I awoke from a dead sleep to a crash that came from my kitchen. I quickly spun sideways to grab the pepper spray from my side table drawer and had it at the ready. Living on my own in this apartment I knew I always had to be cautious. However, I didn't anticipate that someone would ever break in. I live in a rather nice neighborhood, or so I thought. I could hear the footsteps growing closer and closer to my bedroom door until the handle began to jiggle. My heart was racing and I was frozen solid until I could finally manage to form a sentence.

"Th-The police are on their way!" I bluffed, fumbling for my phone that charging several feet away.

As I picked it up I was trembling so much that I couldn't type in the correct passcode. I was taken aback by the earsplitting sound of crunching wood as the assailant burst through the door and stumbled into my room. He was large, far older man with a buzzed head and small gold hoop earrings. I dashed for my window but as quick as lightning he grasped my arm and swung me back into the wall. My head smashing into one of my hung picture frames and I could feel the warmth of blood running down the side of my face. As my head throbbed, I was trying my best to snap out of my disorientation quickly before he could apprehend me again.

Another man entered the room with a briefcase in one hand and a pistol in the other. He stared down at me with his hazel eyes and put the briefcase on the edge of my bed and opened it, pulling out some work rope. My eyes widened as I feared the worst, they weren't here to rob me: they were here to take me!

"Look, sweetheart, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. What's it gonna' be?"

I looked to my side and noticed that the pepper spray was not far from me. With all my might, I leaped for it. It was in my grip when suddenly I was picked up and wrangled into a choke hold. I was trying my hardest to kick and punch him, but his grip only tightened around my neck, crushing my windpipe. I could no longer breathe and my head felt like it was going to explode. My vision was blurring as the man with the hazel eyes approached me and spoke softly.

"We didn't want to have to do it this way but it looks like you're giving us no other choice. So, this is your last warning. Come quietly or Briggs here will have to knock you out and lemme' tell you a headache you will have when you wake up will not be worth it, trust me."

I nodded as best I could and the man grappling me loosened his grip. I took in a huge deep breath and gasped for air as he finally let me go. I staggered to the ground while he walked swiftly back to the briefcase. Standing beside his friend, he grabbed a roll of duct tape.

"What do you want with me!?" I choked out.

"It's not what we want, it's what our contractor wants, and he wants you. Now hold still and this won't hurt." He approached me with rope in both hands, as tears rolled down my face silently waiting for the worst. "Am I going to die?" I sobbed.

"You need to shut the fuck up and stop asking questions." He began to tie my arms behind my back. If he couldn't answer that question then why wouldn't I fight for my life to get out of this? I leaned forward and as hard as I could, I swung my head backward, crashing it into his face. My head ached violently with pain as I stumbled to get up. The cock of the pistol in my ear and metal to the back of my head was enough to make me freeze in place.

"No more chances bitch." He snapped

I slowly turned to look back but the butt of his gun was the last thing I saw before darkness.

I awoke to chatter around me but I couldn't see a thing. My arms and legs were bound tightly as I squirmed to try to loosen them. It felt like I was on wood flooring and no doubt there was duct tape around my mouth. Even if I can't see anything I could sure as hell feel it.

"Hey look who's finally awake." It was the man with the hazel eyes, I was sure of it.

Another deep voice then spoke, "That's enough Randel, you and Briggs are excused."

"Careful with her, she's a wild one." Randle sneered. I could then hear their footsteps leave the room and close the door behind them.

"My apologies about those guys, you won't have to see them again if you behave."

He walked over and assisted on sitting me upright and pulled the bag off my face. Everything was blurry in my left eye but I could see him staring back at me with my right one. He was a short overweight man with an unkempt short beard. I looked around the room to find that there were no windows, only a single bed, a small corner toilet with a sink, and a desk with a small drawer. The room had one door that had no handle from the inside.

"Oh no, it looks like you took some damage on your beautiful face." He chuckled

I still don't understand why I am here and what he wanted with me. I'm so confused and never felt so vulnerable in my life. Questions flying through my head at a million miles an hour as tears were welling up. He bent down as I braced myself when he swiftly tore the duct tape off my mouth. The stinging subsided after a few seconds.

"W-what's going to happen to me?" I asked softly, staring at the ground with only my good eye.

"You will be staying here until your family pays my ransom. If I don't get my money in three days I'm selling you to some sex traffickers that will pay a high enough price for your pretty head…although they won't be too satisfied with that black eye of yours. So, relax. I have a room procured for you if you behave. If not, you are going to stay exactly the way you are until your ransom is paid or I sell you off. Bottom line is I keep you alive. Whether you want to be comfortable or not is entirely up to you."

I said nothing, I felt numb. I couldn't believe the situation that has been thrust upon me so suddenly. Feeling nauseous, I laid down on my back and I didn't care that I was crushing my arms. I needed to take a minute and wait until my lightheadedness passed.

"I'm going to untie you now and if you fight me, my men are going to come back in here and do more to you then just knock you out, you hear me?"

I nodded, silent tears streaming down my face as he cut the ties and I could move freely again. I crawled to the bed and laid there like an obedient dog. He walked to the door and knocked three times for his goons to let him out. "Name's Vee by the way. Don't get used to it." The door slammed behind him following the sound of three locks clicking in place. Sickness came over me and I sprinted for the toilet to expel my stress.