Chapter Four

The wind was beating against Brenda's face as she propelled herself further as she ran. Her feet tapped soundlessly against the ground and her muscles burned from running excessively. But she continued.

She had successfully escaped from their apartment without getting noticed. She had no idea where she was running to but she knew she had to get far away from her father and Ramirez. It would be all a waste if she was caught after running away. She kept glancing back as she ran to ensure that no one was following her.

She stopped running after it was clear that she was far away from her apartment. With a tattered backpack, a jacket, and a torchlight, she stood by the sidewalk panting. She wiped the tears from her face with her jacket. She didn't even realize she had been crying until she stopped running. She couldn't stop thinking about Ralia and if she would ever see her again.

She was sure that her father would look for her once he discovers that she had escaped. He would want to bring her back to avoid Ramirez's anger or punishment. She felt so outraged as she remembered what her father and Carla said to her. How could they expect her to marry a man that was twice her age?

She had to move to another city and lay low for some weeks. It was the only plausible thing to do in her situation. If she remained in the city, it would be easier for her to be captured. She knew how the mafia's worked and how authoritative they were. Ramirez would turn the entire city upside down to find her. She saw a taxi approaching and flagged it down immediately. She was lucky to find a taxi by midnight. The taxi slowly stopped in front of her.

"What's a pretty lady like you doing here alone by this time?" He asked, eyeing her warily. She slowly used her jacket to cover her chest.

"Can you take me to Beverly hills?"

"Can you pay?" He asked, peering at her through his glasses.

Brenda didn't like the way he was looking at her but she didn't have any choice. She didn't think she would catch any taxi so easily.

"Yes, I can pay. How much is that?"

"120 bucks."

"What? 120 dollars?" She asked with shock.

"Well, it's that or you stay here for the next few hours."

"Fine. Give me a minute."

She opened her backpack to search for her money. After rummaging through her things for some seconds, it slowly clicked to her that she forgot her money. The painful realization that she left her money behind struck her and she wanted to scream in anger. How could she be so stupid? How would she pay for a cab to Beverly Hills?

"Having money problems?" The driver asked, watching her search her bag desperately.

"I forgot my money at home. Can you —" Before she could finish, he zoomed away. Brenda stood sadly by the deserted sidewalk, watching his car in the distance. She heaved a heavy sigh and zipped her backpack. Without money, she would have to trek to wherever she had to go to. It was nearly impossible to get to a far distance on foot.

Clutching her backpack, she continued her journey. After walking for an hour and feeling completely exhausted, Brenda decided to stop. It was almost 3 am and she needed a place to rest. She glanced up at the road sign and hissed. She had been walking for so long but she hadn't gotten anywhere. There was no way she would get so far without a car or ride from someone.

As she continued to contemplate what to do, she spotted a car parked by the roadside. An idea quickly entered her mind and she walked to the car. She could hide in the trunk and move with the driver to his destination. It didn't sound like a bad idea to her and because she was desperate, she decided to do it.

She slowly opened the trunk of the Maruti and slipped into the car. Her heart was pounding against her chest as she shut the trunk. It was pitch black and she couldn't discern if there was anyone in the car. She prayed that whoever owned the car would not be hostile. If possible, they wouldn't find her before she slips away.

"Boss said we must return before 9 am" She overheard a man saying and bit down on her bottom lips. When the car door was opened suddenly, she realized that it was the owner of the car speaking. She had no idea where he was heading but it was far better than staying at home and marrying Ramirez.

The driver started the car and she heaved a heavy sigh because he did not check the trunk. Silently, she prayed that her plans would work out and she wouldn't be caught. When the car began to move, she exhaled. She had finally run away from home to start a new life. She was completely unaware of what kind of life awaited her but she was willing to try. Lost in thoughts about her life and family, she dozed off.

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"Why the hell is she still sleeping?"

Brenda's eyelids fluttered before they jerked open with force. She felt cold liquid trailing down her body and her head was banging. She blinked back rapidly as tiny flickers of sunlight blinded her eyes. She tried to cover her eyes with her hands but realized she couldn't move.

Opening her eyes widely and glancing around, she realized that she was in a room. Her eyes fell on four men standing around and glaring at her furiously. Where was she? She could hear her heartbeat in her ears and her body was trembling as the men glared at her.

"Finally, the spy is awake." One of the men said and her eyes widened.

Spy?

"Where is she?" A man barked from behind the men and they parted immediately, giving him space to walk in.

Brenda's stomach did a backflip as she stared at him. He was dangerously handsome with raven black hair, green eyes and dressed head to toe in black. His eyes spoke of a ruthless man with no mercy. His suit spoke of money and power and she immediately knew he was the leader.

"Who are you? And who sent you?" He asked, his voice laced with slight anger. Brenda was confused about his question until she saw the tattoo on his neck. Her eyes quickly darted to the other men in the room and they all had the same tattoo. A pit churned in her stomach. He was a mafia lord.

She shook her head furiously, making gagging noises as her mouth was gagged. With one swift movement, he removed the piece of clothe from her mouth.

"I am no—not a sp—spy." She stammered. "Please don't hurt me."

He leaned closer to her and she tried to ignore the tension between them as she stared at his eyes. "You're going to regret lying to me."

He turned to his men. "Torture her till she speaks the truth."