Devil on the Rooftop [Book 1]

Chapter 39 - Arisa

I woke up to an excruciating headache. My mouth and tongue both felt dry, like they were denied water for three days straight. My back was sore and pressed against an uncomfortable dining chair. I looked around the room, it was under renovation, with buckets of paints, trays, plastic floor coverings, and an exposed brick wall set behind the fireplace. I had to be in someone's home or on a property that would soon be on the market. My hands were bound by a zip-tie and my ankles secured to the legs of the chair.

I kissed my teeth. It seemed my captors were determined to keep me in one place. I closed my eyes and thought back to my defeat. How many guys surrounded me at the park? How long did I last against them? At what point did I pass out? I couldn't remember if it was a fist that struck me or something else. My headache wasn't helping piece the memories together either. I glanced at my sore body; my knuckles were pink from all the punches I threw and my knees stung because of all the slits and scrapes I had earned. I couldn't remember how it happened or how I lost my blazer.

"My phone," I breathed hard, remembering it was in the blazer pocket. "Where is my phone?"

Those jerks must have taken it. "Crap," I whispered. Okay, so, I couldn't call for help and I definitely shouldn't wait around for my captors to return. I had to take care of things myself. After another quick glance at the room, I raised my hands in the air, positioned my elbows out and attempted to swing them down as quickly as I could. The zip-tie refused to budge. Grunting, I moved my hands up to bite down on the plastic end and forced it harder around my aching wrists. I raised my hands in the air and tried to break free again. The zip-tie snapped.

Self-defence classes for the win.

I unclipped the plastic from my ankles and rushed towards the windows. They were all bolt shut. "Perfect," I hissed. The front door was my only option but I had to be careful with my steps, I didn't want to give myself away, or give my captors another reason to knock me out.

As I reached out to turn the handle ever so slightly, my luck ran out. Baldie opened the door from the other side. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw me, and then smiled, so maliciously, it sent a terrifying chill down my spine. "Wow," he said. "You're some girl."

I was in no condition to fight the asshole but my survival instincts kicked in as soon as his foot connected with my stomach. My landing was rough but it didn't compare to the bruise that would soon cover my abdomen. I squirmed away, too weak to get on my feet, too weak to strike back. Baldie grabbed a fistful of my hair and forced me to stand. He lured me into his arms and put his available hand on my throat. I was ready to be choked but he had other, more disturbing plans. His mouth was inches from me. The smell of hot Cheetos consumed my mind and made my bile twitch.

No, I wanted to scream.

Don't touch me, I wanted to cry.

"Get your filthy hands off me!" I shouted, stomping on his foot. His grip loosened. I took that opportunity to break out of his hold, but Baldie recovered faster than I anticipated. I was left to put all my strength into keeping his disgusting face away from my lips and neck.

"How much fight do you have left in you, pretty little thing?" he mocked me. His hands were on my shoulders and his aura began to disturb me in a new way. My eyes glistened but I refused to let any tears fall. I wasn't going to let him have the satisfaction. I wasn't going to let him get his way. My body shivered as I took a deep shaky breath. I had to ignore my aching stomach, the muscle pains, and look into his cold dead eyes.

I smiled slyly. "Quite a bit," I replied.

He laughed unfazed by the implication. His mouth drew closer and his forehead violently pressed against mine. I shifted my head back, and while it looked like retaliation to him, I took that opportunity to slam it against his. I watched Baldie lose his balance. It was the perfect time to return the favour. I gave him a solid kick in the stomach and didn't stick around to watch him drop to the ground.