Chapter 11

EPISODE 💟 1️⃣1️⃣💟

            LEONA

When my eyes parted, I saw myself on a big bed and the room was completely dark. I couldn't see anything.

My heart began to beat again when I remembered that fearful man. Was he the one that brought me here?

I tried to find the end of the bed as I moved on it with my butt. It's that large.

When I got to the end of it and was about to slide down, someone held my hand.

"Help!" I screamed. The person didn't let go. I began to scream again. Suddenly, I got pinned down as a huge hand covered my lips.

"Stop being too loud." He said in a whisper.

The lights came on and my eyes met with the man above me.  It was none other than the scary man.

"Please let go of me." I whimpered 

He nodded. "I was about to." 

He got off me and out of the bed. He turned his naked broad back to me and I noticed the dark ink of artworks on his entire back. In the middle of his back is a circle with some words scribbled colorfully in it.

I looked away. My life has suddenly turned into a movie or is it a novel?  Am I going to fall in love with him like in the books?

Oh, get over it, Leona! In your dreams only. My subconscious mocked.

I agree with her, reality is different from the fictional world. Shits are real and it's not funny. Just like ending up in a total stranger's bed. 

I managed to get out of bed. Sitting at the edge, I realized that I was wearing a different dress.

 Even though the silky material felt great against my skin, I still have to ask. "Did you change me?" 

"Oh please." He turned to me with an irritated look. "This isn't some reality show or romantic novels. Quit thinking about it, it won't happen." scoffed.

'Does that mean you watch and read novels too?'

I wanted to ask but I dared not. His face doesn't look friendly.

"Anyway,  I changed you. Those clothes you wore stinks." He scrunches his nose up.

I gasped as heat rushed to my neck. Did he change me? That means he saw everything. Something no male has ever seen before yet he makes it seem as if it was no big deal.

My hands went around my body protectively.

Wait. And did he say I stink? 

I couldn't contain the hurt and embarrassment.

"Don't worry, I've seen better! You don't move me at all." He waved a hand at my body.

Is that an insult? And should I take it as one? Why is he saying hurtful things to me?

I looked around the room. My eyes returned to my lap. There wasn't any interesting thing about the room. It was bland and looks woody. But there was something, I felt like I am at the sea. I could smell the familiar breeze.

"Where.." I wanted to ask where he has brought me and why.

"Don't ask any questions, woman!"

I gasped, jumping in fright at his tone.

"I said no questions! At least not now, we'll talk later" He added.

"Alright, can you take me home then?"

He gave me a look that says, 'What do you understand by no questions?'

But he answered.

"Which of the home are you talking about? Is it that stinking coup? Well if it is then you're going nowhere. Now come with me." He took my hand, pulled me up, and dragged me out of the room roughly.

I followed him like a lost lamb as my long hair bounced behind me until we got to another compartment. In the middle of it was a large table that can be fit for a grand banquet.

I noticed that he pressed a button that was against the table and a group of people who looked like stewards troup in at once and began to set the table.

Before I knew it, the table was filled with uncountable enticing delicacies. The aroma alone had me salivating. It is only then I realized how famished I was.

I hope he's going to allow me a bite at least.

" Help yourself."

"Huh?" My heart leaped with joy. Did he say I should help myself?

"Eat!" He repeated curtly.

I shook my head. "I'm not hungry..." I didn't conclude before my traitorous stomach growled loudly.

Great! My little act has come to its untimely end.

Without a word, the tattooed man left.

I looked at the food one more time and couldn't take it anymore.

I pulled a seat. I stared at the door he had walked out through. I'm grateful that he excused me. I took a plate and fetched myself an amount of food and began to eat. It wasn't enough. I began to taste all the varieties available until I could take no more. 

Still at the table, I didn't know where to go from there and just played with my fingers when I finished taking almost everything in greedily.  There's a glass window at the back of me a few feet from where I sat.  I can't go to have a look through it although I badly want to for the fear that I'd get in trouble if the scary man appears.

The chefs who brought the food too were nowhere to be seen.

"Are you gonna sit there just like that?" His voice thundered in the room.

I spun around and faced him without looking him in the eye.

"I didn't... know.." I stammered.

"Quite a nice job you did there." He narrowed his eyes to the dining table with a smirk.

I looked down shyly and tried to tuck an imaginary hair behind my ear.

"Come with me." He ordered and turned to walk away probably after noticing my discomfort.

He seemed to be always ordering me to follow him.

I walked behind him lamely till we got into a large empty room with only two seats and a tall table in the middle of it.

The chairs were so close that if we sit, our faces might touch if we lean towards it.

He hopped on one of the seats and motioned for me to do the same. I managed to sit and placed my elbow on the table, supporting my chin with my hand.

He copied my posture and our noses touched mistakenly. I took in a sharp breath and pulled back hastily as if I got a shock through that little encounter.

He moved his hand to my shoulder and I flinched.

He drew his hand back and nodded knowingly. 

"I've got to do something about that too."  He said under his breath I managed to hear it but couldn't comprehend it.

"I don't get it."

" You don't have to," He muttered.

"So tell me something." He drew lines on the table with the tip of his index finger. "Who's the father of the baby you're carrying?"

His question caught me off guard. How did he know that I was pregnant? I eyed him suspiciously.

"Don't look at me like that." He said even though he wasn't looking at me.  With his face in a bow, I saw that his hair had at least three colors. I can see red, brown, and white mixed with the original color of his hair. Black.

"I don't know," I answered.

"Did he deny it?"

I looked up at him this time with quirked eyebrows, wanting to meet his face and he looked at me.

"Tell me if he denied it and I'm not gonna spare him!" His tone changed dangerously.

"How'd you do that if I don't even know him?" I whispered. The hell is he acting so protective and concerned? Does he know me?

"What? Are you fucking kidding me? Do you sleep around?"

My eyes shut. I chose not to say anything.

 "Never mind. Since you don't know who's responsible, we will have to terminate it." He said coldly.

Chills run down my spine. I've spent at least a week trying to abort the baby that I should be relieved to have someone who wants to help me get it done but the idea doesn't appeal to me anymore hearing it from his mouth.  I no longer feel like going ahead with it.

"Why?" I asked. What made him suggest that to me?

"I want you to work for me!"

My senses couldn't come more alive at the mention of 'work'

"Work? I'm in. You don't have to ask me first. I'm ready to work." I replied enthusiastically.

"Hold your horses, Leona, this is not any normal job. You've got to think critically before giving me an answer."

He mentioned my name. Did I tell him my name and forgot?  Or I hit my head and lost all memories of him.

"How did you know my name?" First, it was my pregnancy. How much does he know about me?

"We were talking about work. As for how I got to know your name, you'll soon find out."

I found myself nodding. Maybe it's because I'm more interested in getting a job than wasting my time to know how he knew my name.

"What work is it?" I asked.

"You'll know soon but first you have to get trained for the work."

"How will I get trained when I have no idea what work I was going to do?" I asked.

He looked deep into my eyes and it felt like he was looking into my soul instead.

His green icy eyes were blazing with no emotions but radiate danger. Then his eyes started searching as if they noticed something above my shoulders. 

Before I knew what was happening, in a swift motion, he got up and knocked me together with the chair to the floor. I groaned, whimpering. I might've broken a bone or two. God. I feel like Humpty dumpty.

As if that wasn't enough, I began to hear gunshots and hurried footsteps around me. It's clear we're no longer the only people in the room.

Shivering like cold water has been dumped on me during a fall, I managed to get up.

Before I could even stand on my feet probably, I got dragged violently from there in a flash. A tall figure towered in front of me, his back was was like a shield.

I couldn't see anything except for the movement of his back muscles that blocked my view as he pulled trigger after trigger.

The sound was deafening, it gave me a headache and scared the shit out of me. I haven't witnessed a shootout before or seen anyone shooting a gun.  I clawed at his back for safety, locking my hands around his bossom from the back.

The tears that flowed were uncontrollable. His movement became rapid. I dragged myself along with him at each step he took. I didn't hear the gunshots again. But grunts after grunts. I could hear fists at work. Punch after punch

The thin shirt he wore was now drenched with his sweat and my pathetic tears. I could hear his faint cologne and strong masculine scent.

"Got to hell you mutter fucker!" I heard him groan out and a body fell in front of me.

Next, he aimed his gun at the man. His face to be precise. He already looked dead, a bloody mess.

"No!" I shouted when he was about to pull the trigger. "No!"

"This is what I was talking about my girl!" He smirked and as if he didn't see the horror on my face, he began to shoot the man continuously.

I cried my eyes out, screaming. He didn't stop. The whole place turned bloody.

I felt everything spinning around me. My headache got intense. Before I could hold it, I was landing back on the floor with my already aching body.

But instead of landing on the floor, I landed in his arms. He stared at me long enough for the beads of sweat on his forehead to find a home in my face. I closed my eyes, trying to control my breathing. I don't think I will be able to get over this day.

"There's something you don't know Leona and that is "You were mine before I saw you and you'll continue to be mine. Whether you give your consent for the job or not, you still gonna work for me and nothing is gonna change that." He said.

"What?" I blinked. My crowded mind couldn't make anything out of what he's saying.

" Don't think too much but just know that you're MINE!" He muttered seriously. His sudden mood jolted a fear I never felt before down my spine.

I got the red lights. I need to act fast. Leave this psycho for good.

"And don't think of ever escaping because you won't live to make it a success! Wherever you go, I'm gonna find you and bring you back!"

Oh. He reads minds too?

Is this a threat! How do I respond to it?

He released me. My legs wobbled. I could barely stand.

His hand went around my waist to steady me. He took his phone out and began to talk on it.

"Where the fuck were you? I told you to inform the boys to be on alert!" He kept quiet and listened on the other side.

"I give you a second to clear your mess or I'll have your head!" He paused for a while. "If this happens again, I swear will run a bullet straight into your useless skull."

I gasped. He eyed me and put the phone back in his pocket.

"Get used to it." He said and let go of me. I almost fell. Or I did. I fell to the ground and chose to sit instead.

A group of men entered and began to drag the unfortunate man's body out of the room and others. The rest put the place back in order.

Next, without warning, one of them carried me to a couch and placed me on it.

He came to sit in front of me and pulled a cigarette from nowhere and lighted it.

He passed me one. "Care for it?"

I shook my head so vigorously to the extent that I felt it will fall off if I don't stop.

He chuckled, "Don't worry, you'll soon get used to it."

He puffed it into the air after taking a long inhale. Thick smoke melts into the room.

'Get used to it. You'll get used to it.' what does he mean by those sentences? Who is he? What does he do? Is he an assassin?

Just then, some half-naked ladies walked in with glasses of alcohol in their hands.

They surrounded him and began massaging him while one sat on his lap and straddle him. Some moved in to kiss him.

I cringed in disgust! How can he act like nothing happened when we almost got killed a few minutes ago?

"Who are you?" I mustered the courage to ask.

He pushed the lady that was kissing him away and laughed humorlessly.

The ladies gawked at me as if I was from a new planet.

"LANDO is the popular name but since we gon' be partners soon, My name is  SUAREZ. Nice meeting you, Leona Grande and welcome to my world!" 

He laughed once more and sticks the cigar in between his teeth. 

Whoever this Lando is, he sure is dangerous, no wonder he was feared that much the first time I saw him. Now I fear him too.

How did I end up in this mess?

Is my life ever going to be better?

The more the days roll by, the more my problems got worse. I wonder when all this will be over but that'll be probably after my demise I guess.

I limped out of the couch to the window quietly, seeing that the girls have almost swallowed his face. He won't see that I got up. It's then I noticed that we were on a boat and it's dark outside. Or is it a yacht? Well, are they not the same? The breeze hit my face, blowing my hair behind me. The sea was calm.

It dawned on me when I noticed that the yacht was sailing. I turned in his direction. The girls were no longer trying to swallow him. His eyes were on me.

"Where are you taking me?" I panicked.

He smirked. "Sicily."

When he said that, I knew my life won't remain the same again.