POV: KATHERINA
Luca woke me up at four am, all freshened up and ready. I’m not a morning person and wanted to go back to sleep, but I didn’t want to put Luca in a foul mood early in the morning and face his wrath.
He went downstairs to prepare breakfast for us while I packed the clothes he had bought for me.
The thought of leaving town didn’t sit well with me, and the fact that I was leaving with my kidnapper and abuser pushed my mood to the edge. I resented the fact that he had control over my fucking life.
I want to ask him about my family, but since Rickard was the one who told me that piece of information, and Luca still thinks I have no idea, I’ve kept my lips sealed.
I don’t know how he will react if I raise the question.
The door opened with Luca holding a phone to his ear as he spoke to me , “Done packing?”
I nodded, fearing my voice might betray my annoyance.
He eyed the bag I was clutching and raised an eyebrow.
“That’s it?” he asked.
“Yeah, I just took a few outfits,” I mumbled.
“A few? I bought you a whole damn boutique, and you packed only a few?” he asked, eyeing my bag.
Before I could open my mouth, he spoke , “Never mind. I’ll make sure that they are brought along. Come down for breakfast,” he said and started talking on the phone.
I observed him as he spoke in Italian, wondering whether he was an American or an Italian. His English was like an American’s, and he even looked like one. Tall and white.
As far as I’ve seen, Italian people have olive skin, making them look sexier than any people in the world, and when they speak English, their accent gives them away.
I looked away from him and walked out of the room.
There were two plates on the table and a glass of orange juice beside each. One of the plates was stacked up with six pieces of toast and two eggs, while the other had four pieces of toast and one egg.
Guessing the latter was for me, I sat down and ate my breakfast.
Luca came down, took his seat, and placed two slices and one egg from his plate to mine. I was about to argue, but he gave me a hard look that made me shut up.
“How many days will we be gone?” I asked softly, munching on the last slice and taking the glass of juice.
Luca, who had already finished eating, and was checking his phone, answered without looking at me.
“Days? We’re leaving permanently.”
“What do you mean?” I asked carefully.
He set the phone down and looked at me.
“It means wherever I go, you come too. We will be residing there till I say otherwise, and we are never coming back here again.”
His eyes were shining with pure bliss, watching my utter surprise.
“Are you kidding me? What the hell do you mean we’re not coming back!” I shouted, forgetting my fear of facing his wrath.
“Does it look like I’m kidding, tesoro?” His arms were folded in front of him, not a trace of playfulness in his eyes.
“I’m not going to follow you everywhere like a lapdog!” I seethed.
“We’re leaving now. Come on.” His voice was calm, but his patience was slipping.
“I already told you I’m not coming with you,” I said softly.
“This is the final time I’ll say it. You are coming with me, Katherina,” he threatened.
“And this is the final time I’m saying I’m not coming—Ah!”
It all happened too fast. A moment ago, I was talking, and the next, he grabbed my hair and pushed my head down so hard, it broke the plate in front of me.
I was numb for a fraction of a second, and then the pain surged through my veins.
“I’m fucking done playing nice!” he roared in anger.
“L-Luca,” I tried to lift my head as the glass sank into my skin, but the hand on my head was stronger and pushed me further down.
My eyes were blurring, and I felt cool liquid dripping down my face.
I was lifted up roughly by my hair and dragged out of the dining room in spite of my struggles. He was cursing all the while.
Taking deep breaths and ignoring the pain, I used all my energy to push him away from me. The impact made me fall down, but I was out of his deadly clutches.
“I’m not coming with you! I’m not leaving this place, not now, not ever!” I screamed my lungs out.
His nostrils flared in anger as he leaned down to reach for me.
“Don’t fucking touch me!” I slapped his hand away as he reached for my hair.
Clutching my throat, he started to lift me up, but I was too fast, swinging my fist to his jaw, hard. His hand released my throat. I quickly got up and ran toward the back door in the kitchen.
“You’re fucking dead, woman!” Luca growled.
His footsteps were fast and confident. Before I could reach for the door, I was flung back and fell hard on the floor. I let a cry pass my lips as I rubbed my aching knees.
“No, don’t touch me!” I shrieked, but one of his hands succeeded in grabbing my hair again, and the other swung forward to my right cheek. The metallic taste of my blood gushed into my mouth.
“Get up!” he shouted, lifting me and dragging me along.
“Take your hands off me!”
“Shut up!”
He shoved me up against the wall roughly, pinning my arms at my sides. He smashed his body into me, his eyes staring deeply into mine.
“Behave, Katherina.” His voice was dangerously low.
“Let go of me!”
I turned my face away from him, not able to push him away. Blood was dripping down the side of my face.
“No! Why don’t you get it in your fucking head that I’m not letting you go!” He screamed in my damn face.
Tears started to roll down my cheeks as I cried in front of him.
“All you have to do is obey and respect me, Katherina.” He dipped his head in the crook of my neck and licked the dried blood.
“I’m not coming. I don’t want to leave my hometown, please,” I cried hopelessly.
“Well, you need to come with me if you want to see your parents and your little Arabella again.”
I quickly looked at him. His eyes were cold, blank, and emotionless.
“Don’t do this,” I pleaded, staring right into his eyes.
“Then, behave.”
“Let my parents go, please.”
“I want them dead, Katherina. It’s because of you I’m holding back, one wrong move from you again, I won’t kill them, but I will make them suffer.”
His voice was dead serious, just like his hard expression.
“So, you’re going to use them to blackmail me every time I defy you? Coward!” I spit the words venomously.
He chuckled dryly.
“Yes.”
With that said, he threw me over his shoulder and carried me to his car. I said nothing. I didn’t even struggle. All my confidence, all my rage were gone when he blackmailed me emotionally.
Throwing me in the passenger seat, he started the car, driving at full speed on the empty, dark roads. I closed my eyes, leaning on the backrest as my headache increased.
My forehead was already wounded, and now I had another one. The blood that flowed right down to my chin was dried and sticky, but I did nothing to clean my tangled hair or the wound.
We reached a vast area of ground with a plane resting on it. He threw a bottle at me to wash my face and hair. When I was neat enough, we left the car in the parking lot and went to the airport.
Rickard was near the entrance, and when his eyes fell on me, they widened. I walked quietly behind Luca, diverting my eyes from him.
“What the fuck did you do now? The previous wound was not even close to healing, and you already gave her another one?” Rickard bellowed lowly when he approached us.
“Stay the fuck out of it, Rick,” Luca hissed in anger and walked forward, with Rick trailing behind, fuming.
“Where are Em and Cruz?” Luca asked.
“Already on the plane,” Rick replied gruffly.
“I need everything to be shifted there, Rick,” he said as we walked toward the plane.
When we entered the private plane, Cruz and Emmalyn were already seated on the right side.
Cruz looked at my body shamelessly when his eyes settled on my forehead. He gave me a smirk while Emmalyn was busy looking out the window.
Our seats were on the other side. I sat near the window, and Luca sat next to me, with Rickard in front of us.
The sky outside was still painted dark with no stars. It was probably five, and my eyes were burning from lack of sleep, and my headache only added more tiredness to make my eyes heavier.
Rickard politely gave me some painkillers, which I quickly took from him, muttering thanks. He gave me his usual kind smile, which I ignored yet again and looked out the window.
As the flight took off, Luca stuffed his ears with earplugs ignoring me, for which I was grateful. I leaned toward the window and closed my tired eyes, drifting off to sleep.
***
I was woken up by Rickard when the flight landed. Luca was gone, and so were Cruz and Emmalyn, leaving us alone on the plane.
“How are you feeling?” Rickard asked softly, giving me a chocolate bar, which I gladly accepted.
“Better, thanks,” I said.
“Welcome to London,” he said and motioned me to follow him.
Once we stepped off the plane, two cars were already waiting for us. Luca was talking to Cruz and Emmalyn before they went toward their car. Rickard and I got into the other one.
The ride was silent, and I watched out the window.
While crossing the London Bridge, I saw the river Thames glittering brightly in the fine rays of sun striking its surface.
I’d never visited London before. Actually, I’d never visited any place except for Italy.
Dad was born and raised in Italy, so we visited my grandma who lives on the Amalfi Coast during our vacation. She’s seventy-two and has lived alone since her husband’s death.
“We’re here,” Rick said from the front and killed the engine. The moment I got down, Luca was by my side. His strong arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me along, making me match his fast pace.
We entered a huge hotel where Rick had booked rooms for us. Cruz and Emm were already at reception and handed over key cards to Rick and Luca before we all got into the elevator and went into our rooms.
The room was elegant and huge, like an apartment. The whole room was designed in a classic way, illuminated with bright orange-yellow light.
The living room has sofas and a TV, and a huge balcony displaying the beautiful city outside.
They were two bedrooms, so I chose mine and walked inside, with Luca following me. Ignoring him, I turned around to shut the door, but he held it open.
“This is my room,” I growled in annoyance, not wanting to see him.
“And mine too,” he said with the same annoyance.
“I’m taking the other one then.” I tried to move past him, but he blocked my way.
“Then that’ll be our room,” he said.
I sighed and walked away from him.
He closed the door, removed his shoes, and slumped his huge body on the bed. I went to the washroom, got out the first aid kit, and tended my wounds.
When I returned, he was already fast asleep. For a second, just for a second, I thought about killing him in his sleep and running away.
The fact that my family was in his clutches and Rickard and Cruz were no less than he is, restrained me.
I walked out of the room, unable to look at him.
I ended up on the balcony. We are on the tenth floor, and it’s scary to look down and beautiful to look around.
Warm rays of the sun are something I rarely experience in Bridgehills, as the temperature there is always moderate or low. Everywhere I looked, they were buildings, roads, and people.
Since Amalfi Coast is the only place I’ve visited, I know nothing of the rest of the world.
All I’ve ever seen are kids running around on the slopes, trying to get a peek at all the bikini bodies at the beaches in Amalfi.
I looked around in awe at the tall buildings and busy people living their day-to-day life.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?”
My smile turned into a frown, and I stood still.
“I really don’t want to talk to you, Rick,” I said.
“Why? What did I do?” He came to stand beside me, holding the railing.
“I don’t know. You tell me. I got kidnapped by a total freak who happens to torture and blackmail me.”
Rick released a deep breath, his eyes leaving me and watching the beautiful city in the front with an amused smile playing on his lips.
“What’s so funny, Rick?” I growled.
“Nothing.”
“No, really, what is funny? The part where I was kidnapped, tortured, or blackmailed?” I asked, folding my arms.
Rickard looked at me with a grave expression. “None of those are funny to me, Katherina. Luca turned into a freak after he laid eyes on you, and that’s funny to me.”
“I’m sorry,” I sighed. “I don’t mean to be rude to you. It’s just hard, taking in everything that’s happened in such a short time.”
“I understand.” Rick nodded.
“No, you don’t,” I shook my head. “I don’t understand myself. I’m angry, I’m hurt, I’m hopeless, and I’m also turned on when he touches me.
“I want to call it rape and also manipulation, but I feel so guilty and ashamed of myself because I enjoy it when I finally give up after a futile fight. I just want to go back to my normal life and forget this ever happened.”
Rick scrutinized me with his powerful gaze, trying to figure me out like I’m a puzzle.
“You shouldn’t be so hard on yourself, Katherina,” Rickard spoke softly. “He thinks he owns you in every way, and that there’s nothing wrong in claiming you.”
“I am not a trophy and I hate him, I hate him so fucking much for doing all this to me,” I said.
“Then hate fuck him,” he replied. “Don’t think of yourself as a fucking victim. You’re a victim only to your thoughts, not to what someone does to you.
“You fear Luca, and that fear is what’s confusing you and keeping you a step behind him. Face him. Face him as if you own him as much as he thinks he owns you.
“Luca isn’t mental. He just loves feeding his demons and wants you to submit to him completely. And sometimes submitting isn’t cowardice, Katherina.”
“But… I don’t want any of these. I… I just…” I tried hard to put the right words, but I couldn’t.
“There is no other choice left for you, Katherina,” Rick said.
“He has your family, and if you need to get away from all this, from him, you can do it. You’ve got power over him, and only you can bring him to his knees.
“He belongs to you as much as you belong to him.”
I ran my hand over my face, trying to believe him, understand him. He was right. I shouldn’t be this weak and pathetic. But every time Luca turns cold, I want to disappear or run away from him.
“Come here, baby girl” Rick opened his arms and stepped forward, wrapping me in his warm embrace. I relaxed and laid my head on his chest as he rubbed my back in a soothing way.
“Will you please tell me what he did to Chris?”
“Nothing. He was dropped at a hospital. The doctors took it from there,” he replied softly above me.
“And my family?”
He stiffened. I looked up at him.
“They are safe, unharmed but confined.”
“Where are—”
“Katherina, please”
I stopped. This information was enough for now. If I had asked Luca, he would’ve gone mad.
“What is this?” I murmured, trailing my finger on the words tattooed beautifully on his arm.
“Cuore sanguinante,” he replied, unwrapping his arms from me but didn’t step back.
“What does that mean?”
“It means bleeding heart in Italian.”
“Bleeding heart, the flower?”
“Yes.”
“And what’s this?” I asked, looking at the blue-colored face of a strange bird.
“It’s a cassowary,” he stated, looking at it.
“Cassowary? I’ve never seen one,” I said. There was a kind of horn above its head. The image stopped just a little below its scary eyes, so I saw no beak.
“Aren’t you a science student?” he asked out of the blue.
“Yes, I am.”
“I thought science students were geniuses.”
“I’m glad I proved you wrong. Now, mind telling me?”
“I told you it’s a cassowary, a rare bird living in parts of Australia and New Guinea,” he explained.
I traced my finger along the eyes of the bird on his biceps. The eyes were beautiful, yellow and black.
“It’s beautiful,” I whispered.
“They are dangerous. They can kill a human with only their feet that have daggerlike nails.”
“They look scary yet beautiful,” I said.
That’s what beauty is. It’s always dangerous.” His words sounded aloof, as if they had some inner meaning, but I decided not to press.
“Do you have tattoos all over your body?” I asked.
“No, I don’t. Just on my arms and back, near the shoulders.”
I hummed in response and removed my finger from his tattoo.
“You should rest,” he said. “I need to go now. Take care.”
***
When Luca got up, he dressed up and left the room, but not before ordering me not to leave. I locked the room and spent the rest of the day inside.
I flipped through random channels, my thoughts running over what Rickard had told me. It gave me clarity, making me think in a different way.
Luca had cut off all my choices and kept me in his cage. There is absolutely no way to escape him.
The only way I’d get away from him is if he allowed me to or if he decided to leave me and find another one.
Obeying him and respecting him would protect me from physical injury, but submitting to him would give him control over my very self.
He wanted me to play my part, and I would do it, but I’d make sure he played his part too. That’s the only way I would get out of this hell.
When dusk fell, I took some painkillers and a birth control pill that Luca had bought from Kimberly for me and headed back to the balcony to look at the city bathed in different colors of light.
Chris traveled to London a couple of times for coaching. He showed me pictures from the places he visited and enjoyed.
From speedboat tours to visiting Warner Bros studio, he had the most fun in this city. I couldn’t help but smile, imagining him enjoying the time he’d spent here.
“Did Luca fuck you before he left? Is that the reason for your smile?”
I quickly got up and turned around to see Cruz leaning on the wall with a scary smile on his face, which sent chills down my spine.
“How the hell did you get inside, Cruz?” I didn’t care that my voice was unpleasant and unwelcoming. I also realized that Rick, too, had come in this way.
“Aww, you wound my heart, Rina. Is that how you treat a guest?” he asked in a mocking tone.
He was wearing a black T-shirt that clung to his frame and a black leather jacket, paired with black jeans. His neck tattoos were clearly visible, making his face look more prominent.
His eyebrows were arched, and there was something written above his left eyebrow in calligraphy.
There was an evil smile playing on his thick lips, which made a shiver run down my spine. He looked even scarier and more untrustworthy than Luca.
He looked like a cunning fox, unlike Luca, who was straightforward and pounced on his prey like a lion.
“Get out,” I hissed, keeping my posture confident.
His eyes turned sharp. He took the unfinished burrito from my plate and took a huge bite, all the while looking at me.
Throwing the rest carelessly back on the table, he started to munch on the food and licked his lips.
“Have you been to London before?” he asked, shoving his hands into his front pockets.
“Yes, I have,” I lied.
“Is it so? Is that why you didn’t hesitate to come with him?” He took a step forward, but I stood my ground, not showing any weakness.
“How did he find you, Rina?” he asked again when I didn’t reply to his previous question.
“I need you to get out, Cruz.” I folded my hands in front of me, watching him let out a cruel laugh.
“And why is that?” He took another step forward.
“Because Luca will be coming anytime soon, and I don’t want you to be here when he does,” I said, and I meant it.
“Luca and Rick have gone to deal with some unfinished business. They won’t be back until morning, don’t worry.” He took another step forward, and this time I took a step back.
“I-I’ll call the room service to clear this away,” I said and walked away to pick the telephone, but Cruz was faster and took it before I could.
“That won’t be necessary. The burrito is yet to be eaten,” he said, smirking down at me.
“I-I’m full, thanks.”
“No, not yet.”
I sprinted inside, searching for the main door. He was right behind me, laughing like a maniac. I tried opening the door, but it didn’t budge.
My fear amplified and it wasn’t like anything I felt with Luca. My hands were shaking as I banged on the door, hoping someone could hear it.
Cruz’s hand covered my mouth and pulled me back from the door. I started struggling in his grip, trying to get free as he pulled me to the bedroom.
I stomped hard on his feet, and his hands loosened around me. I made a run for the balcony. I’d rather jump into my own death than let his filthy hands touch me.
Before I could make it to the balcony, my right calf met with unexpected force, and my knees buckled as I let out a cry of pain and fell.
He was on me within a second. Clutching both my hands, he kept them firmly on my back while he nuzzled my earlobe.
“You know what, Rina? Luca shares everything with me and Rick, just like how he shared the keycard.” He bit my earlobe harshly, making me weep helplessly.
“Let me go!” I started to wriggle in his grasp. He turned me around and sat on my hips. My hands started to work immediately as I started beating him everywhere.
Cruz just laughed like a fucking psychopath and enjoyed my futile struggles.
“I don’t understand why you’re fighting me. Surely, Luca must’ve done you several times.”
My hands stopped, and I just stared at him.
“He didn’t rape me, you piece of shit. He fucked me as I wanted. Now get the fuck off me, or else I will kill you,” I threatened lowly.
His features turned grave, and there was no amusement in his eyes. I saw him clenching his jaw.
He slapped my right cheek hard, making me hit the side of my head on the floor. He got hold of my hands and held them above my head.
“I’m going to fuck you bloody and hang you from the balcony,” he snapped and pulled my shirt apart, tearing it in the front.
“No, no, no, please!” I begged him.
He chuckled at my pathetic state and squeezed my bra-clad breasts.
“Fuck! I couldn’t take my eyes off of these tits at the restaurant!” He grunted and pinched my nipples through the bra, making me scream in pain.
“Shut up!” He slapped me again.
Mustering up all my strength, I slapped his face and pushed him off me. I got up and went to jump from the balcony, but he was quicker and pulled me back before I could take another step.
He put me over his shoulder and walked toward the bedroom.
I started to hit his back continuously, but he paid no attention and threw me on the bed forcefully. His body was soon on top of me as he held my hands aside and started assaulting my neck.
I started kicking his sides.
“You’re feisty. Now I know why Luca chose to keep you.”
He chuckled and started removing my jeans. He slapped away my hands when I tried to prevent him. I started to push him off me, cursing and shouting at him.
“Slut!” He slapped me again and again, pulling my hair. I let out a strangled cry, trying to let out of his deadly grip.
“Please, leave me alone!” I didn’t stop trying to push his hands off me.
He banged my head on the headboard, and I stopped. My head started to spin, and my eyelids started to close. His hands were working on my jeans as he shouted at me.
I could hear nothing that he was saying. Everything was blurry and dim.
“No, don’t.” My voice was a mere whisper as I tried to push his hand away.
He slapped me again, and I felt my jeans coming down.
I couldn’t keep my eyes open. The lamp was glowing dimly. I blinked my eyes open and stretched my hand toward the lamp.
I could feel his hands holding me as he licked my inner thigh. Arching my back a little closer, I tried to reach for the lamp.
Tears continued to flow out of my eyes while his fingers hooked my panties.
“I’m going to eat your pussy—”
His sentence was cut off when the lamp crushed on his head with full force.
I pulled myself up and was soon out of bed. Slipping onto my jeans, I glanced at the man who was trying to get up from the bloody mess.
The side of his head was bleeding furiously, and he was cursing under his breath. My vision turned red, and I started punching him in the face.
I took the broken lamp and broke it again on his head before running to the closet to find something to wear, but it was empty.
Quickly going into the washroom, I slipped into the shirt Luca had been wearing before he showered and stepped out.
My breath hitched my throat when I saw Cruz standing with his hand on his bleeding head.
He looked at me with fiery eyes and started walking toward me with unsteady steps.
“I’m gonna kill you, bitch!” he growled.
Taking the nearby flower vase, I threw it at his chest. His body slumped onto me, and I fell back, hard on the floor. I let out a cry as the pain surged through my spine and all over my back.
Pushing the still body off me, I quickly checked his pulse and let out a sigh of relief when I felt it beating. Finding the key card in one of his pockets, I took it and ran to the main door.
Rubbing my face and my hair, I slid the key card and opened the door. There is no way I was staying in that room.
Closing the door behind me, I walked to the elevator. My mind was focusing on escaping Cruz as I stepped out of the hotel and walked into the crowded city.