Innocent Captive

Chapter 1

Jema

This time I’ve really done it because I’m not sure if I’m going to make it out alive. This is all Joey’s fault. When I find him, I’m going to strangle him. Unless he is already dead, which is highly likely given my current situation. What the hell did Joey get himself into?

How long will it take for anyone to realize I’m gone? The diner will think I quit. No one gives two weeks’ notice there. They simply stop coming back. Yeah, probably not a good idea to ponder those thoughts because they’re depressing and shouldn’t be my final ones.

Currently I’m having a stare-down with Salvador, the deadliest man in the city.

“Don’t make me repeat myself,” he says, and his voice booms across the warehouse. It’s deep and slightly rough, which suits him. “Out here now,” he barks, making me jump.

I hurry forward and step out from behind the shadow of the shipping container where I’d been hiding.

When I do, I glance toward the man tied to the chair.

His head is lolled forward, and I can hear the sound of the blood dripping from his hands.

I look away and do my best to keep my attention on Salvador, even though I’m terrified.

He’s taller than I thought he’d be with dark hair and a neatly trimmed beard. Or maybe it’s what has grown in throughout the day. His black button-down shirt is drawn tight against his broad chest.

“Farther,” he says, and I wonder how one word can be so heavy.

I swallow but don't move. My feet are planted, and I'm not sure they will work. They only worked a second ago because he scared me and it was a knee-jerk reaction.

“Why? You’re just going to kill me anyway.” Looks like I can still run my mouth, though. I have the worst self-control. At least there wasn’t a timid hitch in my voice showing how scared I truly am.

My rebellious streak is always getting me in trouble. At least that's what every foster home I’ve been in told me. But why should I do anything he asks? I’ve seen what he’s capable of.

Salvador is quiet for a long moment, and I notice his henchman, Marco, flick a glance toward his boss. I’m pretty sure we’re both wondering what he’s going to do next.

“It could be a quick death or a very slow and painful one,” Salvador says, and I swallow.

“Fine,” I mutter and force myself to take a step forward.

Marco mutters a string of words in Italian that I don’t understand while Salvador’s dark gaze sweeps over me from head to toe. There’s a flare in his eyes as they linger on my chest.

I'm sure it's my sweater. I like to go early to Goodwill so I can go through their bins before they sort them and find the good stuff. This sweater has a pigeonzilla on it. The bird is wreaking havoc throughout the city while standing on a smashed taxi with a giant pretzel in his wing.

“Why are you making this more difficult for yourself, little girl?”

“I’m not little. I’m vertically challenged,” I tell him, and I swear, Salvador almost smiles. There’s a quick twitch of his lips before it’s gone as quickly as it appeared.

I might be short, but I’ve got hips for days.

I blame it on the diner. If my shift is eight hours, then I get two meals, and I get to pick whatever I want off the menu.

Growing up in the system, sometimes there wasn’t enough to go around, so it was whatever was on the table.

Now I’m eating enough, but maybe not so healthily.

“Who are you working for?”

“Mick,” I tell him, and Salvador glances over to Marco, who shrugs.

“Who’s Mick?” He looks annoyed, and I don’t know why I like seeing it.

“He’s about five foot ten inches and chain smokes, but he makes a mean Reuben.”

“Reuben?” Salvador asks, but I’m not sure if that’s a real question.

“Just shoot her. I’m hungry, and I still need to clean this mess up.” Marco motions to the man in the chair. Guess that answers my question on if he’s dead or not. It also means that I’m most likely dead too.

“You take orders from him?” I ask Salvador as I nod toward Marco. I’m trying to instigate a fight between the two of them.

“I’m growing tired of your games,” Salvador says, and the edge of his voice has me answering him.

“Fine, a Reuben is a sandwich. It’s what Mick’s Diner is known for.”

Marco rubs his mouth with the palm of his hand, and I know he’s fighting a smile. At least I’m making myself believe that. If they kind of like me, maybe they won’t kill me.

“You know that was not what I meant. Who sent you here tonight?” This time it’s Salvador who takes a step toward me.

“Me?” I point to myself. I was here looking for Joey. We share locations, and this was his last location. But I’m not about to tell them that.

“Are you saying you happened to stumble into this warehouse on your own?"

“I thought I heard a scream.” That’s actually true. I should have run right then, but I’m nosy.

“So you thought your tiny ass would come and save the day?” I have to bite the inside of my cheek to avoid giving a smartass response because all I’m hearing is he called me skinny. “Sneaking around like a curious kitten. You know what they say.”

“The cat’s out of the bag?” I motion with my eyes to the dead man again.

I know that’s not what he meant, but I can’t help but needle him.

Salvador narrows his eyes. “Cat’s got your tongue?

” Oh my god, I scream at myself internally.

I have to stop. “Look, I don’t even know who that is.

” I nod to the dead guy again. “And no one believes anything I say.” I may or may not have a few petty crimes stacked up, but that’s not the point right now.

"So I'll see myself out, and it will be like we never met. "

When I go to take a step back, Salvador shakes his head. "Kitten, don't even think about it.”

I let my shoulders drop and huff out a defeated breath. "Fine, I was—"

Without finishing the sentence, I bolt back behind the shipping container I'd been hiding behind and take off as fast as I can. I don’t have a clue where I'm going, but it’s just my luck when I come to a dead end with a set of metal stairs that go up.

In a situation like this, you never go up, but I have nowhere else to go.

I can hear the heavy footsteps behind me, and there’s no time to look for another exit.

Dashing up the stairs, I see a hallway and take off again. In the distance, there’s a turn and then a door at the end.

"No!" Salvador bellows from behind me. It’s strange, but he doesn’t sound angry. It’s almost like he’s shouting in concern.

No matter the reason, it's too late. My feet are still moving as I push open the door, and I don't see the giant hole in the floor beneath me.

A scream rips from me as I fall right through and land on the concrete floor below.

I’m definitely not a cat as my back and head slam against the hard surface so hard that I see spots in my vision.

I could be hallucinating, but I’m pretty sure Salvador jumps through it and lands on his feet before kneeling next to me.

"Don't you die on me," he orders as his hands take mine.

"You should really get that fixed," I tell him, then everything goes dark.