LOGINTabitha:For the first time, my eyes weren’t covered, and I could see the hallway. It was beautiful, brightly lit with a luxurious purple carpet that softened people’s footsteps. It smelled amazing too. Every surface had been scrubbed clean, and it shone in the bright light. The masked man walked in front of me, his steps slow but deliberate. He never turned back to look at me, and somehow, that was the scariest thing about it. My heart skipped beats as I followed. The guards were behind me, and I could hear their guns clicking at their sides as they walked. No one said a word; the air was filled with nothing but our footsteps. Suddenly, we turned a corner and entered a room. My jaw dropped as I looked around. The lights were low, the fireplace was burning warmly, crackling lightly and filling the room with another kind of orange glow. It looked just like the room I had been held in when I first came here, but this one had windows and didn’t smell like it hadn’t been used in years
Enzo:I couldn’t sleep. How could I? After what I read? After everything I read?I buried my head in my hands for the umpteenth time.“What the hell is wrong with you, Vince? What the hell is your problem? Why did you just listen to me?”Fatucci. I knew it. I knew that name was familiar. I had to see him. I had to find time and see him. I slumped backwards in bed, tears running down my face as I looked up at the ceiling. This whole thing was deeper than I thought. How did he even get caught up in this? What enticed him to start any of this?Fatucci lived in Brooklyn. That was going to be at least a two-day trip. I had to get ready immediately. There wasn’t a second left to spare.I was just about to call the number on the paper when my phone buzzed. My heart skipped a beat. There was no attached name. “Collin. Bastard,” I gritted before pressing the green button and putting it on speaker. “Hello, En…”“Where is Tabitha? I want to speak to her right now!”He laughed on the other end
Tabitha:I slept better than I had slept in days. The bed was huge and soft. The room was cold, and the sheets felt warmer and softer than anything that I could have ever imagined. A few times, I had woken up, and as soon as I saw the beautiful sky, I would be rocked back to sleep, feeling a kind of peace I never thought could be felt in the den of my kidnappers. By the time I had opened my eyes fully, the sun was already in the sky. There was a knock at my door, and it slowly opened. A maid walked in with a breakfast tray. She managed a small smile at me before she set it down on the bedside table. “The consigliere will be busy today,” she said, as if I had asked, “he said that you should eat and get ready. The Boss would be meeting you today.”My stomach churned. “The… the boss? Why? Did he say why?”She shook her head, still smiling. “Eat and get ready. You wouldn’t want to keep anyone waiting.”She left the room, and the door clicked shut, and I listened as the key turned in t
Tabitha:I finished dinner and sat down quietly. My drink was right in front of me, but I couldn’t take a sip. I saw the way the liquid swirled. Maybe it was my imagination, but there was something sparkly in it. Drugs perhaps. Maybe it was the fear making me see things, but I wasn’t going to drink it regardless. “Is everything alright?” Collin asked, on his last few pieces of steak, “You haven’t touched your drink.”I smiled, catching his other hand move on his lap. That was where his gun was. My heart skipped a beat. If there was something inside, he was going to make me drink it. I had to move fast. “I’m fine. I’m just trying to make room.” I was scared, but I almost believed myself. Well, I did indeed have no room for the drink. I reached across the table to grab something and ‘accidentally’ knocked the glass over. The contents spilt on the table and flowed towards me. I didn’t move out of the way fast enough before the orange liquid fell on my lap, wetting the hem of my expens
Enzo:I pulled up to my house and sighed. That sinking feeling was back again. Everything hurt all over again. She wasn’t home, and I wasn’t sure that I was ever going to get over that feeling.The lights were on, however. Edwardo was probably cooking. This was it. He was the last person that spoke to Tabitha. If he was the one that took her. “Easy, Enzo. There is no need to jump to conclusions," I muttered to myself, releasing my fist and taking a deep breath. I had to relax. If the spy realized that anything was off, then it was over for me… and Tabitha. I couldn’t let that happen. Nothing would happen to her. The car door closed a little louder than necessary when I got out. My heart was pounding in my chest as I walked up to the front door, put the key in the lock and turned. The first thing that welcomed me was the smell of fettuccini alfredo. It smelled heavenly, making my mouth water and reminding me that I hadn’t eaten anything all day. I put my briefcase on the living room
Tabitha:The table was set beautifully. The lights were out, and scented candles were lit, filling the dining area with a soft glow. For a moment, I was genuinely taken away. The food smelled delicious, and each breath made my mouth water. “You like it?” Collin asked, tucking my hair behind my shoulder. I made sure that it was top-notch and we could enjoy this lovely feast together. He leaned in, and his breath against my neck made me jump. I caught the scowl before it vanished. “But before we eat,” he took my hand and pulled me in closer, but I stopped myself with a hand on his chest, “we need to work up an appetite first. Come.”He took me through another door–one of the doors that the guards stood by–and my jaw dropped to the floor. It was a living room. It was decorated. The chandelier was made out of glass that shone like fire jewels in the dim light. It was amazing. “You like it?” he asked, stroking my hair and making me jump. “Yes,” I moved away, feeling goosebumps dot my
Enzo:Tabitha came back in the afternoon. She barely looked at me when I said ‘Good afternoon’ and asked how Nora was doing. She simply strode past me and went upstairs.Sunday had never been so quiet and tense. I called Grayson Hospital and asked them to return Dr. Gregory’s license to him, and th
Enzo:“I just let her walk out the door. Why the hell did I just let her walk out the door?”My heart was racing in my chest. Three missed calls and still nothing from her. “Fuck!”The chair creaked loudly as I sat down on it, head in my hands. I wanted to scream. What the hell was wrong with me?
Tabitha:We ate in silence. We sat on chairs facing each other, but the entire time, my head was lowered to my food. Even though we had opened all the windows in the house, there was still the faint smell of burnt broth that would hit my nose from time to time. I couldn’t help but wonder what he w
Enzo:I couldn’t help myself. I had been talking with Mr. Bolden. We were finishing the discussion about the prototype, and that was when I saw it: Andrew leading Tabitha around the house. My gaze had followed them until I could no longer see either of them as they disappeared behind the house. My







