05

Hide, you idiot !

It was too late, one of them caught my hair and I yelled in pain. He covered my mouth with his hand and I tried to bite but my teeth couldn’t find any purchase. I thrashed around. Kicked, punched, scratched, but nothing worked. The men dragged me to the black car that was parked next to mine. It had no license plate.

« Behave or we’ll knock you out. » The blue eyed one sneered in my ear.

I stopped struggling. I didn’t want to get hit on the head. If I acted like a hero and fought now, I would only get hurt. And I couldn’t afford to be hurt when I needed all my bodily functions to escape.

« Good girl. » Blue eyes patted me on the head like a dog and I flinched in disgust.

He left me alone after that and sat in the back seat, next to me.

« Wouldn’t want you to come up with another stupid plan now would we ? »

I ignored him and stared ahead. I needed resources. Till then I could plan.

« I’m Damien and that is Antonio. » He said conversationally.

Thanks, wanna tell me your last names too ? The police and I would LOVE to know.

« Can you speak ? » Damien taunted. Bastard.

« Do you expect me to care ? » I sassed.

Antonio chuckled.

Damien smiled. I smiled back but I’m sure it turned out to be more like a snarl.

« You better watch that sass, princess. Adrian might not like it. And that guy is absolutely emotionless. He’s the kind of person to point out the horrible grammar of some poor kids suicide note. If he doesn’t like you, you’re dead. »

I scoffed. Adrian DeLuca was sort of like the Loch Ness monster. Everyone knew what he was but nobody had seen him. Everyone knew his name, whispered in the silent, dark alleys of LA. But nobody knew what he looked like.

« I’ll be sure to tell the cops that. What did you do to Dylan ? »

« Dylan who ? » He smirked.

I lost it. I jumped at him and tried to claw his eyes out. He caught my wrists and tightened his grip till I thought my wrists would snap.

« Let go of me ! »I yelled.

Damien’s eyes held no more traces of amusement as he threw me across the seat to the other end of the car. My wrists were throbbing.

I looked up at Damien and his gaze softened. I realized that I had been crying.

He reached out for my wrists and I snatched my hands back, huddling closer to the window.

« For what it counts, I think you’re an innocent girl who was at the wrong place at the wrong time. I never intended to hurt you, and for that I’m sorry. You need to try and convince him that you’re innocent somehow, that’s your only hope. But don’t lie. He will find out and it won’t be pretty. » He said nonchalantly before turning away and looking out of the window.

The car came to a stop outside a mansion. I had been in the car for nearly two hours. I didn’t know which direction LA was from here.

Damien kept his distance and Antonio helped me out. None of us said a word. As we walked on the tiled pathway to the house. The place smelled of money. It made Dylan’s house look like a trailer. There was a huge lawn with palm trees. I could hear the waves roaring. We were near the sea. That wasn’t much but it was still something.

They led me inside the house. There was no time to run. There were armed guards near the gate.

« Are those weapons even legal ? » I murmured under my breath. I didn’t have the guts to ask out loud.

Antonio chuckled, « Of course not. »

Well, wasn’t that just grand.

The interiors were simple and modern. Marble floors and elegant black couches. There was a coffee table with a gun on top of it.

I was led up the black glass stairs to a giant mahogany door. Damien knocked.

« Come in, » a soft yet authoritative voice ordered. It was deep and smooth as velvet.

Damien opened the door and I was staring at the most beautiful man I’d ever seen.

He was handsome in a delicate way, not too rugged, not too feminine. His features were sharp, with an aristocratic nose and high cheekbones with a defined jawline. But they had a softness about them that made them so handsome.

His brows were dark and thick, his skin was lightly tanned and wavy dark hair flowed over his forehead. His eyes were a pale grey, like a silver sword, a sea during a storm. I knew that even if I tried my best, mixing that color would be impossible. He looked like a fallen angel.

His body, under his black suit jacket was lean. Not muscular but he was definitely athletic. But it was a mask, a veil over the danger that Adrian DeLuca was. His eyes were inexpressive, calculating, judging. One of the smartest people I would meet and he was standing in front of me, taking me in, sizing me up. I fought to keep my face devoid of emotion. I had a tendency to smile or nervously laugh at inappropriate moments and this was one of them.

He looked at Damien and Antonio.

« Leave us. » He said softly.

Damien and Antonio nodded and left the office, leaving me alone with him.

Antonio and Damien walked out leaving me alone with one of the most dangerous men in the world. Gee, thanks.

Adrian wasn’t what I expected. He didn’t look physically intimidating. But his steel grey eyes sparkled like sunlight on a sword. They sparkled with immense intelligence. And I should know how dangerous intelligence can be. While you can easily run a sword through your enemy and end his life, if you were smart you could make sure the person driving the sword was himself. That scared the shit out of me and the mere thought made me shudder amd sent chills down my spine.

He was dressed in a black suit that may as well have money written over it. Probably Armani.

Adrian DeLuca said nothing. Neither did I, but I felt as if he were seeing everything. My innermost thoughts, my deepest fears.

« What do you want ? » My voice wasn’t shaky. And I was proud of that.

His beautiful lips curved into a cruel smile. His beauty was a weapon and from the way he carried himself, he knew it.

« Why don’t you tell me ? Unless you were admiring my looks instead of sizing up your enemy ? » He said in a monotone.

What had I gotten myself into ? I realised the power of this man. He didn’t need physical strength or even a gun. His words can twist and alter reality. He could read people and play them like a fucking piano. I saw similar traces in Dylan. But even he was nothing compared to this man. I had to be very, very, very careful before I act. He wouldn’t hurt me physically but there was worse he could do.

You might think it’s strange. That I’m acting stupid, being afraid without any threats or many words being exchanged. But his eyes were emotionless. Try looking Vladimir Putin or Napoleon or Churchill or any other smart, powerful man in the eye and lying or doing anything, really. You feel stupid and respectful. Powerless in their presence. That’s how I felt.