Chapter 5

The fancy limousine smells like musky sweat and cigars. There isn't a single stain on the entire interior, which is somewhat surprising considering Ryan is smoking inside the car while singing along to the lyrics of "feeling good" by Michael Buble.

I turn to the men sitting packed like fish in their seats; they are all curiously listening to someone telling them their life story.

"So, I noticed Isabella was texting someone, right? Her damn phone kept vibrating every fucking night, and she was very secretive about it," A man named Billy is shaking his head, while the other men are waiting for him to continue his story. "And so when I came home early one day, I found her in our bed together with Fernando, her freaking masseur!"

"Oh shit!" Someone exclaims. "Fucking whore!"

"And then what did you do?" Another one asks, biting his nails while staring at Billy.

"Yeah, what did you do, Billy?"

"You murdered the damn guy, right?" A guy bigger than a bear asks, and he sounds pretty dumb. "Because that's what I would do! No one gets to fuck my woman!"

"Of course I did! I shot Fernando first, and then I raised my gun and shot the damn bitch too!" Billy exclaims in triumph.

The men around me belt out laughter at Billy's horrible ex-girlfriend experience, and I sink further into my cramped seat, convinced all of the people inside the Mercedes are psychopaths.

"Ey, no funny business girl!" Giovani warns me when I accidentally push into his side. "Don't squirm around too much!"

I don't dare say anything. Enraging Giovani doesn't seem like a wise idea, not after I heard his story—the guy murdered his ex-boss.

Shit, it just dawned on me that they are all criminals!

Will I survive through this?!

My heart is racing, desperately trying to claw its way out of my ribcage. I'm squeezed between Giovani and Arthur, another one of Ryan's men, and I'm painfully aware of Arthur since he is currently pressing his revolver to my head.

"Don't-fucking-move," Arthur warns. "I'm tired of you moving around like a goddamn dog!"

Suddenly I got everyone's attention, and I find myself wishing I could sink through the seat. The winning emotion on the men's faces is curiosity, but some are looking ready to bring out the popcorn when they pay attention to Arthur's angry expression.

"Yeah, she is so annoying..." Giovani complains and then sighs loudly before looking up at Ryan. "What are we going to do with her boss? Are you planning on selling her? Will there be an auction?"

Oh-my-god, do these people deal with human trafficking?!

Goosebumps prickle over my skin, and I lift my chin to look into the rear-view mirror. Ryan is already watching me with his silent blue eyes. The lack of emotion within them got all the blood draining from my face, and my body turns stiff.

To think that I, for one second, believed he cared.

"I won't sell her before knowing what her talents may be. She might look useless, but maybe she is good at something that will turn her more valuable,"

Does he really think I look useless?

Wow, that cut pretty deep. I've been talking non-stop with the guy for more than a week, and I guess I'm not entirely over him yet—I still treasure his opinions.

Giovani nods. "So you're taking her to our headquarter then?"

"Yes," Ryan replies. He is looking at the road again. "She will live together with the other slaves in the cabin after I'm finished making her father's life into hell,"

Arthur clears his throat. "May I suggest something?"

"Go ahead," Ryan doesn't even sound interested.

"Let the girl sleep with me. I haven't gotten laid since Dana left me, and I could need some... You know," Arthus winks at the other men, who whistles in amusement. He then proceeds to find my gaze and licks his lips in this creepy fashion that turns me into stone. "You and I would have so much fun in my bed,"

Scared and shattered on the inside, I tremble in my seat until I see Ryan calmly moving his arms. He smoothly picks up something from the hands of the man sitting in the passenger seat, a gun, and then he blows Arthur's head off.

Blood splatters everywhere, onto the seats, onto my face. The other men are staring at Arthur; someone is screaming. But I just sit there, blinking in confusion. I've never witnessed someone commit murder before, never looked into the glazed eyes of a dead body.

Reality suddenly seems troublesome to grasp.

Did that just happen, or did I imagine that part when Ryan murdered Arthur in cold blood?

Is Arthur dead?

Unease churns within the pit of my stomach—Ryan killed his henchman without a second thought.

Is he even a human?

"Now, is there anyone else who would like to fuck or stick their dick into the girl that we kidnapped tonight?" Ryan asks.

Everyone is silent, probably not even breathing.

"Come on, guys, don't be shy," Ryan sounds darkly amused; his voice is smooth and wicked. I lift my chin to the rear-view mirror again and find him cruelly smiling. "Well then. Ola Svensson's daughter is mine until I say anything else—I believe I have made myself pretty clear,"

"Yes, boss!"

"Of course, boss!"

"I won't even look at her!"

"Me neither, boss! The young lady is all yours!"

Ugh, I want to tell them I don't belong to anyone, but I have to clench my jaw in my current situation. You can get killed for saying the wrong things in this car—Arthur is a prime example.

Bottling up my fear and anger is the only option.

I look to my left and feel suspicion slip into my mind when I see Giovani not chiming in with the others. Instead, he is staring down at Arthur with a hard-to-read expression, entirely absorbed by the blood. Had Ryan been on my side, I would warn him, tell him that Giovani might be plotting something, but Ryan kidnapped me, so I don't care.

Besides, Ryan finishing off Arthur was totally unnecessary. Indeed, the old geezer gave me bad vibes, but he didn't deserve to die simply for Ryan to prove a point.

I stare out through the tinted window, widening my eyes at the mansion coming into view. Am I dreaming? My father's place pales in comparison to this place—the thing in front of us is as big as a castle!

Giovani notices where I'm looking and laughs to himself, even being friendly enough to shove me with his elbow. "Pretty impressive, huh?"

I nod, entirely out of words.

All the men laugh at my expression and cheer among themselves before winking at me.

"She is impressed, huh?"

"The lady loves big things,"

"Hey, don't say that! Do you want to get shot?!"

"This place has made some history, I must say," Billy blocks out the other voices, and for the first time, I see that he is pretty handsome. Tall and blonde like a model. "There are smaller buildings in the middle of the main house, and if you're lucky, you will live in one with actual electricity. Winter is coming, and she isn't kind this year,"

Giovani is laughing next to me, causing even the seat to vibrate under his imposing weight. "Agatha, a slave girl who didn't know how to show other people respect, froze to death,"

I shudder in my seat like an autumn leaf. Sharing Agatha's fate definitely isn't what I yearn for. Anger is pulsating through my veins right now, shock too, but I know that I shouldn't act upon it. Being scared is better than being brave—at least then, you might survive.

"Hey, stop that!" A man is shaking his head at Giovani and Billy. Finally, someone who cares about me. "Don't tell her everything; it's better if she experiences the hardships on her own!"

My jaw drops to the floor.

Did he just...?

Fucking bastard all of them! To think I thought he was different from the rest!

After those words have sunk into every skull, all the men laugh. I'm the only one who isn't entertained. Instead of laughing, I glare at the man who opened his big mouth.

"Hi there," The man waves at me. "I'm Pablo,"

"Don't fucking talk to me," I manage to grit out between my teeth. I'm flipping furious. "I thought you were different... Pablo,"

Irritation floods through me when I see his big, confused smile, and I glance up, unintentionally catching a glimpse of Ryan's mouth in the rear-view mirror again—this time, he is smiling.