Taken

Chapter 33

"Have you been enjoying yourself?" Kevin said beside me, I watched as Nico talked to Ford, but the knot in my gut remained.
"Yeah, it's been alright. I was in the sauna before." I replied, still watching Nico and Ford converse. Kevin knew something was up.
"Yo Nico, we're gonna jump in the steam room." Kevin said before grabbing himself a towel and throwing it on the bench. I watched him closely, he gently grabbed my elbow and moved me so I was standing by the steam room door. I quickly pulled off my towel and threw it to the bench, opening the door and stepping in.

"Tell me what's up." He said, adjusting the settings as the room began to fill with steam. I watched him as he pulled off his singlet and threw it onto his towel. He quickly shut the door. Silently I sat down and looked at my hands.
"Anna?" Kevin whispered, sitting down next to me.

"I spoke with the steward. They responded to me. It was dumb and I wasn't thinking! Please don't kill him! I don't need another person to die because of me." I gushed out. Tears barely managing to leave my eyes before I wiped them away.
"What was said?" Kevin asked, moving closer to me. I looked to him from the side.
"When he opened the side, I said something about it being beautiful, and he responded to it. I don't remember what he said."
Kevin didn't respond initially. I looked to him and saw him smiling.
"What? What!" I said, growing slightly louder.
"We're not going to kill someone over speaking to you. But also, they're allowed to acknowledge you. It'd be pretty fucking lonely if you couldn't hear other people speak and be responded to. They've just been asked not to get into full blown conversations with you." Kevin said leaning back and gently touching my shoulder with his hand.

I sat silently with my mouth open slightly. I felt stupid.
"What do you mean you don't need another person to die because of you?" Kevin asked, his finger tracing unknown shapes on my shoulder.
I moved my head from side to side slightly, thinking of the best way to respond.
I sighed and sat back against Kevin's arm, he moved it so it was behind my shoulders, his hand resuming the small shapes on my opposite shoulder.

"When I was with the Murdock's. We were on a plane. I think by that time I'd been drugged a couple times and I was really scared. There was this steward, who was bringing us food and I'd grabbed his hand and said something along the lines of being kidnapped, and I asked for help." I paused to swallow the lump that was forming in my throat. Noticing this, Kevin moved slightly closer to me. I was grateful for his comforting gesture. I lent into him slightly more.
"They started fighting with the steward, and one of them broke his neck." If it was possible to cry in the room, I would have been, but it felt like the tears were turning to steam right off my face.

"I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive myself for getting him killed. I'm terrified that somehow it'll happen again. I can still see their faces... The steward, he was terrified. And the man who broke his neck- he watched me as he did it." I paused, pulling my knees to my chest and leaning into Kevin more.

"Anna, you can't control the actions of others. People who come to work for people like us, they know the risks. They're informed of what may happen in the line of duty."
I scoffed at his words.
"He was a steward. On a plane." I said, turning to him.
"Hey, I started out by befriending a random kid at school. Fast-forward, 20 or so years later, and here I am. Life has a funny way of working, and if you're meant to be somewhere, I mean truely be somewhere, the world will somehow make it happen." Kevin said shrugging.

I shook my head.
"Of course you'd say that, Giant."
Kevin smiled at me and laughed before tickling me slightly.
"Giant huh?" He said as I curled into a ball laughing and trying to get away.

The sound of the door opening made Kevin stop tickling me and sit back up slightly, still laughing.
"It's good to see you relaxing Anna." Nico said stepping into the room. I looked up to him and watched him, he was obviously now shirtless.
"The Giant here is good company." I said leaning back and watching him as he moved forward and sat next to me. He laughed.
"The Giant." He repeated, looking at Kevin and continuing to laugh.
I smiled at his laughter and looked down. Kevin had somewhat calmed my nerves about the steward, but I was still scared I'd do the wrong thing and someone would get hurt.

The door to the room opened again and Ford looked in. "I've asked they move the drinks to one of the decks. Whenever you're ready." Ford said, nodding then closing the door.

Nico sighed. "Come on, unfortunately we have a meeting." I nodded and watched as Kevin and Nico stood up. Kevin walked out the door. Nico turned back to me and looked at me.
"Anna? Are you coming?"
I looked at him slightly stunned.
"You want me to go to your meeting?" I asked, confused. Nico nodded.

I quickly stood up and made my way to him, he stood in the small doorway holding the door open. I turned to my side and slipped past him. Kevin gave me my towel and I quickly dried my body.

"You look great." Nico said scrunching his fringe in the towel slightly, making it go curly. I awkwardly smiled at him and looked down as I dried the rest of my body. I grabbed the shorts and pulled them on, before putting my arms into the coverup.
Before long, we were standing in the lift, Nico's arm was around my shoulders. The pit in my stomach remained however.
The lift chimed and we walked back out to the table, we sat in our spots and soon the drinks were delivered. I looked around the table, which had been changed to a large oval table rather than the rectangular one before.
I sipped my drink and leant my head back on the chair slightly, enjoying relaxing and fresh taste.

"So, this meeting will be a little different." Nico said, taking a sip of whatever his drink was. I looked to him and nodded.
"They're flying in on a chopper, and should be here shortly.

The door to the saloon area opened, and several men I didn't know began filtering out and standing at random points in the area. I sat up more, panic filling my stomach. I felt Kevin put his hand on mine. My eyes snapped to him as he smiled to try and calm me.
"They're my guys Anna, they have their own area below, that's why you don't see them much." Nico said leaning forward and placing his hand on my knee. I nodded and stiffly tried sitting back down in my seat like a normal person.

The buzzing of a helicopter drew my attention up. I watched as it approached the yacht and fly to the front where the helipad was. Ford stood up and left through the doors.
"Who are you meeting?" I asked taking another sip of my drink.
Nico nodded and stared at the table for a second before turning and looking to me.
"Your father."