Mad Honey

Chapter Seventeen

"Hello Azalea." He's standing over me and I can barely force words out.

"How do you know my name?" He leans in closer and I just glare. Come closer Leo, I'll headbutt you so hard your nose will break. He has some sense of self preservation so he stops just out of my reach.

"I know lots of things. Your name is just one of them." Bitch. I'm scanning my memories, furiously rewinding to see if he could have overheard anything or if I muttered it absentmindedly, but nothing rings a bell. And then I realise it really doesn't matter because he knows now and there's no going back, so I should work to get out of this quickly.

"Why am I here?" I'm twisting my arms, trying to force their grips off of me, but Oli just tightens his hands so all I'm doing is ripping my own skin.

"You look lovely."

"You dodged my question and you're a bad liar." I don't look lovely, I look like a whore got in a fight with a compost pile. My clothes cling to me with sweat, hair has come undone to bramble around my shoulders and I would assume my cheeks are red and my ears are blowing steam. Leo looks better than this morning though. He clearly helped himself to my shower and cleaned his clothes while in there, also took back his suitjacket and shoes. I resent him for looking better than I do right now.

"Let me go right now, or I'll kill you." I've taken a deep breath and keep my voice flat, quiet and low, try to remember everything I have been taught to do in situations like this. Of course I've practiced for an occasion like this hundreds, perhaps thousands of times, and have been kidnapped twice before but have never been at such a disadvantaged. My heart is beating faster than I want it to, calm down Azalea! I'm never this flustered. It's something about Leo, that smug face grinning down at me that makes my heart race and my teeth sharpen. He chuckles at my threats along with the boneheads behind me.

"To quote you I believe, 'I wish I could'. But madame, this is unfortunately very necessary so you will be coming along for a trip with me. It's bad for business to let hostages go within the first two hours." His casual tone combined with the practiced, fluid movements tell me that this is not the first time the boy has done this, which just makes me more desperate

"This is kidnapping bastard! I'm clearly at a disadvantage, it's five to one! Call off your lackeys and we can fight fair and square. If you win, I'll go willingly, if I win, I get to leave. Deal?" A hint of desperation peppers my verbs and infuses my vowels, and I know he can hear it. He taps his finger on his chin like he's pondering my request.

"Nope!" Fuck.

"What do you even want Leo?" I try to sound bored, underwhelmed. "I'm sure I can procure whatever it is faster if I'm free."

"You're sure?" No, not at all, but if it's going to get me out of this mess scathe free, I'll figure it out. "Well that's a very kind offer, but you cannot find what I'm looking for so I'm afraid you're just going to come with me." No I'm not. Never put yourself in a secondary location. Your chances shrink as soon as you're moved, and Leo, or someone funding Leo, has deep pockets. I could be stored away on any of the islands speckling the lazuli sea, and then there's almost no chance of escape. I have to play a card now. Spiff's left hand is dangling by his side, a small hunting blade clutched in his fist, but because it's Spiff the grip is loose and it's slipping. So I quickly glance to behind Leo's left shoulder, make a subtle nod of my head in a get down motion. He whirls, and then I just drop. 150 pounds of slippery deadweight wrenches my arms out of Oli's hands, and before anyone can grab at me I've rolled over to Spiff and have the knife out of his hand and into mine. I jab in the tender spot behind his knees and he's on the floor. Leo's turned around now but is too far away to do anything. I stand behind Spiff and press the blade onto his neck. I really don't want to kill him but I will, and Leo knows it. But before I even have time to state my terms, someone kicks me hard in the backl and I go flying forward. I hit the ground hard, scraping my elbows on the wood floor, and I think my left cheek is bleeding but there's no time to pause. As I'm whipping hair out of my face and turning around, Leo leans down and smiles, right in my face. He pulls me up by the arm and pushes me back towards the three boys who were holding me before who catch me with zeal.