Chapter 29 Xavier
Tonight reminds me of why Jess is my best friend.
She is amazing. I tell her all about the gala, about Declan and his family, especially Alessia.
She makes me laugh. We have dinner at the fifties-themed diner we discovered in college.
It brings back so many memories. I wish Blake could have made it, but he said he had something he can’t get out of.
“Let’s take a selfie and send it to your man.
I’ve noticed you have sent him updates whenever we change locations.
Why doesn’t he just stalk you? It’d be less work for you.
” She laughs. I should tell her about the security detail that Declan says is following me, but I don’t.
She would either try to find them or try to make me lose them.
Neither one will make Declan happy, so I keep it to myself. We take a selfie and send it to my man.
“I need to stop at the mall on the way home. I have a hot date on Wednesday, and I want to get something extra lacy and racy.”
“Like you don’t already have drawers full of that sort of thing.”
“Have you been in my drawers, Xav?” She grins and wiggles her eyebrows up and down. “Plus, you know each relationship gets its own starter set.”
“That is so gross. I don’t want to picture you in any of it. As far as I’m concerned, you’re a virgin.”
She laughs again, and this time I join her.
I shoot off the text about where we’re heading next to Declan.
As I drive up to the mall, Jess gushes about the car, just like she did when I picked her up.
The mall wasn’t too far from my old apartment.
God, has it just been two weeks since I lived there? It seems like forever ago.
“Have you heard from your mom? I know she has to have seen all the pictures of you in the gossip news. You looked amazing in that tux.”
“She called, but I didn’t answer her. Are there a lot of pictures? I can’t bring myself to look.”
“There are a ton of pics. The gossip sites are full of “Declan Murphy coming out with his new boyfriend on his arm” stories.”
I groan.
“It’s mostly positive, so don’t worry about it. Back to your mom. Did she leave a message?”
“She did.” I nod. “It was possibly the nicest she has ever been to me.”
“What did she say?”
“Call me back.”
“That’s it? Usually, she rants at you until the voicemail hangs up on her.”
“I know. I haven’t called her back. I really don’t want to talk about her right now. Let’s go get you some sexy undies.”
“We could get you some, too. The new little boutique now sells men’s stuff. I’m sure Declan would love to see you in a jock.” Jess grabs my hand and pulls me along. I hope Declan likes jocks because she isn’t going to stop until I buy a pair or two.
I get three, along with several other items that I’ll need instructions on how to wear. This store is wild. In front, it looks like any lingerie store, but behind the curtain lies the leather and lacy fantasy world. I draw the line on trying any of the things on.
“I’m going to the restroom. Are you still going to be here?”
“Yeah, I’m nowhere near done.”
“Okay, I’ll be right back.”
I leave the store and head to the restroom.
I’m washing my hands when another guy enters the bathroom.
Sticking by the rule of not making eye contact, I grab a paper towel.
When I turn to leave, the man steps in front of me.
Fucking shit, it’s Kevin from the queer outreach program I volunteered at in college.
The guy is a major creep and is the main reason I stopped helping out.
“Well, hello, Xavier. Fancy meeting you here, it’s been a while,” Kevin says.
“Hey, yeah, it has been, um, my friend is waiting on me. Nice seeing you again.” I point to the door.
“Oh, don’t be like that.” Kevin reaches out and wraps his hand around my upper arm.
“Don’t touch me.” I try to pull away, but his finger digs into me.
“I’m going to do more than touch you. Now let’s go.
Quietly, or I’ll shoot you and then go find your friend.
” Looking down, I see the gun in his other hand.
He slips it back into his hoodie pocket and steers me to the door.
If I go out first, I should be able to run.
Getting shot is a strong possibility, but I need to take the chance.
As soon as I open the door, he tightens his grip even harder and opens the emergency exit door across from the restroom.
I’m on the wrong side to run. Before I can do anything else, I’m outside the mall.
Fear is a powerful thing. I should have yelled and screamed my head off.
It’s like the fear hit a mute button inside my brain.
The instructor’s voice from my few self-defense classes plays over and over in my head.
“Never let them take you to a secondary location.”
“You won’t be needing this.” Kevin takes the phone from my back pocket and tosses it into a bush.
I’m so fucked. The small alcove we are in must be for deliveries. In front of me is a small transit panel van that Kevin opens the sliding door of.
“Get in.”
“No, please, Kevin. Help! Help!” He pushes me hard into the van.
I try to get my hands up to avoid face planting on the floor, but I’m not fast enough.
I sprawl face-first on the hard metal floor.
The overpowering smell of bleach and so many other cleaners hits my nose.
It burns my nostrils; it’s so thick in the air.
Before I can push myself up, I hear the van door shut, and Kevin is on me.
I fight as hard as I can until he hits me in the back of my head with what I think is the butt of the gun.
My vision goes gray for a second; it’s all the time he needs.
He pulls my arms behind me, and I feel the bite of the plastic zip ties as he tightens them on my wrists.
“He loves it when they fight, so I would save your energy if I were you.”
“Who?”
“You’ll meet him soon enough. He pays pretty well for his toys. The last one lasted three days. But you’ve always been kinda soft, so I doubt if you make it that long.”
The questions that every kidnapping victim asks on TV run through my head: Why is he doing this to me?
Where is he taking me? What does he want?
I don’t ask any of them out loud because in the end, it doesn’t matter.
The only thing that matters is me getting out of this.
My life has been fucking shitty up until I met Declan.
Just when I accept that I can have something good and that I deserve it, this happens to me.
I want more time with him. Why can’t the universe leave me the fuck alone!
I glance around the cargo area and try to sit up.
It’s hard to find my balance with my hands behind my back and the swaying of the van.
Finally, I’m able to sit up. There are no handles inside the van, and there is a cage between Kevin and me.
Figuring that my first step needs to be getting my hands in front of me, I scoot farther down on my back.
It takes me almost folding myself in half to get it done, but I do it.
My wrists are red and sore already from the zip ties.
I watched a social media reel about how to break zip ties, so I gave it a couple of tries.
I don’t know what kind they were using, but the ones on me won’t break.
The music that Kevin has been blaring is interrupted by an incoming call. If he answers it, maybe the person on the phone can help me. I hold my breath waiting. He answers it.
“Help me! Help! He’s kidnapped me!” I yell as loud as I can. Kevin laughs.
“Told ya he’s a fighter. I almost knocked him out, and he’s still yelling.” Kevin says into the van’s Bluetooth.
“He sounds like he is going to be fun. Usual price and place?” A male voice says through the speaker. It sounds vaguely familiar. The blood rushing through my ears makes it hard to hear.
“Yeah, I should be there in about thirty. Don’t forget that it’s extra if I have to dump him. I’m not arguing about it again.”
“Yeah, yeah, I remember. It’s going to take me a little longer.
Keep him fresh for me.” The other man hangs up.
I can’t believe this is happening to me.
I try to break the ties again, but they won’t budge.
Scooting toward the side door, I look for any way to open it.
No luck with the rear doors either. An idea comes to me.
“Kevin, I can pay you more than whoever that is can.”
He laughs again. “There is no way. Less than a year ago, you were a broke college student. Don’t forget, I know who you are. How many times did you complain about your mom taking all of your money? I doubt that has changed.”
“My boyfriend is Declan Murphy.” I am praying to all that is holy that Declan will pay a ransom for me. He spends money on me like it’s nothing to him.
“Wow, you really expect me to believe that? That you are dating the heir to Murphy Enterprises? You need to lie better.” He reaches out to turn the music up.
“Look it up. The Gala last night, I was there with him. There are pictures of us on the internet. He kissed me in front of everyone.” I hope like hell that is one of the pictures the social gossip sites used.
I didn’t look. Jess is the one who told me about them.
I didn’t want to see how out of my league I actually was.
Kevin stops at a red light and searches on his phone for a second.
He smiles and turns the screen toward me.
“You really are dating him. Good for you, but it doesn’t change anything.
Ransom schemes never work, and the people always get caught.
Besides, you know who I am, so I couldn’t let you go anyway.
You might as well sit back and enjoy the rest of the ride. ” This time, he does turn the music up.
I’m not sure how long we’ve been driving, but it’s long enough that we are no longer in the city.
Buildings and street lights have been replaced with trees and open sky.
Resignation creeps into my brain like a disease.
I want to fight it, but I don’t know how or what to do.
I’m spiraling and starting to panic now.
This whole thing seems surreal, and now it’s really sinking in that I’m going to die.
Whatever fucked up plan they have for me is going to end my pathetic twenty-four years.
I can’t breathe, my stomach protests, and I throw up.
“Fuck, I just got the smell out of my fucking van from the last one. We almost made it. Couldn’t you have waited another five fucking minutes, asshole?”
Is he calling me an asshole? He’s the one who kidnapped me and is selling me to another monster.
If I had more in me, I would puke again.
The van turns down what sounds like a dirt road.
The tires are no longer making an even sound, and the ride turns rough.
It’s not long before we stop. From where I am sitting, I can only see trees through the windshield.
Kevin slides the door open. He has the gun pointed at me.
“Get out.” He looks at my hands that are now in front of me.
“Did you think you could break those ties? They’re police grade.
Now come on.” He motions for me to get out.
I don’t move. Sighing heavily, he reaches in and grabs my ankle.
I try to kick, but he’s stronger and faster than I am.
He yanks me to the door and then to the ground outside the van.
My ass hits the gravel with a bone-jarring thud that I feel everywhere.
“Come on, I need to get you inside and ready so I can spray out the mess you made back here.” He grabs my hair and pulls me up.
I resist. I can feel my hair coming out, being ripped from my scalp.
He presses the gun to my forehead. “I swear to fuck Xavier. I’ll put a bullet in your brain right now if you don’t get moving. ”
I should take the bullet now, but that would mean that I have totally given up.
Maybe there is still a chance. Maybe I’ll find an opportunity to get away.
And maybe that’s what every murder victim in history thought.
I comply as he drags me to a run-down cabin.
It smells of rot and mildew. It’s small, only one room.
I scan around, taking in the bed and the kitchen area.
The bed looks newer, but I can see brown stains on it.
He gives my hair another yank to turn me toward the far wall.
I stop, no longer compliant. It’s a wall of torture. My torture.