Willow
I try to turn around to look, but I feel a cold object pressed against my neck, and my heartbeat starts racing.
“Get in before somebody sees us,” a low and menacing voice behind me whispers. “Don’t turn around, don’t try to look at me and don’t try any tricks.”
I take small cautious steps, and Leo looks at me, his eyes filled with sadness, but not fear. Does he know who the person behind me is?
The door creaks shut behind us. Two more men appear from behind me, both of them are holding guns, and I still feel the cold metallic object on my neck. One man points a gun at Leo, and the other one holds his gun and stands in the middle, his eyes darting back and forth between us.
“This is simple, your life is in each other’s hands, if she moves without permission, he shoots him.” He glances at the man holding Leo at gunpoint. “And if he moves without permission, he shoots her.” He glances at the man who is holding me at gunpoint.
They are all tall, muscular, and they could pass as bouncers.
“This is what is going to happen… We are leaving with you, princess, and your brother better not move a muscle.”
“My brot...”
“Quiet,” the man behind me whispers.
“You are going to quietly leave with us, no screaming and no causing a scene.” The man in the middle points at me.
“No! Don’t take her, take me. I’m the one you want, not her.” Leo says between his teeth.
"Ouch!" I cry out as I feel the man apply more pressure on the gun, causing it to dig into my flesh, and causing a slight pain. Leo winces, and gives me an apologetic look.
“Do you want to see what we are capable of? Let me repeat myself, you move a muscle, she dies!” The man in the middle says impatiently.
Leo glowers at him, but he doesn’t say a word.
“Good,” he breathes. “Go,” he glances in my direction.
The man behind me lowers the gun and offers me his hand.
“Hold my hand. Please?” His grin and fake politeness sends shivers through my body.
I grimace, and my gaze turns to Leo, who is making slight movements, and I notice that he is shaking his head. I look at him apologetically, knowing that they might kill him if I refuse.
I swallow, then I hold out my shaky hand to the man, and I get surprised at how soft his hand is.
I leave with him, but the two other men remain with Leo in his apartment.
“If you try any tricks, with a click of a button, I will tell them to kill him.” He reminds me as we walk away.
When I get to the parking lot, I get shocked to find the fanciest limo, and I find two more men inside.
I get surprised by how similar they look. They almost look like clones, and one of them blindfolds me. I try to memorize the road as the car moves, but I end up giving up.
When we arrive, they lead me out of the car. I find myself in an elevator, and then I hear a door opening. The door gets closed, and my blindfold gets removed. I stumble a little, and I feel dizzy as my eyes try to adjust from the darkness to light.
“Hi,” a deep and low voice says. The person who is greeting me doesn’t turn to look at us.
When my eyes have finally adjusted to the light, I look around in awe. This doesn’t look like a villain’s lair. I expected to be taken to dark, cold and possibly dirty place, but here I am, in the fanciest penthouse I’ve ever seen.
The two guys who brought me turn around and leave. I watch them before I turn my attention back to the person who is looking out of the floor to ceiling window, holding a glass of what I can assume is whiskey.
“Take a seat,” he finally turns, and motions towards the couch.
My jaw drops, and although I feel that I already hate him, I get amazed at the way he looks. He looks dangerous, but devilishly handsome. His dark hair is well kempt, and his chiselled jaw makes him look like a carefully sculptured piece.
“Please, sit down.” He says it so casually as if I’m a friend or someone here to propose business to him.
His tailored suit shows that he means business, and there is hardness and coldness in his eyes that shows that he never negotiates. He always gets what he wants.
I maintain eye contact, trying to show him I’m not afraid of him, despite my heart pounding loudly enough to be heard in New York.
He glances at the seat, then back at me with his eyebrows raised, and I end up taking a seat to avoid his sharp gaze.
“Good.” He purses his lips, and I wonder if those lips know what a smile is.
“Why am I here?” I look up at him, trying not to show him my fear.
“Your brother owes me.” He sits on the other couch across from me and crosses his leg.
“My brother?” I raise my eyebrows. Did Marcel owe him? But he seemed to have his finances under control.
“Yes, I know that Leo is your brother. You can stop pretending. If he was a smart man, he wouldn’t have told everyone at the club that you are his sister.”
My eyes widen in realization. That night when he found me at the club, he said he was my brother. Leo probably hates the day he met me. I have brought him nothing but trouble.
“How much does he owe you?”
“Unfortunately, he doesn’t owe me money. I wish it was that simple.” He sighs.
“What does he owe you?”
“Something important. Would you like something to drink?” He gets up and pours himself more whiskey and ice.
“I’m good, thanks.”
“You don’t trust me.” He chuckles.
“Are you surprised?”
“No.” He shakes his head and resumes his seating position.
“Are you not going to tell me what Leo owes you?”
“I don’t think he would ever want you to know. Anyway, only he can pay me, no one else can.”
“What does that have to do with me?”
“I'm obviously using you as pawn. He knows how dangerous I am, so he is going to cooperate. He probably thinks you are getting tortured and that will make him work faster.” The corners of his lips turn up a little, but his piercing dark brown eyes remain cold and fixated on me.
“I, I need to go to the bathroom.”
“He actually doesn’t mind you running away if you will make it. Sweet Leo is willing to die for you. It’s really up to you.” He says nonchalantly. “Bathroom is that way.” He points at the stairs.
“I’m not going to run away.”
“I know you won’t. After all, Leo’s life is in your hands. If he gives me what belongs to me, he can take you, and that is the deal.”
I get up, and as I mount the stairs I wonder what Leo owes this man, and why does he look elegant and dangerous at the same time?