IMPRISONED

My life took a huge turn. I was no longer Victoria the baker. I was Arianna Bocelli, Alejandro Amato’s prisoner.

“Let me go.” I dug my feet into the ground as Capello pulled me along, ropes digging into my skin.

I’d recovered from my momentary shock and become dangerously stupid as I continued to yell at men who wouldn’t bat an eyelash as they sent me to the world beyond.

I was testing their patience really because Capello stopped walking and took off his tie. Who wore a suit to kill? I raised my eyebrow at him, wondering what he was doing. He rolled it up and grabbed my jaw, forcing it open. My eyes widened as I realised what he was about to do. I continued to move my head until I heard a gunshot that kept me still.

A warning from Alejandro that wouldn’t be repeated twice. I didn’t even need to be gagged. My hands remained cuffed in front of me as I continued to stay still in the backseat of the car.

“Where to Ale?”

“Italia.”

I didn’t need a translator for that. We were going to Italy.

***

It was just Alejandro and me in the car. Capello had left us at the airport to run an errand. I felt cold all over, not because it was actually cold but because death hovered around us. I could feel it.

Alejandro was either not a talker or he just hated my existence. I was betting on both because he hadn’t even looked at me since the Fibonacci incident.

“Why am I here?” I dared to ask and dreaded the reply. Alejandro continued to focus on the road and paid me no mind. It was almost like I was invisible in his car.

I felt the small lump that had increased in size over the past few hours on my head and winced in pain.

It hurt like hell but I was more focused on getting out alive, if that was even possible.

Alejandro wanted me for something but what?

I spared a glance at him, wondering how he became what he became, what had made him lose his humanity if it even existed in the first place.

“What the fuck are you staring at?” I averted my eye to the windshield, hating the fact that I’d been caught openly staring at him. He wasn’t bad looking but I was much more hell bent on escaping this hell hole I’d been thrown into.

Life hadn’t been easy after my parents died. I lost the will to do anything meaningful with my life. I hadn’t even gone to collect my college certificate because little mattered when you lost your world.

My parent’s case had been ruled as an accident but it didn’t make healing any better. I still found myself staring at nothing once in a while, wondering what could have been if they were actually alive. I probably wouldn’t have ended up in the shit hole of Philly that resulted in this maniacal situation I was in in the first place.

“Get out.” Alejandro’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts. I’d zoned out pretty much the entire ride, not even trying to admire my surroundings. Admire? I scoffed. I was bound in hands and probably would’ve been gagged too. I had no business admiring a surrounding that caused my parents deaths and would probably cost me my life too.

Ironic that I’d die in the one place I’d tried so hard to avoid all my life.

I struggled to come out of the car, using my feet as anchors to steady myself. I took a deep whiff of Italian air and knew I was in trouble.

Men lined up in front of us as we walked towards huge double doors.

Even the president of the united states didn’t have so many men welcoming him into the white house.

They all bowed their head in reverence and I almost felt the inclination to do the same.

Although, that would have led me to kiss the ground, walking with your head down that is.

As soon as we entered, he shut the door behind us. The slam of door cemented the fact that I might never see daylight again.

I stood in the middle of a very large living room, bigger than any room I’d ever seen in my life.

The ceiling seemed so high with paintings of cherubs on them. I snorted.

Alejandro snapped his head to me, wondering what was funny to me.

He took off his suit jacket and dropped it on the couch nearest to him. He rolled up the sleeves of his blood stained white shirt, revealing veiny arms that had black ink patterns on them, all the while watching me.

The blood on his face hadn’t been washed off either and I had the feeling he enjoyed having blood spattered on his skin. Fear rocked my core as he inched closer to me.

“Arianna Bocelli…” He rolled my name against his tongue and didn’t like it, his face souring. I felt something within me that I couldn’t understand. Something that had my blood boiling.

“You have something that I want.” He loosened his tie and stopped right in front of me. I took a step back in fear, the smell of blood feeling me with nausea.

“I don’t even know you.”

“Now that’s a lie I didn’t think anyone was capable of telling.” He was right but he didn’t have to be so smug about it, so full of himself.

“What do you want from me?” His eyes turned dangerously dark.

“Just know I’ll get it but until then, you are my prisoner and you will remain here and do whatever I ask.” He didn’t need to spell out the missing parts of his threat.

Or else, I would kiss the barrel of his gun and only echoes of who I was would exist.