After a day and night spent together, Sookie knew this man wouldn’t harm her. She didn’t like Enzo tying her up, but when he bound her to a high stool at the kitchen counter, her resistance weakened.
“Do you need anything added?” “Milk.”
Enzo glanced at her, raising an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips. Seeing her frown, he knew she wanted to defy him. It seemed she wanted to rebel at every chance, to spit in his face. But he noticed, when she got that cup of coffee, her eyes lit up.
“Princess, what about your manners?”
Her lips pouted. “Please give me the milk,” she rasped.
Enzo chuckled. “Of course, Your Highness.”
He handed her the cup, then checked the knots on the chair back.
“I’ll be right back.”
He had just received a text from Trey, saying he was waiting downstairs.
“Where are you going?”
Her eyes widened, as if it were stranger for him to leave her alone here than to stay.
“Out. I’ll be back soon. Try not to wreck my place while I’m gone.”
Downstairs, Enzo made a call.
“Thanks for coming.” “Don’t worry, mate,” Trey scratched his chin. “I’m glad to hear you’re okay.”
They were in the old truck garage in the basement-where the Shadowy Saints gang used to store stolen cars. Trey had come to bring them some supplies to ensure they wouldn’t starve these days.
“You alright?” Trey punched Enzo.
Enzo shrugged. “I’m good.”
The two exchanged pleasantries, and Trey brought him some relatively good news: the aftermath of their fight with the Poles had been cleaned up, the bodies taken care of.
They believed Barton’s men wouldn’t find them here, so Enzo was to lay low for a while. Landon would have people keeping an eye from a distance.
Enzo saw Trey off and, back in the elevator, he breathed a sigh of relief. Wonderful, now he had a girl tied up in his apartment. He had lied to his family about this, and now both he and the girl were wanted by the Polish thugs.
Things were getting more and more complicated.
Before long, he returned to his loft.
When Sookie heard the sound of the freight elevator restarting, her heart started racing. When it stopped and the doors made a loud noise opening, she was still somewhat nervous.
She’d say it was because this man didn’t seem as frightening in the daylight. Or maybe it was because she no longer had the stimulation of alcohol, or perhaps because the man came in with three bags of food and supplies.
Of course, it could also be because he wasn’t currently holding a gun to her head.
The man casually strode through the loft space, into the kitchen, placing the bags on the counter across from Sookie, ignoring her. He took out an apple and began to chew on it.
Her stomach growled, and the man looked up at her.
“If you’re a vegetarian, you’re going to have a bad time regardless,” he said calmly, taking out a pack of hamburger meat and placing it on the counter.
“I’m not,” she grumbled as he leaned on the counter toward her with his elbows.
“Do well and you’ll get some,”
Sookie glared at him, silent, drinking her coffee with the hand that wasn’t bound. The man took another bite of the apple, smelling the fragrance of the apple juice as it dripped, and her stomach growled again.
He couldn’t help but laugh heartily. “Hunger is a powerful motivator, isn’t it?”
The man walked behind her. When he untied her other arm, the warm touch of his hand on her skin made her shiver. He looked deeply into her eyes, as if weighing the possibility of her running away again. Finally, he fully untied her, then returned to the counter, handing her an orange.
“Would you like some more coffee?”
She nodded, tearing off the peel and eating a chunk of the fruit.
“Do you want waffles? I can make you a three-egg omelet with bacon, or eggs benedict?”
She suddenly turned to look at him, and the man grinned mischievously.
“Jerk.”
He laughed.
“So, um,” she cleared her throat. “How do you plan to handle me?”
She didn’t really want to ask this question. It felt like reminding him of what a burden she was.
“Don’t worry.”
Right.
“So, how long are you going to keep me here?”
“You ask a lot of questions.”
Sookie glared at him. “Oh, sorry, am I not following the proper kidnapping protocol?”
He glanced at her.
“You know, this may be routine for you, but it’s my first time.”
At her outburst, his brow furrowed, hisbrows knitted, his mouth closed tight, as if carefully considering.
“For a while.”
“Why?”
“God.” He found her a bit noisy.
“I just wanted to say, what are you going to do? Keep me here forever?”
When Sookie spoke, she wished she could take back those words.
“No, I actually quite like sleeping in my own bed.”
The man reached across the counter, pouring more coffee into her cup.
“What do you mean?”
She looked up, puzzled.
“I mean I don’t like sleeping on the couch,” the man shrugged.
She froze.
Seeing her stunned, he couldn’t help but tease her.
“What are you thinking?”
She couldn’t help but roll her eyes at him, saying with a touch of sarcasm: “I think you’re being too nice to someone you’ve kidnapped.”
He chuckled. “Is that so?”
“Thank you,” she muttered. “Phew. A person who doesn’t drink coffee in the morning is truly a jerk. I’m coming alive now.”
“Ding-ding-” her phone rang!
She turned to glare at him. “See! I wasn’t bluffing earlier. People will come looking for me.”
The man stood up, wordlessly walking past her, into the living room. A second later, he returned, holding her backpack.
“You do need to make a call.” The man said calmly. “You need to make a call. You need to call your family or friends, tell them you’re taking a vacation-time that belongs to ‘you’. Okay?”
Well, she could do that. It was almost what she wanted to do.
The man looked at her sharply. “Don’t text, don’t scream for help. Trust me, even if you do, they won’t be able to find you and take you away immediately.”
Sookie couldn’t help but tremble.
He had become terrifying again.
“And don’t speak any language other than English, okay?”