Chapter 58

This is a dangerous game, but I'm gonna win it! That's with that new mantra in mind that I welcomed him inside his room. That bedroom was maybe a cage and I maybe felt like an animal in cage, but I was far to be tamed. Actually, I felt like a lion in its cage, waiting to devour whoever would dare to get inside in the naive perspective of taming it. The black wooden door was pushed open and he emerged from the shadows of the hallway.

"Crap!" Commented Anton, who blended in perfectly with the obscurity. "It's dark in there!"

   With that, the criminal switched the light on, a warm light suddenly inoundating the room. My light green eyes squinted at its sudden brightness, but I still could see him standing in the room. He seemed to have recovered from the slap I gave him, but the purple bruise left by my punch was still visible on his sharp cheekbone. His hair was a little bit messier than it was when he last left and he had removed his leather jacket. Aside from it, he wasn't very different from what he looked like when he left the room.

"Why didn't you turn the light on?" Asked me Anton, raising a questionning eyebrow. "You're gonna damage your eyes."

   He reached a hand out toward my face gently, but I stepped back, my arms crossed on my chest to let him know I was disposed yet to endure any physical contact with him. Or ever! He seemed to take the hint as he drew his hand back, his gaze briefly hardening at my action, but doing anything about it. Instead, it seems like he just let that slip. I focused my attention on the tray he had balanced on his other hand.

"I thought you might be hungry, so I brought you some dinner." He casually explained, extending the tray out to me. "I'm sorry. Maybe you would've rather liked to eat outside this room, but I wasn't sure yet you wouldn't have tried to run away during dinner."

   I looked down at the tray. On the middle of it was settled a steamy plate of chili con carne with a glass of water and a loaf of fresh bread. The smell was mouthwatering, but I refused to touch to anything he'd bring to me. As he raised an eyebrow at me again, expecting me to take the tray, I shook my head.

"I'm not gonna eat anything you'll bring to me." I refused, looking at him straight in the eyes. "I can't trust you."

"I didn't poison the food, if that's what you fear." He insisted, rolling his own dark brown eyes in annoyance. "Go on and eat."

   He pushed the tray toward me, the iron fabric pressing slightly against my belly. But I didn't budge, not making a single move to take it. Noticing it, something in Anton's eyes grew darker.

"Eat." He repeated, his tone sounding like a cold warning.

"No." I calmly yet defiantly refused, looking up at him.

"Eat." He repeated again, trying to sound a little more friendly even though he was obviously frustrated. "I'm telling you it's not poisonned."

"I've got no reason to believe you." I sharply replied, crossing my arms across my chest. "And even though I would, I still would eat nothing because you kidnapped me!"

   With a cold, dark, freezing look in his eyes, he waited a few seconds, our eyes locked together. We could've played the "Eat-No-Eat-No" game for a while, but it would've been pointless and he knew that well. Finally, Anton gave in and placed the tray on the ebony surface of his desk.

"Suit yourself!" He shrugged, his broad shoulders tensing underneath the thin fabric of his shirt. "But you're gonna need to eat soon or later, anyway."

   I glared defiantly at him. I'm not going to eat until you set me free. Suddenly, a lightbulb lighted on in my head as an idea came into my mind. Refusing to eat just to spite him was properly pointless, if you counted out the pleasure I took to thumb my nose to the gangster, but there could also be a better reason for me not to eat.

"You know, I well thought about our little conversation from a few hours ago..." I began, looking down in fake submission.

"Really?" Casually asked Anton, not even looking at me.

"Yes, about my father. You told me you had a business to do with my father, right?" I continued, raising my head up a little to look at him. "May I ask you what kind of business?"

"No, young lady." The criminal shook his head, unbuttonning the two first buttons of his shirt. "The less you know about it, the better it is."

"But I am in right to ask about the conditions in which you'll return me home!" I insisted, frustrated to see my plan might not work. "You told me that if I had questions, you'd be here to answer them!"

"That's true." Admitted Anton, plopping down on his bed. "So, what's your question exactly?"

"You said you'd keep me here as an hostage to motivate my father to do whatever you want him to do." I began, hoping to push him to reveal his true means. "If my father does what you ask from him, will you return me home unharmed?"

   Anton stood up and directly walked up to me. I was so surprised I didn't even have the time to back up before he plant his serious gaze in my eyes again. He grabbed my shoulders firmly, but without making his grip painful for me.

"I gave your father my word that as long as he'd as we say, I wouldn't let no harm come to you." He promised me in this deep voice of his which once again caused me to shiver. "And I promise you too, Miss MacCarthy, that if your father plays by the rules, you'll be back home unharmed before you even know it."

"Thank you." I forced myself to thank him, lowering my head.

   I didn't lower my head out of shyness, but I was glad my long toffee brown hair hide my smirk of victory. I just squeezed out of him the information I wanted! Now, I had a good reason to refuse to eat: If he promised my father to return me unharmed to him, Anton had absolutely no interest to let me die from starvation. If I kept on refusing eating for long enough, he'd eventually be forced to let me go before I suffer too much from it. He'd gain nothing good by letting the daughter of a powerful politician die from starvation! But for now, all I had to do was to play nice as much as possible.

"Are you sure you're not going to eat?" Asked me the gang leader, with something sounding a little like concern in his voice. "You look very hungry!"

"I'm sure." I stubbornly shook my head. "Actually, I'm kinda..."

   I paused, wondering what I could be telling him. I had to find a good reason to get out of this bedroom, but I wasn't sure of where to go. Maybe I could ask to go to the bathroom and try to run away through the window? Oh well, maybe that was worth the try? But wasn't it better to ask to go to sleep, so that he'd leave me alone?

"Yes?" He curiously asked, leaning closer to me.

"Tired." I quickly completed, without really thinking.

   He backed up, turning his head toward the bed. The bed! The thought suddenly struck me that there was only one bed, so...

"I can sleep on the floor!" I immediately exclaimed.

   Anton paused, looking at me with a raised eyebrow. I didn't care, I'd rather sleep on the floor than take the risk of having him doing... Things... To me! I was already starting to lay down on the floor when he grabbed me by my hand and swiftly pulled me back on my feet.

"Don't be stupid, Miss MacCarthy, you're not gonna sleep on the floor!" He protested, securing me on my feet. "There's a bed, you can sleep on the bed!"

   Honestly, no matter how large, smooth and warm his hand was, I was far from allowing myself to enjoy having my hand in his. Wanting to escape this contact before to appreciate it, I wriggled my wrist to break free. He released me at the same time as I retracted my hand.

"That's not necessary, really..." I mumbled, feeling my face heat up in nervosity.

"What's the matter, young lady?!" He smirked, his fiery brown eyes lightening up as he realized what I was worried about. "Ah! Don't be afraid, I won't do anything to you!"

"Sure, you won't do anything except kidnapping me and locking me in your room." I coldly pointed out, finding back my composure. "How can I be sure you're not lying?"

"I'm sorry for having locked you up, I swear that when I'll know I can trust you, you won't be locked up anymore." Assured me Anton, a hint of what looked like guilt passing over his face. "And about the proof I can give you that I'm not planning on doing dirty things to you in my bed, well first, I'm not a pervert!"

   Not a pervert?! What then, of everything my Dad told me about you and all the crimes you committed?!? Crossing my arms, I gave him an unconvinced look. Understanding he'd need to tell me more than this to reassure me, he sighed.

"Look, if I ever was to do it to you, I'd break my word to your father to keep you unharmed for as long as he does as I say." Resumed the black haired man, looking up at me with something I couldn't identify in the eyes. "I'd be hurting you, plus you possibly could get sick and get pregnant. I wouldn't do such a thing."

   Silence fell upon us for few seconds. I remained mute, trying to shake off images of me pregnant of that man's child which were asailing my mind. I'd never want a child with a barbaric criminal like him! After having carefully studied myself, the young man seemed to take my silence for a sign I now believed him. That's not like I had any choice! I couldn't rely on anything better than his word for now. Unwinding, he kicked his boots away and took his socks off. I watched him for a second before to realize what he was doing!

"Um... Maybe..." I spoke, not wanting to stay in the room while he was getting changed in his sleepwear. "Maybe I should go to another room to get changed."

   Looking up at me, Anton apparently took the hint and stood up, walking up to the black cupboard I searched through this afternoon. Opening it, he wiggled his index back and forth, reckoning for me to come closer. I hesitated, not really wanting to get any closer to a man who was known to be a ruthless psychopath. Though, he turned his head toward me quizzically, so I gave in. I wouldn't gain anything on challenging him for little things!

"As you can see, my gang and I bought you some clothing in preparation of your stay with us." He informed me, explaining why I found female clothing in his cupboard. "You can pick among it whatever sleepwear you'd like."

   Rummaging through where he pointed me, where the sleepwear were stocked, I pulled out a pristine white nightgown with a buttonned up collar. Old-fashioned, but at least it was covering, so I decided to go for that one. The tall man was still standing behind me. I could feel the warmth emanating from his body brushing against my back and his hot breath was caressing my neck, giving me goosebumps.

"This one?" He asked, his low voice in my ear giving me butterflies that I hated. "Very well, then. I'm gonna take you to the bathroom while you get changed."

   He gently tugged at my arm to incitate me to follow him. Relief washed over me as the warmth I felt coming from his body dissipated. What I disliked wasn't the warmth in itself, but the fact that I enjoyed the way it felt. Mentally cursing at my body for betraying my mind, I followed Anton outside. Maybe now was my chance to run away. I glanced at the stairs above my shoulder, weighting the risks. My captor gently pushed me toward a white door at the end of the hallway.

"Mike!" He called out. "Can you watch the door while she's inside, please?!"

"Coming, Anton!" Replied the freezing voice.

   Slipping his balaclava on, Mike jogged upstairs. Great! Now, my only chance to escape vanished into smoke. How was I supposed to escape with that big bad wolf of Mike guarding my door? Anton left us and walked back inside his room. Curiously, the tension rose up again as he did, leaving me with Mike.

"Get inside!" He ordered me with his gruffy voice, pushing me inside the bathroom.

   Cursing at how rude this man was, I turned around to close the door and lock it behind me. As I did, I heard Mike's voice through the door:

"You've got exactly five minutes to get changed bitch, otherwise I kick down that door!"

   Well, crap! I made my way to the window and tried to open it, but of course, it was blocked. I would've gladly tried to force it open with something, but if I only had five minutes before that brainless gorilla of Mike kick the door down, I had no time to look for anything to force the window. Eventually, I tried to get a little more time.

"I don't smell so good!" I lied, trying to find an excuse to spend more time in the bathroom. "Can I take a shower?"

"No, bitch!" Spat Mike on the other side of the door. "You get changed and you walk out!"

   With a defeated sigh, I gave in. I took off all my clothes, except my white bra and panties, then slipped on my pristine white nightdress. I carefully buttonned up the collar, not wanting to show any cleavage. Then, I found a new toothbrush to brush my teeth with, trying to keep my hands busy i order not to panic.

"Are you done, bitch?!" Yelled Mike, still waiting for me on the outside.

"Yes!" I quickly replied. "I've just finished brushing my teeth!"

"Open that door, or I'm gonna break them!" Threatened the gangster.

   Well that was crap, because I felt way better when he was on the other side of the locked door! I unlocked the door despite the knot of worry in my belly, only because I really didn't want him to knock down the door. But even once he was inside, I still couldn't help myself but try to win as much time as possible. I knelt and picked up my clothes from the ground, then took all my time to fold them properly, frowning at my shaky hands. That wasn't the moment to be afraid!

"Hurry up, bitch!" Sighed Mike, rolling his eyes in annoyance. "I won't spend the night surveying you!"

"I stink!" I glared at him above my shoulder, kneeling beside the sink. "Can I at least spray myself with some deodorant?!"

   He nodded, so I grabbed a deo bottle and sprayed my armpits. Actually, I wasn't stinking, but I was doing all this to earn as much time as possible away from the gang's leader. Plus, maybe I still could use the deo later for something else than spraying myself.

"I'm done." I sharply announced to Mike, now eager to get rid of him.

"By the time!" He grunted, pushing me out of the bathroom.

   I frowned but still walked proudly as I was escorted back to Anton's room. Mike was about to shove me in, but instead of doing him this pleasure, I grabbed the handle and got in myself. Slamming the door behind me, I took a deep breath. At least, here, I was away from that creep! That's only when I looked up that I saw the second creep. And there, my eyes widened.

"Hey there, Miss MacCarthy!" Greeted me Anton from the other side of the room. "You look nice in that nightdress."

   I didn't reply yet because there was only one thing that I could see: Muscles. All I could see was an impressive muscle mass, swiftly moving underneath porcelain white smooth skin. Embarrassed, I looked away from Anton's toned torso. His abs flexed one last time as he raised his arms above his head to pass on a white sleeveless T-shirt.

"You can look up." He smirked, his face at a few inches from mine.

   I slightly jumped since I didn't notice he went right in front of me. Taking a step back, I blushed furiously for having only glance at this criminal's torso, whether or not he was built like an athlete! Anton seemed to amuse himself about this, but thankfully didn't say anything about it. Instead, he turned around and layed down in his bed, leaving an empty side for me.

"So?" He asked when he noticed I was still hesitating, tapping the side beside him. "Are you going to join me or...?"

   Reluctantly, I layed down in the bed beside him, not feeling extremely at ease with a gangster laying beside me. My brain registered how soft the sheets were and how comfy the mattress was, but I still forbade myself to close my eyes, no matter how tired my body felt.

"Good night, Miss MacCarthy." Told me Anton before to turn the light off. "And remember: I won't do anything to you, so please relax!"

"Good night..." I reluctantly mumbled, doing the exact opposite of what he said.

   Shifting to leave as much space between us as I could, I turned my back on him. My tired body was begging fof me to close my eyes and give in to sleep, but there was no way I could sleep with a criminal in the same bed as me and my mind was too agitated for me to sleep anyway. I had to plan my escape, so I tried to think of something. Maybe my chances to run away were better if I tried to escape in the night time. Everyone was sleeping, so it might be my chance! I waited a little that Anton had fallen asleep, not wanting to wake him up. I slowly crept out of the bed and started to look for the key of his bedroom. He probably had it somewhere! The only matter was: It wasn't easy to look for something so small without a light! I tried to search the drawers of the desk, but found nothing.

"Come on!" I whisper-yelled in frustration, looking all around the room. "Where can you be?!"

   Suddenly, Anton shifted in his sleep and I saw a silver glitter around his neck under the moonlight. The key! Creeping back up inside the bed, I reached my hand out slowly, trying to coax it away from him without waking him up. But just as I close my fingers around the key, he grabbed my hand in his larger one, making me jump.

"What do you think you're doing?" He asked me a bit sternly, his brown eyes popping open.

"I, uh... I need to use the cabinets." I made up, surprised he woke up so easily. "Can I go?"

   My captor turned the light on and propped himself on one elbow, the light allowing me to see the incredule look on his face.

"Why, are you kidding me?! You're not a little girl anymore and I'm not your daddy!" He exclaimed, raising an eyebrow in utter shock. "You don't need to ask for my permission, of course you can go!"

   I slided out of the bed, but my hope to go to the toilets alone was quickly destroyed as he stood up and followed me out of his room. I locked myself in the cabinets and did my thing while thinking of a way out of it. No doubt that I couldn't just walk out and run, Anton was certainly waiting for me on the other side of the door, like Mike did two hours ago. So maybe I could escape through the window? Looking at the tiny rectangular window above the toilets, I considered my chance. That was rather tight, but I could pass.

"Miss MacCarthy?" Asked my kidnapper, knocking on the door. "Are you alright?"

"Yes!" I quickly peeped, standing on the toilets seat to reach the window. "I'm ok, I'm ok..."

   I unlocked it without too much difficulty, much to my satisfaction. I slowly slided it open, not wanting it to do any noise. Then, I started trying to go through the tight window.

"Are you sure?" He insisted, knocking again.

"Yes!" I groaned as I passed my head out. "I'm almost done!"

   My right arm, then my left arm went out without too much struggle, so I pushed on my hands to make my abdomen go, but I was blocked by my chest. It took me a few tries to unblock my breasts from the window.

"Miss MacCarthy?" I suddenly heard a low voice say. "What are you doing? I'm hearing noise from the outside!"

   Well, crap! He started kicking at the door, doing what Mike threatened to do earlier. Faster! I pushed more importantly on my arms to slither out of the window. Praying for the door to hold steady, I managed to wiggle my waist out, but my hips remained blocked.

"No!" I gasped.

   Growing more desperate, I was shaking all I could to get away before Anton breaks the door down. Just as he kicked the door one last time, swinging it open, I panicked. If he catched me, I was going to suffer. I pushed harder and successfully slipped my hips out.

"No!" Yelled my captor, running toward me.

   Quickly, I slided my legs out, relieved to have escaped. But the next thing I knew was the emptiness. Looking down, my eyes widened in fear. I miscalculated how high I was compared to the floor and I was falling down toward the concrete ground underneath! Closing my eyes, I readied myself for the hard impact.