Caught in the Middle

Chapter 8

I looked at Mr. Cole with shocked wide eyes. "You can't do that!"

He smiled as his eyebrows lifted. "I think I already have," he replied. The smile left his face and his tone hardened. "You have walked into one messy complication, Ms. Black. And I may have found the answer I have been looking for to bring Mr. Pierce down."

"But you can't keep me here. I have a home and job to return to," I said as I began backing away.

"Luckily, you may have them now, but you won't be having them anytime soon. Mr. Pierce will see that you lose everything. He's a very meticulous person."

I had doubted his words once and that was I ended up in this mess. I should listen to him now, but panic overtook me at the thought of staying with him for a long time. "I can't stay here. This is kidnapping!" I tried to threaten him.

"Didn't you agree to come here out of your own free will?" he questioned calmly. He folded his hands behind his back as he slowly accosted me.

"That's because you tricked me," I said. My eyes darted all around the room in search of a phone. Maybe I could call the police and have this man arrested for kidnapping me.

I ran past him and stopped by a grand black leather three seater couch. He didn't have much furniture in his penthouse, but whatever he had was high quality furnishing. The television was one hundred inches in diameter; it was huge enough to remind me of a movie theater. The shelves around it held a ton of novels. If our situation was different, I would have love to curl on the couch to read one of them. There were a couple of ceiling lights and abstract paintings. But there was no phone in sight.

"The only phone I have available is mine." He moved in front of me and grabbed the strap of my backpack. I struggled to keep a firm grip on it but he was too strong. He pulled it away from me, unzipped it and searched through the contents until he found what he was looking for; my cell phone. "And this is now in my possession." He held it up in midair. I like a child, dashed to nab it from him but he raised it higher and dangled it between his pointer and thumb. He beckoned me to take it if I dared.

I stopped and crossed my arms over my cheat. "You don't play fair."

"And I thought you wanted my help."

"I do but I never expected this from you," I huffed as I waved my hands in the air.

"This is better for the both of us." Mr. Cole dropped my bag on the floor.

"Hey! My computer is in there!" I cried out. I ran for my bag and checked my computer. I let go a breath as I saw it was still good condition.

He sauntered to the open kitchen and placidly poured himself a glass of whiskey. "Will you like one?"

I shook my head. "No thanks, I don't drink."

"That's too bad." The rim of the glass touched his lips as I could see him swallow the golden liquid. For a second I was tempted to down a glass of whisky with him. I shook my head again.

"Will you care to explain how this is better for the both of us?"

He put down his glass on the table and sat down on one his stools by the kitchen island. He watched me with an amused expression. "You have messed with a very deadly man by stumbling into one of his darkest secrets. If word gets out into the public about him scandalously sleeping around with prostitutes, his business reputation will be in shambles. And lets not talk about how much money he's going to lose. He will make sure to silence you in any way he sees fit."

I gritted my teeth and clenched my hands into fists. "I'm not a prostitute," I hissed.

He reached for his glass and lightly sipped his liquid. "You could have fooled me."

"Seriously, I'm not a whore. That night you saw me on my date with Mr. Pierce, it was my first blind date," I tried to explain to him, but he gave me a mocking look. "And you don't believe one word I say."

"Finally, we reach something we can agree on, Ms. Black."

I sighed. "Fine, what do you hope to gain by keeping me prisoner here?"

He chuckled as he stood up. "Come with me while I take you on a grand tour of your new prison." He held out his hand to me as he waited for me take it. I walked passed him and simply waited in the middle of the living room for him.

He passed me to stride to a long hallway. I followed closely behind him and I gasped as I found myself in a huge bedroom decorated in white creams. It was elegant and opulent. I walked around Mr. Cole to move into the next two rooms adjoined to the bedroom. The first one was a walk-in closet and the other one was a luxurious en-suite bathroom stocked with everything I would need.

It was my turn to give him a mocking look. "So this is where you keep the women you kidnapped hidden."

He smiled wickedly. "Usually those women come in my penthouse willingly and stay in my room."

My eyes flickered over to him and I shivered from his overwhelming presence. I turned away as I went to the large window to stare at the beautiful scenery. The weariness from a long day began seeping into my bones. The king size bed looked comforting and I would have slumped against the soft satin sheets if it weren't for Mr. Cole being in the room with me. I didn't want to show him a weakness.

But he read my mind. "How about I give you some time to rest."

"What about clothes?" I asked although I was too tired to care about it.

"I have some clothes in the closet. You are welcome to wear whatever fits you."

'I don't have a choice in the matter,' I wanted to tell him but I kept my mouth shut and simply nodded my head. My eyes began drooping.

Once, he left the room, I crawled under the sheets, feeling my body molding into the softness of the mattress. I sighed with pleasure as my eyes drifted shut.