LAURIE.

Four.4.

Every normal family would not have only bread crumbs for dinner but my family has them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Excellent! There's no money to get decent food. The little money kept for dinner was carted away by Jeremy. The bread crumbs were only gotten by the food stamps that were shared in the public school Bryan attended.

We could barely afford something nice with those food stamps.

Bryan entered the little corner that serves as a dining area for us. He whispered in his babyish tone when he saw our overly- nice meal for dinner.

"Oh no! Are we gonna have these for dinner again?" He said soberly.

"Yes, dear," I answered as I busied, arranging the dishes on the table.

"But we had them this morning and also at lunch. We should have something else for …."

"Bryan?" I cut him short. "We have nothing left to eat. What is here, is what we are having tonight. So get your arse on the chair and eat." I commanded.

He didn't say anything else. He was sad and that weakened me. I gave a deep sigh and knelt at his level to talk to him.

"Don't worry, okay. Tomorrow I promise we are going to have something better like chicken wings or pasta or macaroni?" I raised my brow, checking for his reaction. I smiled when his expression softened.

This dude is a freaking foodie.

"You promise?" He asked.

"Yes." I sticker out my pinky for a bet. I smiled, reassuring him. He hugged me tightly.

Mom wheeled herself to the dining area denying my help.

We had barely settled down to eat when the door to our house burst open, we all flinched but remained in our seats.

We thought it was Jeremy so we remained seated. But on second thought, if it were Jeremy he would by now be uttering gibberish but no sound was coming from the living room area.

I stood up to check but the mom in her over-motherly nature pleaded with me to stay behind but I bluntly refused.

"Mom I have to go and see who the fuck barge into our house like that," I whispered boldly.

Before I could make any further move, three hefty men, heavily built, entered the dining area. Bryan quickly ran to hide behind Mom. I was scared but I wasn't going to show my fear.

"Where's Jeremy?" The scariest of the three asked with his huge voice. But none of us answered.

"I said where the fucking fuck is Jeremy?" He thundered.

"I..don't..know" I stuttered. "He's not here." They looked at each other, and as if not believing what I said they began to rummage around the kitchen, flinging utensils like they fucki'n own it. I was growing impatient that I thundered back at them.

"Would you stop the careless search? Jeremy can't be hidden in a kitchen cabinet mister. He's not here dude." My bravery was ranging past limits.

My mom pinched me to stop talking but I ignored her.

The tallest of the three whom I assumed to be their leader, moved towards me. With every step he took forward, I took one backward until my back touched the wall.

He held me up by my throat. My feet barely touched the floor.

"Where's Jeremy?" He asked this time in a more calmer tone.

Mom was already pleading with the other two guys but the devil inside me was placing a death wish on my life.

"Jeremy is in your fucking loins. You motherfucker. Why not go search your casino instead." I said without even realizing it.

As expected, he was angry, his expression changed and I knew that I had touched a spine. He threw me hard on the floor

Mom screamed, pleading and crying and begging for me to keep shut my fucked up mouth.

I coughed, trying to breathe out suppressed air. My nose bled as a result of hitting them hard on the floor. He picked me up and threw me over his shoulders.

"She's going with us. She'll pay for Jeremy's flaws." He said. That statement made my eyes wide open.

Pay for Jeremy's flaws? What has he done? I struggled to come down but no way! He's too strong.

The dark guy amongst them held Mom up by her chin, whispering something to her. Although I didn't hear it, it did make her cry.

"Get your damn-stricken hands off my mother," I screamed.

And to the monster holding me, I kicked and hit and screamed but nothing.

"Let me go you…" I was talking when something hit me and I blacked out.

I winced as my head banged like I had a hangover. The bed I laid on was softer, nothing compared to the one in my room.

The thought of it made me flick my eyes open to the bright fluorescent lights. I forcefully shut them again, opening them slowly till they adjusted to the lights.

I flinched. This is not my room, not Kira's, neither Damien's, nor Antonio's. Then where?

"Where am I?" I thought aloud.

I jumped out of the bed directly to the door. I yanked the handle but it was locked from the outside. I banged on the door with my hands, legs, body, everything but no one opened.

I dropped down and on my shoulders, helplessly. My eyes scanned through the room and my mouth was agape.

A king-sized bed in the middle of the room with a side table and a lamp on it. It was painted blue, my favorite color and some paintings hung lazily on the wall. The room was spacious and wasn't furnished but it was beautiful.

I didn't fully take in the taste of the room when the door clicked open. I stepped back to see who it was, ready to fight.

But the masculine face came into view, into the light, and I gasped. No! I shrieked.