipper and found another layer inside. A long line of knotted laces that he needed to untie. He shook his head, "How do you breathe in this thing?"

He untied the knot and the dress was slowly coming loose.

She felt relieved, her lungs were finally getting the air they needed. Her back was bare down to her spine, she wasn't wearing any bra. Before the dress was totally undone, she held it tight in front of her and turned around.

His eyes darkened, he was looking at her differently.

They were standing facing each other, she could feel his breath on her face. "Please ... don't hurt me ..." her voice was almost inaudible.

He creased his brow and scoffed, "Don't flatter yourself ... I'm not a rapist."