In which an exchange student falls into the hands of a dangerous man.
• • •
Brazen and bold Freya Cannon finds herself signing up for a study-abroad opportunity presented to her by her college counselor. When her and her close friend Mia learn that...
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I DON'T KNOW WHAT to think of my life anymore. It's not horrible, I'm at least fed and housed, but what the actual fuck is going on?
It's been seventy-two hours being caged like an animal inside this freaking mansion. The first day getting here — against my will, really — I'd called Mia and made up some bullshit excuse about how our apartment is leaking carbon monoxide and she needs to find somewhere else to stay for the next foreseeable future.
Surprisingly she didn't ask any questions, and I have a sneaky suspicion is has everything to do with a big bulky spanish guy with a tattoo on his face.
Her not asking questions only made this all that much easier. That's one less issue I have to worry about, but now I'm faced with the fact that everything else in my life has managed to flip inside out and upside down.
And then it was after twenty-four hours of being here that I started asking questions like "Who the fuck is Nico Alvarrez?" and "Where even am I?". You know, perfectly reasonable questions considering I was practically kidnapped.
The devil himself scooped me up in the groggy sleep drunk state I was in, dumped me in his stupidly expensive car and brought me over an hour away from my apartment to take shelter in his mansion.
Or his brother's mansion?
Fuck, I don't know.
"Miss Cannon?" Maybelle, the sweetest old lady with the purest soul, calls out my name softly from the opposite side of the door.
Maybelle, from what I've gathered so far, works for the Alvarrez brothers. She cooks, she cleans, she does everything in between. Basically Maybelle is the most perfect human being and I absolutely hate that she has to deal with Nico and his permanent scowls.
"Come in!" I sit up right in my vanity chair, pulling my headphones off. I've spent most of my morning catching up on school work and listening to music, I hadn't realized how much time passed.
Maybelle squeezes past the door, carefully clicking it shut behind her. She's dressed in jeans and a light floral top. "Miss Cannon, why haven't you come down for breakfast?"
I offer her a sweet smile before placing all of my belongings on the desk. "I was catching up on some school work, I didn't realize it's almost noon."
She watches me with pure endearment in her eyes. I'd never met my grandparents, but I can't imagine they'd even come close to being as great as Maybelle. It's only been a few days and I've already grown a specific liking for this woman.
"Nico was asking for you— well, I suppose more demanding, si? He requests that you come and eat before the food gets too cold." She rubs her hands down the front of her jeans before straightening out.
Oh please. Nico of all people? He couldn't care less if I ate or not. I'm surprised he's even here to begin with. I've spent the last few days wandering around this place and never bumped into him once.
