A sudden bright light hit my eyes, making me squint. The bed felt unfamiliar and cold. The last thing I remember was being at the reunion. I had excused myself to go to the bathroom and...
I snapped my eyes open as I remembered what happened in the bathroom. A man grabbed me and choked me until I saw stars and descended into darkness. I thought I had died. Wait...did I die?
I struggled to get up. My head was throbbing. I feel pain, so that means I'm alive, right? It had to be. I looked around the room and recognized nothing. The room was damn near empty. All it had was a small dresser, an ugly painting of a house, and the bed I was sitting in. It was the emptiest and the most unappealing room I've ever seen. Whoever decorated this room ought to be ashamed of themselves.
The door suddenly opened, so I went into alert mode, prepared to attack whoever was on the other side.
"Oh look, the sleeping fairy has finally awakened," a man I didn't recognize sneered at me.
Sleeping fairy? Is this supposed to be a gay joke? Dumbass.
"Who are you? Where am I?" I asked.
"Easy, pretty boy. Your questions will be answered. For now, just hang tight and wait for the right time. Don't try anything funny, or there will be consequences," the man said.
I looked at him closely. He was six feet tall with a thick beard and sharp nose. He had dark brown eyes and black hair that matched the beard. He was an average looking guy that can blend into any crowd without anyone noticing.
"No point in gawking at me. You don't know me. I'm only following the instruction of my boss. He'll come speak to you soon and answer your questions," the man said.
Who is the boss? The man left the room before I had the chance to ask. I guess I'll be waiting for his arrival.
I've only seen these types of things happen in movies. How did I get wrapped up in this? Who would want to kidnap me?
The door opened again, and I expected the bearded man to walk in, but it wasn't him. My eyes turned wide as I recognized the person in front of me.
"We meet again, young man. Sorry, it had to be under these circumstances," Anthony Macera said.
Wait...why is Jacob's dad here?
"Mr. Macera..."
"Please call me Anthony," he interrupted me.
"Anthony. What's going on? Why did you bring me here?" I asked.
"I will be the one questioning you, son. You are in a whole lot of trouble. Do you even know who I am?" he asked.
"You're Jacob's father," I said innocently. "And a goddamn kidnapper."
"Good job. But I'm not just Jacob's father. I am one of the most powerful men in the city. People fear me," Anthony said.
"What does that have to do with me?" I said irritably.
"You've crossed the like by being involved in my children's life," he arched his brows.
"Jacob? If you have a problem with me going out with Jacob, I'll be more than happy to call it quits. It's not like we are serious or anything," I shrugged.
"I'm not talking about Jacob. He is free to date anyone he wants. I'm talking about Melissa. As you may or may not know, she is engaged to Ethan Miller. It was a part of the deal his father and I worked out and you are getting in the way by being involved with him. It seems that Ethan has taken a liking to you, and it'll interfere with my business. I can't let that happen," Anthony said grimly.
"Ethan and I have known each other since high school. Way before Melissa met him!" I exclaimed.
"I don't care how and where you met him. I need you to stop seeing him. Quit the job, so you don't work under him anymore and move out of town. Then never contact him," Anthony said.
Never see Ethan again? I closed my eyes and tried to imagine my life without Ethan. Isn't that what I always wanted since I hated him? Ever since I moved out of my shitty hometown, my goal was to not think about that bully Ethan. But now I have the perfect opportunity to be rid of him. I suddenly feel pressure in my heart. No, I can't leave without Ethan.
"No," I said.
"Think about what you are saying. You could walk away from here, unharmed. All you have to do is agreed not to see Ethan again. If you choose not to comply with me, my men will chop your hand off and feed to the dogs," Anthony snarled.
Jeez...who is this man? Is he in the Mafia, or what?
"I won't leave Ethan," I said determinedly. I must've lost my mind. Why am I risking my life for that asshole? Was he because he told me he loved me? Why do I believe him in the first place?
"Very well then. You've decided your fate. Don't blame me for what's to come," Anthony grinned. "Luke, Marco! Get your asses in here and take Romeo to the kitchen!" he shouted. Two burly men came inside the room and grabbed me. Then dragged me away to a small kitchen and forced me to sit in the dining room.
"What's going on? Is it dinner time already?" I joked. Maybe I should just shut up, but this whole situation was ridiculous to me.
Luke or Marco grabbed my hand and pinned it on the table while the other one sharpened a knife. Oh shit...am I going to lose some fingers, Quentin Tarantino style? Anthony came inside and sat in front of me. "It's still not too late to change your mind. I will give you one last chance. Are you going to move away and never speak to Ethan again? And don't bother lying because my men will watch your every move," Anthony said calmly.
So not only that I don't get to see Ethan, I will be stalked and watched for the rest of my life? "No. I'm keeping Ethan. He loves me and not your Melissa. Time to accept that, old man," I said firmly.
"Alright, as you wish. Go ahead, Luke, chop off his hand," Anthony ordered.