Zone Zero (Book 1 of 3)

Chapter 16

Without hesitation he lifts me from the floor and swings me over his shoulder as I hang helpless kicking and screaming.

"Put me down you maniac!" I yell and punch his back but he doesn't even flinch, instead he quickens his step as he takes me through the loft.

"Are you going to cool off?" He asks over my screams but I know that he won't put me down regardless of what I reply.

We enter a room and as his hits the lights, I am able to guess from the tiles that we are in a bathroom.

He wouldn't, would he?

I begin to kick and punch harder and scream louder for him to release me and then I hear it, running water.

He begins to lift me off his shoulder as I try to hang on for dear life, but before I can even take a breath he pushes me into a cold running shower and holds me there with one outstretched arm.

I stand drenched and in shock as I gasp loudly and glower at him.

"Now are you going to cool down?" His rhetorical question belts out along with a chuckle as he shows off yet another cheeky grin.

I am left standing soaked to my bones as ice cold water runs down my entire body sending chills into each muscle.

I give him the harshest death stare that I can muster as the water invades my eyes. I squint from behind the water drops and I see his grin slowly fade from his face.

He begins to loosen his grip of my arm and softens his stance which is when I strike.

I grab his arm with all of my might and pull him towards me. He is caught off guard and stumbles forward until he too is under the water. Except I pull too hard and he bowls me up so that I am trapped between him and the tiled wall of the shower.

He has both hands beside my head against the tiles as he looks down at me with the same shock I had plastered on my face only moments earlier.

This time I am the one grins from ear to ear as the feeling of power over Alex makes its way through me. I have bested him at his own game and he never even saw it coming.

I begin to laugh at the situation and throw my head back against the wall with a slight thud. Suddenly Alex is laughing too but not at himself, at me hitting my head and the noise it made.

We stand like this laughing at each other while the cold water drips down and seeps into our clothes. I am laughing so hard at this point, I almost forget that I am cold and I don't realize that Alex has now turned the water off and has stopped his laughing all together.

As my laughter comes to its end, I note that instead of smiling or laughing or giving anything away he is standing completely statuesque with both hands still planted beside my head. His face is completely blank and I feel a sudden strike of fear spread through me. Maybe this was too much.

Unexpectedly, Alex places one of his hands gently on my cheek and strokes softly with his thumb. I look up at him bewildered. I don't know what to do.

Slowly a quaint smile breaches his lips as he moves his face closer to mine.

I hold my breath in shock as he inches closer.

"Alex," Amelia's voice rings loud from the kitchen, "I brought more food. I even brought up some wine but it looks like you have already devoured most of my scotch."

Alex's eyes grow cold as he steps out of the shower and walks into the open space while I stay put dripping wet.

I finally let out my breath that I had been holding and place my own hand on my cheek where Alex had his. Was he about to kiss me? Confusion settles in and replaces the fuzziness from the alcohol. I don't understand, he was so angry at me earlier so why would he try to kiss me? I am his prisoner and he is taking me to god knows where yet he tried to kiss me. Why?