Caught

~Arnold

She squeezed some fresh leaves she found nearby, crushed them between her palms until the juice came out, and gently pressed the makeshift poultice against the cut on my forehead.

Her touch was surprisingly soft and careful. I sat still in the driver’s seat, letting her work, even though every second her fingers brushed my skin made my jaw tighten.

By the time she finished, the sun had already gone down. It was 6pm.

I turned the key in the ignition, the engine clicked once and died.

“Fuck,” I muttered. “We’re doomed.”

Dorla looked at me with wide eyes. “What do we do now?”

I scanned the road. A few minutes later, a cab drove by slowly. I flagged it down desperately. The driver, an older man, rolled down his window.

“There’s a decent hotel not too far from here,” he said after I explained our situation. “About ten minutes away.”

We begged him to take us there. He agreed.

When we arrived at the small but decent looking hotel, I went straight to the receptionist.

“Two rooms, please,” I said firmly.

Dorla immediately stepped closer. “What? Why two rooms?”

I looked at her sternly. “We can’t let what happened last time happen again.”

She shook her head, looking genuinely scared. “I promise nothing will happen this time. Please, Arnold… I can’t stay in a room alone. I’ll be too scared after everything that happened today. What if those men come after us?”

She looked so vulnerable standing there, eyes pleading. I tried to stay strong, but the fear in her voice hit me hard.

I exhaled slowly, running a hand through my hair.

“Fine,” I said reluctantly. “One room.”

The receptionist gave us the key without asking questions. As we walked toward the elevator, Dorla stayed very close to me, her arm brushing against mine.

I knew this was a bad idea.

Being in the same room with her after what we did this morning… after how roughly I took her… was playing with fire. But the thought of her being alone and terrified didn’t sit well with me either.

We stepped into the room, one king sized bed, dim lighting, and heavy curtains.

I locked the door behind us and turned to her.

“Stay on your best behavior tonight, Dorla,” I warned, voice low. “I mean it.”

She looked up at me with those big innocent eyes that always hid trouble.

“Yes, sir,” she whispered, but the small smile on her lips told me she had no intention of behaving.

I woke up with a start, heart already pounding.

The bed beside me was empty. “Dorla?” I called out, voice hoarse.

No answer.

I shot up from the bed, still in my clothes from yesterday, and rushed out of the room. My head was spinning as I took the stairs two at a time, ignoring the receptionist who tried to call after me.

The moment I burst through the front doors, my blood ran cold.

Don Vincenzo De Luca was standing right there in front of the hotel, surrounded by four of his men. His presence was like a storm cloud, dark, powerful, and terrifying.

I almost lost my balance, nearly falling on the steps.

Before I could say anything, Dorla appeared from the side, coming from the direction of the hotel’s private swimming pool. She was wearing soft white clothes, her hair and skin still wet, glistening under the early morning light.

“Daddy!” she cried out happily and ran straight into his arms.

Vincenzo hugged her tightly, one hand stroking her wet hair, but his cold, piercing eyes never left mine. The look he gave me was murderous.

I forced a weak smile and stepped forward.

“Boss… I didn’t know you would be back so early…”

Before I could finish the sentence, Vincenzo moved like lightning. His fist connected hard with my jaw, sending me crashing to the ground.

Pain exploded across my face.

“Is that why I hired you?” he roared, voice shaking with fury. “To bring my daughter to a fucking hotel? Alone? In the same room?!”

Dorla gasped. “Daddy, no! That’s not what happened…”

“Shut up!” he snapped at her, then turned back to me, eyes blazing. “I trusted you with her life, Arnold. With my only child. And this is what you do?”

He gestured sharply to one of his men.

“Take her home. Now.”

The guard immediately moved toward Dorla and gently but firmly took her arm.

“Daddy, please listen to me!” Dorla begged, tears already forming in her eyes as she was pulled away. “It’s not what you think!”

But Vincenzo didn’t listen. His gaze remained locked on me as I slowly pushed myself up from the ground, blood trickling from the corner of my mouth.

The Don stepped closer, towering over me with pure rage.

“You have one minute to explain yourself, Black,” he said, voice dangerously low. “After that… I start breaking bones.”

I quickly got to my feet, blood dripping from my split lip.

“Boss, it’s not what it looks like,” I started urgently. “There was an attack at the mall yesterday. Six men. They had the Nine Tail Fox tattoo. I had to get her out fast. The car broke down on the way, and this was the closest safe place. I swear on my life, nothing happened…”

Before I could finish, Vincenzo’s fist flew again, harder this time. It connected squarely with my cheekbone, snapping my head to the side. I staggered but stayed on my feet.

“Shut your fucking mouth,” he snarled, voice ice cold. “You think I’m stupid? You took my daughter to a hotel and shared a room with her. My only daughter.”

He turned to two of his men and jerked his head toward me.

“Bundle him up.”

The guards moved instantly. They grabbed my arms roughly, twisting them behind my back and forcing me down to my knees on the concrete. I didn’t resist. Fighting back right now would only make things worse.

Vincenzo lit a cigar, took a long, slow puff, and blew the smoke out through his nose like a dragon. His eyes were filled with pure betrayal and rage as he stared down at me.

He didn’t say another word.

He simply turned, got into the back of his black armored SUV, and slammed the door shut. The car purred to life and drove off smoothly, followed by the other vehicles.

Gosh.

I stayed on my knees, breathing heavily, blood running down my face as the two guards kept me pinned. My mind was racing.

This was it.

After several years of loyal service… after everything I’d done for him… it might all end here because I couldn’t keep my hands off his daughter.