Rule #1: Never Date An A.C.E. [COMPLETED]

Chapter 12: Rule #14: If You're Going To Play The Part, Look The Part

We bounce along the road for hours. The silence throughout the car is unbearable, mostly because it allows me to think of all the worst-case scenarios awaiting me when we reach our destination. Luca luckily had let go of me and turned his attention to his phone long ago. I couldn't fall asleep due to the rough road, but my eyes kept drooping despite the ride. I am resting my eyes when I felt the car slow and I am shoved awake. I scowl at Aiden and he smirks in return, tugging on my arm. I fall from the Jeep on to the ground, landing on my face in the mud. Luca pulls me up and hands me a towel, and I resist the urge to thank him. I am able to wipe most from my face, but my clothes are disgusting. When I finish cleaning myself, I look up and nearly gasp in surprise. We're standing in front of a mansion, a rod iron gate lines the sides of the steps up to a ten-foot tall wooden door. Aiden bounds up the steps and opens the door, Dean trailing after him. Luca grabs my hand and leads me up the steps. I am too shocked to pull away when he pushes me through the door into the foyer. Marble covers the floor and two sets of stairs curve up the sides of the room with a gold bannister.

"Beautiful, huh?" Luca comes to stand by my side and I frown.

"Is this what you spend all the money you steal?" I try to put more distance between us, but Luca steps closer than before.

"Yes," he answers simply. He clasps my wrist and leads me through a hallway passed a kitchen, two living spaces, a bedroom, and an office before reaching a closed door. He opens it and gestures for me to go ahead of him. I flip on a light switch and descend a carpeted stairway before reaching the bottom. "This is for you."

"You are giving me my own space?" I ask in surprise, looking around the lighted area. I have a couch and puffy chair, a small refrigerator and microwave, a television, and a queen-sized bed.

"The pantry is stocked with your favorite foods," Luca opens a small door and I see that in fact it does have what I would want. "The bathroom is behind that door over there, and the opening leads to a closet."

"Why?"

Luca smiles and rubs my arm, "Since you're going to be here awhile, I thought you should have your own space." He then grips my waist and pulls me to him, "If you'd rather sleep with me, you're welcome to."

I pull away gently, especially because I felt a gun tucked in the front of his pants, "I think I'll stay down here."

"For now, kitten," he says, before heading back up the stairs. "Get some sleep." He exits the door and I hear three locks click into place. I hurry around the room, looking for any way out and come up empty. There are no windows to the outside and no secret tunnels. I end in the bathroom, sinking to the floor with a sniff. I try not to burst into tears, knowing I'm stronger than this. I glance around me and see I have gotten mud all over floor and reluctantly stand to take a shower. The shower stall is covered in stones and it has a rainwater showerhead. I take a surprisingly nice shower, since they had also stocked the shower with my favorite shampoo. When I saw it, it took the creepiness level up quite a bit. Knowing my favorite food is one thing, but the shampoo? Weird.

I exit the bathroom and look around carefully, making sure none of the boys had snuck in, before entering the closet. I'm able to find clean underwear, but everything else seems to be dresses and skirts, nothing to sleep in. I continue to dig around, wondering why all of these outfits are in here. I finally find a t-shirt and running shorts. The shirt smells vaguely like Luca, but I'm too exhausted to care. I climb into the bed, rearranging the pillows after turning off the lights. I fall asleep warily, but the stress of the situation is lost once I'm asleep.

I awake sometime later, annoyed I don't have access to a clock. I assume it's been at least many hours when my stomach growls. I stand and make my way to the pantry, choosing Hot Cheetos and grabbing a Coke from the fridge. I bounce back on the bed and munch on the food, turning the television on. The television tells me it's around noon, so I'm not surprised that I'm hungry. I take note of the day to keep track of how long I will be stuck down here, and tune into the local news station.