Running From Mafia

CHAPTER-9 I LIKE YOU

I sat there, listening to him say those words, panic building inside me. This was a dangerous situation, and I needed to think quickly to escape this psycho.

"First, let's untie your blindfold, shall we?" he said, coming closer to me. I could feel his body heat, his breath fanning my face. I started struggling, but he held me firmly, his grip unyielding. "Stay still, Ella. I won't bite...yet," he taunted.

My breath hitched, and the discomfort of his proximity overwhelmed me. It was clear that he was enjoying this situation, while I was trapped and helpless. I fought against him, but realizing that it was futile, I stopped struggling.

He continued, "Don't you want to yell at me or report me? You can do that. I won't stop you." It was all too much.

He must be insane. I averted my gaze from him, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of seeing my fear. "Alright, I was just teasing you," he said, grinning at me. He was sitting just a short distance away.

I fought back the urge to cry. I wouldn't show any weakness in front of him. I am strong. I am Ella Summers. I can handle this. I remained motionless, refusing to give him any reaction.

He started again, "Why did you abduct me? Our argument wasn't so bad that you had to resort to kidnapping and torture. Are you some kind of psycho? I want to go back. Untie me, and I am leaving." I demanded, my voice filled with anger.

He didn't say anything. The room fell into complete silence. I could see the anger boiling inside him, but it wasn't my fault, and I didn't care.

"Untie me, you idiot!" I shouted at him, my frustration mounting.

Still, silence filled the air.

"Are you deaf? Didn't you hear me? I said untie me. I am leaving!" I shouted again, my voice echoing in the room.

Once again, there was silence, until suddenly, everything happened so fast. He grabbed a chunk of my hair, pulling it harshly, while his other hand gripped my jaw tightly. I winced in pain as some of my hair broke from its roots.

"You are hurting me. Leave me," I said, wincing from the force he was exerting.

"SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP! NOW YOU LISTEN TO ME. I WILL UNTIE YOU WHENEVER I WANT. YOU WILL LEAVE THIS PLACE WHENEVER I WANT. YOU DON'T TALK TO ME IN THAT TONE EVER AGAIN. YOU DON'T HAVE A SAY IN THIS, NOT NOW AND MAYBE NOT EVER," he shouted back, his grip unrelenting.

He smirked at me, continuing, "And about abducting you, I just wanted to have a talk with you. But it seems your potty mouth only throws potty at others. Since the moment we met, you've been cursing me."

"You are insane, you know that, right?" I said, fear now overwhelming me.

"Darling, I've heard better," he replied, his arrogance evident.

"No doubt," I retorted, not backing down.

His smirk vanished, and I realized I needed to change my approach. I needed to use my acting skills, to play the damsel in distress, in the hopes that he would let me go.

With my voice filled with sadness, I sighed and huffed, "I'm sorry, okay? If I somehow hurt you or your feelings. You can't blame me fully, though, because you were also mean to me since the moment we met. I... I mean, umm, I'm sorry for my rude behavior towards you. Can you please untie me? My wrists are really hurting... Please..."

He seemed taken aback by my sudden change in behavior. He studied me for a few seconds before finally untying my wrists. I rubbed my wrists, one by one. The skin had turned blue from the tight bindings, but I couldn't let him see my pain right now.

"So, what do you want to talk about?" I asked, hoping to distract him from whatever his intentions were.

"I like you," he stated, breaking the silence.

Silence filled the room as I sat there, stunned by his words.

"Huh?" I managed to utter, trying to process what he had just said.

"I said I like you," he repeated, his voice softer this time.

My mouth hung open, unable to form words.

He burst into laughter, lying on the bed and laughing like a maniac. My jaw dropped in disbelief. "You... You should have seen your face," he said between fits of laughter.

I closed my mouth, glaring at him. His laughter died down, and he said, "Relax, I was kidding."

He came close to me, our faces mere inches apart. I held my breath, ready to react if he made any sudden moves. But before he could do anything, I broke the silence.

"Look, Mr. Maxwell, I... I apologized for my behavior. Can I please go now? My parents must be searching for me. Please, can I go?" I pleaded, using my most innocent expression.

For a moment, he stayed still, studying my face. I thought he would refuse and torture me further, but to my relief, he agreed. "Okay, fine, you can go..." he started saying, but before he could finish his sentence, I hurriedly jumped off the bed, reaching for the doorknob.

Just as I was about to open the door, he grabbed my wrist from behind, causing pain to shoot through my already tender skin. I hissed in pain.

"You didn't hear me properly. I said you can go, but this is just a warning. If you mess with me or my family, annoy me again in the future, or do anything that I don't like, you are going to face the consequences. Let me tell you, you won't like it one bit," he whispered in my ear.

I nodded, a sense of unease settling in my stomach. I needed to get far away from him. He was a volatile man, laughing one moment and looking deadly serious the next.

I was definitely in trouble.

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