Chapter 44 #2
“Guys, what the fuck?!” I grunted. As I pushed myself up, a steel capped boot dug into my ribs.
Wincing, I reached up, needing to rip the blindfold off before I tore them a new arsehole, but to my surprise I was stopped.
The very same boot crushed my fingers to the damp earth below, instantly making pain surge up my arm.
There were hushed whispers from all around, but no matter how hard I tried to listen, I couldn’t. Blood thundered too quickly in my ears as the adrenaline kicked in.
“Guys, if this is some fucked up prank, I’m going to kill the pair of you.” I seethed, crying out as my fingers were ground down harder.
“Looks like lover boy isn’t around to save you this time, girl. Aren’t we lucky.” My body cooled in horror. I recognised that voice. It was the same one from the wedding.
Fuck.
Whoever was behind me chuckled then smashed my head back once again against the rock, thrusting my thoughts into darkness.
When I finally came around, I was cable tied to a chair. The blindfold was gone and my head was pounding. After a moment, my eyes adjusted to my surroundings. I was in what looked like a house but the windows were boarded up, letting only a limited amount of light through.
What the hell is going on?
I blinked tightly a few times, forcing my brain to become fully conscious.
The pain coursing my head and chest was fierce but I had to ignore it and start figuring out where I was.
Okay, Bells, just take it easy and remember the steps.
To my relief, nobody was about. As I pulled at my restraints I acknowledged I was tied down with cable ties.
I had once watched Arturo break out of cable ties when we were in the gym together.
I grimaced. I never asked him how he did it.
I’d simply put it down to sheer brute strength.
Strength I didn’t have. All I had was fear, fear that was currently twisting my gut into knots at the thought of not getting out of here.
I took a few deep breaths, then I yanked my wrists upward as hard as I could. The plastic cut into my skin, drawing blood. It hurt like hell but I was no quitter. I went to go again when a voice stopped me.
“Nobody knows she’s here. Stupid a-hole took his eyes off the prize.” I frowned. The voice was familiar but I shook my head and focused again on my wrists. With a few more sharp tugs, I managed to snap one of my wrists free.
One down… three to go.
Just then, the clinking of glasses came from the room beside mine. The walls were so thin in the dump that I could hear every word of the shit they spoke.
“This will send that cunt a message. He should have listened to the threats.” There was no doubt in my mind that they were the men from Lily’s wedding. “Let’s finish these beers then pay the pretty little girl a visit.”
Assholes! They thought they’d kidnapped a weak, pathetic girl who couldn’t fight back. How wrong they were. Maybe years ago that would have been true, but not now… Now, I was stronger, smarter and stealthier.
My skin pricked with anticipation as adrenaline coursed through my veins.
With a grit of my teeth and the angle I’d seen Arturo bend to, I surged my hand upwards, grunting my wrist snapped free.
Gripping the wrist with the other hand, I felt a twinge.
I’d likely torn a ligament but that would have to wait.
I could handle the pain. Hell, at this point it gave me strength and I could use all I could get.
Standing, I managed to free my legs before I tiptoed towards the door.
The rickety floor beneath me made creeping difficult but the fuckers next door were so loud they’d have ignored a hurricane.
As I went to open the door and take a peek outside, my attention was pulled back to the men’s conversation at the mention of Arturo’s name… repeatedly.
Focus on escaping, Bella!
Gritting my teeth, I tried the handle, hoping they were stupid enough to leave it unlocked.
And I was right… they were that stupid. They’d underestimated me and how well Arturo had taught me.
Holding my breath, I pulled the door as slowly and quietly as I could towards me.
By the time it was fully open my heart was beating so erratically that I had to take a moment to breathe.
Once calmer, I inched my head out and darted my eyes up and down the corridor.
My skin crawled as I took in the rest of the house.
Mould covered the walls and the wallpaper beneath it peeled away.
The carpets were threadbare and, to my horror, stained with vomit, empty clear packets with residual white traces, plus a number of other gross things I didn’t wish to see.
The stench of piss, stale cigarettes and booze was enough to make me gag.
Holding my breath, I made my way to the stairs at the opposite end of the corridor.
As I crept closer to the foot of the stairs I faintly acknowledged splatters of what looked like blood before a glance at my feet made me pause.
The floor beneath me was crumbling, and the stairs were full of holes from where the wood had rotted away.
I prayed with each step that they wouldn’t collapse beneath me. Ten painful seconds later, I finally made it up from the basement and had the front door in my sights and in my head I could see myself running into Arturo’s arms.
But the devil had other plans.
I heard voices from just outside the front door, and as much as I wanted to freeze, I couldn’t. Making a break for it, I sprinted up the staircase to the next level and hid behind a thick wooden post, glancing through the gaps in the bannisters as to who would make an appearance.
But when the door opened confusion then horror filled my gut as a tall, well built guy with sandy blond locks and piercing blue eyes walked through. I had to clasp a hand over my mouth to muffle my gasp as bile rose in my throat.
Henry. That motherfucker.
As he checked his watch, a panicked voice from two stories below came floating up the staircase.
“H… we have a problem.”
“There had better fucking not be,” Henry snapped, shoving his hand through his thick locks. The guy jogged up the stairs into view.
“She isn’t in the room, and the cable ties are covered in blood.”
Henry backhanded the guy’s face, making him stagger to the floor with a hand held against his nose.
“You incompetent fuck!” Henry yelled, bringing his foot down full force on the guy’s leg. The sound of bone snapping echoed through the entrance as did the screams.
“H, we were outside, she couldn’t have gotten out.” The auburn headed man from beside Henry stated.
“She’s still in the house.” Henry hissed, his eyes darted around the area.
My heart stopped as his eyes traced across the second floor bannister.
I inched my way backwards, hiding myself better from view.
“Find her. Now.” He ordered, before crouching down to come face to face with the snivelling mess on the floor.
“That means you too, now move.” Henry squeezed his broken leg, as he stifled a scream.
“Isabellaaaaa,” he sang out as he crept up the stairs. “Come out, come out, wherever you are.”
Pressing my lips together, I crawled towards another staircase, hoping I was faster than him. As he continued to call for me in a high pitched tone, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. The idiot sounded like he was auditioning for a fucking TV show.
I couldn't believe I went on a date with that guy.
“Isabella, don’t make this harder than it needs to be.” He laughed, as I dragged myself over the ledge of the attic.
Should’ve just let Arturo kill him.
My nose wrinkled as I took in the attic.
It was a damn deathtrap. There were boxes everywhere, and a piss poor window, which was of course boarded up, plus endless holes in the floorboards, revealing the stairs below.
Shuffling behind a large box covered in a dusty cloth, I sat and waited.
For what, I wasn’t sure. He knew I was up here. There was no escape.
“Isabella Ricci, aren’t you a little old for hide and seek?
Why don’t you be a good girl and do as you’re told, or do you only listen to fucked up cockney bastards like Arturo fucking Ramos?
” Henry laughed from the foot of the stairs.
“I have to know, were you screwing him this whole time? I bet he gives it to you rough. He’s a psycho you know, and one of these days he’s going to break you just like he did his old lady!
” I covered my ears, trying to block out his hideous voice, but his sinister laugh pierced through my hands.
“They told me how he chased you down after the wedding. Commendable really for a guy who doesn’t feel emotions. ”
That was it, I wasn’t going to let him speak shit about the man who had only a few weeks ago confessed his love to me. I took a few strides to the attic opening, staring down at the man who took me on my so-called first date.
“Bingo…” he grinned, his pupils darkening. “Come on. Down you come.” he demanded, beckoning with his hand.
“No.”
“Don’t push me, you little whore. I’m under strict orders to make lover boy suffer and if that means hurting you in the process, so be it.
” Orders from who? “Does Daddy know you’re fucking his employee, hmm?
” I narrowed my eyes, not replying. “I can’t wait to hear what punishment Lorenzo Ricci doles out to the man who not only got his daughter killed but who was also banging her under his roof.
” He beamed a toothy grin as I swallowed against the onslaught of panic battering against my ribcage.
“We could have taken you when he left his apartment that day, but waiting for the perfect moment to take you was too good to waste.” My heart sank as I realised they’d been following us this whole time.
With a cluck of his tongue, he started to climb the stairs leading to me.
Shit! Holding my breath, my mind raced as I tried to figure a way to escape.
Then a groan from the stairs gave me an idea.
Lifting my leg, I took a breath then brought it down on the makeshift steps as hard as I could, sending them crashing to the floor with Henry on top of them.
“You fucking bitch!” he grunted, dragging himself from the floor. “You’ve just signed your death warrant.”
“Get fucked, you ugly prick!” I spat.
“You know, I’ve always wondered what a house would look like as it burnt to the ground. Guess now I’ll get to see it.” he laughed, pulling a box of matches from his pocket.
“You’re bluffing. Kill me and the alliance between our families will be dead and gone.” I said through gritted teeth.
“Yeah,” he said with a shrug. “Just like you.” My eyes widened as he lit the match.
“You see, Bella, I hold all the cards. And you? You have nowhere to go. You should have thought of that before you walked away from me.” With his eyes holding mine he dropped the match.
The dry, rotten wood beneath his feet set alight with a whoosh.
A scream got stuck in my throat as he descended the stairs, ordering his men to leave alongside him.
The tang of copper filled my mouth as flames licked up the floorboards.
Smoke began to rise, making my eyes water and my lungs scream.
Covering my mouth, I made my way to the window, trying to pry out the nails from the wood.
But it was useless. Even trying to rip the boards away was futile.
My fingers ached as they bled from the splinters embedded into my skin.
I coughed against the smoke slowly filling my lungs, and realised with a sob I wouldn’t be able to fight off the inevitable for much longer. I was going to die.
Arturo… I’m sorry.