Prince and the Pauper

Chapter Thirty-Four

"People are going to see you dragging me out. You cut the power in the building. They will know it was you." I forced a brave tone as I was handed off from Sebastian to Dante. I flinched in his rough grip, nails raking against my back, and forcing me forward, the gun never aimed away from me.
"We only cut the power in Harry's penthouse. My father snuck us in through the kitchen entrance, and we have our car parked right by the door in the underground car park. Nobody will see us." Dante dismissed me, his winning smile said it all. I glared at Sebastian, and for a moment guilt washed over his face, but he recovered quickly. I turned my dagger eyes to Chandler, who had certainly put on a great act. The whole turn of events was sickening.
"I don't think I need to remind you," Dante breathed in my ear as the elevator doors opened, "if you try and call for help, we will be forced eradicate an innocent citizen. Don't do anything hasty now, sweetie." I cringed as he whispered in my ear, the feeling of him being too close made my stomach convulse. We were quickly ushered through the door to the bottom level of the underground car park. The back doors were torn open and I was harshly pushed in, grunting at the force I was shoved with, I landed on the floor in the back of the car. I didn't have time to recover before my limbs were caught and tied with rope, the slightest movement had the friction cause stinging in my wrists and ankles. More nerves entered me as a bag was placed over my head, and then the door was slammed shut. I could feel the presence of one of the three sitting in the back with me, and I hoped for my safety's sake it was Sebastian. Traitor he may be, but he seemed the most unlikely to want to harm me. Physically at least.  My mind wandered back to Harry, and the despair that was written all over his usual handsome face. He looked physically pained to have to watch his brother drag me away, and that he couldn't have done a damn thing about it. I knew the minute we were in the elevator he would have been on the phone to the authorities, and I also knew the minute we stepped out of the elevator, he would jump in and try and chase us down. I just didn't know if he would be fast enough, or what he could do unarmed. My best option was to hope and pray that the press would believe the statement Harry would have to give about Dante helping search for me, and he would be changed from a villain to a hero. I tried to convince myself people would buy the story, but the sinking feeling in my stomach told me that I had been with Harry for the last time. I forced back the tears in my eyes, knowing I had to remain calm. I tried to recall all the times I had watched crime shows with Sebastian before he betrayed me. The survival skills they always mentioned. Look the kidnapper in the eye, try and get them to see you are human. That would be difficult with the bag over my head. Remain calm. That seemed almost laughable in my current situation. I wouldn't cry in front of them. Especially not Dante. I would survive, Harry would get me back, and I would get back for Geordie. I was all he had, and when he woke up, I had to be there for him. I let myself indulge in the memories Harry and I had together. The fast whirlwind we had been swooped up in, hatred quickly melting to something much stronger, and soon we had become inseparable. We owned a future home together were we would raise our family, Geordie, the four children Harry wanted. I would have had my whole life turned around. I would achieve my dreams of becoming an author, writing poems for children, and I would be able to provide for my children. They wouldn't have to worry about if we had enough money to buy groceries that week, or if we could pay the bills. They wouldn't hear the fights coming from their parents bedroom, and they certainly wouldn't fear the attacks from a harmful mother. The whole dream scenario had been laid out in front of me, and Dante and his two cronies had brutally snatched that away from me. It killed me.
"I love you, baby." Harry had constantly whispered in my ear. "You're mine now, Angel. Nothing can change that." The smile that spread across his pink lips every time he had etched those words into my skin with delicate kisses seared in my mind. "This isn't about money, or what my brother did to yours." Harry leaned in, fingers curling around my hips. "This is about you and me, Angel. And you want me. And I need you." The mantra he repeated every time we had a stupid fight floated through my head. Fond memory after memory flooded my mind, and I basked in them as I tried to block out the dark cloud that had surrounded me. However, those darling memories were wisped away when I felt the vehicle come to a halt and hands snatched at me again, pushing, pulling, tugging. Dante let out a harsh cuss when I stumbled, and I cried out as I was swept up and thrown over somebody's shoulder.
"Quite you little bitch." Dante snarled as I thrashed in his arms. I heard a door be kicked open, and then I was dropped to the ground, pain jolting through my body. I thrashed as they chained me too the wall behind my head, with my arms behind my back, and I threw out the best insults I could.
"Now these aren't going to be three pleasant days if you talk like that." I heard Dante snicker beside me, and I spat in his direction.
"Harry will find me. The police will arrest you-" I was cut off by a slap to the cheek.
"You got me in this mess," Dante said venomously. "You will get me out of it." Dante didn't say another word, and he spun on his heels and stormed out of the room, Sebastian and Chandler following, the door slamming shut behind them. The last dying ember of hope was extinguished as I heard the slide and click of a bolt being locked.  Alone and afraid I took in the lonely room I was trapped in. Wherever we were, it certainly wasn't a home. The walls and ground were all concrete, a window sat in the far right corner, covered in grime in dust. Clearly this dump had been abandoned long ago, and for good reason. An old shelf sat on the wall ahead of me, rusty and covered in thick dust. The cellar was damp, dark, and cold, and I knew right away that if the press failed to buy the cover up story, I would die just like Dante said, and I knew how. Exposure. It was freezing, I wouldn't survive three days down here, especially given I was wearing shorts and an old, holey plaid shirt I had grown fond to over the years. I tried tugging at the chains to test the durability, and the results were not good. I pulled and pulled, hoping and praying for a miracle. I sucked in a deep breath when a sharp sting flared on my wrists, followed by a trickle down my arms. Clearly the tugging had resulted in the chains cutting into my skin. Frustrated I let out a cry of anger, and lay down, rolling onto my side so my arms were stretched out beside me rather than behind me, giving the ache in my arms a  rest. Closing my eyes I focused on the love of my life. The only man I had ever depended upon, needed, and cherished.  Somewhere through the memories and imaginative conversations I thought up of him to keep myself occupied, I fell into a sleep.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*