Cara’s POV
I took in the arrangement of the six guys around me simultaneously browsing through the sea of passing people for my husband.
“I should come quietly? Why?” I asked, my hand slipping under my hoodie to bring out one of the weapons I brought along.
The knife or the gun? Whichever it touched first.
Coming prepared was a wise thing to do. Who knew they’d come in handy, and Adonis wasn’t even here? I could already see myself gloating about this to my father.
My hand gripped the firm, smooth bottom of an object I knew too well, about to pull it out when the same guy spoke again,
“Don’t even try to.”
Next thing, all six of them were flashing the guns hidden in the waistband of their trousers.
“Let’s make this less noisy.”
I felt cheated, “Hey! I thought I was the only one with a weapon.”
“Do you think anyone could walk into a place like this without being protected?” He scoffed. “Fights break for the littlest reason. Take a look at how people increase their pace when they get to us?”
Glancing around, I observed he was right. A person was cornered by six guys yet no one cared.
“No one wants to be involved.” Another laughed, finishing my thoughts.
Deciding to play the big cards, I pushed out my chest squaring my shoulder, and making my voice as deep as it could be, “What do you want from me? Let me give you a tip: you know the guy that just beat up Death Eater, I’m his manager, so you might want to stay away.”
“We saw.” The same person replied,
“In fact, that’s the main reason we are taking you.” The first one supported, “Death Eater has been the champion for three years, unrivalled. Then your guy shows up all of a sudden? We’re not fools.”
“You’re going to tell us who you both are, why you’re here, and who you’re working for.” He demanded, leaving no room for negotiation.
I tried to look beyond their tall frames for any signs of my husband. Haven’t I delayed long enough for him to find me?
Panic washed over me as I took in their faces again, my eyes studying each and every one of them. The way they stood… speak… act… Their roguish styles.
These guys weren’t men. Calling them boys would be a better way to put it. None of them looked to be above twenty-three.
There was one who exuded the most strange, childlike aura. He had been silent since they came onto me, communicating just with simple eye gestures.
Something about the way he carried himself made me conclude that he must be the leader of the small clique so I turned to him,
“Whatever you want to know, ask me here. You don’t have to take me.”
He eyed me, “We do whatever we want.”
He sounded exactly like a five-year-old that was rebelling. Who made this child a leader?
Still, I couldn’t do anything. They all had guns on them. My heart dropped. If threats do not work, I might as well be pitiful.
Yanking off my cap and beard, I clasped my hands together, “Okay. You got me. I’m a lady. A pregnant, helpless lady with no defence.” My eyes shone with tears. “Do you want to do this to me and my child?”
The first guy waved me off. “We heard and do not care.”
Again? Was this what it meant to have one’s name spelt in doom? How long have they had their eyes on me?
“You should have done better than to yap about it to the ladies beside you.”
“And you still won’t let me go?” I begged.
“No!”
They began pulling me towards the exit.
People kept passing by, acting like we were invincible. I tried grabbing onto the young lady giggling with her friends as she passed by us, but she skillfully, while acting like she didn’t see us, avoided my hold.
“Are you serious?” I spat with contempt. “What happened to sister’s code, or ‘be your sister’s keeper’?”
With how loud my voice was, no one acknowledged it.
“Wrap her head up.” The leader instructed. “She makes too much noise.”
“No. No, don’t do that. Don’t… wait…”
My sight went dark.
It was at that point I knew I was done for.
However, my fearful emotion was mainly replaced by confusion and doubt.
Did I just see my husband smirking at me from across the hall?
****
Within the next few minutes, I was bundled up and thrown into a car, squashed between at least two of the boys. The drive wasn’t as long as I thought it would be, and by the time the sack bag was removed from my head, I found myself in a dark, empty storage room with a bonfire lit up in the middle.
“Why did you bring me here?” I queried. “How can you be so heartless? I’m pregnant! Instead, you’re tossing me about your little boy band, calling it kidnapping? Grow up!”
“Shut up!” The leader snapped. “We’d let you go if you tell us who’s behind you and your man.”
My face scrunched up, “Behind who? He just wants to fight; is that a crime? Is it a crime to win?”
Although when I leave here, he’ll be losing the fight with me if he doesn’t defend himself.”
Ours was going to be the bloodiest. It shouldn’t be true, yet I know what I saw. That crazy man saw me being hauled away and did nothing about it.
What? Did he dare to smirk?
“You’re lying.”
“I’m not!” I bit back, transferring aggression. “No one is behind us, or me anyway. If you want to beat his ass, let me go, and I’ll bring him to you.”
Even if they couldn’t beat him up, at least they stood a chance at doing a better job than my fat self.
“We don’t want him. Tell us what we want to know.”
Frustrated, I growled out petulantly. “Are you deaf? Haven’t you been listening to all I’ve been saying? You know what? Just do whatever you want to.”
The leader studied me. “Let’s leave her for now. I’m starving anyway.”
They all stalked out of the storage, making sure to bolt the door from outside so I wouldn’t be able to leave.
The wheels in my head turned. There was only one way to get out of here, and I didn’t want to go down that lane.
Calling Adonis was not an option.
I was going to show that stupid husband of mine that I could take care of myself with or without his help.
Love me? Ah!
What husband would let his wife be kidnapped?
I stood to my feet, pacing around the room, trying to cook up an escape plan. The windows were too high, and the single door was locked.
What use was it even if I wasn’t chained?
An idea needed to come and quick; they would return anytime soon; if I was-
My phone began to beep, and I almost tripped from being startled.
It must be the pregnancy hormones because how else would I forget that I had my phone with me?
The caller flashed on the screen, my mouth forming a pout as I reluctantly placed it by my ear.
“Hello?”
“Bel.”
The tears I’d been trying to hold at bay all night began to stream down my face.
“Adonis. Help me. I was taken…” I cried.
Now, I know what my mouth said previously but this didn’t count as he called, not me.
“I figured.” His deep voice offered a sense of familiarity in the unknown place. “Where are you?”
Glancing around like I’d been doing since the boys left, a scowl graced my face, “I don’t know. I was taken by six guys, and they just left to go get food.”
What did I expect? To suddenly recognise the place?
The sound of footsteps approaching filled my ears, causing my knees to buckle in distress.
They’re back so soon?
“Adonis. I’ve got to go. They’re returning. I’ll leave my phone on so you can trail me.”
“Hold on.”
“Why?” I hissed. “I don’t want to be caught. This phone is the only way you can locate me.”
“Don’t end the call. The moment they walk in, make sure you stall for time.” He said, in a steady tone.
Stalling? Thinking about it, he never once asked if I was fine. Shouldn’t he be worried? His pregnant wife had just been kidnapped.
I jotted it down at the back of my mind: another reason to go all rampage on him.
“Stall for time for what?” I rushed out, the sound of the footsteps becoming more prominent.
“I want you to describe any of their features. Anything you see at all.”
“Anything?”
“Yeah. Preferably a mark or tattoo, since they’re in a group like you said. They should have one thing in common.”
“Mark or tattoo got it!” I repeated, staring at the door.
“Your goal isn’t to run from them, Cara. They’ll catch you anyway. It is to give me as much information as possible before they do. No matter how insignificant you think it is.”
I let out a shaky exhale, “Okay.”
I held the phone tightly to my ear as their loud chatters filtered into the room.
I held my breath as the lock turned, the door pushing back into the room.
The words immediately began to flow out.