16. Chapter 16
Chapter sixteen
Jinx
I woke up five days ago not knowing where I was or with who. And now that I’m awake, I wish I was still sleeping. I should have just waited for one of the guys to accompany me to the basement. And that’s saying something, considering how much I cherish my solo adventures away from them.
I’ve been trying to escape this bedroom all week, but it’s been no luck. I hoped every time a meal was brought to me, a knife would accompany it, but I have been outsmarted. I’m not sure where I am at the moment. The window is covered in so much dirt on the outside that I can’t even see through it properly. Even if I were to get out, where the fuck would I go?
I’ve never been so helpless in my entire life before, and I hate it. Is this what a damsel in distress feels like waiting for her prince to show up because if so, it sucks.
I roll off the shitty dirty mattress and head for the window. With a small tap, I go back to trying to crack the glass. That’s my only clue, but then again, I could be in any old building. I try to break the glass chunk by chunk, but it’s useless. The glass won’t break, no matter what I try; I need that knife.
The sound of the wooden door slamming against the wall sends me leaping and twirling in surprise. My heart drops to my feet when he stands there, holding a plate of food.
“I’m not eating that until you give me some daylight.”
He groans and walks in. I look past him to the door and wonder how fast I can make it.
“Don’t. I will catch you before you reach the door,” he tells me in his robotic voice. He has yet to change out of his hoodie and show me who he is. Then again, I shouldn’t expect anything less from the person who has been stalking me for months.
He sets the plate on the mattress and takes a bite of the sandwich—our daily routine. He signals that the food is okay, then opens the water bottle and has a drink. It’s gross, but we’re both still kickin’. Still not risking it with the food, though. He places the cap back on and tosses the bottle on the mattress.
“Eat, or you’ll grow weak.”
“Who gives a shit. Is having sex with a dead body not your thing?”
He dismisses me with a wave, then heads back toward the door. I quickly grab the sandwich and hurl it at him, nailing him in the back of the head. His sudden stop and slow pivot causes my heart to skip a beat as he rushes across the room. With a forceful push, he shoves me onto the bed, settling himself on my stomach.
I wiggle beneath him, trying to get free. “Get off of me!” I try to slap him, but he grabs my hand, pinning it under his knee. After not eating all this time, I don’t have much stamina left to fight for a long time, but that doesn’t stop me from trying. I raise my other hand and try and hit him again.
“Do it, and you’ll regret it.”
Living with Atticus has shown me one thing: never shy away from a challenge. I curl my hand into a fist and deliver a punch to the side of his face. He grabs his face, and I try to buck him off; when that doesn’t work, I try to punch him again. But he’s expecting it and grips my wrist tight.
“Odette. I didn’t want to hurt you, but you left me no other choice.”
Yeah, I’m sure. I dig deep, finding power within me, slamming my forehead into his face. He tumbles backward, gripping his nose. Despite the searing pain pulsing through my head, I push through it as I rise to my feet. Feeling woozy and unsteady, my vision blurs as I struggle to stay upright. I push through the feeling of almost passing out and reach out for the door. Today is definitely not the day that I give up.
“You bitch.”
I spin around and notice my stalker trying to get up. His hood has slipped off, but he’s got a balaclava covering his face, so I still can’t figure out who he is. He shoots me a menacing look with his bright green eyes as I slowly back out the door.
“Fuck you, you piece of shit. Find me again, and I won’t be as nice.”
“Don’t forget that I know your every move. Do you think I’m letting you go so easily? Think again. Your one boyfriend knows me personally; take that little information home with you if you can figure your way out.”
I’m not sure what that means; who does he know? I want to stick around and ask, but I also want the fuck out of here. I have this feeling in my gut saying I should stick around, but my brain keeps urging me to flee. I’m not sure what to do.
My brain wins in the end. If he knows one of the guys, he’ll eventually show his face; creeps like him don’t stay quiet for long. I slam the door behind me and find myself in a dark hallway. Should I head left or right? I hear him shuffling behind the door, and that’s all I need to make a decision. I veer to the left, fingers crossed that it’s the right way.
When my head starts throbbing even harder from that blow, I find myself using my hand to feel my way along the wall. As I make my way towards the end of the hallway, I realize I’ve made a mistake. I close my eyes and exhale as I turn around, praying I can pass the room before he gets out. The exit can’t be far past that room. I brush off the pain and start running. Getting caught again doesn’t bother me; what’s important is that I gave it a shot.
I pass the room I stayed in, taking in the cracked open door. He somehow left without me knowing. He’s probably laughing at my mistake and waiting for me. I push my body further, trying not to fall over, when I find a stairwell—finally, a goddamn break. I look up, but when I can’t spot him, adrenaline shoots through my body, and I rush up the stairs.
Turning the corner, I am suddenly struck in the chest, causing me to fall hard to the ground. The pain coursing through my chest is unbearable. I try to suck in an air full, but the pain burns.
“Thought I would let you get away from me, Odette?” He gently moves a stray strand of hair from my eye while I catch my breath.
“Fuck…you,” I manage to say.
He tuts at me. “Don’t be like that. Come, we’ll call the boyfriend and give them a message.” He grabs my arm and effortlessly tosses me over his shoulder, causing me to let out a groan as his shoulder presses against the tender spot on my chest.
The flooring is weathered hardwood, and it's got a few gaps here and there. Something that you would see in an old building. I still don’t know where this would be located; nothing like this is around RWA. We enter another room; his footsteps echo the further we go. I try to look up, but the pain only grows worse; whatever he hit me with caused some damage.
He drops me onto a dusty brown couch and snaps his fingers when I go to move. I lay back down and wait for him to dig his phone out of his pocket.
“What’s your plan? Call and brag that you have me?” I gently massage my chest as I struggle to speak through the anguish.
He doesn’t look up from his phone as he shrugs. “Something like that. It’s ringing.” He puts the phone on speaker, and my heart skips a beat when it connects.
“Hello.”
He points at me, waiting for me to speak. I wish I could, but hearing his voice brings tears to my eyes. I never expected it to affect me this way, but after five days without hearing it, I realized how much I missed it.
“Start talking before I hang up.”
“Atticus,” I quietly say.
“Jinx?” Panic rises in his voice. “Where are you?”
My creepy stalker takes the phone further away from me. “She won’t be answering any more of your questions.”
“You sonofabitch. You better tell me where she is, or I’ll fucking kill you.”
“Yeah, I don’t believe you. You’ve never killed anyone in your life, Banks. Now, do me a favor, will you?”
Atticus has gone quiet. And when Atticus goes silent, it’s not good. Whatever he’s thinking won’t play out for anyone involved.
“You better start talking.”
He tilts his head when I start to sit up. “I think I might have hurt your girl when I hit her with a hunk of wood. I forget how much smaller she is than me.”
“Don’t you fucking touch her!” His scream pierces through the room, and I can feel the depth of his pain.
I try to stand, but creepy stalker snaps his finger at me, and I halt. “I need something from you in exchange for her.”
“What?”
“Oh, I can’t tell you over the phone; I think we can do this in person, don’t you?”
I can sense a smile in his voice as he speaks, and I’m feeling unsure about the plan he’s keeping under wraps. It’s making me a bit uneasy. It could be a trap, and the guys could walk right into it. I can’t let that happen.
“Alright, fine, give me the details.”
“I’ll text you the directions. Can’t risk Doll-face here escaping before you get here. You have one hour, tick-tock.”
He hangs up, and his fingers fly across the screen. I have an hour to come up with a plan before everything goes to shit.