Date = 27 June
Place = San Francisco (Inferno)
POV – Aria
“Ow,” I murmur as pain pierces my head, little knifes stabbing into my brain while images flash through my mind like a low-budget horror movie. The dirty mattress. Lee’s angry eyes! Amanda’s scared mascara-smudged face! Eerie screaming, similar to seagulls fighting over food. Blood. Wicked laughter. I take a deep breath. I swear I can smell the ocean. And fried bacon. My eyes jolt open. I blink a few times to adjust them to the bright sunlight shining through the large open sliding door. I’m in a strangely familiar-ish room. Fear paralyzes me. First they took Amanda away … then Lee … now it must be my turn.
I try to move but seem to be weighed down. I gasp, bracing myself for an impending panic attack. They tied me to the bed. They’re gonna kill me. Or worse, rape me. Or the ultimate worst – both. In a fit of panic I gasp a few fast breaths, before gently turning my head to see what’s pinning me down …
Just to find Enrique’s angelic profile sleeping on my shoulder. I carefully exhale, the fear inside me instantly being replaced with tranquility – and a warm feeling the experts would label as love. All of this must be a dream. First the nightmare of being kidnapped, now it turned into a blissful fantasy. I nip my lip with my front top teeth. Ouch. Nope … it’s all real. Maybe I’m in heaven then.
Nearly naked, only wearing some red jocks, his body is spooned along my left side, one leg hugging mine protectively. His arm drapes over my chest, hand cupping my right boob. I suppress a giggle. He’s a frickin player even in his sleep. I can feel the heat of his fingers through my thin tank-top and my nipple hardens in response.
I stay still, afraid to wake him and end this luxurious moment, so I motionlessly gaze at that beautiful face with a goofy smile. I can easily stay like this forever mind you. So I’m not sure what length of time elapsed (for me time stood still) before he shifts slightly, pulling me even tighter against him, his hand softly squeezing my breast.
An immediate dampness forms between my legs. Holy cow, this man can string me like a puppet. I’m such a whore when he’s around, I have no control over it – and it’s scary. He already deeply wounded me … twice … and he’ll most likely do it again. Robots are not build for consideration nor emotions. I’ll definitely be hurt again.
Knowing that for a fact, I still feather my fingers over his scruffy three-day beard. It outlines his manly features even more and is annoyingly sexy. I must be such a sucker for punishment, but I can’t restrain myself. I sort of understand why Amanda did what she did. Enrique Blackburn has the ability to ruin any girl’s moral clear thinking. He groans lightly and then those multicolored orbs flicker open.
For a moment he stares at me, then he smiles sheepishly; his mind still fogged with sleep, before it sinks in and he jolts up with a shocked expression.
“You’re awake!” He hugs my head tight against his exposed chest. The scent of his sponsored CK soap floating into my nostrils. I vouch that I might be a little addicted to the smell … like a drug.
“I could say the same about you.” I nestle myself into his body, eagerly soaking up the warmth of his skin. I’m gonna seize every second of heavenly bliss I can get.
“Do you know how worried I was?” His breath tickles my hair. He was worried about me? The thought leaves a warm feeling in my heart.
“How did you find me?” I must have passed out … or I was drugged … I don’t recall much after they dragged Lee away.
“They send us your location.”
“Is Lee okay? I think they may have beaten him up. He tried to fight them.” Enrique doesn’t answer, so I push myself away from him to look at his face.
“Eh … we only found you and Amanda. They still have Lee. Can you remember anything that might help us find him? Jackson is like Satan with a thorn in his hoof. He’s the worst I’ve ever seen him.” I clench my teeth trying to picture Jackson at his worst. It can’t be good. I open my mouth to tell Enrique what I know, when the door bursts open and slams against the wall.
Speak of the devil and he will come – Jackson enters the room.
“Good, you’re awake,” he says storming towards me with long steps. The image I had in mind doesn’t even closely resemble the crazy person now standing in front of me.
“Where the fuck is Lee?” It looks as if he might attack me.
I jump from the bed, realizing a moment too late that I’m rather flimsy dressed in only a thin tank-top and some briefs. And not the ones I had on previously either. Did Enrique redress me? I grab a pillow and stuff it protectively in front of my chest in an effort to conceal myself. Jackson glares at my efforts.
“Don’t worry, nothing I haven’t seen before,” he grumbles, “WHERE IS LEE?” he draws out each word.
“I don’t know.”
“What DO you know then?” His eyes scare me, they look out of this world … you know … like a vampire or werewolf or alien … or a demon … anything but human. I tremble, thinking that I might be more scared now than when I was kidnapped. What is it about this man that makes one feel so inferior? And it’s not just me … Ava and Kiara once gossiped how he intimidates them too. Even Mel agreed that he’s her most difficult brother. I swear he has the most complex aura I’ve ever encountered on any human.
“Start at the beginning … why did you go to the parking garage?” He starts pacing up and down in the room. It seems to be a Blackburn family trait for when they’re thinking … they all do that … even their uncle.
“Eh,” I think back, “I followed Lee …”
“Why?” Jackson interrupts and I give him a glare. What an ogre. Enough is enough.
“Let me finish!” He pouts like a little boy. But at least he doesn’t hurt me.
“This suspicious nurse tried to take Leyla away. She wore red Pradas … not that I noticed … but Lee did … he told me so at the lift … as if she doesn’t have another shoes … anyway, I thought that’s why he followed her … ” I start to ramble anxiously; Jackson’s presence knotting up my stomach. “but I didn’t know they were blackmailing him … and that he were going to attack her … that they were there … I didn’t see T-Bone … so it’s my fault … she shot Tony … ” I just remember that he’s been shot, “Is he dead? Oh, he’s dead … poor Tony … I liked him … ”
“Aria!” Jackson shouts, “Focus!” I jolt and stop my nervous chatter.
“Tony is fine,” Enrique takes my hand in his. It calms me down. And Tony is okay. “Was it the girl that attacked you?”
“Yes. But,” I continue quickly before they can say anything more, “Lee …” Jackson stops his pacing and looks curiously at me, this time waiting for me to continue.
“It seemed as if they were forcing Lee to choose … blackmailing him with his brother … and even my sister. He had no choice. And I thought his brother was in London, but they got him even there … they were gonna kill Leyla … Lee gave himself up … he’s so brave … ”
“ARIA!” Jackson shouts at me again. I zip my mouth.
“What the fuck? Why would they want Lee?” Enrique sounds confused. I must say … in the beginning, so was I actually. Until I realized what they really wanted – Jackson. And I guess, since Mel is not to be found, they opted for the next best thing … his roommate.
“They don’t want Lee … they want YOU!” I point a finger at Jackson. “They blame you the most for the death of that Darren guy and his family …” Jackson stands motionless for a moment and then he swears and hits the wall. His hand bleeds. It looks a mess and I’m guessing it’s not the first item he punched lately.
“They believe that for whatever reason, you would do anything to get Lee back.” I watch his expression but he’s not giving anything away. Enrique stares bewildered at his brother.
“Holy shit, is that true?” he questions his brother. Jackson looks uncomfortable. Enrique steps closer to his twin. “It is true! Goddamn.” Enrique looks flabbergasted. Jackson yells again but at least leave the wall in peace.
“Are you in love with him?” Enrique asks studying his brother’s face. Jackson pulls his hands through his hair and gapes back.
“It’s complicated.”
“Yeah, everything about you is frickin complicated.” I mumble, not brave enough to say it too loud.
“You’re fucking shitting me …. ug … are you … eh … do you like … mm …” Enrique stutters out of sorts; uncomfortable; confused; closely observing his twin, “I mean … you … are … you …”
“I’m not gay, bro,” Jackson answers the unasked question sternly and turns to me.
He grabs my shoulders, not aggressively, more in a desperate manner.
“Is there anything else you remember?” It’s almost a plea.
“They said that they’re gonna give you an impossible choice. That you will suffer so much you will wish you’re dead.” Jackson goes bleak, a ghostly white that makes the blue of his eyes even more unrealistic.
“Did you see the guy in charge? The boss?” Now he sounds broken.
“Well, there were three dudes on the boat … young guys not much older than we are. Attractive. Italian. Spoiled rich kids. And they seemed to be calling the shots. Especially the one. I don’t know if he’s the big boss …”
“A boat? You were on a boat? What type of boat? Could you see the name?” Jackson is back to his normal self now.
I think about the ship … remember how I looked down at the water, a shiver running down my spine, as I recalled the previous time I was on a yacht and nearly drowned. Not one of my best days. And neither was yesterday. Maybe I should stay away from water vessels altogether – they’re not good for my health.
“I could not see any name, but it was a white yacht … big … almost like the one we held your party on.”
“Fuck!” Jackson yells and I jump in fright. What now?
“They were there!” He looks straight at his astonished brother. At least I’m not the only one lost here. “When we got to the warehouse a yacht was drifting in the Carquinez Strait. It was still there when we left. Bastards. Lee was just there … and I missed it. Fuck!” And the wall pays for his anger yet again. I stare at his messed-up hand. He takes a few deep irate breaths. I don’t dare to move, wondering if his hand could ever recover from this. Enrique now starts pacing, seemingly in deep thought.
“Maybe Jesse can find the ship on satellite or something?” he says calmly and Jackson nods, before putting his attention on me again.
“Okay, now the guys … what can you tell me about them?”
“They must be brothers.”
“Why do you think that?”
“Well, they called each other fratello … like Alejandro does with Damion.” Jackson looks impressed and I pat myself on the back. I managed to impress my loony brother-in-law (I wish).
“The one … oh he had a man-bun by the way … oh oh oh … and a scar on his cheek …” I’m rather impressed with myself for remembering so much detail. Maybe the Blackburns’ intuition is rubbing off on me.
“He was quiet … he didn’t talk … just sat on the sofa, drinking as if he didn’t want to be there … and they called him Emilio.” I didn’t even hear it but Lee told me to remember that. Thank heavens for his supreme attentiveness.
“What did he drink?”
“Eh … brandy I think … something Rome-ag-naa.” I just know I’m pronouncing it way wrong, so I describe more, “It was like a roundish bottle,” I use my hands to demonstrate, as if I’m holding a ball, “with a brown liquid. I remember cause Lee joked that he could do with a drink.”
“Vecchia Romagna,” Enrique says in an Italian accent. “We have some of it in stock. It’s expensive though.”
“Yeah, that,” I’m not even going to try to say that out loud.
“Now the next one … what do you remember about him?” Jackson looks a little more optimistic. I think about guy number two.
“He was tall, with short hair and was unshaven. To tell you the truth … he was very attractive … reminded me of D-boy, but with dark eyes. They called him something Koo-Gino.”
“And the last man was just crazy. He started scolding Emilio … mostly in Italian. From the parts I could understand, he called Emilio a loser … ” Jackson frowns. I know that frown by now … his mind is working overtime.
“Anyways … Emilio said that at least he’s not so pathetic to crush on the princess for his whole life knowing she would not even give him a second glans. The wacko one drew a gun at Emilio’s head. For a minute I really thought he was gonna kill his own brother, but he shot a hole through the roof.”
“Fuck me,” Enrique gasps.
“They took us to a small cabin. Amanda was there … Hey, maybe she knows something …” Enrique said they found her at least. I look from one to the other.
“She’s not talking,” Jackson grumps. Seriously. Damn bitch can at least try to help after everything she did. I really hate that girl.
“Well, first they took Amanda away and later Lee. They brought me some water and that’s the last thing I know, the rest is a blank.” I pull up my shoulders. I can really not remember anything after that. Jackson receives a message and leaves without a word. Enrique locks the door behind him.
“We need to talk.”