5. Chapter 5
Chapter 5
Naomi
I ’m pacing the floor of my million-dollar jail cell in one of the cocktail dresses he bought for me, paired with stilettos. He wants to claim me as his, and I will use every ass et to my disposal, emphasis on “ass” because mine looks fucking fabulous right now. The strapless dress is navy blue with every inch of fabric hugging my curves and the shade bringing out my own eyes.
Something about this whole thing feels exciting. Not the “getting kidnapped, held against my will, and creepy stalker who knows everything about me down to my underwear size” part. No. The excitement comes from always being up for a challenge and knowing I can beat him at his own sick twisted game. The pretty-boy billionaire doesn’t scare me. I’m not some damsel in distress, even though people have always misjudged me to be. There’s a very sinister reason that Quinnly and I get along so well.
And Killian is going to see just how feisty I can be.
The thing I hate most about arrogant men is when they don’t take no for an answer. Especially when they’re trying to play grab-ass. I let it go the first time, I threatened the second time, but as soon as the third came it was game over.
Now that Jessey and her girlfriend have gone to grab more drinks, it’s payback time. Twisting the thumb of his grabby hand so far back it makes him wince, I drag him out the side door of the club. Quinnly’s fast on my heels.
“Fuck,” he says shaking his hand after I let go. “If you wanted me alone, you just had to say so. Your girlfriend can join too.” The skeevy idiot’s trying to save face.
Instead of responding with words, I round my hand back and punch him in the face.
“You broke my nose, you dumb bitch!” He grabs his face as blood starts gushing out.
“No, I think you're the dumb bitch now,” Quinnly says.“That’s not all we’re about to break.” She punches him too as he's still reeling from the broken nose like a prissy bitch.
Before we can do anything else my cell phone starts ringing. “Fuck, it’s Jess. We gotta head back.”
Quinnly kicks him in the nuts. He drops like a bag of weights.
I take the opportunity to kick him in the stomach. “Next time, listen when a woman says no.”
“You won’t be so fortunate in the future. I better not see you back in there,” Quinnly adds.
I hear footsteps coming from the hallway, which immediately makes my eyes dart to the door. Taking a deep breath, I walk to meet my kidnappers.
You’d think it was the hallway in a palace given how long it takes him to walk down and unlock my door, or maybe it’s the nervous energy of wanting to give ‘em hell.
When the door opens, I’m met with the same hazel eyes that greeted me in my Uber. “Good evening, Naomi. I will be escorting you to dinner,” Axel says as he gestures down the hallway.
“Hmm. After you,” is all I say. That may have sounded stupid since I don’t know where I’m going, but I want to be behind him, not beside, so I can scope out the mansion-sized house we’re in without him noticing. Granted, I’m sure there are cameras everywhere—not just my room.
I can see why it took so long for him to make it down here. This hallway, which is dimly lit, extends forever with closed doors on both sides. There are beautiful sconces in between each doorway. To others, this palace would seem haunting, especially with being in an unknown place after being drugged and kidnapped. But this feels homey to me. A safe space where I can get my work done—destroying Killian. You don’t fuck with me.
“Are you liking your accommodations? If there’s anything you don’t like, we can — ”
“It’s creepily up to par with all of my tastes,” I say, cutting him off and making him snort.
“Boss man told us that there can only be the best for his queen.”
My nose scrunches at that. “I’m no one’s anything.”
Axel turns to look at me with a gentle smile, which is almost comforting. “We’ll agree to disagree.”
“How big is this compound?” I ask, curious.
He turns around, beaming at me. “I thought you’d never ask.” He starts walking backwards as he faces me, but there’s plenty of hallway left. I really take a look at him now. The shoes I heard earlier were dress shoes, paired with dark chinos and a black shirt, not fully buttoned, with the sleeves rolled up. I can see a couple of gold chains around his neck. Overall, he’s definitely not bad to look at.
“This ‘compound,’ as you called it, has two wings, a swimming pool out back, and the two masters have Jacuzzi tubs” — that means I’m staying in one of the master bedrooms — “a beautiful garden, tennis court, home theater, and training room. There’s a lot I left out, but based on your tastes, I figure those are the important ones to name.”
“Hmm. ‘Cause you know my tastes so well, do you?” I ask, as I roll my eyes. “And why would I want training?”
“I actually do. Swimming is your favorite solitary activity, but you’d love the opportunity to play games with friends, though your friends don’t like them. You love to garden and almost exclusively eat your home-grown vegetables during the summer, and if you’re not reading you’re watching all the new movies with Quinnly.”
My mouth drops open.
“As for the training, you’re in a new place with strangers, and even though we know we’re not here to harm you, you don’t know that.”
This sentiment only makes my eyebrows furrow further and my stomach flip in confusion. “You want to make me feel safe?” This isn’t what I was expecting at all.
“That’s the idea.” He winks at me.
“Well, maybe don’t kidnap people then lock them up and throw away the key, for starters.”
“At least we did away with the shackle bracelets. We thought it was too tacky,” he deadpans.
This makes me snort out loud. “What the fuck!?” He and Quinnly would definitely get along. You know, if he wasn’t part of a psycho duo. Or are there more of them?
I can’t help but give him a pursed smile.
Axel breaks out in a grin. “There’s a smile. Looks good on you.”
“You’re good. I’ll give you that.”
“More than you know, but you will.”
He moves to walk beside me now as I ask, “So, if you’re so good and you’re not here to hurt me, why the theatrics of kidnapping?”
“Well, for starters, the average person wouldn’t be as calm as you’re being right now,” he says, causing my spine to stiffen. “So, the theatrics are for both your benefit and Kill’s. You like the thrill.”
I shift nervously at his observation. “I just know acting erratic won’t help me in this situation. Using my brain calmly will.”
We get to a grand staircase, and he offers me his hand. Something about him makes me feel . . . safe? That can’t be it. But I’m not on edge, so I take it and allow him to help me onto the stairs. “You being your truest self will help you here. But not in the way you think, Nai.”
“Only my friends and family call me that.” I stare at him sharply. Although, the anger doesn’t flow through my body as it should.
“Oh we will be. But for now I’ll respect your wishes, Naomi.”
A cough catches our attention. “Good evening, Naomi ,” says Killian, smirking at me. “I hope you’re hungry.”
I glare at him. “Famished.” Hungry to kill, that is.
“Perfect. We have all your favorites.”
“Why am I here?” I ask, keeping my eyes locked on his deep green eyes. Why do they even have to be my favorite shade? Every-fucking-thing in here seems to be perfectly curated just for me.
“Because we’re the perfect match, of course.”
“A match made in hell?” I snort, making fun of his delusional thoughts.
My sarcastic tone does nothing to mitigate his amusement. “Precisely. I’m your devil.”
I allow the corners of my lips to turn up in a sinister smile. “Well, then that makes me Lilith. You don’t know what you’ve gotten yourself into, Killian.”
He offers his hand to escort me. “Oh, trust me, I know exactly what I’ve gotten myself into, my little firecracker. I will take anything and everything you have to throw my way.”
“You’ll regret that,” I say, taking his hand, which is nice and warm to the touch.
Killian pulls me closer to him, so his face is a breath away. “I don’t think I will.” The proximity makes me notice the bright green flecks in his eyes and how good his cologne smells—cedar and smoke. It makes me shudder down to my core. Why the fuck does he have to smell good?
“Well, that was hot,” Axel says, reminding us he’s still here.
“Nothing about this is hot!” I seethe at him, but he only shrugs.
“I don’t know—the tension between you two is more than anger, and definitely very hot.”
“Come on, dinner’s getting cold,” Killian smirks, leading the way. He may have won this round, but I plan to win the war.
The dining room could seat over twenty guests, I’m sure. However since it’s just the three of us, we’re all at one end of the table. The only things on the table are a bowl of salad, all of our cutlery, a glass filled with water for each of us, and another with some sort of wine, I assume.
“You like your filet medium, right?”
“I-uh-yeah . . . medium,” I stutter. Right as I say that a staff member comes out from the kitchen with a covered plate of food and presents it to me like I’m at dinner with the queen. He uncovers a perfect cut of steak with mashed potatoes and vegetable medley. I want to refuse the meal, but I'll need to be at my full strength to get out of this alive.
A boyish grin erupts across his face like his favorite sports team just scored a goal. I’ll let him have this win. If only for this moment so I can suss him out. But I find my eyes drawing to the steak knife and his carotid artery that’s right there for the taking.
Check , asshole.