Café Rouge

Part 1: Abduction

Chapter 1

Lola runs her fingers through her hair again before knocking on her father’s door. She wants to lie to him. When Carlos comes tomorrow morning, her poor father will be shocked. It could give him another heart attack and the whole point of her actions is to save his life-not endanger it herself. She’d considered lying. Telling her father that she’s crazy in love with Carlos and eloping with him may have been better but then again…her father would probably just embrace her with open arms. Besides, lies are what has led to this predicament already. More lies would be foolish.

No, the truth is the only way.

Knocking on his door, she steps in to see her father. He slides his body up to rest against the headboard. He’s a naturally thin man and until a few years ago, upon Lola’s constant urging he had smoked. But strangely enough, the musky scent of cigars lingers on him.
“Mon petit chou, you look troubled? Is there something wrong?” he calls out.

Lola says nothing as she strides towards the bed and sits down.
“Lola?”
“Papa, why?”
“Why what? Lola, what are you talking about?”
Lola’s hurt gaze turns to her father who shrinks back seeing the pain in them.
“Why didn’t you tell me about the Castellano’s?”
Henri’s eyes widen at that as he flounders, trying to mask his shock but Lola’s glare stops him straight.
“I know, okay? I know, what you owe them Papa. Just…why didn’t you tell me?!” she exasperates.
“Lola… Chèrie, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry but you didn’t need to know. It’s my mess. I chose to go to them for money-I chose it.-”
“Papa, we’re family!”
“Lola, this was not something you-”
“Why not, Papa?! Why not? Am I not the one running the café? Do you not trust me enough?”
Her father sighs, “of course I do, Lola. Of course. Knowing you wanted the café, seeing you pour your heart into this…this place just made everyday harder. I couldn’t…”
Understanding dawns on her and her resolve softens. Her hand lies on her father’s shoulder and squeezes gently in comfort.
“Okay, Papa, okay. But what were you going to do? Did you think you can outrun them forever? You…that was a lot of money, Papa,” sighs Lola. Just what was her father’s crazy plan?
Sure, he’s always been a live in the moment kind of guy but she’d put that down to him being a male. Growing up, he’d wait until the very last drop of milk or coffee was finished before getting more. Which had meant that as soon as she could, Lola assumed responsibility…some say too much.

“I don’t know…I just don’t know. Beg for more time. Sell some things…I’m not sure, Lola. What did the Don say? What did you say?”

She inhales deeply. Now it’s her turn.
“It wasn’t Don Castellano that came to see me, it was his son Carlos. They…They’re tired of waiting for it all back, Papa.”
“What are they going to do, Lola?” he murmurs with fear and it’s at this point Lola knows that what she’s done is the right call. She has no idea how her father’s been living under…under such fear. Knowing that they could hurt him at any moment-claim anything from him in the name of the borrowed money.

“You Papa are not going to do anything. I on the otherhand…”
“What, Lola? What have you done?”
Lola gazes away momentarily before glancing back.

“He-he needs a maid.-”
“No, Lola, no! There must be something else. That family is…pure evil and you…you are an angel. You can’t do that, not for me. Rebuke it. Maybe-maybe there’s something else we can-”
“Stop, Papa. There’s nothing else, okay? It’s okay. It’s not ideal-I know but it’s better than him killing us.-”
“No, Lola. You’re a sweet girl, one that can’t possibly understand some of the evils in this world. There is such a thing as rape-”
“Stop Papa. Just stop,” sharply cuts in Lola with a sigh. She knows this. She knows that Carlos may ‘lend’ her out; he could sell her to some human traffickers; her could…God knows what. It terrifies her but the thought of losing the café and her father is far worse.

Standing she faces the old man once more, who looks furious but Lola figures that’s better than him suffering. She would break down if he does that.

“I’m doing this Papa. It’s for the best. You’ll see.”

The night before Carlos vowed to return, Lola tosses and turns in her still overflowing room. She refuses to pack. She refuses to accept his demand. How dare he just think he can tear her from her life? She owes him. She accepts that. She acknowledges it. But not like this…If he wants to treat her like some animal than he damn well better acknowledge that she’s going to fight him at every chance she can. She refuses to make this easy for him. Not after what he’s doing to her family. Not after he’s tearing them apart.

The next morning all is quiet around the café. Lola had shut it down. If-and that’s a big if- Carlos does come, she doesn’t want him using anyone as a hostage to force her hand. This is her mess and no one should get hurt because of her. Well…hers and her father’s. Only her father refuses to come downstairs. In fact, he refuses to even talk to her. Lola’s heart aches from the alienation but…perhaps this will protect her father’s heart. Either way, she gives a glance back at the open window before wiping down the counters.

It doesn’t take him long. She has to give it to him for being prompt. The black SUV parks up beside the curve and just like before, he has his goons with him. Only 2 of them this time though. She stands her ground as one of the goons knocks on the locked door of the café. Lola refuses to open it for the assholes. And the biggest one, just raises that scarred eyebrow of his in warning; one which she pointedly ignores.
Confusing her, they take a slight step back before producing a gun. Lola’s jaw drops and she squeaks in shock as one of the goons shoots the lock of the door before kicking it down with his foot. The baboon then actually steps to the side to allow his boss to walk by.

He strides towards her with calculated steps, his body adorned in a fitted charcoal suit and his expression cold. Behind his steel gaze, he’s murderous. She knows that much.
“Am I to assume, you have nothing of value to bring with you, Miss Beaumont?” he icily asks.
“I’m not going with you. Not of my own free-will anyway-”
He snorts softly at that, “your ‘free-will’, piccola, belongs to me if you remember.”
Lola’s mouth suddenly dries at that very true statement. Her free-will does belong to him now. But there are parts of her he will never have.
“…Well…Then if you want me coming with you, you’ll have to kidnap me. Because I will-”

To her utter horror and surprise, one of Carlos’s baboons hoists her by her waist and like a bag of potatoes tosses her over his broad shoulder. She coughs, her senses being assaulted by the overwhelming musk of cologne. Holy crap! Does the man just bathe in the stuff?! Understandably, Lola’s furious at the audacity of the men. How dare they just manhandle her?!
“Put me down! Put me down right now! This is ridiculous, this is-”
“You have a beautiful mouth, Miss Beaumont but I’m afraid the noises coming out is distressing my eardrums so I suggest, with all due respect, that you shut the fuck up before I stop those noises,” he calmly interrupts.
Lola ceases her thrashings momentarily. Would he really gag her? Wait…he does mean gag, right? Her eyes dart to the broken lock on the busted door and she concludes that Carlos Castellano definitely would follow through on his threats.

“There’s a good girl,” he condescendingly says patting the top of her bronze locks. She makes a noise of annoyance behind her throat at the remark but remains otherwise quiet.
“Rico, go upstairs and-”
Lola’s eyes pop at that, “wait! Please, don’t hurt him!”
“Rico, place all the clothes you can find of my…companion’s into the bag.”

Lola’s head falls helplessly onto the back of the suit as she allows the futile tears burn down her cheeks.

A/n Welcome to Cafe Rouge! Yes, this will be my 'full-time' story. As in I will be focusing mostly on this story but since I'm off back to Uni, tomorrow, updates will approx. be about 2-3 weeks. Sorry if that's too long but judging by my timetable, I don't think I'll have much time for writing.