Chapter 40 Rosalie
ROSALIE
“What the fuck?” I pounded on the locked door to the unfamiliar room I was in. No one had been answering it for days. I hadn’t seen my captor. It was as if he had been a ghost in a nightmare.
And this was definitely the weirdest kidnapping ever.
I’d been stitched up after crashing through the glass shower. All my injuries were dressed and bandaged. Over-the-counter pain meds were left for me. I was still in my short purple nightgown.
The room had a microwave and a small fridge stocked with food, water, and snacks.
A leather sofa sat off to the side, next to a large TV with streaming services.
My bed was a decent size and fully blanketed with nice pillows and a heavy quilt.
A bookcase ran along a wall of the room, loaded with all sorts of books.
There was even a small attached bathroom with a soaker tub, shower, toilet, and sink.
The small closet held various sets of sweatpants and tops.
Even panties, bras, and an acoustic guitar with notebooks and pens for writing music.
No windows in the room, though.
The place may have appeared clean and lived in, but it was anything but normal.
I paced the length of the room. I wasn’t even sure how long I’d been here for. Had to have been at least a week.
I wanted my guys. I was scared. I missed Ellis. She had to be going nuts, wondering where I was. I never missed a bedtime story unless I was performing.
I wiped at my eyes, angry out of my mind.
The doorknob jingled for a moment. I looked around wildly before grabbing the acoustic guitar. Quickly, I darted to the door, prepared to let hell loose on whoever this asshole was that had hurt Ryder and taken me.
I prayed Ryder was OK.
He was one of my best friends, and if anything were wrong with him, I’d kill this guy. Ryder mattered a hell of a lot to me.
I steadied myself, letting Evan’s voice wash over me.
Breathe, Ro. Steady. Focus.
Then Anson’s voice.
Hit hard and fast. Don’t hesitate.
Then Klaus’s voice.
Don’t stop fighting. Never stop fighting. You have too much to live for, hummingbird.
I breathed out slowly and closed my eyes, listening as the lock clicked open. The door unlatched. The man stepped into the room, wearing all black, with his ski mask and sunglasses on.
Maybe he didn’t expect me to turn a guitar into a weapon, but I’d seen Cas swing his around stage enough to get the hang of it. They hurt the most when the back connects with someone’s head. I’d seen Bane suffer from Cas’s shenanigans one too many times over the years.
I held the guitar by the neck for a moment as he looked around, confused.
Then I let all hell loose.
He was really tall, so my aim wasn’t true, but it was enough to surprise him.
He went to his knees with a loud grunt before I threw the guitar at him and darted through the open door.
Everything was torn apart, and clearly in the middle of a renovation, but I found the stairs and burst through the door.
“What?” I cried out, recognizing where I was being held. That hesitation and shock cost me, because the guy caught up to me and tossed me over his shoulder before hauling me kicking and screaming back to the room. He kicked the door closed before tossing me onto the bed.
I scurried away from him, not sure who he was. It would be the perfect crime to bring me here, though. No one would think to look here.
“S-Stay the fuck away from me,” I snarled as he stood at the end of the bed without a word.
I kicked at him as he reached for me, but he got me around my ankle and dragged me across the bed as I tore at the blankets.
His hand shot out and wrapped around my throat, making me wheeze. I clutched at his wrist as I stared up at him.
“D-Don’t,” I choked out, crying softly. “Please. Don’t hurt me.”
He leaned in, his warm breath on my skin through his ski mask as he ran his nose along my jaw.
I trembled, sobbing softly as he pushed me flat onto the bed and climbed on top of me, his big body pinning me down.
He released my throat and buried his face in my neck. I cried harder, not knowing what the hell to even do. He was the size of Ani. There was no way I could effectively fight him off and win.
He pulled away from me for a moment as he sat straddling me before grabbing my hand.
I cried out as he tried to remove my wedding ring and Ani’s engagement band from my finger. Desperate, I clawed at him, but only met fabric. I tried to twist away, but it hurt too much.
He got my rings off and stared down at them for a moment before he stuffed them into his pocket.
“No. No! Give them back! Please!”
He covered my mouth with his gloved hand for a moment to silence me. He leaned into me again before brushing his lips against mine. Only his lips were covered by the full face mask. I couldn’t even see his eyes because of his dark sunglasses.
My chest heaved as he ran his gloved hand up my leg to beneath my nightgown.
“No. Don’t,” I choked out. “Please. I’m begging you.”
He removed his hand and cradled my face. I stared into his dark sunglasses and tensed as he leaned down and rested his forehead against mine, his breathing heavy, as if he were trying to restrain himself.
“I will give you money. I won’t ever tell,” I whispered, my voice shaking. “Just let me go. No one will ever know.”
He seemed to find it funny, as his body shook slightly with a silent laugh.
When he didn’t take the bait, I tried a new tactic.
“What do you want?” I asked, my voice still shaking.
He ran his nose along my jaw again before he stopped at my ear, his voice a low, eerie growl.
“To make you a widow.”
My blood ran cold at his words. He pulled away and took in my reaction.
Swallowing hard, I reached for his mask.
I thought he’d jerk away from me, but he let me slip my fingers beneath the fabric.
His body was tense.
My breath came out in short, hard gasps. I pulled the mask from his face and stared into his intensely blue eyes.
Eyes I hadn’t looked into for years.
“Cole,” I choked out.
What? How? Why?
“Hey, Rosebud,” he said grimly. “Welcome home.”
“Why?” I rasped, crying softly as I stared up at him.
“Because you promised me,” he murmured. “Because I promised you. We don’t break promises to one another. You owe me, and I’ve come to collect.”
I shook my head frantically as he stared down at me, unable to believe he’d done something so insane and reckless.
“Cole.” I sobbed. I wasn’t even sure how to finish the sentence. My mind raced as I tried to put the pieces of everything together, but nothing connected.
Was he my stalker? Had he done all those terrible things?
My stomach twisted at the possibilities.
He had me in the basement of our old home. From the glimpse I had at the top of the stairs, they hadn’t moved much out of the kitchen. Maybe Enzo still had the cameras connected. I remembered that sound would trigger them and send him a notification on his phone.
I was banking on him not knowing Cole had done this, so I did what anyone in my position would do.
I screamed.
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