Alexander's POV
My fist tightened as I sank into my thoughts. Drugs. One famous drug lord controlled almost the entire hard drugs in Italy.
And that person is familiar.
I tugged on my hair as I reminisced on what Rosalie did. It was illogical. She was an innocent, gormless lady.
I sighed and hurried to the CCTV. I was sure news would have reached that boss. I was sure there was trouble ahead.
It loomed and rang in my head as I watched the footage. I had to see what happened while I was away. I needed to see.
As the footage played, fear and apprehension held me in its claw. I barely made out what played in front of me as I reminisced on what Rosalie did.
I was sure the familiar being I knew wouldn't take it easy if he was the boss of those drugs.
A figure appeared on the screen and my eyes widened when he unlocked the door. My mouth fell open and my nails dug into my palm as his face appeared.
It was him!
At that moment, I stood and dashed to Rosalie's room. "Rosalie!" I pushed the door open but paused seeing the dark room. I reached for the switch and put the lights on.
The light came on and I froze when my eyes met an empty room.
"Rosalie!" I called as I rushed to the bathroom. Was she still taking her bath? At that moment, I held on to the little hope that she was in there.
"Rosalie!" I pushed the bathroom door open and when my eyes met with emptiness, I froze. My muscles stiffened and I stood unblinking as I took in the bathroom.
She was out of there.
She wasn't in.
My stomach constricted into a tight ball as anger heated my blood. A fresh rage of swell rose inside of me like a tide and my nails dug into my palms when I tightened my fist.
Him.
He had the effrontery to take her.
I took in a deep brew as different views of a scared Rosalie popped in my head. She was a fragile girl.
Her crying face; her whimpers filled my head and it drove me crazy.
I gritted my teeth and dashed to the room. I had to talk to him.
I had to talk to the mastermind.
I grabbed the telephone and punched his digits as I tried to keep my anger down. She'd be scared.
Rosalie would be hurt.
He'd hurt her, I was sure.
"Goddammit! Why do you have her? Why did you take her?" I yelled as I tried to keep my anger down.
"Calm down, lover boy" his laugh filled my ear and my grip around the telephone tightened. My jaw clenched and a flare of anger scoured through my veins.
"Stop it, don't play games with me, Collins " I warned through gritted teeth and he chuckled.
"I might have to say, you're smart Alex. I saw the system, I saw everything" he clicked his tongue and chortled. "Your girl spoiled business for me. Your girl had the effrontery to let the police take that guy. Now, they are hell bent on finding me. They want to investigate my business Alex."
"All those things happened because of your friggin 'girlfriend!"
"She's not my girlfriend Collins, she's my secretary" I smothered and he laughed.
"Yeah but you're in a relationship with her, saw you in the ice cream shop."
"Goddamn it! That was just feelings" I spoke half truth. I knew Collins was trailing me.
I was sure he was the one who took that picture in the office.
"You want to get her?" He asked in a whisper and my anger spiked.
"Let her go, Collins!" I seethed.
"On one condition, Alex."
"No condition. No goddamn condition" I counteracted at once. "Bring her back Collins, let her go!" I warned in monosyllables but that only made him laugh.
He released a sinister and maniac laugh and fresh rage rose inside of me. I brushed my hair backwards as I tried to slow down my heartbeat.
He wanted to get to me.
He was going to use her as bait, I knew.
Through her, he'd make me go his biddings.
"When you're ready to go on with the condition, get in touch Alex" he disconnected the call before I could speak.
I released a heavy breath as I slammed the telephone against the table. I buried my face in my palms and took a deep breath.
I knew Collins.
I knew who he was. The only way he wouldn't hurt her was if I do his biddings.
A feeling of regret scoured inside of me and I tugged on my hair. It wasn't safe to bring her to Italy.
I was selfish and now, she was in danger because of me
I would have to get her out.
I swallowed thickly and brushed my nose before I dashed to the telephone. "Spill it out, Collins."
"You are ready?" He sniggered and I gripped the telephone tighter. "You know what that is already Alex."
"No!" I snarled and took a deep breath. "I will not involve myself in your shady business ever again, Collins."
"Really?" He laughed and I heard footsteps until a whimper echoed in my ear.
My eyes widened when the whimper turned into a shrill, "Rosalie!"
Muffled cries filled my ear and my chest heaved. My pulse jumped into my ears as regret overwhelmed me. Fear tugged furiously in my chest when her shrill echoed.
"Stop it, Collins!"
"If you really want me to stop" he chuckled and clicked his tongue. "You know what I want Alex. Do it for me."
"Collins" I licked my lips as knots constricted in my throat. "You're punishing the innocent."
"No, I'm only using her to get you Alex. Do that for me to get her else—" he clicked his tongue and chuckled. "You know what we do to our baits Alex."
The call disconnected as I stood unblinking. Beads of sweat dripped down my forehead and I felt hot despite the atmosphere.
Worry clogged in my throat making it hard for me to breathe. I knew what Collins was capable of.
He gave me a condition but I'd never heed to it. I would never.
I already promised not to get tangled in their drug business. I wouldn't.
I would find another way to get Rosalie. I grabbed the telephone and sent a call to an investigator.
"I need you to get Collin's location."
Time went by and soon, I left the hotel to go meet the investigator. Hours went by as he tried to get Collin's location to no avail.
My fear heightened as I tried picturing what Collins could be doing. He wouldn't hurt Rosalie. He dared not.
A tell tale feeling twirled in me at that.
It was a lie.
I knew what Collins could do.
It wasn't his first time.
I sniffed as I watched the hacker work endlessly to no avail. My phone rang and I paused at the caller. "I've waited long enough Alex. If you don't agree in the next ten minutes, she'll be in a bad state when you finally agree."
"Don't you dare hurt her. Don't you dare, Collins" I screamed and tossed the glass my hand grabbed. I hurled it against the wall and it shattered into pieces.
"No amount of your anger can stop me Alex, do the right thing and you get her."
It hit me hard.
I ran my hands through my hair and swallowed thickly. It was happening.
I had ten minutes to save Rosalie.
And I had ten minutes to go against my morals.
I had ten minutes to get entangled in what I tried so hard to get out of.
Only ten minutes to fail myself. Just ten minutes.
The clock ticked and as time went by, my heart raced. My heartbeat became erratic as I stared at the time.
I worked so hard.
I promised not to slip into such life again. It was already my promise that that was going to be my last visit to Italy.
But now, I had no choice.
I brought Rosalie here and I had to take her back.
I knew it'd be that way.
I couldn't envisage her going through anything.
I shut my eyes before I grabbed the phone.
"Where do you want to pass the drugs, Collins?"
————
Rosalie sniffed as she struggled to keep her eyes open though everywhere was blank; she was blindfolded. The piercing sank deep into her skin and her eyes threatened to close.
She couldn't believe everything that happened to her. She was brought into the dark place. Her fear heightened and her paranoia held her in its abyss until a figure marched to her.
Tears spilled down her lids as she felt her strength leave her. She fainted and when she resurrected and opened her lids, she was tied to a chair.
Fear enveloped her when a burly structure towered above her, "can't ignore things right? Let's get you punished" was what she heard as her skin was pricked.
She was blindfolded as she was being injected but the blindfold was ripped off when she could barely see.
Her head pounded and her vision got blurry as time went by. Her tears ran down her face as she sprawled on the seat.
No matter how hard she tried to get a hang on her brain, she couldn't make out anything. Voices filled her head and she didn't know how many hours had passed by.
She couldn't grasp what was happening to her. All she knew was her chest was tight and she had never been in that much pain. It clawed to her chest.
She whimpered, cried and sniffed as her bloodstream got weaker. The injection pricked her skin as time went by before a voice boomed.
"That's enough, we don't want her dead."
The guy at work stopped when Rosalie could barely feel. Her body shook and her eyes closed at intervals as she kept getting out and slipping into trance.
Moments went by until she was forced on her feet. She sniffed and staggered, her hands in search of support but she got none.
The hand gripped her firmer as she kept stumbling in her steps. Her face was tear stricken and pale.
"Yes, come get her if you want" the voice of the hand that gripped her rang in the air and soon, Rosalie was in the air.
The hand that gripped her let her go.
She staggered and a cry escaped her lips the moment her body collided with the floor.
A surge of pain swam inside her as she whimpered on the floor. Her lids felt heavy and kept shutting as she tried to keep them open.
Her hands shook when she placed them on the floor and unable to move, she laid still on the floor.
"Rosalie!" A familiar voice she couldn't make out reached out to her. She wanted to scream and call out to whoever owned the voice but it was impossible. She laid still on the floor, letting pain and darkness envelop her.
It was Alexander. He trotted to her and his heart stopped at her image.
His eyes widened seeing her state. His heart jumped to his mouth as he rushed to her.
"Rosalie," he got to her and grabbed the coat she was in off her.
The moment his eyes rested on her skin, he stopped.
Color drained off his face at the blood and red marks on her skin.
She had been injected with cocaine!