Ezio stood smirking with his arms folded.

I sat up and struggled to swallow the lump in my throat as I looked up at him with a hard stare. "What do you want?"

His smirk widened. "Nigel, Pedro and Cortez have gone to the docks and Nigel has asked me to watch over you."

"Okay. Good," I nodded before lying back down and turning my back on him. "Now leave me alone."

I heard him chuckle before seeing him walk around the bed out of the corner of my eye. "Aren't you curious? Don't you want to know what is going on?"

"No and no."

"I'll tell you anyway. We've got some traders who are delivering us a supply of teargas grenades-"

I rolled my eyes. "I already know. The guys who are delivering them have got some big shots on their asses and you're going to use me as a shield if they show their faces."

I felt him stare at me. "How do you know that?"

"…Nigel told me."

He grabbed my ankle and yanked me down to the foot of the bed.

"Hey!"

He hauled me up by the shoulders so we were face to face. "Nigel told me not to say anything about you being our insurance gridlock. He doesn't want you to know about it."

Oh shit…

Think, Stephanie, think!

"Well you're wrong." I blurted out. "He does want me to know…"

Great, just great! Smooth move, Plum!

"Wrong?" Ezio blinked at me. "Are you saying that Nigel told you about your role in our plan, but doesn't want us to know that you know?"

"….yeah."

He was quiet for a moment before an evil smile grew on his lips. "All right then. I'll play along. If you do something for me…"

Oh god…now what?

He pulled me to my feet and snaked his arms around my waist to hold me against him. "You know what happens when we are without the presence of a señorita on the island, Stephanie."

Before I could protest, he slammed his mouth over mine. His breath stunk of stale smoke and alcohol.

Ezio pulled away and grinned at me as I gasped for air. "It has been too long. Even getting a common whore is difficult. But you have been staying with us for a week now and none of us have had some alone time with you. Be a buena niña and fulfil my needs?"

He didn't give me a chance to answer as he leaned in for another kiss.

Without thinking, I threw my fist into his cheek just as our lips were about to touch. His head flung to the side as his bottom lip started to bleed.

Ezio faced me again; his eyes were dark and livid.

He fisted his hand threw my hair; I screamed as Ezio yanked my head back and trapped my arms.

"Perra!" He snarled, dragging me out of the bedroom with me struggling and kicking.

"Let go of me!" I screeched, trying to ram by bare heels into his shin.

Of all the times to take my shoes off!

He pulled my hair harder to expose my neck. His hand clamped around my throat and squeezed. "Shut up and stop struggling!"

I did as he said.

My blood ran cold as I let him drag me down the hallway. At first I thought he was going to take me to his bedroom but we entered the living room and he hauled me over to another door opposite to the dining room.

Cold dread pooled in my stomach. Ezio wretched the door open and the smell of rotting flesh and strong chemicals made me gag as a warm wave of air wafted against my face.

He let go of my hair and grabbed both of my wrists with one hand. He smacked his palm against the inside of the wall behind the door before wrapping his arm around my middle as some lights flickered to reveal a curvy stone staircase.

He was taking me into the basement.

Ezio began to walk us down the steps as I fought the urge to burst in to tears; wondering what his intentions were for me.

Of course he chose the basement; no one would hear me scream in there.

As we rounded the corner of the last few steps, I expected the basement to be filled with crates of drugs, weapons and God-knows what.

But the room was empty save for a large bathtub in the far corner with yellow metal cylinders.

The walls and floor were made of concrete and tarnished with blood stains and several copper pipes with thick cuffed shackles attached to them.

Ezio pushed me forward and spun me around to face him. He wore his evil smile as he stepped towards me; his fingers curling.

"We poured your friend down the drain." He said, glancing at the tub. "Nigel was happy to have gotten rid of him."

I felt my insides turn into knots as I backed away. "Why did you bring me here? N-Nigel will be mad…"

"I thought you'd like to see where Nigel dealt with the unwanted visitors." He grinned. "Tell me, Stephanie, what makes you think he'll be pissed at me for bringing you down here?"

"It's not just that." I swallowed. "You kissed me. I already told you about what happened after Cortez being drunk…But you want more from me…Nigel already told you half a million times that he won't share me with any of you- ever. He won't let any of you touch me!"

These lies were hard to say…

I felt my back hit the wall.

Ezio made a malicious feral grin as he leaned forward to box me in with his hands either side of my head. "What makes you think that?"

"Because…" I felt as though my heart was being stabbed. "…Because he…he loves me…"

He threw his head back and barked out a laugh. "Loves you?! Mí querido, why else would he bring you to an island where 3 men haven't had the company of a señorita ?"

I didn't say anything as tears pricked behind my eyes.

"If he really loved you, Stephanie, he wouldn't have left you alone; with me."

His face darkened suddenly. "And I know Nigel. I know he wouldn't be overprotected over some woman; especially one who couldn't be trusted."

His eyes pierced into mine.

"I hope you know that I didn't by that crap you told me the night you ran off or about how you claimed that you didn't know that guy. I know Nigel didn't want you to know about our plan so tell me the truth, Stephanie; how did that guy know where to find you and how did you find out about your role as our insurance?"

I ducked under his arm and sprinted towards the staircase with Sensible Stephanie screaming at me to get the hell out of here.

I ran up and stepped into the dining room with the gap in the fence burned into my mind's eye. It was my only chance to escape and I prayed they hadn't fixed it yet.

I might not have cared what Ranger's plans were for me, but I was not going to give Ezio the satisfaction from getting what he wanted.

But as I was about to pass through the door in to the living room, I bumped straight into Ranger.