Jennie
It's my birthday, and my nerves are shot to hell. I have no idea what will happen today and whether Lisa meant what she said about not forcing herself on me.
Besides the altercation in the kitchen the other day, when she asked me if I wanted to be spanked, nothing like that has happened again.
Just thinking of her lips brushing over my cheek makes my heart beat violently in my chest. My emotions are all over the place. I'm terrified of her and hate it whenever my stomach flutters, which seems to be happening more and more often.
Every day has been the same. I'm left alone in my bedroom and only see Lisa when it's time to eat.
On my second night in this hell hole, her mother came to see me, but I refused to talk to her.
Standing by the window, I stare at the garden situated in the middle of the three mansions. There's a huge fountain that's bigger than any pool I've seen before, with a statue of a black horse and water splashing around her hoofs.
Day by day, it's getting harder staying cooped up in the room. I miss interacting with people.
I miss my grandfather and Uncle Ricco.
God, I even miss school. How sad is that?
Being alone is starting to wear me down much sooner than I thought it would. I'm even contemplating wandering out into the garden in the hopes of seeing one of the women.
My pride and grief keep me from leaving the room, though.
The wounds are still too raw, and it feels like I'll betray my family by interacting with any of the people on this property.
Movement draws my attention away from the water feature, and when I see Lisa, my heartbeat instantly speeds up, and my mouth dries out. She always wears black cargo pants and a shirt for work, so seeing her in a gray suit has my stomach doing cartwheels. The way she walks makes her look hot and powerful.
Even the devil is beautiful, Jennie. That person is a monster and rotten on the inside. She killed your grandfather and uncle. Don't forget your grief for one second.
I turn away from the window and glance around the room that doesn't offer any entertainment. I'm so bored I wash my hair on a daily basis and even stick to a skincare routine, which I never used to do. I pack and unpack my closet and move the furniture around just to stay busy.
I wish I had my kindle so I could lose myself in my books.
Letting out a sigh, I take a seat on the chair by the vanity table and scowl at my reflection.
Don't give in.
These people are your enemies.
You're a prisoner, not a guest.
A knock at the door has my head snapping up.
Lisa only calls me for lunch and dinner, so the unscheduled visit at this early hour has my heart going crazy in my chest.
God, please don't let this turn into the worst day of my life. Don't let her rape me.
The door opens, and I'm instantly dizzy with fear. Standing up, my legs tremble and threaten to give way beneath me.
It's on the tip of my tongue to start begging when Lisa's eyes narrow on my face. "What's wrong?"
I suck in desperate breaths.
Realization flashes over her features. "Jesus, Jennie. Calm down. I'm a man of my word. I'll never force myself on you."
Her promises mean nothing to me.
To my utter surprise, she places a gift on the bed and says, "Get ready. We're going out."
What?
I gape at her, which makes her chuckle. "I'm taking you out for the day."
"I get to leave the property?" I ask, wondering if this is some kind of trick.
She nods toward the black box that's tied with a silver ribbon. "Put on the dress, birthday girl. I'll wait downstairs."
I watch as she leaves, still not sure what's going on, but the promise of getting out of the house is too much to ignore. I quickly walk to the bed, and with trembling fingers, I pull the ribbon loose. Lifting the lid off, I move the silver paper out of the way and stare at the pale blue fabric.
When I take it out, I gasp at how pretty the summer dress is. It's my favorite color, and half my clothes are in the same shade.
Unable to stop myself, a smile slowly curves my lips. The gift shouldn't mean anything to me.
I shake my head and quickly step out of my jeans and t-shirt so I can slip on the dress. I grab a pair of pumps for my feet and take a couple of seconds to look at my reflection in the mirror.
The dress fits perfectly.
I turn my gaze to the doorway, and with the overwhelming temptation of being among other people, I leave the bedroom.
When I come down the stairs, Lisa tucks her phone into the breast pocket of her suit jacket and glances up at me. She looks so striking in the formal wear I lose my ability to breathe for a moment.
Lifting her arm, she holds her hand out to me.
Not wanting to be difficult and risk my chance at freedom, I place my palm in her. My cheeks flush when her strong fingers wrap around mine, and I'm pulled to stand in front of her.
Her eyes drift over my face, and her voice is low and deep as she says, "You look breathtaking, Little Fairy."
Before I can stop the words, my manners push them over my lips. "Thank you."
A pleased smile transforms her face from brutal to so damn attractive, I have to look away.
When she weaves her fingers with mine, I feel uncomfortable being so close to her, and at the same time, attraction. The latter emotion makes guilt rear up in my chest.
Lisa leads me to the front door, and when we step out of the house, I'm met with a large paved driveway and a yellow Lamborgini.
There's also a black SUV with five armed guards.
"Try to keep up," Lisa jokes with her men. She opens the passenger door and helps me climb inside. Suddenly she leans over me, and I freeze as she clips my safety belt into place.
Before she pulls back, she looks at me with a playful grin. "Got to make sure you're safe."
My stomach somersaults like crazy, and I glance at the expensive leather of my seat just in case the unwanted attraction shows on my face.
Lisa slides behind the steering wheel and unbuttons her jacket before she puts on her safety belt.
We're really leaving the property.
The powerful engine roars to life, and it rumbles as she drives toward two giant iron gates. They swing open, and once she's steered us onto the road, my body is pushed back into the seat as she rockets down the street.
My heart hammers in my chest, and I grip the sides of the seat.
Lisa glances at me, then lets out a chuckle before she slows the sports car down to an acceptable speed.
I glance out the window at the houses, and soon the wealthy neighborhood falls behind us as we approach a city.
God, I don't even know where I am.
The realization hits so hard that I gasp.
"What?" Lisa asks, a frown quickly forming on her forehead.
"Where am I?"
"LA."
Holy shit.
I turn my shocked gaze to her. "How did you get me out of Canada?"
She chuckles arrogantly. "Smuggling is one of the things I'm good at."
"One of the things?"
With her attention on the road, she expertly steers the powerful vehicle through morning traffic.
I look at the buildings and feel a glimmer of excitement when we turn onto Rodeo Drive.
We drive past high-end brand stores and then weave through more streets before Lisa brings the Lamborgini to a stop.
My lips part, and I'm hit with a wave of emotion as I stare at the Barnes and Noble building.
"You brought me to a bookstore?" I ask.
"It's one of your birthday gifts." She glances around the area, then says, "Don't make me kill anyone today." She nods toward the store. "You'll put everyone in there at risk if you try anything stupid. Got it?"
When I just stare at her, she adds, "Don't forget who I am just because I've been nice to you."
The head of the bratva and my kidnapper. How can I forget?
She'll probably kill all the innocent people in Barnes and Noble if I try to ask for help.
I nod quickly, thinking I can try to escape by using the restroom. That way, I won't endanger anyone.
Lisa climbs out of the car and comes to open the passenger door for me. Unintentionally, I take hold of her outstretched hand and follow her into the store.
I'm hit with the magical feeling you can only get when surrounded by thousands of books.
Lisa leads me to the fantasy section and gestures at the shelves. "Get whatever you want, Little Fairy."
I pull my hand free from her and brush my fingers over the spines as I read the titles.
Seeing as I don't have my kindle, and there's no guarantee I'll escape, I grab a box set of Twilight and shove it into Lisa's hands.
Again she surprises me when she points to a section. "There's the Nightworld series."
Hold on a second.
Slowly, I turn my head to Lisa. "Do you read fantasy as well?"
She shakes her head. "I did my research. It was easy to hack your Amazon account."
Of course.
I roll my eyes then help myself to all the Nightworld books.
Every time I pass a book to Lisa, she hands it off to one of the guards, so I lose track of how many I'm getting.
I grab every book I find by Jennifer L. Armentrout, then search for the Divergent series.
When I walk past the Fifty Shades of Grey collection, Lisa chuckles, "Not into BDSM?"
"Nope." I let the 'P' pop.
I get lost in all the books until I completely forget about the loss I've suffered and that I'm actually out shopping with my captor.
"Dammit," I mutter, glancing over the shelves again.
"Which book are you looking for?" Lisa asks.
"The third book in this series." I hold book one open so Lisa can see the list of titles. "Deadly Dreams."
She glances over the shelves, then walks to the counter and speaks to the cashier.
My eyes dart to the five guards, and I find them all watching me.
Damn, there goes an opportunity to run.
While Lisa is at the counter, I glance over the shelves one last time and help myself to five books I haven't read yet.
When I turn around, Lisa is standing with Deadly Dreams in her hand. "They had one in the back."
Before I can stop myself, a smile stretches over my face.
Lisa's lips part, awe on her face as if she's looking at one of the wonders of the world. "Jesus, you should spend every second of every day smiling."
Unwelcome warmth floods my heart. I dart past Lisa and rush to the counter, trying to ignore how her compliment affects me.
When Lisa joins me at the counter, the cashier shows the final amount for the books I bought. "That will be two thousand, three hundred and ninety, Ma'am."
My eyebrows shoot up, and my lips part in a gasp.
Dear God, Jennie.
Lisa doesn't look upset by the amount at all and pays it happily with a black credit card.
I'm not going to feel guilty. It's the least she can do.
The five guards carry the bags out of the store, and Lisa walks next to me. When we reach the door, we have to step aside for a woman with a baby.
I manage to exit the store before Lisa, and my heart lurches. Before I can even think the plan through, my legs are moving, and I run away.
Reaching the end of the block, I glance over my shoulder but don't see Lisa running after me. I turn left, but before I can reach the next road, the Lamborgini comes to a screeching stop by the pedestrian crossing.
My breaths explode over my lips as I change direction, only to have the SUV pull up in front of me. When I swing around again, I slam into Lisa, and her arms wrap around me. Her mouth finds my ear, then the warning rumbles from her like thunder, "Make a scene, and I'll kill whoever tries to help you."
When she pulls back to look at my face, my eyes lock with her, and I see the promise of death in her dark brown irises.
My shoulders slump, and so damn frustrated and hopeless, I walk to the Lamborgini with legs feeling like they're made of lead.
Knowing we're probably going back to my prison because of my escape attempt, I slump into the seat and swallow hard on the tears threatening to fall.
God only knows what Lisa is going to do to punish me.
She could do anything from spanking me to raping me, and there's nothing I can do to stop her.
But what was I supposed to do? Just go book shopping, be thankful, and go back to my prison?
I had to try and escape, and I'll continue to try every chance I get because Lisa is a monster who rules over the bratva. She's one of the people who killed my family. She kidnapped me.
I can never forget that.
I can never think of her as an ordinary person because that's the last thing she is.
She'll always be my enemy, and now I've upset her.
My heart beats heavily in my chest as all the fear creeps back.