One Million

Chapter Three

Skylar blinked against the light that filtered in through the window. She groaned and sat up, startled to find that she was not in her bed at her apartment. The events of yesterday came flooding back to her and her eyes grew wide. That was right. She had been kidnapped by the Mad Nation and was being held for ransom. Skylar climbed out of bed and stared out of the window. She was on the third floor of what appeared to be an abandoned warehouse. She did not see any way she could climb down and jumping from that height was impossible unless she wanted broken legs. Skylar figured she could make a rope with the sheets if she got desperate.

Skylar went over to the door and tested it. It was locked just like she had figured it would be. That left the other door. Skylar went through it and was surprised to find a living area. She had thought it would be a bathroom. On the couch lay a pillow and a messy blanket. Ryan must have slept there last night. Skylar's OCD kicked in and she went over and began folding the blanket. Once it was satisfactory, she set it on the back of the couch.

"You didn't have to do that." Came a familiar voice. It made Skylar jump. She spun around and saw Ryan standing in the threshold of another door. He had a towel on his shoulders and was dressed in baggy jeans and a white button-down shirt. He was barefoot.

"Um, hello." Skylar said awkwardly, avoiding eye contact. His hair was still wet and hing around his fave, framing his feminine features. She heard Ryan chuckle. Even his laugh had a twinge of feminine charm.

"How did you sleep?" Skylar met his dark eyes.

"Considering that I've been kidnapped, pretty good." That made Ryan smile. It was a dazzling smile really. He showed his teeth, top and bottom. Skylar allowed a grin to grace her lips. This was her captor, what was she doing smiling at him? She wiped the smile off her face and faced him, stony-faced.

"When are your men sending out the demand?" Ryan pulled the towel up to cover his hair and began vigorously drying it.

"Two more days." He said as he finished with his purple hair. Skylar briefly wondered who he went to to get it dyed like that and if they knew he was the boss of the Mad Nation. She reasoned that they probably didn't know.

"And when will this transaction take place?" Ryan smiled as he ran a comb through his unruly hair.

"Ten days from yesterday." Skylar rolled her eyes.

"Great. So I'm locked up for a week now. Just what I've always wanted."

"Do you think daddy will pay up?" Sky snapped her head to the side.

"Of course he will. He'll pay whatever it takes to get me back!"

"Maybe we should have gone for two million then." Skylar looked at him in disbelief and Ryan broke into a laugh.

"I'm joking. One million is more than enough. I wouldn't want to get greedy." Skylar crossed her arms.

"What do you intend to do with me while I'm here?" Ryan clicked his tongue.

"So demanding. That's not a good look for a woman in your position." Skylar bit her bottom lip.

"Look here Sky, can I call you Sky?" He didn't give her a chance to respond as he flopped down on the couch. "You're not in a very good position. I've only treated you so nicely because you've cooperated with is. Don't make me change my mind." Sky gulped and shrank down.

"I'm sorry." She said. Ryan sighed.

"Listen," he said over the back of the couch. "I have some new clothes for you so you don't have to keep wearing that sorry excuse for a dress." He motioned to a chair that Skylar had overlooked. She walked over to it. There was a pair of skinny bluejeans and a white T-shirt.