5. Raven

Chapter five

Raven

Anger. That’s the only emotion I feel as I stare at the walls, remembering his cold, rude words the other day. How many more days till I get out of here? That is if I ever get out of here.

I wipe the sweat on my forehead with the back of my palm. Slowly, exhaustion starts to creep in. My body sags against the cold stone wall.

I hate this feeling of helplessness. Releasing a sigh, I rest my head against the wall in an attempt to strategize. But even I know it’ll yield nothing. I have sought for every way to get out of here. But it’s useless.

The window is way too high, and that pathetic table in the corner? It isn’t even close to tall enough to help me reach it. Every time I try to climb up, I fall back down, grazing the tender flesh of my knees against the rough walls. Now, they ache from all my attempts.

Outside the cell, Scarface—yeah, that’s what I call him—is slouched in a chair, snoring lightly. He’s been there for hours. Apart from serving me a small plate of rice, he’s done nothing. Nothing but sleep.

Must be nice . Of course, he gets to sleep while I’m stuck here like a rat in a trap.

It isn’t just the fact that I haven’t slept properly in days. Or that every inch of my body aches. It’s the sheer injustice of it all. Ezra now knows I am innocent. So why the hell am I still locked up in this cell like some criminal?

Pushing myself off the wall, I stand up, scanning the cell for anything I can use. I don’t know what I’m looking for, but my eyes suddenly land on something— a small gravel stone.

A small smile stretches my lips as I continue to look at it. For a brief second, I consider using it as a means of escape, but scraping this stone against the chunky metal cell wouldn’t get me anywhere… Or maybe it can, with a different method.

Plan A. Rile Scarface up enough to get a reaction out of him.

“Hey!” I shout, my voice echoing through the space. He doesn’t respond and instead just keeps snoring.

Irritation fills me, but I keep it at bay as I lower myself and hunch my back before slipping a hand out through a space. When my wrist is properly balanced on the metal, I fondle the stone between my thumb and index finger, and aim.

The stone travels its projectile but hits the tip of his bench, which elicits a small stir from him. I’m beginning to wonder if he’s a deep sleeper or purposely ignoring me. But my thoughts don’t last when I devise another plan.

Plan B. Where the stone plan fails, use words. Gripping the bars, I raise myself to normal height then set my plan in motion.

“Hey! I’m talking to you, Scarface!” I feel my patience barely hanging by a thread when he still doesn’t respond, but I don’t give up.

“You’re really just going to sleep there? Come on! Let me talk to Ezra!” I yell.

Before I can yell again, Scarface shifts a little with his eyes still shut. Progress. Despite my now parched throat, I clear my throat and continue in a much louder tone.

“Fine. You want to ignore me? Let’s see how long you can last.”

Throwing my hands in the air, I take a deep breath. Then I start. “You’re useless! Spineless! Following the orders of some silly man like a mindless puppet!”

Still no reaction. All I need is for him to grant me an audience.

“I wonder how much you get paid to just sit around and babysit me.” As the words leave my mouth, an idea bulb lights up in my head. Let’s give this another try, shall we?

I reduce my voice to a low, desperate one. It’s similar to the one I use on Harper when I want her to make food for me. She calls it the helpless mother’s voice.

“Look, I have money.” Truly, I do. But I don’t think it’ll suffice for the kind of money these drug dealers make.

Still, I continue . “How about I double whatever you earn here, and you let me go?”

No response. “I promise I won’t tell the cops about you… about all this,” I continue…. when the cops are, in fact, the first place I’d run to. “Just between you and me…if– if you could get me my phone, I’ll make the transfer right away…”

Finally, Scarface stirs. With a groan, he rubs his eyes, slowly getting to his feet. His steps drag, making an annoying screech sound until he comes to a halt before the cell.

Frown lines etch his sleepy eyes and the corners of his lips. I don’t need much to tell me he’s pissed.

“Do you ever shut up?” The irritation that drips from his voice is thick and heavy.

I blink, and a gulp follows. Then I cross my arms and shoot him the sweetest smile I can manage. “Oh, I don’t know, maybe if I wasn’t stuck in this cell, I wouldn’t have to yell so much.”

He tilts his head and stares at me for what seems like an eternity before muttering something under his breath.

I watch as he brings out a key from his pocket and starts to unlock the cell door. Surprise is an understatement for what I feel as I stare at him. He’s going to let me go?

“I’ll take you up on your offer,” he smiles when he’s inside the cell. His sleepy eyes are now wide open.

“But I don’t want your money. I want something else.” His eyes rake my body.

My blood runs cold as I study the lustful glint in his eyes.

His gaze lingers on my chest, dark and unblinking, like a predator eyeing its prey. Slowly, he drags his tongue across his lips. A knot tightens in my stomach, and my heart starts to race.

“I think we both know what I want.” A twisted smile tugs at the corner of his lips. It makes my skin crawl.

God . What did I get myself into?

“Any– anything except that.” My voice wavers as I clasp my sweaty palms in front of me. He doesn’t heed my words and takes a step forward. I take two back until I hit the wall behind me. There’s nowhere else to go.

Shit. I should’ve just let him have his nap.

Scarface takes a lock of my hair in his fingers and runs it through the strands.

“Unfortunately, what I want is not your choice to make.” He feigns a sorry look. “Just keep your mouth shut, and it’ll be over soon.”

“No!” I screech. My legs almost buckle when he drags me by the arm toward the table and presses me against it.

No. My heart rate quickens.

“Help! Somebody help me!” He clasps my wrists together with a large hand before I get the chance to claw at his face.

“Shut up, you stupid bitch! No one will hear you.”

When he grips my jaw tightly, I raise my leg and fling it toward his balls. He catches it with a sinister smile. Tears start to prick my eyes. “Be a good girl now.”

Still holding my wrists with a hand, he moves the other one to unbuckle his pants. I struggle to maneuver out of his grip and yell as much as I can. The tears start to drench my cheek.

His hand reaches my pants, but just when he’s about to yank them off, a gunshot rings in the air. My whole body trembles at the sound.

There’s a hole in his chest as Scarface drops heavily to the floor with a loud thud. I stare at the bullet wound in his chest with wide eyes. Then I see Ezra step into the cell with a gun in his hands, frowning deeply at the body on the ground. He pulls the trigger two more times, right in the middle of his head.

My gut wrenches as I hunch over, knees supporting my shaky hands. I can’t tell if it’s from the thought of what would have almost happened. Or the murder I just witnessed.

I bring my free hand to my mouth, watching in horror as I support my weight with a hand on the wall. My legs are quaking, and the world seems to be spinning in its orbit.

But it stops for a second when he speaks. “Come with me.”

That’s the only thing Ezra grits out as he strides out of the cell. Not wanting to stay in this place a minute longer, I will myself to follow him.

Waves of thoughts crash into me. A lot of what-ifs swirl in my mind. I was almost…

In all my twenty-six years of life, I’ve stayed out of trouble. Nothing of this sort had ever happened.

This was a first…and God, was it frightening.

If Ezra hadn’t come in time, I could have been… He saved me… But he also brought me here.

Within the four walls of the hospital, none of this would have happened. It’s all his fault. Everything. I can’t hold back the tears as they roll down my cheeks. I don’t want to. I shouldn’t be here…

Bringing both hands to opposite sides of my arms, I rub against my skin to curtail the sudden cold. Then I slowly bring myself to a stop.

“W- where are you taking me?” My mouth barely opens, but I know he hears me. “I- I can’t do this anymore.”

More tears roll down my cheeks. Ezra doesn’t respond and just keeps walking ahead of me. His lack of response hurts. I feel… hopeless as I stare at his stiff back. I feel caged, and I want to let it out.

“Just stop!” I sob. “What kind of asshole are you? Is this what you do? Kidnapping people and leaving them at the mercy of untrained dogs you call guards?”

My heart feels heavy. There’s a lot I want to say, so I don’t hold back.

“You arrogant prick! Is this what Dons do? Trick a lady into a one-night stand only to kidnap them for what? Human trafficking? To kill them?”

Abruptly, he comes to a halt. I can see his fist clench as his body visibly stiffens, but I don’t care. I’m a human with rights and feelings.

“I’m a human with rights and feelings. If you can’t get that into your head then fuck you!” I spit the words with venom, wiping my tears.

Slowly, he turns to me. His face is in the same deadpan expression, but his eyes are different. They’re cold and blazing with fury as his strides toward me are curt and calculated. I don’t have the chance to speak again when he does.

“Watch your mouth.” His growl reverberates menacingly across the narrow hallway. It strikes something in my chest. I’m tempted to curl into myself, but I don’t.

“Or what?” I sniff. Now that I finally have his attention, I’m going to make sure I let him know my mind. Every bit of it. I can hear his harsh breath. I can feel it on my forehead as he inches closer.

“For as long as you’ll be here, I suggest you watch your tone when addressing me.” His words are laced with every bit of authority that makes me cower. I try to talk…to say something again, but this time my lips feel jammed under his unnerving stare.

We stay like that for a moment, his eyes darting to every corner of my face before he pulls back and begins walking again.

I swallow, still rooted to my spot. My heart is pacing harshly. For a moment, I thought he’d…. kill me.

When I bring myself back to reality, I resume following him. He just keeps walking until we emerge from… an underground tunnel? I feel the warm sunlight on my face for the first time in days.

The building before me is a mansion, possibly his, which only means he’s not letting me go just yet.

For as long as you’ll be here.

I’m only being taken somewhere else, more fancy, to be held hostage again. I hold back my tears as the reality slowly dawns on me.

Is this it? Is this my life now?

There are guards situated in every corner of the mansion. I spot two far away at the front gates and another two by the large, brown oak door Ezra and I walk through. So even if I try to make a run for it, it’d be a futile attempt.

I don’t bother taking in the richness of the mansion. Or the seemingly expensive paintings that hang on the wall as I follow him, drained and devastated.

We get to a door. There are two guards on either side of the door, but at a distance.

Holding my gaze blankly, he pushes the door open. “Go in.”