CHAPTER 002

Amaya felt uneasy back at the library. Something wasn't right and she could feel it. She was so unrelaxed and everything wasn't feeling normal.

She had come to the library to study for her fast approaching exams and everything was going on smoothly until now. Her left pinky finger had began shaking on it's own,a sign she had always had since she was a kid when things were about to or were already going wrong.

She tried to focus back on her studying again,but couldn't. She suddenly felt restless.

Standing up,she grabbed her bag and packed up her things,she was going home. She put on her face mask,dark sunglasses and a scarf before heading towards the library's exit.

Getting out of the library,she flagged down a cab,since she hadn't come in her car. After telling the cab man her destination,she got in and they drove off.

She stopped some distance from the house,since she knew they were in hiding and paid they cab man. She stood there till the cab driver was out of sight before turning around to walk towards their cottage in the woods.

She loved the peace and quiet of the woods,even though the cottage was nothing compared to their mansion. They had moved here about six weeks ago,and her father had refused to tell them the reason he had woken them up that fateful Tuesday early morning,to tell them to pack up their stuff.

FLASHBACK.......... FEW WEEKS AGO

It was three o'clock in the morning,and Mark had gotten out of bed to wake his wife and kids up. He gathered them together and told them to get their stuff together as they were leaving in the next thirty minutes.

Mother and children were stunned and a bit confused by the request at that early hour of the morning.

"What's going on honey?" Imelda asked her husband in concern.

"He's after me,and I can't let him see me or hurt my family" came Mark's short reply which didn't sit well with his wife.

"Who's after you,and what connection do my kids and I have with the "him" you're talking about?" she questioned further.

"Enough of the questions Imelda. Get your things ready and make sure the kids are also ready in the next fifteen minutes" he replied with a note of finality.

"But why can't you......." Imelda was saying before he shut her up with a raised finger.

"Do as I say,and no more questions from any of you" he said,and with that stormed out of the room.

Getting to the balcony,he took out his phone and dialed a number. The person picked at the second ring.

"Hello?" came a man's voice at the other end of the phone.

"Hey Curt,it's Mark" he said.

"Mark? Why'd you call this early?" the person asked with a sleepy voice.

"I've decided to go into hiding with my family for a while,until I can gather enough to pay back the debt I owe the Don" he answered.

"But Mark you know the Don has eyes everywhere,don't you?" the man on the phone asked.

"I know Curt,but right now I'm confused and scared. Don might come after me and I don't want him to do anything hurtful to my family". Mark said.

"You're my brother Curtis,and I'm only telling you about this because of the bond we share.

"Alright Mark. Where'd you intend to go with Imelda and the kids?" Curtis asked.

"I'm not sure for now,but I was thinking about the little cottage in the woods close to the river. It's a secluded area and we won't easily be spotted" Mark replied.

"Alright then. Give me updates about your whereabouts okay?" Curt said.

"Yeah I will" Mark replied. "Curtis help me be on the lookout for any new deals that might benefit me and bring profit. I need any way to make sure I settle the Don" Mark said in a pleading tone.

"I will. Be careful out there" Curt said with concern in his voice.

"I will". And with that, Mark ended the call and went back inside.

Imelda's face showed nothing but anger and her eyes held a thousand questions. Mark played dumb and pretended not to notice his wife's countenance or the questioning way the kids were looking at him.

Seeing his wife and kids all ready with their bags,he picked his bags also and together,they went outside in the cold dark night.

BACK TO THE PRESENT

The air felt stuffy and suffocating,and the atmosphere left an unsettling feeling in her guts.

Everything seemed off,and she couldn't pinpoint what exactly was going on. Although she was a lover of quiet places,the woods seemed to creep her out sometimes. Most times,she had the weird feeling of being watched or followed.

Brushing the thoughts aside,she made her way to the door but paused when she started hearing strange voices together with her father's voice inside the house.

She heard an unfamiliar make voice asking her father about his eldest child which happened to be her,and she felt a shiver run down her spine.

She heard her father's voice and the next thing she heard was a loud bang,her mother and siblings scream and their father's groan.

In that instant she knew,that whoever it was that was inside,wasn't a nice person.

Her instincts told her to run and never look back, and just as she was about obeying her inner voice,the stranger inside the house said something that almost separated her soul from her body.

"How about I send you straight to hell. You'd be a great commander over there" the voice said emotionlessly.

She didn't think twice before barging into the house.

The sight she met,made her freeze in her spot. Her whole family on their knees with guns pointed at their heads. Her mother and siblings looking terrified,and her father's bloody face and lips.

"Well well well,you must be the daughter I heard about" the stranger said behind her, jolting her back to reality.

She spun around and met face to face with the coldest face she had ever seen in her entire life.

He had this annoying smirk on his face that made her want to throw up.

"Maya" Mark called, "why'd you come back now?" her father asked. Fear was boldly written on his face.

"What do you mean by that? What's going on and who are these people?" Amaya asked, looking straight at her father.

"Won't you introduce me to your pretty daughter? She's quite a beauty and from what I was told,she's almost the same age as me. Just two years younger, exactly how I like my women" Juan said.

Amaya turned to him with a glare,and he laughed maniacally.

"Your pretty daughter is quite an interesting one. She's acting big and bold with me" Juan said with a little smile.

Amaya looked at her dad with questioning eyes,but Mark could only bow his head.

"I'll help clear all of your heads". Juan said.

"Your good for nothing husband and father borrowed a few hundred millions from me and has refused to pay back. And then the moron tried to hide from me. So here I am,it's either he pays his debts with cash or he pays with his life". Juan said that last part with no single emotion.

Can a human be this heartless? Amaya thought.

She was still trying to figure out why her father would go to someone as sick in the head as this,when she saw the shift in Juan's countenance.

He was looking at her in some kind of way she didn't find comfortable.

He suddenly started moving towards her,and she immediately shifted backwards. He stopped a few feet away and turned over to Mark with a crazy smile.

"I think I have a better idea" Juan said with some sort of glint in his eyes.

Everyone turned to look at him. He played with his fingers for almost five minutes,before looking up to drop the bombshell.

"In exchange for the money,I'm taking your daughter as my plaything" he said slowly.

"And I'm talking about you, Amaya".

Her eyes widened in unbelief.