I Fell In Love with a Nerd | Jenlisa [COMPLETE]

Chapter 24

The van rattled along the cracked, empty road like a monster wheezing in the dark. Inside, the world felt too small, too cold, and far too silent, save for the muted groans of the tires against gravel.

Lisa and Jennie lay crumpled on the metal floor of the van's rear, their hands and feet tightly bound with coarse rope. The stinging friction scraped their wrists red. They could barely move. The black plastic bags had been torn off their heads minutes ago—allowing them to breathe—but it didn't feel like freedom.

Lisa's bangs was matted to her forehead with sweat, her breathing ragged. She blinked against the dim overhead light, her first instinct to look to her side.

Jennie.

She was there. Alive. Awake. Her cheeks flushed, likely from the leftover buzz of alcohol. Her lashes were damp with tears, but her gaze—sharp and burning—met Lisa's with matching defiance.

Their shared fear morphed into shared fury the moment they looked at the strangers before them. Men. Three of them. All wearing masks. Armed.

Jennie's voice cracked the tense silence, low but shaking with rage. "Why the hell did you kidnap us?!"

The men said nothing.

Lisa's jaw clenched. Her voice, though hoarse, sliced through the silence. "If it's money you want, I can give it to you. Name the price, just let us go!!!"

One of the men turned slowly. The one in the middle. Taller. Slightly broader. He looked at Lisa with eyes gleaming beneath his mask and let out a low, amused chuckle.

"Not interested with your money." he said, voice rough. He point his thumb lazily at Jennie. "Maybe the girl beside you."

Jennie flinched. Her eyes widened, and her breath hitched in her throat. Fear clawed its way up her spine.

Lisa's fury exploded like a firestorm. "Don't you fucking touch her!" she roared.

"If you lay a single finger on her—if you even breathe near her—I swear to God, I'll fucking kill you!"

The man tilted his head mockingly. "Then kill me," he said, laughing. "If you can." The other two men joined in his laughter.

Jennie trembled. Her body went still in fear. She curled slightly toward Lisa as if instinctively seeking shelter, and Lisa moved without thinking. She shifted her body, twisting painfully so that she could cover Jennie's form with her own, shielding her.

Her voice dropped into a whisper and tender.
"I'll protect you. No matter what."

Jennie's eyes softened for a second, but her lips remained sealed in fear. Minutes crawled. The van hummed in monotony.

Lisa's fingers, raw and trembling, inched subtly toward the back lock of the van's interior. There had to be a release latch somewhere. But her hopes fell when her fingers reached it—and it wouldn't budge.

She let out a defeated sigh, teeth gritted.

Jennie, beside her, remained quiet—but the way her body trembled spoke volumes. She looked so small next to the towering threat of the men who sat after them like watchful vultures.

Lisa couldn't take it anymore. She shouted again.
"Let us go! We didn't do anything to you!"

One of the men groaned in irritation. He reached into a side pouch and pulled out thick strips of tape.

"Noisy girl" he muttered. Then—without warning—they sealed Lisa and Jennie's mouths shut.

At first, the girls' frantic screams were muffled, nothing more than garbled noises escaping through the tape. Lisa's heart raced as she tried to call out to Jennie, but the words were caught behind the tape. The panic she felt was suffocating.