Chapter four

Ava couldn’t remember how long she had counted the design on the ceiling, she sighed and closed her eyes, she was hungry, pressed and really tired of staying in on position but the man who left her handicapped was still busy sleeping beside her. She opened her eyes and looked at him, he looked so peaceful sleeping, so different from what she had heard about him.

She can remember when her father told her how he had set up their casino on fire when he couldn’t find what he came for and after that had come after them to take it from him, her father had told her it was the toughest fight he had ever been in, one man fighting against many and still won in the end and left with his package. Her father had said that the last thing he would want to do was encounter the man again, he had said so many things about him, but now looking at him as he slept, he was nothing like the things her father had said, except when he opens his eyes.

She shuddered at the thought of his black eyes, that eyes scares her, so black, so devoid of any emotion, the eyes were just black and blank, you can never see anything through it and once again she remembered her father’s words about his eyes, “his eyes so black and blank that you can see nothing but your upcoming death.” she blinked away the thought, realizing that her father was just right, when he was looking at her that time in the closet, she had been terrified that she could only wipe away her fear by making empty threats.

She opened her eyes and looked at him again, perhaps he should never open his eyes, he is so much better to look at without those devilish eyes, she thought. She was going through her own minds when she noticed that a pair of black eyes were looking at her, she froze on the bed, watching him as he watched her, for the first time, she saw an emotion in his eyes: fear, and with the way he looked at her, she could see he was disorientated, like he doesn’t know where he was and what was happening.

She wanted to ask him if he was okay but she couldn’t speak out, she had forgotten he had taped her mouth, with her mumblings, he blinked thrice and when he looked at her again, his eyes were blank and cold as usual, making her to involuntarily shudder. He got up from the bed and reached for the wristwatch on the cabinet, he paused and ran his fingers through his black hair before looking at her once more and leaning over to remove the tape.

“Oh thank God,” she moaned, stretching her mouth to ease the numbness, he stood up and entered the bathroom, emerging later, he was wet with water beads dripping from his body. A towel on his slim waist and one drying his hair, Ava gulped staring at his body. He said nothing to her and just went to his phone, turned it on and entered the closet.

Ava blinked continuously to wipe away the image she just saw, damn, what the hell? She gulped and took the whole time he was dressing to process her thought. When he came out of the closet, he was like he was in the morning, dressed in black suit, black shoes and his hair combed and relaxed, “I’m hungry,” she said, “and I’m pressed, so maybe you would let me out of here to attend to myself or get me a bucket to pee in.”

He said nothing and left the room, “asshole,” she muttered and rolled her eyes at him. It wasn’t long he returned with a bucket and dropped it by the bed, “what the heck?” she asked, is he serious?  She wondered.

“You asked for it,” he replied in the same soft sensual tone, “I merely complied.”

“I only said it, I didn’t mean for you to do it.”

“Listen, I hate disturbances.”

“Fine, how am I to pee being all tied up? Huh, answer Mr. Smart guy?”

He stared at her for a while and left without a look back. He walked into the living room and dialed a number in his phone, when the call connected, he said, “you order is ready, where is the pickup?”

“Wow, that is indeed great, I heard the news this morning. Drago is really vexed and is ready to do anything to get his daughter back,” the man replied.

“I care not, just tell me where I will make the delivery and collect the rest of my money,” he ordered.

“Fine, listen El Diablo, there is a small issue, I didn’t know you would deliver it on the sixth day so I’m not in the country, hold on to the package, you can deliver it to me tomorrow, I will send you the location.”

“The plan was deliver once I have the package,” he reminded, he didn’t like the request he made.

“No, the plan was deliver in a week, and tomorrow is the seventh day so I am not really tasking you anything. Just hold on to the package, I will pick it up when I’m back, I will like to pick it up myself.”

“Fine, have my money ready,” he said with a clenched teeth and hung up the call. He stared around the living room and waited to calm himself then went back to the bedroom when he was calmed.

Ava looked up at him when he entered, “finally, listen, if you don’t get me free from here, I am going to design this beautiful bed of yours with my urine, and trust me, I won’t be embarrassed.”

He rolled his eyes and went to her, untying her, she sat up on the bed and rubbed her wrist, “thank you,” she said sarcastically, “for tying me up for so many hours. For someone who claims to not sleep well, you sure know how to sleep for hours,” she rolled her eyes, rubbing her ankle before getting down from the bed.

“Eso es lo que me estoy preguntando, es el más largo que he dormido,” he frowned, “that's the thing I'm also wondering about, it's the longest I have ever slept.”

“What?” she turned to look at him.

He shook his head, “go do your business.”

“Whatever,” she rolled her eyes and went into the bathroom, she was surprised at how neat it was and quickly rushed to ease herself, after that, she looked around the bathroom, they must be a way to get out, hopefully the toilet won’t be as locked up as the rest of the house. She looked at the window and decided to give it a try with not much hope. She climbed on the toilet lid and pushed the window. Happiness surged through her when it opened and though it was small, she forced herself through it. She was hungry but she would never choose food over freedom. She fell from the window and hurt her elbow but it doesn’t matter, she was staring at the clear sky and the cool air of the early afternoon was so welcoming that she lay on the floor with her eyes closed, so this is how it feels? Freedom.

The thought that he would be expecting her to be done by now and might even come check on her made her stand up immediately, she looked around her, she was surrounded by trees and she wondered where she was actually and how to get to the nearest town. She started walking around the house; maybe she could find a pathway or something. When she came out to the front of the house, she was happy when she finally saw a road, she smiled and didn’t know what made her turn but when she did, she saw a pair of black eyes staring at her behind the glass. Her heart missed a beat but she woke up immediately and started running when she saw him dashing to the door.

The thought that he would still look for the keys to unlock the door gave her hope that she could outrun him so she took the road and started running as fast as her feet could carry her, hoping that she would see a cop or someone or even a house to run in to, or if possible, a phone booth so that she could call her father and tell him where to find her in case the devil of a man catch up to her.

But no matter how fast she ran or the distance, she saw no one, not a house or even a phone booth, nothing but trees, and unending road, she looked behind her to see him giving her a hot pursuit, the action gave her a déjà vu, he had chased her last night as well, only that it was in a dark hallway unlike now that it was in broad daylight and on the street. The faster she ran, the more she hoped she could see someone, just someone, anyone that would shield her from him. But she was hungry, and have been tied on a spot for hours and it wasn’t long, her strength was failing her, she was weak and she knew she was slowing, thereby giving him advantage to catch up to her, even though it seemed he was a better runner already.

Looking back again, he was already closing in on her and she could feel tears threatening to fall out, her vision was blurring, Oh God, she cried, the man might be handsome and hot but his reputation speaks for him and the last she wants was to be held captive by him. Just why is it there is no one here, no house? Who would choose to live in such isolated place? Of course, no one but him, only him, the devil.

She felt him before he even grabbed her and he turned her around but she refused to give in easily, using her last strength, she kneed him at his member and his hold on her loosened as he concentrated on his pain. She took the opportunity to run away again but she didn’t run for long for he grabbed her again. “Let go of me, let me go,” she screamed, hoping that someone might hear her, “help, help, somebody, anybody, help me please, please,” she continued shouting and struggling for him to release her.

“Save your strength, no one can hear you,” he ordered, “what nonsense do you think you are doing?”

“What else but trying to save myself from your evil clutches,” she shouted at him.

He glared at her, “listen to me, when I tell you to do something, you do it and for acting so stupidly, I am going to tie you up far longer than five hours this time, you are going to remain tied up till you will be delivered tomorrow.”

“Don’t you dare say delivered again like I am a package or parcel,” she warned.

“But that’s what you are dulce, you are a package,” he replied and carried her on his shoulder immediately, Sweet.

“No, let me go, let me go you beast, put me down,” she shouted, hitting him and remembering that she had done something like that earlier and it was of no use. After struggling and hitting him and was drained of all energy, she calmed down and allowed him to carry her. When they got to the house, he carried her to his bedroom and dropped her on the bed.

He stared at her, “you are lucky you are a package to be delivered, if not, I wouldn’t have bothered chasing after you, I would have just put a damn bullet in your head.”

“Well, you should have done just that, why did you bother to keep me alive,” she yelled.

He ignored her and picked his robe and started tying her up again, “I may not kill you but I will punish you, you won’t be having any meal till evening and also, you will be tied up here with a tape on your mouth and I will lock you in this room while closing the curtains and letting you dwell in the darkness.”

“Do you think I’m surprise? You are darkness yourself when you have a closet filled with black clothes, what other punishment can you give but leave someone in darkness?”

He smiled and taped her mouth, “that’s why they call me El Diablo, bebé,” he smiled and did just what he said, leaving the room in darkness and leaving. She heard the door click and couldn’t believe that he really did lock her up, he wants to make sure that she feels like she was really trapped in hell. Oh God, how much she hates him.