Chapter 3

*****

I groaned slightly as I rolled over. My stomach still hurt. I opened my eyes to find the room I was in dark, the curtains were left open and I could see a street lamp just outside. I sat up groaning as my stomach growled. I had not gotten a chance to eat the previous night... Or I thought the park scene had happened the previous night, I didn't know how long I had been out. I got up and walked over to the door before I tried to open it but it was locked.

Right. I expected that after cutting that guy like that…

What did behave even mean? I wasn't a fricking dog or a child... I was almost twenty... I sighed letting my hand drop. I was so hungry it was making my head pound as my stomach ached. I looked at the bathroom and walked over to it praying that the other door was now unlocked. I stopped when I walked into the bathroom and I heard a running shower. My eyes drifted to the wall the shower was behind and I stepped back a little. Who was that?

I walked over to the other door and tried to open it, it opened easily. I frowned. Why hadn't this person locked my door if they were in the bathroom? I decided to think about that later as I walked into the other bedroom and stopped once I entered it.

It was considerably larger than mine. It was decorated in black, grey and green. I smiled seeing a hint of orange here and there, this was definitely professional work. I gasped spotting a chair that hung from the ceiling. Jordan and I always wanted our living room to look like that but his mother would never let us. She said we were renting and couldn't destroy the apartment, mirroring what our landlord said. Neither could we destroy her house by putting a couple there...

I walked across the room and pushed the chair gently making it swing slightly. I was contemplating taking a seat but I got distracted by the alarm clock. It was a sphere shaped digital clock, it had the world map on it. I walked over to it and touched it. I smiled as it zoomed into Uruguay and it lit up. Wow, I need to get me one of these...

"What are you doing?"

I jumped back surprised and turned to see the man from the room... the leader. I froze as I realised he was wearing just a white towel around his waist. My eyes were glued to him for a few seconds as they studied the contrast the tattoos on his arms and chest made against his golden brown skin. He was pretty built, more than Jordan so definitely more than me. I felt slight envy at the eight pack he had compared to my... well... I was getting toned, okay? Even if you couldn't see it yet. I really should listen to Jordan and intensify my workout regime... and take it seriously...

Wait. He asked me a question. I should answer. Why the hell am I checking him out anyway? Well, they kidnapped me but that doesn't make him any less good looking. It does however make him dangerous; I should be checking him out from as far away as possible. No. I could find better people to check out. People that aren't delinquents or kidnappers. People on my level. Yes, I have a level and it was above his – and any of the people that lived in or worked in this house.

Fuck. Alexander. Answer him!

"I –"

"It really does not matter, get out." He said.

I opened my mouth but shut it before I scoffed. "I would love to 'get out' but you threatened my life."

He rolled his eyes. "Of my room. Get out of my room." He said frowning at me. "The one you woke up in will be yours." I had known that already, Clyde had showed me to it already but I guess this guy did not know that.

"I have to share a bathroom with you?" I looked at him.

"You have that privilege." He smirked.

I grimaced before I shook my head and attempted to walk by him to go back to the other room but he caught my arm.

"Where do you live?" he asked. I snorted in response, he rolled his eyes. "I have no intention of robbing you or any of the shit you have going through your head. I figured you would need clothing, but be my guest and wear that for as long as you want." He said.

I opened my mouth but a knock on the door silenced me. "Sergio, Aaron called, says he needs to meet an hour earlier. Can I confirm that?" A man's voice came. I recognised it as Clyde's.

"Do I have an appointment at eight?" The guy in front of me – Sergio – asked.

"No."

"Confirm then." He said. We heard shuffling outside as Clyde retreated before he looked at me, "Breakfast is in twenty minutes, after that Clyde will have someone teach you a few things. But get cleaned up before that, because this might not be your usual scene of law and medical students, but we still have standards." He said before he let my arm go. Breakfast? So the park had been two days ago and I had been out all of yesterday. "The faster you learn to behave and understand what you need to do, the quicker you will be back at school."

"I need to go to school, you cannot keep me here." I glared at him.

"Oh, then you better keep razors out of people's faces, Alexander and learn to stop being so smart-mouthed and keep your mouth shut." I frowned as my name left his mouth while he smirked. He made it sound odd...

I shook my head and walked out of his room back into the bathroom, his door immediately shut behind me and I sighed.

I walked back into the room I had woken up in and frowned. I really didn't want to shower. I couldn't let myself be that vulnerable while surrounded by these people. I had to find a weapon first. I looked at my bedroom door wondering if it was still locked before I tried to pull it open and it worked. I walked into the hall but stopped as I almost bumped into someone.

"Good morning, Kid." I looked at Clyde's face before my eyes fell to the towel in his arms. On top of it was a toothbrush still in the package, amongst other toiletries.

"So, let's say I do this and I don't get caught," Because I was so great at keeping secrets. Pffft. "When do I get out?"

"Sergio already answered that." He shoved the things into my chest causing me to lift my arms to catch it, "Breakfast is downstairs."

I glared at his back as he walked away before I drew in a breath and looked at my hands as they clutched the towel and my mind drifted back to the dark park and that man lying on the ground causing my chest to tighten as my throat closed up again.

I hope he had no family... I hope he was sick and was going to die anyway...

I sighed. It didn't matter. Nothing was going to take the guilt away anyway.

-----

I looked around cautiously as I made my way through the house. I could smell eggs and heard laughing as well as a TV, I also heard a woman giggling. All the sounds were from different rooms. I decided to follow the smell and made my way downstairs before I walked into the kitchen and smiled seeing a cook. The kitchen was quite big, the whole house obviously was. It looked like a lot of money was spent on making it look the way it did. I could not understand why. Maybe for appearances if the house was ever being searched by police?

"Good morning." He smiled.

"Hello." I replied, "You work here?" I asked.

"Have for the past three years." He nodded, "Are you family?" he asked furrowing his brows. Probably trying to figure out who I could be related to.

"No, I'm abducted." I replied simply. He laughed before he stopped when I didn't join in.

"You're serious?" His eyes widened. "Clyde!" he shouted.

I stepped out of the way as Clyde walked in with a little girl in his arms. What the hell was a child doing in a drug house?!

"Why are you shouting my name?" Clyde replied.

"We had an agreement!" the cook hissed before he put his spatula down and covered the little girl's ears, she made no attempt to fight the hands on her ears as she sucked on a lollypop and played with the collar of Clyde’s shirt, "You said this was not one of your prostitution houses."

My eyes shot wide. What?

"It isn't. Why would I bring my daughter here if it was? Oh him. No, Sergio wanted this specific dealer here for some reason. Don't ask me. Don't worry; this house is safe and clean. Agreement hasn't changed."

So this house wasn't one of their normal drug houses? That’s why it was so clean and put-together… How many others did they have? Prostitution? They did that?

"And you know we only do trafficking around here, not prostitution."

Oh my God... 'Around here'? So they did it elsewhere? Trafficking?! Drug or… I did not even want to consider the other possibility.

"You think that's better?" I asked.

"Shut up." Clyde looked at me, "Enough talking about this." He said. The cook dropped his hands from the girl's ears.

I stared at Clyde shocked. Was it people? How could he be okay with selling people? How could anyone be? He had a daughter...

"Good morning, Sweetie." The cook smiled.

"Morning Uncle Kent!" she chirped before she looked at me and smiled. "Hi." She said. "Who are you?" she added.

I looked at Clyde who was staring at me blankly. "Uh... Hey." I gave her a smile. "Uhm... I'm... Alexander. You can call me Alex... I'm..." Well, what the hell am I supposed to say a seven-year-old?

"He's a friend of Sergio's." Clyde replied.

"Clyde. Let's go." I raised my brows as the Ben guy walked in with a band aid plastered across his face. His serious face turned sour as soon as his eyes landed on me. I smirked in response to his glare.

"That looks..." I took in some air through my clenched teeth as I studied his face from my spot, "...really painful." I finished with a smile.

"No." Clyde grabbed Ben's arm as he stepped towards me aggressively and Clyde shot me a glare. I watched as he put the little girl down on a seat, "I'll see you, alight? Mommy will pick you up later." He kissed her forehead.

"But you said we were having waffles –" she was saying.

"I know, Princess, but I have to work. I'll take you for ice cream. I promise. Right now, you can just have waffles with Kent and..." His eyes moved to me for a second and then he kissed her again before he walked out grabbing Ben's arm and pulling him out with him while the guy with the Band-Aid on his face still glared at me. He looked ridiculous.

I slid into one of the seats at the table.

"What do you guys want?" The cook asked smiling from the girl to me. I tilted my head. I knew I looked young but geez. He laughed, "Alex, this is Sasha and I am Kent." He said.

I smiled at the girl and she smiled brightly back at me. For the child of a criminal, she sure was friendly. Wouldn’t it be safer for Clyde to teach her to be sceptical of new people? The next few hours went by with the three of us eating waffles and then watching Disney princess movies after Sasha showed me some of the dolls she had over at 'Uncle Sergio's house. It was weird for me to try to see these people thorough her eyes, it was pretty much impossible. They were bad, clearly not to her, but they still were.

We were in the middle of Tangled and I was seated on a couch with Sasha leaning against my side as I held one of her dolls when the front door opened. I turned to see Clyde walk in followed by three men I recognised from the room I initially woke up in.

"What are you doing?" he frowned at me, his voice edged with suspicion. I almost rolled my eyes and had to stop myself from pointing out that he was the criminal here.

"Watching TV!" Sasha yelled the answer as she jumped on me. I laughed catching her and getting up with her in my arms as she put her arms around my neck.

"Well, Alex and I have some work to do, so we'll see you later, alright?" Sasha's smile fell when her father spoke.

"Don't worry, you still have Kent. You can use that toy spider we found to scare him." I heard Clyde and the guys try to hide their chuckles as Sasha nodded excitedly. Kent was upstairs taking a nap.

I put her down and followed the men outside.

"Where are we going?" I asked as they led me to a car.

"Like it matters." I shot a glare at the man as he shoved me into the back of the car. Everyone else got in and I found myself in the middle of two bulky guys, their shoulders brushing against either of mine. I cannot say that it was very comfortable...

"Alright, are there any parties this week?" I snorted as Clyde asked that from the passenger seat as someone drove. They kidnapped the wrong person for that.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked.

I let out a grunt as I was fisted in my sides by the assholes next to me causing me to bend over at the pain.

"No. I don't know about any goddamn parties." I hissed.

"Fuck, he's a loser." The guy on my right said. "How is he going to sell like that?"

"His friends." Clyde replied.

There were massive differences between my social life compared to Shiloh, Jordan and Clair's. Massive. Had he been watching me? This couldn't have been planned... Could it?

"His friend is a regular." Clyde smirked at me through the rear view mirror.

"Fuck you, my friends don't deal with scum like you." I coughed as I got hit again.

"Can't take a joke?" Clyde chuckled, "Well, we know you 'deal' with 'scum' like us." He said.

Damn it, Alexander. Learn to hold your tongue or by the end of the day, your insides will be grinded to a pulp.

I sighed internally. I had no choice here, but maybe if I gave them what they wanted, participated, they would let me leave soon.

It would be worth a try...

*****