Captivated

Chapter Eleven

We pulled off the highway onto a small dirt road shroud in a canopy of trees, driving farther and farther away from civilization. If I wasn't so afraid, and it wasn't so dark; it might even be pretty to look at. I didn't know what time it was or how long the night had progressed or if it was even close to dawn but I suspected that it was probably pushing 3:00 am if not earlier. John had the radio playing quietly the whole drive and I figured that Cameron had fallen asleep almost an hour ago. It was soft music, the kind that flowed with an easy tempo and an almost relaxing rhythm that probably would have made me fall asleep if my nerves weren't on high alert.

The car broke free from the shroud of trees into a vast valley with rolling hills as far as the eye could see. In the distance you could just make out the mountains that lie far off in the countryside and we had to be close to the boarder of the wildlife conservation. The manor was getting bigger as we made our approach reaching the transition where the dirt road became stone pavement. The house lit up the night sky courtesy of the outside lights that lined the driveway slowly breaking into intricately placed gardens also following the curvature of the road. Trees stood tall placed here to add depth to the greenery and to create a pattern as we pulled into a large roundabout. The pavement continued becoming a large courtyard before veering off around the side of the home to what I would assume was the garage. The center of the roundabout was adorned with a massive stone fountain that I could almost bet money was hand carved by a stone mason. The carved marble was pale and the lighting made the face of the beautiful woman stand out among the rest of the little details. She stood naked in the center with water flowing from a chalice in her hand and her nether parts adorned in an olden style sash to cover her jewels. She was surrounded by and array of flowers and fruits, trees and tiny cherubs giving her a very goddess like vibe. I couldn't hold back my amusement, this was all very intricate and nothing like what I would have pictured his house to look like. The manor stood at least three stories tall and was huge, almost the size of a castle. Large stone steps headed up to a large main door which was made of carved of wood.

The stairs broke into a landing half way to the front doors decorated by an array of planters filled with perfectly pruned plants and intricate stone benches. It was astounding. A few black vans were parked in the roundabout and there were men unloading crates onto a flat. Other men were wandering about with loaded guns and a few of them had dogs on chains beside them. It was unnerving to see so many armed men and so many others doing what I could only assume was illegal work. Cameron opened the door and stepped out catching the attention of the men around him, obviously making it appear that he was in fine condition as he turn to look at John. He spoke quietly in his ear before John left to go do whatever it was Cameron had asked.

"Get out" he said darkly as he opened my door and waited for me to step out. He wrapped his arm through mine and leaned into me slightly his breath tickling my ear as he spoke. "We are going to take the stairs together and if you so much as hint to my men that I am injured I will make your life a living hell" he whispered sending a chill down my spine.

"You could just say please" I huffed letting him put his weight on me as we moved. Cameron deliberately making it look like he was holding my arm because I was a prisoner and not that he was having trouble moving. It must have worked well because before I knew it was were at the top of the stairs facing the beautiful wooded doors that were now propped open and not one person had come to ask if he was alright. I guess when you're the leader of gang like this men don't tend to ask questions. I held my breath as we walked through the doors into the lobby. Again my mind was reeling; it was like something out of a fairy-tale or a novel. The lobby floor was polished stone and there were people busy everywhere, from men to house cleaners moving around busily. A grand staircase stood in the center of the lobby moving in a sweeping motion up the center before breaking out into two separate stairs moving to differing end of the compound. It reminded me of the stairs from beauty and the beast, the one that Belle descends down in the golden gown. A plush red carpet ran down the center of the stairs and it looked soft to the touch, not that I was going to get down to feel it to see. To the left of the main entrance was a hallway that lead down towards what appeared to be an office or sitting area of some kind and to the right was a large dining area. Tables were arranged around the ballroom sized area and decorated intricately, at least from what I could see. There were other hallways leading underneath the splitting double stairs off into the distance and it was almost impossible to see where they went.