POV Victoria
Pain shoots through my head when I open my eyes. The pounding in my temple is like a hammer smashing against my skull.
Silence surrounds me, and the memory of what happened before I lost consciousness comes rushing back.
Somebody rescued me, but I don't know who, and this worries me.
I scan the room. The masculine scent in the air is familiar. I inhale it once more and recognize it as the scent of the man who saved me.
A shiver runs down my spine when I remember everything that happened to me.
I'm thankful for the man who saved me, but now my concern is finding out who he is and what his plans are for me. Sofia also comes to mind, and I panic, wondering where she is.
My breathing continues to become frantic, and my hands tremble.
I have to get out of here and find her.
I'm about to rise from the bed when the door to the room opens, and in steps a tall man with a powerful physique.
Our eyes lock and I stiffen. The familiar green eyes stare at me in surprise before they fill with relief. I cower back from the sight of him, and he senses my uneasiness.
He stills under the doorway, his towering height filling every inch of the space.
My forehead scrunches when his upturned eyes soften. He doesn't seem like the type of man who's easily worried. So, when a frown draws upon his lips and worry lines appear on his forehead, I'm surprised.
Still looking at me, the stranger rolls his lips into his mouth as if he's unsure of what to say. He pauses before saying the first thing that comes to mind.
"I won't hurt you." His voice is deep and strong. But gentle and velvety all at once. I say nothing, too intimidated to speak.
The throbbing pain in my temple returns, and I wince, clutching my aching head.
From the sound of my pain, the stranger rushes to my side, placing the palm of his hand on my forehead, and his frown deepens.
He's so close to me, and I can't look away. Everything about him is alluring and dangerous. His hair is the darkest chocolate brown I've ever seen. From afar, I noticed his strong jawline and defined cheekbones. But with him now centimeters away, I realize just how chiseled his features are. It's as if Michelangelo carved him with his own mallet and chisel. He's beautiful.
I've never found men with facial hair attractive until today. The perfectly trimmed five-o'clock shadow surrounding his full lips makes him look handsome and rugged.
My eyes freeze over the spot, his tongue delicately runs over as he looks me over for any injuries. When I glance up at him, he's already looking at me. There's a weightless turnover beneath my rib cage from his intense gaze.
I stare down at my knotted fingers, and he exhales, drawing my attention back to him. When I look at him this time, I notice the white scar on the right side of his face. It starts on his temple and ends near the tail of his brow bone. The scar is a slight imperfection, but it makes him more attractive.
He stares at me, and another flutter erupts in my stomach. It's a reaction I don't understand. He's a stranger, and it's not right for me to let his good looks or the fact that he rescued me tempt me. But my body is acting like I've never seen a man before. I was almost raped for crying out loud! Why am I feeling this way toward him? I have better things to worry about, like my cousin and where she is.
As if sensing my worry, he answers my concerns.
"Your cousin is here. I'll bring her to you," he says, and I pick up on the slight Italian accent in his dialect. It reminds me of Adriano and his men. A terror pulses through my veins.
He hears my breathing turn frantic, and a line appears between his brows. He says nothing and rises from the bed, heading toward the door.
Many questions are going through my head, but there is one I'm dying to know the answer to.
"Who are you?" My voice is timid, even to my ears.
His strong back stiffens, and he turns to the side.
"Leo," he says, hesitating for a second before leaving the room.
Alone again, his name comes from my parted lips in a whisper. It rolls pleasantly off my tongue.
A few minutes pass, and he still hasn't returned.
When the stabbing pain in my head becomes unbearable, I lay down and close my eyes. I'm about to welcome the darkness when the silence in the room end.
"You told me she was awake?" Sofia remarks with accusation.
"She was awake when I left," Leo says condescendingly.
"Sofia," I whisper, and she whirls around to look at me. Her brown hair flies behind her.
When she sees me awake, she sighs and crouches beside me, wrapping me in her arms.
"Oh, thank god, Victoria, you scared me." She looks me over, and her eyes stop on the black shirt I'm wearing.
I glance at the shirt and then at Leo, who wears a similar one. He's already looking at me, and his intense stare brings heat to my face. Trying to avoid his penetrating gaze, I quickly turn to my cousin.
"Did they touch you? Are you hurt?" I ask in a panic, and now it's my turn to look her over for any injuries.
"No, I'm fine. It's you I was worried about." Her hands are now around my face. "Victoria, you overdosed on heroin! I was so scared." Her eyes glisten with tears, and her hands around my cheeks tremble.
From this information, I grimace, and my body shudders. Disgust settles inside my stomach, assuring me I haven't grown addicted to the drug.
"How long was I out?"
"Two days!" Sofia says, and I don't believe her until I turn toward the window in the room to see the sun setting, which tells me I woke up late in the evening.
Leo remains in the middle of the room, deep in thought. His full lips are pressed into a thin line.
"Thank you for saving us," I say, and a slight smile tugs on his lips.
Sofia glances from me to Leo. Her eyes shimmer with a look I know all too well.
"Where are we?" I ask, looking around the ebony walls and modern gray furniture adorning the room.
"My house in France," Leo says.
"What do you plan on doing with us?" Sofia asks him.
"Nothing," comes his simple reply as he looks at his ringing phone, which demands his attention.
"Nothing?" Sofia remarks, flaring her arms in the air. "When can we go home?" she shouts incredulously after Leo. He glares at her and leaves the room to answer the call.
"Asshole," Sofia grumbles when the door closes after him.
I haven't had time to process what has happened to me until now, and I find myself panicking when my family comes to mind. I gasp, realizing they must be in a panic right now.
"What is it? Are you okay?" Sofia asks, when she sees my worry.
"Our parents don't know where we are. They must be worried sick." Sofia's eyes widen in realization, and she runs her fingers through her hair, releasing a deep sigh.
"You're right. We need to call them to let them know we're fine, or at least I think we're safe here," she says as the door opens.
Leo saunters into the room, his tall height towering over us.
"Are you hungry?" he asks me, and I open my mouth to decline, but my stomach growls loudly before a word can come from me.
When he hears the noise, a corner of his mouth quirks up.
"I'll take that as a yes. Come," he instructs, his large hand outstretched for me to take.
I stare at his hand. My heart is racing so loud I can hear it in my ears.
He makes me nervous, both from his good looks and because part of me acknowledges he looks like my kidnappers, and I'm not sure if I can trust him. But seeing him act differently than those monsters is throwing me off.
The silence ticks between us, and when I become nauseous from hunger, I decide to take his hand.
Our fingers interlock, and my throat tightens. I slowly rise from the bed, and my legs wobble under me. Dark spots cover my vision as a wave of warmth consumes me, and my legs buckle.
I'm about to fall to the ground when Sofia, who's right behind me, places a hand on the small of my back. Leo encircles an arm around my waist, keeping me upright.
I mumble a silent thank you, and he leads us out of the room.
As we approach the railing, I see two elegant staircases, one on either side leading to the first floor.
My gaze stills on the center of the foyer, where a round gold-encrusted design of a crown and a lion is embedded into the white marble flooring.
At the sight of the mansion, my mouth falls open, and Sofia, who's to my right, nods, agreeing with my awestruck expression.
Leo doesn't notice my shock and continues leading me down the stairs, and I ponder what he does for work to afford such a beautiful house.
My focus moves to the enormous living room to the right, where men sit on the couch with their guns on the coffee table. From the sight of the weapons, I panic as the memory of what I saw in the red room resurfaces.
Leo senses my panic and shuts the door to the room.
When he returns, he brings me plush against his chest. I'm trembling, and he whispers comforting words. I close my eyes, trying to push the horrific images to the deepest corners of my mind, and when I open my eyes, I exhale.
Leo's still holding me, and I stiffen.
"I'm okay," I assure him, pulling from his arms, and an air of awkwardness rises between us.
Sofia grins, and the twinkle in her eyes burns even brighter.
I give her a stern look, telling her to knock it off. We know nothing about him. She shouldn't encourage this behavior, and I shouldn't let myself feel this way about him.
Leo says nothing, and I can tell he's battling something himself because his fists clench as if restless.
He clears his throat and ushers us into a beautiful kitchen where two guys sit on a stool eating a piece of chocolate cake.
I chew the inside of my mouth and take in the sight of the guy close to the door.
He has dirty blond hair and looks to be in his early twenties.
My stare falls on the other slightly younger looking guy. His dyed ash-white hair looks silky, and the color compliments his baby blue eyes and fair skin.
When he sees us walking in, he rises from his seat, and his electric blue eyes now stare at me in curiosity.
His stare makes me uneasy. I can't help but feel a sense of familiarity as he looks at me, but I can't put my finger on it.
Leo senses my discomfort, and his sharp gaze lands on the guy.
"What is it, Luca?" Leo's voice is dangerous, and I jump from the harshness. Leo notices I'm trembling, and he sends me an apologetic glance. He repeats his question, and this time his voice is softer.
Luca shakes his head dismissively.
"I thought the girls we rescued were at the hotel, so we can send them home?" Luca says, scratching the back of his neck when Leo glares at him.
Luca's eyes move from Leo to mine, giving me a toothy smile. I give him a tight-lipped smile in return.
Leo doesn't answer Luca. Instead, he looks at me and asks, "what do you want to eat?"
I shrug, ignoring his hesitation to answer Luca. I'd ask him about it later.
Sofia takes a seat beside the other guy in the room. She takes the chocolate cake he's eating, and he looks at her in annoyance before pulling the plate back in front of him with a grin.
"Hey, give it back, Francisco!" she says, going for the cake again, and I watch the pair with amusement.
Leo places a plate of food in front of me, and the smell of rice, chicken, and vegetables makes my stomach growl.
"Thanks," I mumble, giving a gentle smile before taking the fork from his hand.
Leo stares at me in amusement as I dig into the food, shoving in big bites.
I swallow the food and glance down at my plate to conceal the flush sure to be on my cheeks. I eat the rest of the food in silene, and after a while of being in the kitchen, I learn Luca and Francisco are good company. Leo, on the other hand, is quiet the entire time. It's like he's walking on eggshells, and I'm not sure what to make of it.
After talking with Luca, I find he's both smart and flirty, and he's also a total prankster who isn't very smart with his words.
Luca looks at me. "So, Shortcake—" my forehead furrows at the name, and he smiles. "Can I call you that?"
"Sure," I say, raising a brow when Luca glances from me to Leo.
"I have to say you're very curvy and beautiful." Luca's mischievous eyes dart to a rising Leo, and within seconds Luca is pressed against the fridge. Francisco groans and stands between them as two other guys enter the room. All three of them work on pulling Leo off a laughing Luca, who he's choking.
Sofia and I stare at them with wide eyes, wondering what made Leo react with such anger when Luca was joking around.
"What the hell is going on?" One of the new men grits out, and the tattoos on his arms and neck tighten when his body grows rigid. His sharp gray eyes look at us, and his voice is laced with annoyance.
I cower back at the sight of the hard-core biker-looking man with a scowl. This man looks like he kills for fun.
"Kaden, I think Luca's being a pain in the ass again." The other tall guy with black hair sighs before he directs his blue eyes toward me—confusion and curiosity taking over his expression. His stare moves from me to a fuming Leo.
All the men turn to look at me and Sofia. Before anyone can say anything, Leo drags me out of the room.
As he pulls me, I try to stop him, not wanting to be separated from my cousin. But Leo is too strong for me to stop on my own. From his grip around my wrist, my anger spikes.
I've had enough of men moving me around like a chess piece. Being good-looking isn't an excuse for him to pull me around like a doll.
I fist my hands, and my feet dig into the ground. When Leo sees me putting up a fight, his jaw clenches, and his eyes narrow into a warning, which startles me.
I back away from him, and he freezes, his anger morphing into regret.
"Please," Leo says, and I raise a questioning brow because the word from his mouth sounds odd, almost as if he's never had to say it.
My arms cross over my chest, and the oversized shirt rises. Looking at my bare legs, I panic, my face blazing with warmth. I tug at the shirt's hem to cover my legs.
Leo sees my discomfort, and his expression softens. He extends his hand for me, and I don't take it until I hear the door to the living room opening, letting me know the men with guns are coming out.
Fear takes over, and I forget my anger. I grab Leo's forearm, using his body as a shield, and my fingers tremble against his black dress shirt.
Leo's muscles tense briefly at my touch, but then he relaxes. He turns around slowly and takes my trembling hands, guiding us back to the room I woke up in.
As soon as he opens the door to the room, I bolt inside, and he follows close behind. I'm frozen in place, watching him run his fingers through his hair in frustration.
"Leo?" I ask. He hums, eyes now staring at me. "When can Sofia and I go home?"
Although he's scaring me with his erratic behavior, I have to ask. But his reaction tells me I probably shouldn't have, and my fear rises when he stares at me stoically, his jaw clenching.
I cower back, and in his green eyes grow dark. His expression shifts from gentle to aggressive. It's a look that resembles the one Adriano gave me while choking me.
"What?" His voice is deep and icy, daring me to repeat myself.
I hesitate. "Isn't that why we're here?" I ask, my arms hugging my chest, afraid of what he'll do to me.
"If you want, I can take you back to where I found you!" He towers over me, and I flinch.
The harshness of his voice and his intoxicating musky scent make me want to cower back in fear and curl my toes.
I've only known him for two hours, yet in those minutes, I have learned he's gentle, scary, and unpredictable. A mix of characteristics that confuses me.
His words sink in, and I snap out of my trance. My eyes fog with tears because he's exactly like Adriano. He didn't save me at all. I'm still a prisoner, only without handcuffs and a leash.
Leo sees my tears, and his hand extends toward me. I shrink away from his touch, afraid he'll hit me for crying. His hand drops to his side, and he swallows hard. I think I even see regret flash in his eyes. But I'm not sure because he storms out of the room.
The door slams shut with a thud, and I jump from the sound.
As I stare at the door, I feel neither safe nor in danger. Two emotions I didn't know I could feel at once.
When the gravity of his threat comes to mind, my heart drops to my stomach because I won't be going home. This is enough for me to fall to the floor, where I pull my knees up to my chest. I can't control the tears and the sobs which rack my body.
Never in a million years did I think someone would ever kidnap me. But here I am, weeping, on the floor of a stranger's house. A stranger who saved me but who is now threatening to take me back to hell, where I was almost raped.
When I asked to go to Europe, this wasn't what I had expected.