A Thief and a Queen

Abducted

For OQ Prompt Party #65. Robin is a disgruntled former employee of Cora Mills who, in a moment of desperation, kidnaps Cora's daughter, Regina.

This is probably his worst idea ever. But he figured by now there was no going back. In for a penny, in for a pound—wasn't that how the saying goes? He should just pick up the phone, use the voice distorter and make the ransom demand.

Was one million dollars too cliché? Should he double it? Triple it? How much would he really need to replace his lost salary? Would it make up for the benefits he also lost?

And if he were caught...what would happen to Roland? Neither he nor Marian had much by the way of relatives. Would his son have to go into the foster care system? Would he grow to resent his father for doing something stupid and throwing both their lives away?

"You're a terrible kidnapper, you know that?" his victim said. She sat across from him, her silk-clad arms crossed. Her red lips scowled at him.

Robin scowled right back at her. "You get kidnapped often?"

"Once," she said. "They demanded one million dollars and released me after a couple hours after they got their money. I had bruises from the duct tape for a week."

He stared at her, blinking a few times. Besides thinking that he shouldn't then ask for a million dollars, he also felt guilty for forcing her to relive what was no doubt a traumatic experience. "I'm sorry."

"For what? That I was kidnapped or that you kidnapped me this time?" she asked, raising her eyebrow.

"Both," he replied, grimacing. "I guess."

She rolled her eyes, scoffing. "Just like I said. Terrible kidnapper."

"I'm not a criminal," he protested before frowning. "Well, there were a few youthful misadventures...but nothing like this. I didn't really think this through. I was just acting on impulse."

"What impulse would lead you to kidnap me from my company's parking lot?" she asked, looking incredulous.

"Your mother fired me." He hated how he sounded—more like a petulant child having a tantrum rather than a grown man facing a crisis.

Her incredulous look grow as she stared at him, slack-jawed. "So you thought kidnapping me would get your job back?"

"No," he replied honestly. "I just wanted enough money to take care of my son, maybe move and start over in a place that hasn't heard of Cora Mills."

"Good luck with that," she muttered but he noticed she had softened when he mentioned his son. Her arms were uncrossed and the incredulous look was gone. She tilted her head. "What about your wife?"

He swallowed, feeling the phantom pain inside him yet again. "She...she died a few years ago, when Roland was still a baby."

To his surprise, she reached out and took his hand. "I'm sorry."

"Thank you," he said.

She pulled her hand away, biting her lip before squaring her shoulders. "I'm Regina."

"Robin," he replied, holding out his hand. She shook and he let out a soft chuckle. "I really am a terrible kidnapper, aren't I?"

"I believe that's been well established," she shot back, but there was no malice in her words. In fact, it sounded like she was now teasing him.