The Deep End

Chapter 5

•Polina•

When I thought I'd end up being a captive to the Italian mafia this wasn't even close to how I expected it to go. I assumed I'd be hanging on the brink of death by now, begging for him to just kill me already, not lying on a mattress with a pillow under my head and a thick blanket covering my body. He even let me shower. It's confusing and I worry that's his plan. A game of hot and cold so I never know which side of him to expect. I question whether this is just another trick of his.

I curl up into a ball under the blanket, bringing my hand to my chest and feel my heart beating through the thin cotton of his shirt just to be sure it's not a dream.

Ba-bum. Ba-bum. Ba-bum.

It's real, I actually am alive.

He said the more I showed he could trust me the more freedom I'd gain. Would he give me enough freedom I could ultimately escape? Hope spreads its wings far and wide in my chest at the thought. Unless they've moved them I know where all the cameras and motion detectors are. I got in the community so I have no doubts that I could get out of it. I just have to out from under this man's grasp first. I could do it for my sisters.

I'd do anything for them.

It's the last thought I have before I hear a noise and startle awake hours later. I hadn't even realized I'd fallen asleep I'd been so exhausted. The room is pitch black, I can't even see my hand in front of my face. The lights suddenly flick on and I'm blinded by the fluorescent bulbs. I groan and cover my eyes, the chain attached to the shackle around my wrist clinking together as I move.

"Hello, topolina." Riot says, his voice much closer to me than I expect it to be.

I squint up at him as I sit up, my eyes trying their best to adjust to the lighting. He places a tray of food down on the floor beside the mattress, crouching until we're almost eye level.

"Give me your hand." He says. I offer my shackled one to him and he grips my forearm tightly. "I'm going to remove this and take you to the bathroom. Do not do anything stupid."

The wound on my head throbs telling me just how ignorant it would be to try anything right now so I give him a silent nod in reply. I'll be patient and wait it out, earn his trust and hopefully take full advantage of that by escaping.

He removes the shackle and rises, snapping his finger at me and pointing up toward the ceiling. I stand up, fighting the urge to glare at him over treating me like I'm a dog under his command. He grips the back of my neck and guides me up the stairs and onto the main floor of his house. My steps are slow and my body is sore but I bite back any complaints that are on the tip of my tongue.

His house is dark and beautiful. When he took me upstairs to shower I noticed everything is decorated in deep, moody tones that seem to match him well. Pale wood floors, midnight blue, deep purple and black painted walls with large windows and dark furniture. It reminds me of a modern day vampire lair. I'd appreciate the decor more if I didn't happen to be Dracula's prey.

We step inside a powder room that contains only a toilet and a sink. Black subway tiles line the walls, the flooring is a white and black honeycomb tile. There's a large mirror hanging above the dark bronze sink and the counter top is a pale oak slab. Riot releases his hold on me and pushes me toward the black toilet.

I turn around to face him as he stands there, leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed. His lips twitch and his finger taps a rhythm against his bicep. His amber eyes gleam with something wicked and I fight a shiver at the sight. He always looks like he's on the verge of doing something heinous. Like every fiber of his being itches to cause destruction and the only thing keeping him from it is the hold he has on the demon within him. How easy it would be for him to release it and wreak havoc upon the world, bathing us all in blood. The thought makes my heart race in fear. God, he's truly the scariest man I've ever encountered. How will I survive him? I have no choice but to.