Chapter Two

"There's a tracker, Don't think of running away either. I will find you with or without the phone babygirl"

I wiped out the tear that had found it's down to my face. This man was inhumane. 

Wedding?.... wedding?

How can you kill a man and decide to wed his only sister against her wish.

The slight bang on the door announced he had left the room. I tried breathing and it still was hard. Sulking in a deep breath, I climbed off the bed. If I couldn't run away from him, I might as well end the whole drama. 

My room was at the far end of the hallway, it took a whole lot of tiptoeing to come down the wooden coloured stairs. My heart was right at my throat as I moved. I could get killed at this junction and unapologetically.

As I stood, just below the stairs, my eyes frantically searched for the kitchen, looking behind me, the way was right under the stairs, Quickly with the help of the dim light from outside, I sought out for a knife and there it was, snatching it from the knife holder, I think I had said a few last prayers and slashed it through my veins in a split second. It was a gnawing pain but I had refused to shout. Being under his hostage was like death to me, what was the difference?

As I watched my blood spurt all over the kitchen floor, I felt my heartbeats go slow and my eyes roll inside. I had almost given up to the dark  when I heard someone shout my name.

"Alice!"

It came again except that I was out this time.

My blurry sight met the white ceiling, I tried to sit up and a terrible headache hit me like a wave. 

"Arrrghh"

"Take it easy...take it easy"

It was the small man again. Slowly keeping my head down to the pillow once more, I raised a hand to my sightline.

"Hospitals"

The word tasted like lemonade to my tongue, I hated the damn place. Secondly I wasn't dead.

"That was a foolish decision you made you know"

My eyes were closed, my ears too if it was possible.

"She's awake"

I glared with a side eye, he was talking into his phone. 

"Okay sir"

He slided the phone into his pocket and turned to me.

"The boss would be here anytime from now. Stay put okay?"

Not waiting for an answer that of course I wasn't about to give, he walked out.

It had not been long before the monster came in, his hair was undressed which tugged at me that it was unusual, he had the same tracks on except it was a different shirt. I wasn't going to believe any shit my mind was coming up with now, so I hissed at his arrival and made a face.

He gently shut the door and leaned on it, his hands in his pockets, staring at me. 

"Are you crazy?"

I wanted to reply, I mean, who wouldn't go crazy but I looked away instead.

He moved closer to the bed and to my wildest dreams, touched my head but I removed his hand instantly, maybe he finally got a hang of what he was doing. Monsters like him don't care, shouldn't care. They don't have a reason to least to me if I have to say.

"If you wanted to die. It's simple. Tell me and I would grant you the pleasure of a quick death"

Well, think of caring

"Why go through all that pain?"

He sounded so real except I knew he meant each word.

"Stay the fuck away from me!"

He straightened his shoulders and a hint of smile appeared on his face.

"I thought you were going mute forever" 

he stopped and watched me and smiled again. I knew I just found out he's a monster but unsurprisingly, I still trip to his dimpled smile. 

"You will be discharged in an hour. The nurse when she comes back will help you change out of the hospital gown"

"Why don't you help me out of it instead?"

That was a fast one. He didn't look like he saw it coming, I didn't either. It just came tumbling out. 

He said nothing, showed nothing and was out the door except he didn't look me in the eyes like he did each time he wanted to walk out. 

I stopped for a moment and listened to myself. If I couldn't get away from This man here, then maybe playing my way out of all of this stands as the best option and if i had a way of revenging my brother's death, I will even if it meant at the risk of my own life. We can both go to hell and settle our duo right there with the devil.

That was a breath of fresh air in the longest time. 

When I finally got discharged from the damn place, I sensed purpose finally.

A mean-worried Leah was up on her feet waiting as we entered in. 

She wasn't alone. A fine black woman was with you. She looked familiar, had to pin where I knew her from. That was my thoughts before Leah took me into her arms.

"You scared the hell out of me Alice. We already have the wedding coming up and your name in the cards. It will be bad if we had to redo all that. Logan wouldn't care buh you know"

That was it.

"I'm not dead yet and you guys can cover up the expenses with a replacement asap. Don't act like you care much" 

That was my voice on the thick silence. Logan who was on his phone ealier was back, sure he had heard my words but had not said anything. Leah was just... staring, at me.

"I thought you said she's too scared to talk?"

That was the black woman. Looking at her more closely now, it finally clicked.

Riley Novman, the popular Kiss Me Before I Die. She had starred in the movie with Logan of course and they acted almost porn scenes.

The room just got awkward on remembering that coupled with the words out from her mouth at that moment?, I think I might just hate every single celebrity on this fucking Earth.

"Alright. I will be upstairs"

Saying to no one in particular, I left them. From my peripherals, I watched Logan tell his small being to follow me while Riley was already all over him and Leah still had a hard look on me from behind. I think finally, it's time to hate me. 

The days after flew like the wind. I was left in the house to recuperate and Logan was nowhere seen in those few days. 

 I had phone at least, it helped in much of the distraction which I was grateful for. I couldn't reach out to my friends but somehow they found a way back to me, I snubbed them, yes I did but one thing was sure, they weren't prepared for what's coming.

On my third day of going to the new school, Logan returned. 

I wouldn't want to forget the fact that he's the only thing college girls talk about. 

I was on my casual Telemundo series when my door swung open. I didn't bother looking up. His cologne was his spokesman.

"It's been a long while D'Nores" 

I waited for a reply, he normally scoffed or chuckled when I called him that but none was coming so I looked up and man was wasted.

When I opened my mouth to speak again, he started talking.

"No...I don't want to hear it. Be ready tomorrow. You will be my lady at the DownTown premieres. Leah will bring in your dress tomorrow "

Leah, I almost forgot her.

His words must have registered as I watched him try to maintain balance walking out the door. 

We're making our first appearance?

Okay.

I was nervous, really nervous and the fact that I was about to pepper some damn people is alot. First of all, taking down my social media handles because a lot of digging was just about to start.

Fast forward to the next day, Leah had taken the whole day to bring my dress. Yeah, you heard me right...

My dress

But the major problem was who she came with. 

Riley again.

I had a feeling she was doing this on purpose and took a whole lot not to snap at her.

By the end of the evening, I literally was beyond recognition to my own self. The MUA had done so much magic. First of all, in my wildest dreams did I imagine that my red hair could actually get so soft and curled into waves, my brows perfect. I always thought make up wasn't my thing but looking into the mirror at that point had me questioning a whole lot of this. 

When I stepped out of my room in the green emerald princess dress and a silver multi-dollar shoe on my foot and real diamonds to tip it off with a pretty doll face. I swore with everything I had in me at that moment, all his other girls could kiss my ass if they so wished. I was the woman now even if it was just for the night.