Chapter 59

 Shit! I just couldn't believe I had miscalculated the height of the building! Now, I was free falling, maybe to my freedom but also maybe to my death! Clawing toward the window sill, I tightly closed my eyes and readied for the hard impact. But nothing came. Instead of feeling my bones breaking in impossible angles against the concrete floor, I felt something warm, large and smooth wrap itself around my hand. Opening my eyes, I saw I wasn't falling anymore. Looking up, I met the dark brown eyes of Anton Carmichael. The latter had managed to slip his arm through the narrow window just in time to catch me.

"Don't let go, Miss MacCarthy!" He whisper-yelled, his voice sounding almost reassuring in the dark.

"As if I was going to let go!" I forced myself to tease him back, though I was scared he'd let me fall and break my neck.

   Actually, even though I considered struggling to break free from his grip for a few seconds, I immediately rejected that idea. Doing that would probably kill me, and even if I could survive the fall, I wasn't ready to take that risk.

"Hold on tight, my lady!" Grunted the criminal, working his muscles to pull me up. "I'm gonna pull you up!"

   As weird as it might sound, I now felt a desperate need to get back to my captor. Throwing up my other hand, I tightly grabbed onto his muscular arm, wiggling my legs in search of some support. My left foot eventally scratched against the concrete wall of the building, slipping against the slicky surface. This caused me to dangle in the air, my hand slightly slipping out of Anton's larger one. My heart skipped a beat as I was scared to fall.

"Don't look down!" Instructed me my captor, squeezing my hand a little harder to hold me back from falling.

   The only matter is when you tell someone not to look down, this is the surest way to make them look down. Which I did. Seeing the ground so far underneath me with nothing in between caused me to panick even more, but I felt something I knew well: The adrenaline rush! Seeing me like that, you'd think I'm the fragile little daughter of a powerful man, but on some occasions I felt an adrenaline rush which turned me into another part of myself. And right now I was my bolder self, like I was when we were chased down by the cops later in the day. Balancing my legs forward, I pressed my feet against the wall and used it as a leverage. By pushing on my legs, I managed to crawl back toward the window. Letting go of Anton's wrist with my right hand, I tried to claw at the window sill, but just as I was about to grab it, my foot tripped and I started falling again.

"No..." I whispered, squeezing my eyes shut.

   Maybe with some luck, I'd only make it out with a sprained ankle? But the impact never came. My fall was stopped by something warm wrapping itself around me and pulling me up. When I opened back my eyes, I was back inside the cabinets. Sitting on the closed toilet seat, Anton still had his arms wrapped around me, holding my smaller form against his hard torso. Relieved to be alive, I rested against his muscular chest for a few seconds, catching my breath. The warmth emanating from his ivory skin was comforting. We stayed like that for a few seconds until I realized that I was hugging my captor!

"I'm fine, I'm fine!" I hissed like a cat, pushing myself away from him. "Let me go!"

   What the hell was I thinking?! For a few seconds, I stayed lovingly huddled against the chest of a criminal who kidnapped me and holded me in hostage! Shaking my head, I decided that it didn't meant anything. I was still shocked when I leaned against him, I wasn't thinking straight. How could I even find his warmth comforting? Eww!

"Are you sure?" He asked, still trying to hold me back as I wriggling like a cat. "You scraped your foot."

"Yes, I'm sure!" I sharply replied, slapping his hand away as he was reaching out toward my foot. "Now, let me go!"

"Fine, fine!" He exclaimed, raising his hands in surrender.

   I jumped off of his laps, then bent down to check on my foot. Where it scraped against the wall, the skin was ripped again the flesh was showing, a few drops of blood oozing from the gush. Nothing bad, a band-aid and I'd be like new!

"Is it all the thankment I'm gonna get?" Asked me Anton, still watching me intensely from the toilet seat. "I maybe saved your life, you know!"

   I felt a tingle of guilt in my heart, but did my best to ignore. Though, that was true: I fell and he catched me back! A part of me couldn't help but wonder why.

"I wouldn't have tried to escape if you didn't kidnapped me in the first place!" I couldn't help but snap at him.

"I'm not saying the contrary." Calmly objected the young man, indifferent to my anger. "But I helped you out nonetheless."

   That's true. An embarrassed blush crept across my cheeks. I tried to escape, which was normal under the circumstances, but he could've just let me fall. Even though he was my kidnapper, that was only correct that I thank him for having recued me.

"Thank you." I managed to tell him in a softer voice, not knowing if I felt embarrassed for thanking my captor or if it was for having been harsh toward me right after he saved me.

"You're welcome." He just shrugged, his low voice sounding a little gruffy.

   With that, he stood up and closed the window before to walk past me. The criminal was behaving in a completely indifferent way, as if I didn't just tried to escape and almost got killed in the process. Finally, my curiosity got the best of me.

"Wait!" I shy called after him, standing up from the ground. "Why did you save me?"

   Without a word, he paused just as he was about to exit the cabinet. Then, he slowly spun around and walked back to me, though he didn't stand too close. But even in the dark, the intensity with which he looked at me made my skin burn. A ray of moonlight spred itself through the window, lightening his pale face for a moment. He was paler than later in the day, his ebony black hair messy around his angular face and the bruise on his cheekbone of a deeper shade of purple.

"Why?" He repeated, a tired smile stretching his lips. "Because I gave my word that I wouldn't let no harm come to you, that's why."

   With that, he grabbed my arm and gave it a gentle tug to incitate me to follow him. This time, I did nothing to draw my arm back or slap his hand away. He led the way back to his room and this time, I followed him in without protesting or trying to run away again.

"Mr Carmichael?" I asked, as he plopped down on his bed.

"Mmh?" Tiredly grunted the black haired man, looking up at me quizzically.

"When will I be allowed to go back home?"

"As soon as your father fulfill our contract." He just shrugged, laying down on his bed. "I can't tell you when he'll do that, so I can't tell you when exactly you'll return home, but I can tell you that it will be done as soon as he does what we asked."

   I tisked, not having obtained the information I wanted. I craved to go home, but he was unable to tell me when exactly. I couldn't help but feel the need to escape and go back to my Dad. My poor father, he must have been worry sick right now! That's why I absolutely had to return to him as soon as possible! But even though my very core was screaming at me to run back to him, my body felt numb and heavy.

"It's very late, Miss MacCarthy." Signaled me Anton, pushing himself in the bed to leave me some room. "You maybe should go back to bed."

   At the paleness of his face and his slow talking pace, I understood how tired the young gangster was too. And I was exhausted just as well. For some reason, I obeyed and dragged myself to the bed and layed down beside him, so tired that I felt like my heavy limbs could sink into the mattress. This time, I closed my eyes and fell asleep without trying to escape again. The next morning, I woke up more rested than I would've thought. My eyes searched for the blue walls of my room, but my sleepy mind was confused not to find them. Instead, I was laying in an unknown room. Suddenly, something warm shifted in the bed beside me.

"Morning..." Mumbled Anton Carmichael, stretching tiredly his arms above his head.

   Ah, yes! Now, I remembered! Yesterday, I got kidnapped by the Carmichael gang and that's why I wasn't in my bedroom anymore. I tore my gaze away from his muscles moving under the pearl white skin of his arms to sit on the bed.

"Morning." I greeted him in a strangled voice, my shoulders slouching. "I was hoping all of this would only be a dream."

   Anton got out of the bed, tip-toing to find some socks to wear. Once he found some, he slided on a clean pair of blue jeans and walked past the bed without a word for me. As he turned toward the door, I caught a glimpse of his stoney profile, the bruise on his high cheekbone looking quite darker than yesterday. I felt a weird tingle in my chest, though I couldn't have said if it was satisfaction or guilt. The former, probably!

"I'm going to get us breakfast." He informed, his hand on the doorknob. "Since I'm not gone for too long, I won't lock the door, but don't try to escape. If you try to escape, my men will catch you anyway and I'll let them decide of what they'll do with you. Understood?"

   Though he said that last bit of phrase with a wink, there was something in his low voice which sounded like a warning.

"Yes." I coldly replied, a shiver running down my spine.

   With that, he left. I didn't hear the click of the lock, letting me know that the door wasn't locked, but I knew better than try to run now. He was right; His men were probably wandering on the first floor and would immediately catch me. And if they catched me... I'll let them decide of what they'll do to you. His words echoed in my head over and over again.

"Crap!" I yelled, angrily punching the mattress. "The bastard!"

   First he told me he wouldn't let no harm come to me, then he threatened to let his men do whatever they wanted to me if I tried to escape! Ugh! When I believed I actually thanked that man for having rescued me last night! I was fuming enough to tear that whole room down, but I still contained myself. That would only bring me troubles. I nonetheless punched the scarlet wall and ragefully stomped on the matching carpet to calm down. Then, I forced myself to take several deep breaths. I was going to escape, but for this I needed a plan. After only a few minutes, Anton returned to the room.

"Well, you didn't try to escape?" He asked with smile, a tray of food resting in his hand. "Surprising!"

   I only huffed at his comment, thinking that I'd already be running if he didn't threaten me to let his men do whatever they want to me if I did. Apparently not offended by my mustism and grumpy expression, he settled the tray on my laps.

"Breakfast!" He announced.

   I looked down at what the tray was holding. A loaf of fresh bread, a spoon and a bowl of milk with oatmeal. That definitely was something I could've ate, but I was furious at my captivity and my anger had found something to focus on. Grabbing the tray, I stood up and swiftly walked toward the desk, placing it on the black wooden surface before to go back to the bed.

"No thanks!" I refused, sitting down in a way to show I wasn't going to eat anything.

"This again?" Anton objected, a frown on his angular face. "You're gonna get sick, my lady."

"I don't care." I shook my head, crossing my arms. "I'm not eating!"

   I knew I was playing a dangerous game by provocating him, but it was maybe worth the try. If the gang leader promised my dad to return me unharmed to him, he'd probably bring me back sooner if I refused to eat, before I suffer from starvation.

"I don't know what game you're playing!" He strongly said with a stern expression, his hands on his slender waist. "But soon or later, you'll need to eat!"

   Instead of arguing with him, I gave Anton the silent treatment. I was maybe acting like a sulking brat, but at least, while I was doing that I was in control; I was in control and I had the power because he didn't know what I was thinking.

"Can I take a shower, please?" I instead asked in a soft voice, changing subject.

   Anton seemed a little surprised by the change of subject, but he was still fuming. He took several deep breaths and unballed his fists a few times before to answer:

"Yes, go ahead. You don't need to ask permission to be clean!"

   Anton maybe treated me decently correctly after having kidnapped me, he still had a very changing mood and his mood swings were rather intimidating. He could be happy, then get mad the minute after. Right now, me refusing to eat was quite bothering him, so I was delighted to suppress myself from his presence for a while, until he calms down. I walked up to the cupboard to pick a simple pair of blue jeans almost matching his and a baby blue shirt. More discreetly, I fished out a clean bra and panties. Anton escorted me to the bathroom to make sure I wouldn't try to run down the hallway, but then left me be. I locked the door behind me for more safety, then looked around myself. That's true that I didn't like to feel sweaty and that I didn't want to neglect my hygiene, but maybe now was my chance to escape? How many occasions to be left alone would I ever get? I stepped closer to the window, but just the fact to see the height I was to was enough to remind me of what almost happened last night. Shivering, I took a step back but decided to study my surroundings. Maybe I could find some support to stop my fall before I reach the ground...?

"Miss MacCarthy?" Asked me a deep voice, as someone knocked on the door. "Are you decent?"

"Yes!" I jumped, precipitally walking away from the window. "Yes, I am."

   I unlocked the door, wondering what Anton wanted from me. The tall man towered over me, his height intimidating, but his face looking absolutely neutral.

"I just came to bring you a towel." He blankly said, extending a clean towel to me. "If you don't neglect it, of course."

   The tone he used to finish his sentence was somewhat reproaching, but I choosed to ignore it, as well as the side glance he gave me. Obviously, he was referring to the fact that I refused to eat.

"I don't." I casually replied, grabbing the towel. "Thank you, Mr Carmichael."

"You're welcome." He grumbled in his low voice before to start to leave.

"Uh, wait!" I exclaimed, suddenly thinking of something. "There isn't any... Camera in this room, is it?"

"No, Miss MacCarthy!" Anton allowed himself a smirk, not expecting me to say that. "No one's gonna watch you shower!"

   With that, he left, his low laugh echoing in the hallway. Sighing warily, I closed to door behind him and locked it. I didn't trust him, but I had nothing better than his word, so I quickly got undressed and stepped into the shower. Once I was clean, I quickly wrapped myself in the fluffy baby pink towel but took all my time to dry myself, wanting to spend as much time as possible away from my captors. Just as I was starting to unwind, I heard a hard knock -more like a punch- on the door.

"Are you ready, bitch?!" Spat Mike, as charming as always. "Anton's asking what's taking you so long!"

"I'm almost ready." I sharply hissed, my tone signaling him that I didn't like the way he talked to me. "Tell Anton I'll be there in a few minutes!"

"Well, hurry up bitch!" He groaned before walking away.

   A little part of me jubilated to have been able to boss him around, even if it was only for one command. But I quickly got back dressed anyway, not wanting to anger anymore Anton. Once I unlocked the door, I found him and Mike whispering in the hallway. Their voices were low, but I still made out a few words:

"Robert MacCarthy... Today... News..."