Chapter 31

What happened to Romeo the night he disappeared.

I say good night and leave their home, they must really be crazy if they think I am going to get married because my parents say so, I laugh to myself. I walk to the gate and before I get into my car, my cellphone rings but I feel a sharp blow and it goes dark, like pitch black. Someone put a bag over my head and I am knocked out.

Romeo's POV:

I wake up and I have a throbbing headache, shit, it hurts. It's still dark and the black bag is still over my head but now my hands are tied. I have always known about Kidnappings, our parents drilled this in our heads because of their financial status. I knew that it would happen to one of my fathers' children but no one expected it now, I am an adult for Christ sake. As a child you have vivid dreams about being kidnapped and some anxiety but as an adult, I am annoyed.

My name is Romeo Kale, I am twenty-four years old and I am a qualified lawyer. I wake up everyday at 6am and have cereal as my breakfast, something quick and simple because I don't want aunty Anne to be making me breakfast so early anymore, she is older now and I respect her time a lot more then when I was a kid. I go to work and I normally have a full day with many clients and divorce cases are the worst. I leave work around 5pm and head straight to gym, where I work out for two hours. I shower, watch a series or go out, typical young man routine and then I get up the next day and do it all over again.

I hear a woman's voice and she whispers, "what are we going to do with him?" and then I hear a male voice and he says, "we just want his father to pay." I knew it, I knew this was about my father. I hear a second male voice saying, "we're here" and the car suddenly stops, I hear the car doors and then everything is extremely quiet. It was getting cold, which meant it was late at night and abruptly, I get pulled from the car and because my arms are tied and I am blind folded, it feels like I am on a roller coaster and not in control of what is happening to me. The woman is screaming as I feel them kick me, in my ribs and face, there is blood everywhere. Someone pulls off my blind fold and it takes my eyes a minute to come back into focus. I see a tall, really ugly dude and the other man and woman are well dressed and they look decent.

Scarface: "Where were you the day Jessica was killed?"

Romeo: "with your mother." He kicks me again and I cough up some blood.

Mr. Smith: "Scar, he was fourteen years old, his father killed Jessica."

Scarface: "you paid me to take him and I did, where is my money?"

Mr. Smith: "in the trunk, take it and leave?"

Scarface: "You can thank your lucky stars I didn't kill you,"

Romeo: "you can thank your lucky stars my hands are tied."

Mr. Smith: "smart mouth you have on you there, son you better watch it,"

Mrs. Smith: "we said we wouldn't hurt you but you need to be quiet."

Romeo: "you wouldn't hurt me? So, what is all this blood, a vampire festival?"

Scarface: "take my advice Wayne and shoot this kid, he will run his mouth."

Mr. Smith: "Romeo, you are going to call your dad and tell him we want five million rand and once he pays the money, we will disappear and let you go,"

Romeo: "aren't you guys like actors or something, are you broke?"

Mr. Smith: "we not doing this for the money but your dad has to pay and we aren't murderers so we won't kill you like he killed our daughter."

Romeo: "my father didn't kill your daughter; your daughter was in a car accident."

Mr. Smith: "did you know your father was sleeping with my daughter?"

Romeo: I didn't actually know that but I don't answer them.

Mrs. Smith: "your father was cheating on your mum, with a twenty-five-year-old."

Romeo: "so why didn't you kidnap him?"

Scarface kicks me again and then he takes his bags of money and gets into the car and leaves. I only see the abandoned warehouse now and they drag me in there. I am so hungry, "Hey sexy, got some food?" Mrs. Smith just looks at me and then Mr. Smith picks me up and puts me in a chair. Mrs. Smith comes back with those kid-like meals, she feeds me star-shaped nuggets and some fries. I am starving so I eat it. She wipes some of the blood and I look at her in her eyes and I can see the sadness, so I do what I never expected to do and she probably also didn't expect and I apologize, "Mrs. Smith, I am sorry for what happened to Jessica, she didn't deserve to die." She thanks me and I am so tired, I am exhausted and I ask her to tell me where I am? "Am I still in the same country?" she assures me that I am and all they asking is for me to make a video so they could send it to my father.

Mrs. Smith: "all we ask from you Romeo is to make a video, so that we could send it to your father. Once we get the money we will let you go. "

Romeo: "Mrs. Smith, I have the money, I can give it to you tonight and no one ever has to know about this."

Mrs. Smith: "That isn't really the point son, we need your father to make this right. "

Romeo: "I understand. Where is the camera?" I give in because these people are just hurt and angry and want some sort of justice. They are only asking for five million rand, that is nothing compared to losing a child, or rather that's what I think. I have never lost a child, so how would I know?

I sit there and wonder when I was a kid, kids make mistakes you know, we get into trouble, we get grounded but not with my dad, he was strict and hard on us, me and Dillan at least. He became a real softy when Hope was born. I don't have good communication with my family, they try but I am at fault, I keep my distance and try to just do what's right and live by their rules. Don't get me wrong, I love my parents and my siblings but if I make it out of this alive, I need to make some changes to my lifestyle.

Mr. Smith wakes me and says they are ready, there is lights and a camera and it is all really well set up, they are actors after all. I look up and my face is black, blue and purple and there is still some blood. My hands are tied and I am sore and tired but I try to do this for the Smith's.

"Dad,

As you can see, I am alive. The people who took me want money, your money. They need you to deliver the money, alone, no cops! Follow their instructions and they won't hurt me. Here are the details.

Five Million rand needs to be delivered to 14 Mel 562 Rose Avenue at 3am tomorrow, put the money inside a red duffle bag and put the bag into the trash can, once you've done that, walk around the corner on Parkers Road and you will find me." I look up at Mr. Smith and ask him if I could say one more thing and they nod, "Lilly if you see this, I want you to know, I never left you and I love you. I will explain everything when all of this is over. Dad if you don't do this, a letter will be exposed and they will kill me.

They end the video and before I pass out, either from the pain or just exhaustion, I think of Lilly, my family and my baby that Kelly is carrying. The next day I wake up and I am in a different location, it looks like a house. I sit up and my hands are still tied, I feel a little disorientated and I can't help but feel like I am really close to home. Mrs. Smith comes into the room with coffee, juice, milk, cereal and a banana. I devour everything. She hands me a change of clothes and tells me there is a shower and asks me to promise her, I won't hurt her if she unties me. How can I? she is the only one who's been nice to me and this ends today. I take a shower and it feels great, when I'm done, I look at the time and we have an hour left. I am escorted to a van and Mrs. Smith hands me a letter before they close the doors.

Dear Edward

Love of my life, you are the first thing I think of when I wake up and I'm looking forward to a life where I will wake up next to you, not needing to imagine you, because you will be sleeping right there next to me. I want to spend the rest of my life sleeping next to you and I can't imagine it otherwise. I can't wait for you to leave Lisa, you promised you would.

You are the love of my life. You're the only person in the whole world that can lift my spirits when I'm sad by giving me one, single hug that means the world to me. You're the only one that I think of 24/7 when I wake up, when I go to sleep, and every second in between.

My pudding, I am the happiest woman alive because I have you. There wouldn't be a "me" without you or a "you" without me. We were meant to watch the sunrise in the morning together, for the rest of our lives.

We were meant to be there for each other, to fight for our love, and never stop fighting no matter what. I love you ! Don't leave me. We will last forever. I know that you are much older than me and my dad is your friend but we will make this work.

Love forever

Jessica Smith