AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The thought of being trapped in here and not knowing anything at all has my anxiety through the roof. My hands feel clammy when I remind myself to breathe.Stay calm, Callie; now is not the time to freak out.I close my eyes and bring myself back to the present. I've been mentally preparing for something like this to happen my whole life.
Without a strong mental presence, I would have died. That was one of the few lessons my father taught me growing up that I now appreciate. He used to lock me in a cold, dark room by myself for hours on end and only let me out after he felt confident my emotions were under control. He always said emotions are weakness. I let myself grow weak over the last year being in Braxton Falls with Julian and Avery. There’s no room for that shit right now.
I sit down at the table and train my gaze on myself in the mirror. I've seen better days. My hair is messier than usual. There are big black circles under my eyes that also happen to be puffy and red from crying at the waterfall.
I regret that whoever took me gets to see me in such a vulnerable state. I need to harden myself and let my survival instincts kick in. They must be watching me from somewhere. Either through the mirror I’m currently staring at or some sort of hidden camera. It may even be both. I will not be the girl to beg them to let me out or scream for help. I’ll bide my time and keep my shit together until I find out exactly who or what I am dealing with.
The first thing I need to do is work through what I know so far. There were at least two men. They had to be men based on what I can pinpoint about each of them. The one following me at the falls was tall, somewhere around six feet. I am just over five feet, and from the distance he was at, it seemed like the top of my head would reach his shoulders. The one in the back seat of my car smelled so good. There were hints of iris and cedarwood. It has to be some kind of special cologne. The clothes on both men were loose fitting, but they seemed strong. They were patient. This had to be a planned attack. They were far too prepared for it to be random. Regular people don't carry drugs that can make you pass out.
The splitting headache and nausea I'm feeling currently are almost enough to make me want to crawl back into bed and sleep, but right now, I need to focus on remembering as much as possible while it's still fresh. Every detail is a potential item I can use to my advantage. That's when I realize I was in such a hurry to get to the falls to clear my head that I didn't do my usual checks. I'm always so good at watching my surroundings, but I let my emotions cloud my rationality. I checked the parking lot, but I wasn't watching to see if I was being followed, and I didn't lock my car. I gave them the perfect opportunity to carry out their kidnapping with ease. How fucking stupid. My father was right. Emotions are weakness.
Normally, people in my situation would not be calm. Freaking out would be useless. It would only show them I'm weak. I’m already here, and by the looks of the room, there's nothing I’ll be able to do to get out unless they want me to, so I'll playthe smart game. I'll wait until they come in and tell me what the fuck they want with me. When they finally reveal themselves, I'll flip on my charm and be the poor, sweet, innocent girl who is only a victim of circumstance. Hopefully, my captors really are men. They'll be so quick to fall for that shit. It'll be the perfect opportunity to give myself time to discover what makes them weak and get myself out of here. That's the plan. I will do it by any means necessary.
Avery's going to freak out when she realizes I’m missing. Julian, I don't even know. He may not even realize I am gone for a few days. Due to our fight, he probably thinks I went to Avery's house for some space. He leaves for his trip tomorrow or today, depending on what day it is. Avery has to realize something isn't right. I have to trust that she will. I wish she was here to help me out of this mess, but I am so thankful she isn't. I'll find a way out of here one way or another. Once I do, whoever put me here will pay. For now, I'll continue to sit and stare at my reflection in the fucking mirror until my captors decide to move the next chess piece of this little game we are playing.
Time continues to tick by, and nothing happens. I have no idea how long I sit in this rickety chair, but my eyes are getting heavy, so I walk over to the bed, pull up the covers, and slide in. The lights are still on, and I don't know how or if they even turn off, so I pull the blanket over my head and doze off.
I stir when I feel a slight pressure on the corner of the bed. My whole body goes rigid, and I wait for what happensnext. Nothing. The lights are out now, and the blanket has been pulled down a little past my shoulders from what I can feel. I just lay there unmoving, trying my best to keep my breathing as even as possible.
"I know you're awake. I can hear the change in your breathing," a strange voice says. "Go back to sleep. You look so beautiful when you sleep."
The pressure from the bed disappears, and the door pulls shut. What was that all about? I don't like how nice he was. He could have done whatever he wanted to me while I was lying here vulnerable, but he just sat there and watched me sleep. Who does that? I can handle straightforward criminals who want to use me for their benefit for whatever reason, but his motives seemed different; they were softer, and it made me uneasy. I'm not sure how to take advantage of kindness and softness. Being agreeable at this moment is the best option, so I listen like a good girl and go back to sleep.
Chapter 10
Sebastian
This wasn't the reaction I expected from her. She’s oddly calm. Most people in her situation would be banging on the door, screaming at the top of their lungs for someone to help them, or at the very least walking around to see if they could find a way out. She didn't even attempt to open the door or the drop box. It's almost as if she knows we're sitting out here. She's just sitting there, staring at her own reflection.
If I didn't have plans for her, I would allow myself to be impressed by her strength. I need to keep my head on my shoulders. My brothers already let themselves get attached to her, and we just got her in our grasp. Barrett will never admit he feels things, but I can tell she intrigues him. Kyler is not even trying to hide his affection. He has a strange fantasy about being able to watch her as much as possible.
Before we took her, I watched her here and there but mostly tried to keep my distance. One night, I allowed myself to get close enough to strike up a small conversation, but it didn't result in much. She was working at the bar, and I needed a drink. I think about the night I strolled right in and sat on the bar stool.
The place was run-down and full of your typical drunk regulars. When she walked over, I instantly smelled her. She had a distinct smell of grapefruit. Fucking delicious. I told her I wanted their best whiskey on the rocks, and she reached over to the top shelf, grabbed a bottle, and poured it into the glass. I really didn't care what kind of whiskey it was; that wasn't the purpose of being here. I was curious about her. I wanted to have an anonymous opportunity to get into her mind before having the pleasure of her company at the house, day in and day out.
I watched her for a moment. It was as if she was working on autopilot. She could probably do it with her eyes closed. I thought it was the perfect opportunity to strike up a conversation.
"You work here long?" I asked.
She smiled. "Sort of. I've only been in town for about a year, but I‘ve spent the last few years being a bit of a nomad. I've worked at a ton of bars along the way. It's how I prefer it. Not having anything to tie me down." She walked back down the bar to grab another man's beer and set it down for him.
I thought maybe her being on the move would explain why Barrett wasn't able to find any recent pictures of her and Gabriel. She picked up a few glasses to clean.
"Your family doesn't mind your lifestyle?" I casually asked. Her eyes went hard and blank, as if family was a completely off-limits topic for her.
"Don't have any family. Sorry, but I really have to get back to work. There are a few things that need to be done before we close. Let me know if you need another drink." She walkedaway.
I bring my mind back to the present as I walk back into the kitchen and spot Barrett by the refrigerator and Kyler eating at the breakfast bar. This is perfect timing to have a nice little chat about what we are going to do with the girl in the pool house, considering we can't keep her there forever.
"You guys have a few minutes to talk about what we’re going to do with the girl?" I ask them.
There are a few pieces of bacon left on the stove that I snag as Barrett speaks up first. "Sure."
Kyler takes a bite of his toast and then proceeds to talk with his mouth full like a fucking animal. "Yeah, we need to figure that out. It's been almost a week, and she hasn't tried anything. She's just lying in there like she's waiting for something."
"I think it's time for us to let her out of her little cage and see how she handles it." The two of them nod in agreement.
"What's the play here, Seb? Are we going to reach out to Gabriel and dangle his little fruit so we can get paid, or what?" Barrett asks.
