Chapter 60

Chapter 60
~Valentina~

I decide not to say anything in response, seeing that any attempts I make to delay the inevitable are now proving to be futile. And so, we continue to make our way through the house until we reach the front door, and he opens it and leads me outside.

The orange evening sky is the first thing that grabs my attention. It is beautiful and serene, given the circumstances. And will probably be the last beautiful thing I see before Damian takes me to Santoro. Who knows what that monster is going to do with me once I'm in his clutches? Once again panic makes its way back into my body as I realise that my fate is getting closer and closer. I need to think of something... and fast...

As we walk forward, my eyes soon land on two figures that seem to be standing by a parked SUV, another vehicle parked infront of it with and additional group of people. 
It's a man and a woman, the two of them standing next to each other, seemingly engaging in casual conversation. The moment we begin to approach them, they turn their attention to us, glancing between Damian and I before their attention focuses solely on me. 

"Good to go Santos?" The man calls out. He is tall, with dark brown hair that's cleanly shaved at the sides and slicked back; a few loose curls fall onto his forehead. He's got dark green eyes with a mix of hazel and stares down at me with curiosity. He doesn't have the same evil glare that the rest of Damian's men have...

"You know how bossman gets even when we're a minute late..." The woman speaks up next, her voice calm and composed, keeping her arms crossed as she stares me down from head to toe. She is intimidating and slightly taller than me, having deep brown straight hair that falls over her shoulders and onto her back. Her eyes are a piercing blue, and she stares back at me with a serious, concentrated frown, as if she is trying to figure me out...

"Yeah, we'll make it in time..." Damian answers just as we reach them, his grip on my arm suddenly tightening, making me wince out loud and flinch as I look back at him with irritation.

"Ow! You're hurting me damn it..." I hiss at him and he stares down at me with disinterest. 

"Go easy on her, that's no way to handle a lady." The woman lets out and I'm surprised at her defending me. Damian doesn't loosen his grip; instead, he moves closer to the car and focuses on the woman.

"We have orders, Isabella. We're not meant to babysit or play nice." He says and that's when I wince again, gasping as I begin struggling against his hold.

"Damian," I call out, my voice coming out as a weak cry, and I don't know why that makes him stop. I look back at him and find him staring back at me with frustration, just as a flash of concern washes over his face, right before it's replaced with the same cold expression he usually has on.

"You don't have to manhandle her. She's already going with us." The man lets out, and that's what breaks the eye contact between Damian and I, forcing me to look away from him.

Damian exhales deeply before finally letting go of my arm completely, still remaining close to me as he looks down at me. A moment of relief washes over me, but it is quickly replaced by a rush of adrenaline that courses through my entire body. 

If I'm going to act, I need to do it now.

"Fine... Get in the car-..." He is about to say just as he opens the car door, but before he can even finish his sentence, my feet are already moving. I bolt in the opposite direction, straight towards the woods, my legs carrying me forward before the rest of my body even realises what is happening. 

"Hey!" I hear Damian shout but I don't stop running, not for a second. I am panting, forcing my legs to move faster, as fast as I possibly can in the hopes of getting away from these people. 

But it's all a useless attempt. 

In a matter of seconds, I hear a series of footsteps approaching behind me, faster than my own. I glance back quickly and catch a figure racing towards me with deadly precision, making a scream escape my lips as I try to run faster.

It's him. And he's gaining on me.

Suddenly, I feel a pair of arms wrap around me, grabbing me off my feet and sending me flying towards the ground. I scream once again and prepare for the fall. We hit the ground with a loud thud but instead of soil breaking my fall, I land on him, making me grunt out in discomfort before shaking my hair out of my face, panting heavily as I look below me and see that I am lying on top of Damian, his arms wrapped tightly around me. 

I stare at him with both fear and embarrassment, my face suddenly heating up. His eyes meet mine, his nostrils flaring angrily, and in a matter of seconds, he spins us around, and I am now lying on my back, and he is now hovering on top of me, having both my hands pinned down to the soil.

"Ugh! Let go of me!" I begin to fight him but his powerful grip keeps me in place, leaving me completely breathless and panting as I glance around me. My eyes land on his muscular arms, watching the veins pop out as his muscles flex. I find myself gulping before I bring my eyes to meet his, finding him staring down at me with a serious, focused frown. But it's not just that... He looks angry as well...

"Seems you want me to tie you up." He suddenly says, his voice hoarse and low as he also breathes heavily. Having him on top of me like this... It sends my mind racing. My knees are up and his is pinned between them, almost as if we were...-

I find myself blushing once again, breathing heavily now for an entirely different reason as I continue fidgeting against his hold. I can't seriously be thinking about that right now!

"D-Damien... let go of me..." I try to plead with him but the pulsating between my legs is now unbearable. I can't let him know what he's doing to me. What sort of thoughts are running through my mind right now. I can't lose focus on what is happening to me... I can't forget that this man works for Santoro... and that's where he is going to take me...

"I'd rather die than be taken to Santoro..." I find myself saying just as I huff out in defeat, no longer having the energy to fight him, as I lie back on my back.

"Careful what you wish for." Is what he says to me and for a moment we just stay here, both of us breathing heavily, pinned against each other. That's when I notice Damian's jaw clenching tightly before he tugs me upwards, and in a matter of seconds, we are on our feet. My chest collides with his and I gasp as he brings our faces in close proximity.

"I told you not to try anything." He says to me in a low voice, right before he reaches down and wraps his arms around my thighs, lifting me up off the ground with ease and making me scream out in surprise as he throws me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"Aah! Put me down!" I begin screaming, hitting his back as he carries me out of the forest and back towards the vehicle, where his comrades would already be waiting for us.

"We're leaving now." Damien lets out as soon as we reach the car and I can tell from his voice that he is agitated. 

"Sure we shouldn't have given you two some more time?" The man from before lets out, chuckling lightly just he holds out the door for me. I find myself blushing even more just as Damian sets me down but not without pushing me into the car.

"Shut up Angelo." Damian hisses in irritation, and the man simply laughs in response, just as I stare back at them with a frown. That's when I watch as Damian rests his arms on the exterior of the car and looks into it, right back at me.

"Don't tell me you only respond to threats, darling." He says to me and I curl myself into the corner of the seat just as I stare back at him with pure fury.

"Fuck you." I hiss at him, still feeling embarrassed from earlier when he had me pinned on the ground, leaving me to become a flustered mess.

"Only if you're a good girl and say please." He smirks at me and that's when a second wave of heat rushes through my face, my eyes widening in shock as I stare back at him.

"I-... I..." I begin stuttering, not even being able to find the right words as my cheeks burn with embarrassment. 

That's when he huffs through his nostrils, and an amused smile gracing his lips just as he taps the top of the car.

"Let's move." He calls out, backing away from the car, leaving the door open. 

Right when I can even think of reaching for the door and running again, the woman from before, Isabella, slips into the car and shuts the door abruptly, looking over at me and eyeing me with the same coldness from before. Okay... she's scary...

I find myself shrinking back into my seat again as I keep my eyes on her, hearing as Damian and Angelo climb into the car as well, the door shutting just before they lock immediately after.

"Sit tight," Isabella says to me before she faces forward with all seriousness, pulling out her gun and laying it on her lap. I stare at the gun fearfully and gulp, realising that she might be a trained killer just like Damian... so it's best if I don't try anything again...

That's when I quietly turn in my seat and look through the rear-view mirror, finding Damian staring back at me with focused eyes. The two of us continue staring at each other... neither of us saying a word...

But soon his gaze is broken when he looks away from me, and proceeds to start the car, the evening roaring to life as we waste no time and begin driving out of the woods.

As we begin to move, I look out the window and hold my knees to my chest, a thousand scenarios running through my mind as I wonder what exactly is going to happen to me when I finally meet Don Santoro...