When New York and London Collide

Chapter 42

Celine Haufftner

When kept in a dark room with almost no light at all, it's hard to even tell day and night.

The only thing I could tell was that I was hungry and thirsty. Since last night, I haven't even had a drop of water to drink.

I've been curled up in the same spot, hungry, tired, thirsty. I tried not to think of food or water, but it was hard when my throat was getting itchy and my stomach was making so much noise it could pose as an orchestra. I wasn't about to break down though. I couldn't. I refused to.

"Here." He threw me some water like I was an animal.

"How the fuck am I supposed to drink with my hands bound?" I glared at him, more than insulted. Opening the bottle, he used his hand to squeeze my cheeks and pry my mouth open and poured the water forcefully into my mouth while acting like I had to be grateful for it.

"Fuck you." I spat. I didn't bother talking ever since I found out what his motives were. I leaned onto the wall, feeling a stinging pain in my head from the wound on my head. I had woken up with it bandages and assumed Leo had fixed it up. I didn't thank him, it was the bare minimum as a human being to help another person who was hurt, let alone bleeding.

He walked off, and I was left alone like I had been for the past day. Maybe more. I nearly shut my eyes, because only sleep could distract me from thirst and hunger, when I heard tires screeching outside the place. I breathed, for once in the last twenty four hours. Maybe I was finally found. It had only been one day but I didn't want to spend another second with Leo.

Just then, as hope filled every fiber of my being, Leo grabbed me by the arm, his fingers digging into my skin, leaving a mark. He must have known that something was wrong. That he'd been caught. My father entered, but instead of looking at him, I noticed a familiar tussle of brown hair. There was a team and all yes, but I didn't give a shit. All I saw was him.

Leo pulled me in beside him and held me tightly, with a gun to the side of my head. I tried to stay calm but it was hard to do so when I was being he'd at gunpoint and my life was in the hands of a madman. One move, and it'd be over. Before I knew it, tears trickled down, and they didn't stop. I had acted fearless, or at least tried to, the entire time I was kidnapped. Because I refused to give him the satisfaction of breaking down. But now, who the hell cares. I might die, so fuck satisfaction or breaking down. I was more than terrified, and it showed.

"One move lover boy, and you'll have to watch me burn a hole through her head." He spat cruelly. Leo may not be the smartest, but I didn't dare doubt him when he made such threats. He didn't seem like the kind of man to bluff. I stared at Chase before looking over to my father, who had never looked less calm, and back at Chase.

Chase looked me in the eyes briefly before turning to look at Leo, who was holding me tighter that I swore he drew blood, and where he was holding me, where my blood was dripping. Whatever heartfelt words he wanted to say to convince Leo to let go of the gun he better say soon, or I'd be one foot in the coffin.

But no. Chase, being Chase, he didn't do anything conventionally. As it turns out, Leo made another devastating mistake. There was a back entrance to the store, one he must not have noticed. Before Leo could make a strategic move, or a move at all, a few entered from behind and I used the time when Leo was distracted to knock the gun out of his hands by head butting him. Figured it was finally the time to give it a shot. Due to the lack of energy, I fell to the ground and heard as officers pinned Leo to the ground. My eyes were threatening to close. I was so tired.

That's when I heard hurried steps as Chase ran to pull me into his chest. I heard continued grunts and restraints coming from behind me, but I was too exhausted to care. Chase carried me in his arms, and I pressed my head into his chest. I thought I knew the feeling of safety, but at that very moment, I had never felt safer than in his arms. The feeling was inexplicable, but so was everything about my relationship with Chase. It was unexplainable, strange, but safe.

"Are you okay trouble?" He asked, pushing my blood stained strands of hair away, softly caressing the bandaged cut on my head. For the first time, I heard a tinge of worry in his voice.

"He doesn't make a very good kidnapper does he?" I joked, still being held by Chase. He glared at me and asked how I was still in the mood to joke. I wasn't, but it served as a great distraction. To both of us.