First of all, thank you to everyone who reviewed. I'd really like to hit 100 so please; any comments or constructive criticism is welcomed with open arms! Second, I made this chapter a lot longer than I normally do. I know my updates are getting slower, but bare with me. I've had a little trouble coming up with details for this story, just a little writer's block. But I promise I won't put this on hiatus or anything, you'll always get an update eventually. And if it takes longer than usual, I'll let you know beforehand.
By the way, I changed Alfonso's name to Marco. I just couldn't take the name Alfonso seriously haha.
Here's Chapter 4, enjoy!
Chapter 4
Nowhere to Go
Planes sucked. That's all that consumed Gabriella's thoughts as the jet experienced very rough turbulence. Turbulence that was really starting to freak her out. There was nothing to hold onto either, as her hands were cuffed together uncomfortably. Every time the jet jumped, she almost fell off of the couch, making her have to scoot back on, which was not an easy task considering her conditions.
"Can you take these stupid things off of my hands? I'm going to fall." She muttered frustratingly to Troy, who was still seated on the armchair across from her with no apparent difficulty.
"You'll be fine." He remained staring out the window, hardly even aware of the violent thrashing of the plane. However, just as he spoke, the turbulence was turned up a notch. The plane jumped as if it was hit with something. Gabriella was thrust forward, closing her eyes in preparation for hitting the floor. However, she was instead met with a pair of arms encasing around her, pulling her back onto the couch in a safer position.
"Ho-how did you get over here so fast?" She breathed heavily, staring awe eyed at the man before her.
"Instincts," He replied simply, reaching into the pocket of his leather jacket to retrieve a small key. He sat down beside her before reaching behind and unlocking the hand cuffs. "There, happy now?"
Gabriella, however, did not reply. Instead, she swung her body to face him and without any hesitation, slapped him straight across the face with her right hand. Troy's head snapped to the side from the blow, the red outline on his face beginning to show and the echo of the rapid movement still lingering in the air. "Yes, now I'm happy."
"What the hell was that for?" He stood up abruptly, fists clenched and jaw tightened in anger.
She rose from the couch as well, holding her head up high to show that she was not intimidated by his domineering appearance.
"The list is too long to name." She crossed her arms, watching as Troy's eyes softened, then turned unreadable again.
"Stop being dramatic Gabriella, I can put those cuffs back on you anytime." He threatened. They continued to stare at each other heatedly, neither wanting to be the first to break the icy eye contact. As if on que, they both stepped back quickly, realizing their very close proximity to each other.
Suddenly, the cockpit door opened and one of Petrolli's henchmen stepped out.
"We've landed. Inform Mr. Petrolli." Troy glanced at Marco, then Gabriella, wondering the same thing she was.
They hadn't even noticed the plane land.
Troy coughed uncomfortably, nodding and heading over to the opposite sliding door.
Marco took the opportunity to introduce himself to Gabriella.
"I see you've been un-cuffed…what a shame. Those could have been fun." He walked over to her with a suggestive smirk. Gabriella flinched, finding his accent and perverted remarks repulsive. But she couldn't help the tingle of fear that ran up her spine as he came closer to her. He was a very large man with dark cropped hair and his narrowed brown eyes revealed his threatening intentions clearly.
"Yah, if they locked you in a burning building. Stay away from me." She spat.
"Feisty, so feisty." He reached for her waist, but she was quick to fend for herself. She kneed him in the groin, smirking in satisfaction as he groaned and bent over in pain. Her satisfaction was soon turned to fear when his body suddenly shot up. His eyes darkened and his stature seemed even more threatening than before, as if he was a predator, hunting his prey.
"Big mistake, princess." He grabbed her wrist tightly, pulling her towards him then pushing her down on the couch roughly. He placed his knee in between her thighs, locking her down, making it impossible for her to get up. She thrashed her arms around, pushing at his chest but her strength was no match for his.
"Get off me! Help!" She yelped but he was quick to shut her up. One hand covered her mouth while the other locked both her wrists above her head. He placed his face within the depths of her hair, breathing it in, making her squirm violently. Tears began to well in her eyes as his lips moved south, right on her collarbone. Suddenly, he was ripped from on top of her.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Troy bellowed, holding Marco by the collar. "Get the fuck out of here now."
"You're not my boss." Marco grimaced.
"No, but I'm sure Petrolli would love to hear about this." Troy threatened. Marco pulled out of Troy's hold, glancing venomously at Gabriella before storming out of the already open exit of the jet.
Troy turned to Gabriella, his dark, furious eyes softening as he took in her crumpled demeanor. She was on the edge of the coach, clutching her legs to her chest with her head hidden, shaking uncontrollably.
"Gabi…" He kneeled in front of her, placing his hand on her arm. He quickly retracted it as she jumped in her seat and her head shot up in fear. "Everything's okay, it's just me." He whispered. Her shaking calmed down as she looked at Troy, thankful that he came at the right time. He reached up to wipe away her stray tears with his thumb.
"No, Troy. Everything is not okay." She whispered.
"What's going on?" They both turned to see Petrolli, coming out of the bedroom carrying a small bag.
Troy stood up, holding his hands behind his back professionally. "Nothing, Hector."
Petrolli didn't seem fazed. He glanced at Gabriella who was now staring at the floor, then to Troy again.
"Alright well then cuff her back up and let's move, we don't have all day." He exited the jet, leaving Troy and Gabriella alone once again.
Troy picked up the hand cuffs from the floor, seemingly there because of the earlier turbulence. Gabriella held out her hands, still keeping her eyes fixed on anything but Troy.
"Can you put them on the front, it hurts when they're behind my back." She muttered dejectedly.
Troy nodded then placed them on gently, lingering his hand on Gabriella's a little longer than necessary before pulling her up slowly. Damien came out of the cockpit at that moment, coming towards Gabriella. She looked at Troy pleadingly, afraid that he too would try something like Marco had.
"It's alright, I'll take her." Troy told Damien, gesturing for him to go. Damien nodded obediently, stepping in front of them to the exit. Troy placed a hand on Gabriella's back and began to lead her out, taking notice of how quiet she had become, but deciding not to say anything about it.
Gabriella descended the steps of the jet, Troy close behind her. She took the time to take in her surroundings. She noticed they were in a very closed off landing space and immediately felt the heat wave hit her naturally tan skin. There were tall trees in the distance, giving the impression that they were somewhere exotic. There were two black cars waiting for them, and as they approached, Gabriella found herself praying she wasn't placed in the same car as Marco.
Troy led her to the first car, letting her slide in before him. She felt relieved upon entering and seeing that its only occupant was Petrolli, who was lighting a cigar. She scooted over a little, expecting Troy to enter as well but instead he went to close the door. A look of panic crossed her face, not missed by Troy. He gave her a reassuring look back, sending her comforting messages through his eyes before closing the door. She scooted as close to the door as possible, flinching as the passenger door was opened and someone came in, in front of her. Troy turned in his seat, nodding to Petrolli then glancing at Gabriella.
Gabriella sighed in relief then a realization dawned on her.
She felt safe, as long as Troy was around. No surprise, he had come to her rescue numerous times in the past few hours. Although he had promised to protect her, she couldn't help but wonder.
Why was he always saving her?
Her thoughts were interrupted as a bag was suddenly put over her head.
Gabriella squirmed as the black bag was pulled off. She blinked a few times as her eyes tried to adjust to the new light. When she looked up, she was in awe. She was standing in the foyer of an extraordinary house. It was lavish and smelled…clean, she noted. She kept her mouth shut, remembering the threat that if she said a word until allowed then she'd be reintroduced to the duck tape. She rubbed her wrists as Damien took the cuffs off.
"Like what you see, Beauty?" Gabriella scrunched her nose at the annoying nickname that Petrolli had apparently given her.
"It's a decent house," she said simply. "Even though decent is the last word I'd associate with you." She muttered under her breath.
"You'll have your own room upstairs, because I'm so generous." He said egotistically, not missing the scoff that escaped the brunette's mouth from the absurdity of the statement.
"Oh, how nice of you." She said sarcastically, rolling her eyes and sending a glare behind her shoulder at Damien who was pushing her along roughly.
They ascended the long curved staircase on the right, reaching the top and turning left. Gabriella walked slowly, partly to piss off Damien, and partly to observe the things around her. She took notice of the many picture frames on the walls; she didn't recognize one face. She looked back, then ahead of her again, astounded at the number of rooms there seemed to be on the top floor. Damien opened the door of a room on the right, waiting for her to walk in.
Gabriella glanced behind her again, reveling in the fact that no one else was upstairs. She took this opportunity to make her first attempt at escaping, figuring that if she could get out of the house, she could easily catch the attention of someone from a house nearby. If she was going to get out of here, she'd have to suck up her fears and be brave.
"Damien, right?" She smirked seductively, slowly moving closer to the tall man. He had cropped dark hair, much like Marco's, but with slight facial hair as well.
"Yes." He raised an eyebrow, oblivious to her intentions. She internally jumped for joy when she realized that he was so obviously the airhead of the two goons.
"You know, you're different from that other guy, Marco. You're much more…toned." She raised a hand to his chest, smiling suggestively at him. He smiled down at her, putting a hand on her waist. He started walking backwards into the room, pulling her along with him.
"I'd say I'm sorry for this, but I won't be." She halted.
"Huh?" He tilted his head in confusion. Before anything else could be said, she kneed him hard in his manhood, causing him to groan loudly and bend over in pain. She was getting good at that. She mustered up all of her strength and kicked him to the floor before running out of the room, shutting the door behind her. She ran to the staircase, looking over the railing to see if anyone was around the door. No one was in sight, so she quickly descended the stairs, glancing around her to make sure she wouldn't be stopped. She pulled open the door easily, smiling at the stupidity of her kidnappers. They obviously sucked at holding someone hostage if they didn't even lock the damn doors. She ran off the porch, looked up, then gasped.
Now she understood why they didn't bother to lock the doors.
"Did you really think it'd be that easy?" She swiveled around to see Troy, standing behind her with his hands in his pockets.
"Wha-How-Where the fuck are we?" She yelled. She had immediately assumed there would be houses nearby, but there was not one in sight. They were in the middle of nowhere. The house was surrounded by tall trees, woods she assumed. She couldn't even locate the driveway. How did they even get here?
Her mind was whirring, the woods seemed to go on forever, if she wandered into them, she would surely get herself lost. There was nowhere to go, she was trapped.
"Please don't try to run away, you'll get lost, and you won't survive alone in those woods. Trust me." He said bluntly, yet thoughtfully.
"You keep saying that. Trust you. How the hell am I supposed to do that? Look around you, Troy! We're in the middle of nowhere at the house of one of the most wanted criminals in the world, and you're on their side. You're the kidnapper, I'm the kidnapped. You may not have been the sole reason I was brought here, but you're a part of it. I know how these types of situations work, I'm not naïve. You get what you want then kill me because I know too much right? You might as well just kill me yourself." She could feel the tears burning her eyes, she felt completely defeated and utterly hopeless.
Troy's jaw clenched and his eyes looked deep into her own, revealing the anguish he felt upon hearing her words. He quickly walked over to her, hating himself even more upon noticing the unshed tears in her eyes. He cupped her face with his palms, disregarding the fact that someone could walk out and stumble upon their intimate position.
"It hurts me so much that you think I could ever intentionally harm you in any way, especially physically," she took note of how he always seemed to use the word intentionally when it came to him hurting her. "I know how it all seems, I know you find it hard to trust me. I don't blame you, Gabriella. But you have to know that I would never harm you. And I would never let anyone else harm you either. I'm on your side. I'm always on your side." With that, he lowered his hands, stepping back from her hesitantly. Gabriella looked at him in shock. Her heart beat was definitely faster than normal.
"You will get out of here eventually, and you will be reunited with your fiancé. I promise." He lowered his head. For some reason, that last statement bothered her. But she shook the thought away.
"I-" She stopped herself, not knowing what to say. She sighed before walking back towards the house.
"Get comfortable Beauty, you're not going anywhere." Petrolli chuckled as she came back into the house. He seated himself on the couch in the large living room. She heard Troy walk in behind her, shutting the door. She glanced up the staircase at Damien, who was at the top glaring down at her. She straightened her shoulders, then walked over and sat down on the couch opposite Petrolli.
"If I'm going to be here for a while, I think I deserve to know the details. You seem like the type of man who comes across money easily and frequently, why is Liam of such interest to you?" She addressed him professionally, watching intently as he opened the newspaper in his hand, not even looking up at her.
"You're a school teacher, right Beauty?" He changed the subject nonchalantly.
"You didn't answer my question, why should I answer yours." She laid back on the couch, holding her hands in her lap and crossing her legs. She randomly found herself wondering what she would wear if she'd be here for more than one day. She didn't think she'd last in the same jeans and white v-neck tee.
"It's not what you initially intended to do right? You studied the sciences and you even earned a doctorate degree, you are a very smart woman from what I've…gathered. Why would you suddenly go from math and science, to child education?" He pushed on, putting down his newspaper, finally meeting her gaze.
She bit her lip, deciding to play his game then get her answers when the time was right. "I love children." She said simply. Her gaze landed on Troy, who was leaning against the entrance to the living room, arms crossed and eyes watching her intently.
"What changed your mind?" He asked again, looking for a specific answer. Gabriella glanced at Troy again, knowing that she couldn't divulge too much.
"I just realized I'd rather be helping kids learn math and science then making a profession out of them."
"A college professor makes a lot more money than an elementary school teacher." He stated bluntly.
"It's not always about the money, Hector." She spat out his name, refusing to hold back.
"What's it about then? Love?" He snorted as if it was the most ridiculous idea ever.
"Well...yes. Without love, life slowly becomes meaningless." Gabriella spoke from experience as she stared sullenly at the carpet. Troy, however, had his eyes set on her, trying to decipher the meaning of her words but knowing full well that they were true.
Petrolli chuckled, picking up the glass from the coffee table in front of him and taking a sip from it.
"It's been a long day. You should go upstairs and get cleaned up. You'll find everything you need in your bedroom. Dinner will be served in an hour, you are expected to attend." He dismissed her, returning to his newspaper.
She rolled her eyes before getting up, brushing by Troy, and heading up to her room. Upon entering it, her mouth dropped open. It was a large suite with a walk in closet and bathroom. The bed looked strangely inviting and there were also double doors leading to a small balcony. She shook her head, they really were the worst kidnappers ever. She walked out onto the balcony, leaning her arms against the railing, sighing at the view. It consisted of never ending woods, the only sight to see was the tranquil sunset in the distance. She lowered her head, the day's events finally hitting her full force.
She turned around and lowered herself onto the floor, with her back against the railing. Suddenly, tears started pouring out of her eyes uncontrollably.
She was trapped here, for God knows how long, with one of America's Most Wanted and the man that still managed to make her stomach flutter.
She was in for something she was not prepared for.
She was scared for her life, and for her heart.
REVIEW please. That's all I ask :)
