Chapter Four- Dior #6
“So, I’m guessing Edwardo found out and kidnapped you?” I guessed the rest of the story.
“He didn’t just find out, he caught us. Catalina was a brave one.
She knew I did runs for both Edwardo and my father.
Sometimes I had to collect money from their customers.
I would bring it over to Edwardo’s house.
We would take the risk on those days. She knew the layout of their home, obviously.
So she knew what rooms we could go into and not get caught. ”
“That shit went south one day. Edwardo was on the way to the airport, and we believed we were free. We planned it out so that I would spend the day at their home. What we didn’t plan for was Edwardo returning because he forgot something before the plane took off.
He walked in on me with my nineteen-year-old dick deep inside Catalina.
She was hollering so fucking much we didn’t even hear the door open,” Buddha paused then, and I turned to look at him.
His expression changed; his eyes darkened, and angry lines creased his forehead.
“He didn’t let you leave?” I asked. Buddha shook his head, no.
“I was young and didn’t look the way I do now.
I was like 90 lbs lighter. Edwardo easily overpowered me.
He and his goons beat me to a bloody pulp.
They put me in a room for a week. My parents had no idea where the fuck I disappeared to.
They searched, but nothing came up. As part of her punishment for our affair, Catalina was forced to visit me every day.
She was responsible for bringing me water and dry bread, nothing else.
Edwardo had me tied to a chair, naked, bleeding, and very humiliated.
Catalina taught me about Buddhism on the days she would visit.
She introduced me to the religion and told me it would be the light at the end of the dark tunnel. ”
“There was no light for me. I was ready to die. I felt as though I would never recover from an ordeal like that. Edwardo tortured me for that entire week. Pointed his gun at my face, playing Russian Roulette. Both my eyes were swollen shut, I had a busted lip, at least three bruised ribs, and a sprained ankle. Edwardo, eventually called my father. Had me on a video call with his gun pointed at my head, threatening to pull the trigger. My father begged as I had never heard him beg before,” Buddha shook his head as he got a faraway look in his eyes.
“To be honest, I would have preferred that Edwardo pulled the trigger. Instead, he gave in to my father’s pleas.
They cut a deal that at the end of every month, my father would pay Edwardo 100k.
It was a recurring debt for Edwardo not killing me when he had the chance.
So every month, that’s what we do: we pay him 100k for letting me live.
As part of the deal, I always have to accompany my father when he hands over the money.
Edwardo will eventually say when that debt will come to an end. ”
“After my release, I began practicing Buddhism because it reminded me of Catalina. After a drunken night out with Snow, I randomly decided to get the tattoo on my back. The next thing I knew, everyone started calling me Buddha, and the name stuck with me. Even though I practiced the religion after Edwardo released me. I don’t anymore, I don’t really believe in religion, God wasn’t there for me when I needed him.
” Buddha stopped talking, and I allowed every word to soak in.
I felt sad to hear how he viewed religion.
No wonder they were so mad when Lewis did what he did.
It wasn’t just about stealing the money; it was what that money symbolized. I thought some more, and then I had a burning question.
“What happened to Catalina? Are they still married? Do they have any children?”
Shrugging his shoulders, Buddha licked his lips.
“She disappeared after my release. They never had kids, but Edwardo has a daughter named Angel from a previous relationship. My father said Edwardo could have killed her or simply shipped her off somewhere else to live. I have no idea what happened to her.”
“Do you think she’s dead?” I was curious to know what he thought had happened to the woman he was sleeping with.
“Yeah. If she were alive, I think she would have tried contacting me, but she never did.” There was something about the way he spoke about her.
“Did you love her?” Buddha turned to me then, his eyes roaming over my face until his gaze settled on my lips.
“Enough questions, go to sleep petardo, (firecracker),” I smiled without meaning to.
It was because he called me petardo, which I knew meant firecracker.
I definitely earned that nickname. I took a mental note that he refused to answer my question, which meant that Catalina still held a special place in his cold heart.
“Tomorrow, can I have my phone back? So I can at least tell my sister and best friend that I’m fine,” Buddha gave me a look as if I had to be the stupidest person on planet earth.
“Dior, please give one example, just one, of a mothafucka that kidnapped someone and then gave them their phone. Shit, don’t make a bit of sense.
Take your ass to sleep,” and just like that, angry Buddha was back.
I studied the way his eyelids grew heavy, and before long, he slowly drifted off to sleep.
His breathing pattern became calm and rhythmic.
I would wait about an hour, and then I’d make my move.
I knew it was more than an hour since Buddha had fallen asleep. I looked at him as he lay above the covers, and I was tucked underneath. He slept soundly, light snores now and again changed his breathing. Before I attempted to get up, I continued staring at his handsome face.
The story of his being kidnapped would explain a lot about his demeanor.
His angry and cold ways stemmed from that trauma.
Buddha was indeed a troubled soul. Maybe one day he would move on from his dark past and emerge as a different man.
Without thinking, I reached over and gently touched his hairline, smiling at how soft it was.
I always wanted to feel his hair. It looked like he took such good care of it, even though I didn't see a single hair product in his bathroom.
Like a true man, he probably used nothing but soap and water, even in his hair.
Maybe under different circumstances, Buddha and I would have been the perfect couple.
However, that was not the case…I gotta get the fuck out of here.
With my eyes glued on him, I inched my way until I was completely at the edge of the bed.
Kicking my right leg from under the cover, I stretched until I felt the tips of my toes touch the ground.
Slowly, I slid out until both feet were now planted on the floor.
My eyes never left Buddha as I tiptoed to the closet.
Saying a prayer that the closet wouldn’t creak when I pulled it open.
I breathed a sigh of relief when it didn’t.
Snatching the chair, I tiptoed to the bathroom. Buddha had left the door slightly open earlier, so this part was easy. Sliding my body between the space, along with the small folded chair. I tried moving as quickly as I could because now, I could no longer see Buddha; I had to make this fast.
Just like earlier, I unfolded the chair and placed it under the open window. I knew this was going to be a tight squeeze, but I still had to try. Grabbing the edge of the window frame, I used all the upper body strength I could muster to pull myself upward.
I held my breath as I pushed myself up and through the window.
My body was dangling forward halfway out the window when I allowed myself to fall.
I dropped to the floor with a loud thud, knocking the air from my lungs in the process.
I knew I couldn't waste any time. So I took off running, barefoot, with only Buddha’s t-shirt on, with not a stitch of panties underneath.
I ran as fast as I could, making my way to the front of the house.
As I ran past Buddha’s car, I heard Lotus barking from inside. She was barking loud as fuck, and I just knew she would wake her master up.
“Shit,” I cursed when my feet slipped, and I fell forward.
I quickly regained my composure and took off faster, praying I could at least make it to his sister’s house.
I think she would help me if I begged and pleaded.
I honestly felt like Sofia was nothing like her brothers, and she would assist. All I had to do was get there before Buddha realized I was missing.
The cold night air slapped across my face as I ran and ran. The soles of my feet hurt from running without shoes. My lungs burned because, shit, I hadn’t run in a hot minute. But I refused to give up, I couldn’t give up. Freedom was a must!
“Aaaahhhh!” I screamed when I felt myself being pushed forward as I fell face-first on the hard ground. Roughly, I felt my body being forcefully turned onto my back. My breaths came out in short gasps as I looked up at Buddha. His gun was pointing directly at the middle of my forehead.
His gun wasn’t even the most terrifying thing.
Na, it was his expression; his features were deadly.
I remembered Victoria’s words from earlier, he’s going to make you wish you weren’t born on some days.
I was so out of breath I couldn’t form the words to beg for my life because I just knew this man was about to kill me.