Without warning, I reached down and gave her ass a hard smack.
"That's for spray painting my car," I said.
Her breath hitched, and she bit her lip, trying to suppress a smile. "You're such a caveman."
"Caveman? How about this?" I said, smacking her...
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Esmeralda's POV
The world spun around me as I was dragged deeper into the alley, my heart pounding wildly against my ribcage. Every instinct screamed at me to fight back, to scream for help, but the reality of my situation pressed down on me like a heavy weight. I had to think clearly; panicking wouldn't help me escape.
The man's grip was like iron, unyielding and terrifying. I could barely catch a glimpse of his face, but his low laughter echoed in the dimly lit space, sending icy tendrils of fear racing down my spine. "You're just going to love this, princess," he said, his voice dripping with sickening excitement.
"Let me go! Please!" I shouted, my voice cracking as I twisted in his grip. But he only laughed again, a harsh, mirthless sound that echoed off the brick walls.
"You really think it's that easy?" he scoffed, shoving me against the cold wall of the alley. The impact jolted me, and I fought to regain my footing. "Your brother's made some powerful enemies, and you're going to be my bargaining chip. I'm going to make sure he understands that he can't just walk away from his obligations."
"What do you mean?" I demanded, my voice trembling but determined. I had to keep him talking, buy myself some time. "What do you want from Trevor?"
"Oh, it's not what I want from him," he sneered, stepping closer, invading my personal space. "It's what I want him to suffer for. You're going to get to see firsthand how much pain he's caused. And then, when he comes for you, we'll see just how tough he really is."
His words were like a dagger to my chest, twisting painfully in my gut. I had always known Trevor was involved in dangerous things, but this was a whole new level of horror. "You won't get away with this!" I shot back, mustering all the defiance I could. "Trevor will come for me. He won't let you take me!"
"Of course he will," the kidnapper said, his smirk growing wider. "But it'll be too late by then. I have plans for you, Esme. Plans that'll break him down and show him that he's not as untouchable as he thinks. And you—" he paused, leaning in closer so I could see the twisted delight in his eyes, "you're going to help me carry them out."
I shivered at the implications of his words. What did he mean? What did he want me to do? Just then, I noticed a glint of metal in his hand, a knife catching the light as he flicked it open. My breath caught in my throat.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you... yet," he said, teasingly running the edge of the blade along my arm, making my skin crawl. "Just a little reminder of who's in charge."
I flinched away, panic surging through me. "Please, don't do this!" I begged, desperation pouring into my voice. "I'm just a college student! I don't know anything!"
"Oh, I think you know plenty," he replied, taking a step back and looking me up and down, as if appraising a piece of meat. "And once we're done here, you're going to have a whole new perspective on what it means to be part of this world."
Suddenly, I heard a commotion outside the alley, the sounds of laughter and music drifting in from the main street. It was a reminder that life continued outside of this horror, that people were enjoying their day while I was trapped here. But in that moment, I knew I had to act.
With a burst of adrenaline, I pushed off the wall and elbowed him hard in the stomach. He stumbled back, surprised, and I took my chance. I bolted past him, my heart racing as I dashed toward the alley's exit.
"Get back here!" he shouted, fury lacing his voice. I didn't dare look back, my only focus on the way to freedom. I could hear his footsteps pounding behind me, getting closer and closer.
As I reached the end of the alley, I burst into the open street, the bright sunlight momentarily blinding me. I had to find help. I had to scream, to get someone's attention.
But before I could take another step, a figure stepped out from the crowd, and I collided with a hard body.
"Esme!"
I looked up, my heart sinking as I recognized Caleb, his expression shifting from confusion to alarm in an instant. "What the hell is going on?" he demanded, scanning the street behind me.
"Caleb, he's—"
But before I could finish, the kidnapper burst out of the alley, rage twisting his features. "Get away from her!" he snarled, lunging forward.
"Run, Esme!" Caleb shouted, and in that moment, instinct kicked in. I turned and sprinted as fast as I could, my feet pounding against the pavement.
I could hear the chaos erupting behind me as Caleb and the kidnapper collided. "You think you can just take her?" Caleb roared, the sound of a fist connecting with flesh ringing in my ears.
I didn't stop to look back; I just ran, my heart in my throat, desperate to escape.
But the sound of the fight echoed behind me, a reminder that I was being chased, that danger was close on my heels. I needed to reach safety. I needed to find Trevor.
With every ounce of strength I had left, I kept running, praying I could escape this nightmare before it was too late.
