Chapter Three

Brooklyn walked backward with fright, her face paling considerably as she stared with horror at her stalker standing at her doorstep. Petrified, she lost her ability to speak while he watched her like a hawk as if about to pounce upon his prey.

“Please don’t kill me. I haven’t done anything to you,” she squeaked with terror, words failing her as panic gripped her body. His hazel eyes widened a little but nevertheless, he started approaching her without paying any heed to her words. The stout man along with other men, all clad in black suits stood to attention at her doorstep, waiting for their boss’s instructions. Were they all members of MC Black Devils? Brooklyn looked around to pick up something to throw at him, to ward him off but sadly there was nothing in the shabby apartment. In her indecisive state, she made a dash for her bedroom, to lock herself inside but her stalker was quicker. He reached her in two strides and caught her arm, pulling her towards him. 

“No, please let me go,” she struggled to get free but he was too strong for her. 

“Don’t fight me, Brooklyn,” said her stalker, his deep voice sending a chill down her spine. Fear gripped her heart and it constricted, leaving her gasping for air. Her head reeled and she lost her consciousness and would have fallen to the ground had it not been for her stalker’s support. She could feel herself being lifted and carried away but her body was powerless to resist. Her limp body sagged into a warm torso and she completely blacked out. She was now at the mercy of Jimmy Black! 

Brooklyn had no idea what happened afterwards. When she woke up, she found herself in a brightly lit, sunny room, with sunlight streaming through the open windows. A refreshingly sweet fruity smell wafted into her nose from outside. Where was she? It felt as if she was in a different world altogether, a world completely different from the polluted city life that she was used to. Did she die and go to heaven? This was nothing short of heaven. Rubbing her eyes, she looked around the room. It was very tastefully decorated in shades of white and olive green, creating a positive and warm ambiance all around. Getting up from the queen-sized bed, she glanced at herself. Thankfully, she was wearing the same clothes as she had last night. Trying to recall, she felt frustrated when she couldn’t recall anything that happened after being abducted by Jimmy Black. 

However, this place didn’t look like it could belong to an MC chief. Then where was she? Walking over to the huge bay window, her breath got stuck in her throat when she looked out. There lying before her were acres and acres of breathtaking rolling hills, distant mountains and a sea of vineyards as far as her eyes could see. It seemed as if she was transported to a beautiful private vineyard, a dream world! But life with Jimmy Black could be no dream. Had he sold her to be a slave in a vineyard? All negative thoughts rushed into her head. No, however beautiful the place was, she would have to escape before Jimmy Black came back to look for her. 

But how could she escape without knowing where she was? She rushed to the door of the room. It was locked from outside. Panic rose inside her and she walked back to the window. Could she climb down to the ground and run for dear life? She peered down to see. Yes, she could use the bedsheets to climb down. The height wasn’t much as it was just a storey high. Getting fresh hope, Brooklyn rushed to the bedside and started tying the bedsheets up securely. Her nimble fingers worked faster and finally, it was done. She hurried with it to the window and dropped the sheets outside it.  To her satisfaction, they nearly touched the ground. Tying the other end to the leg of the bed, she hoisted herself to the window. Fear gripped her as she peered down. No, she wouldn’t look down, she would have to be brave, she needed to escape her tormentors. She had to find her brother first and then escape to some faraway country, far away from Jimmy Black’s clutches. Praying in her head, she caught onto the bedsheet and started slowly climbing down. Her head reeled and she felt that she was losing her grip, never having done such a feat in her entire nineteen years of life. 

Sweat formed on her forehead as she felt the bedsheet slip from her fingers, the knot was loosening. Was this the end? Would she now fall to her death? Fear gripped her and she prayed that somehow she could make it down safely. But since bad luck never left her side, the knot loosened and she felt herself falling to the ground with the bedsheet in her grip. 

“Ahh,” she screamed with fear as she prepared herself to fall to her death but instead of the hard ground, her body touched a warm surface. Was she dead? She opened her eyes and was lost in a pair of beautiful hazel eyes that looked down at her with anger? A gasp escaped her! How dreadful could this get? She had to land in her stalker’s arms? 

“Where exactly were you off to?” he growled in a fit of understated anger that made her blood curdle with fear. 

“Let me go. Why have you captured me against my will? I don’t want to stay here, with you,” she thrashed in his arms. He grunted with anger and strode into the house with her struggling in his arms. She could feel his rippling muscles under the soft material of his tee-shirt. She knew that it was useless to struggle. She could never win against his sheer strength. 

“Bruce!” he yelled like a madman, making her tremble with fear. Would he punish her now? Fear gripped her and she felt the tears sting at her eyes. She wasn’t a coward but somehow she felt helpless in front of this ruthless monster. “Bruce, Mark,” he yelled again, this time barking so loudly that his voice echoed all around the place. The stout man accompanied by a tall man came hurrying with food stuffed in their mouths chewing quickly with fright. 

“Yes, sir, sorry, we were having breakfast,” said the stout man. 

“I asked you to guard her 24/7. How did she escape?” gritted out their furious boss, dumping her roughly inside her room, as if she was a sack of potatoes. Brooklyn staggered under the brunt of his action. She ran to the far end of the room and cowered with fright, waiting for her punishment. Tears fell from her eyes and she felt helpless, hungry and lost. What will this brute do to her? 

The men gulped with nervousness and fear. “Sorry, it won’t happen again. She looked so innocent and fast asleep, that we thought of..,” started the tall man but quietened after their chief growled angrily. 

“Enough, Mark. One more word and you know what I’d do with you,” he barked, making the tall man tremble with fear. “Stand guard outside her door,” he instructed angrily. Then he turned to look at the stout man. “Bruce, you will guard the main door and station Sam just below her window. I’ll send more men. She should not escape. Is that clear?” he growled again. 

“Yes, sir,” chorused the men. After dismissing them, their boss walked into her room and then turned towards the window. He closed the window and pulling a key from his pocket, he locked it. Brooklyn watched with her breath stuck in her throat, her wide anxious, frightened eyes taking in his actions. There was a sort of animal grace in his actions. He was extremely good-looking as if straight out of some fashion magazine or a blockbuster movie but Brooklyn knew otherwise. He was a criminal and he somehow hated her! 

She was so lost in her assessment of him that she gasped with dread when he turned to look at her. His hazel eyes stared into her scared blue ones as if trying to read her soul. “It’s no use escaping from here. Next time you won’t be this lucky, you’ll be punished,” he said, his tone a little different from the way he spoke to his men. 

“Why have you captured me?” she asked as curiosity got the better of her.

“I have my reasons,” he said gruffly, staring at her broodingly.

“This is a crime, Mr. Black. You cannot keep me a prisoner here,” she said bravely. She had expected him to angrily punish her for her audacity but instead, he looked bewildered. His lips twitched a little as if she had told him a joke. Was he bipolar or something? She had heard how Motorcycle Club members were a little weird and strange. 

“I’m not Jimmy Black. Don’t you know who I am?” asked the man with a strange expression of disbelief on his face. Brooklyn’s eyes widened and she was dumbstruck by his words. If he wasn’t Jimmy Black, then who was he? She shook her head slowly. She had no idea who he was and why he was after her. Her mind went completely blank. If he wasn’t Jimmy Black, then how exactly did he know his name? How many people were after her? 

“I am Nikolas Ardolf, owner of Ardolf Winery, worldwide. Surely you’ve heard of me?” he asked with a smirk.