Page 24 of Loving the Enemy
Chapter 10
Zaira
I wake up disoriented. The thick air smells like stale beer and rotten food. I’m blindfolded, and I’m being escorted. A voice says, “Here, this will be your room.” I know that voice. It’s Darius.
“D, what’s happening?” I ask.
“Shh, just be quiet, Zaira, and it’ll all be over soon.”
I’m scared and worried, but I do what he says. I’ve always trusted Darius, so if he says to be quiet, I do what he says. A door slams behind me, and the blindfold is ripped from my eyes. I first focus on the window and notice it is daylight. Before I can take in more of my surroundings, a hand slaps over my mouth and nose as another slaps against my head and pushes me to the ground. I don’t recognize the man holding me down, but I do notice Darius is standing by, watching.
Why isn’t he doing anything to help me?I struggle to get loose and try to scream, but I can’t. And then my gaze fixates on the two metal poles on either side of the room and the taut wire running between them. I look back at Darius, and my eyes plead with him to help me.
It doesn’t take me long to realize Darius is not going to help me. Darius has other allegiances.
Now, I am not just scared. I am terrified. The one person I thought I could trust above all has betrayed my family and the Vitalis—a fate worse than death from what I have been told. My mind wanders back to my father as I wonder what he would do if he were still alive.What would Michael do? Does Michael even know? Does Vince know? For all I know, they both think I am on a plane to Italy.
The other man takes some rope and wraps it around my ankles, then yanks my arms together behind my back and wraps the rope around my wrists. “I doubt you will be here long. Once Vitali gets word we’ve got you, he’ll fall in line and he can have you back.”Well, that answers that question.
He turns toward Darius and says, “Help me string her up.” He hikes up my dress all the way up to the top of my thighs and shoves me onto my stomach.
I’m so disgusted with Darius right now. I’m glad I am turned away from him. I can’t believe he would do this to me. I thought he was my friend.
The two men take a second rope and tie it to the one that is tied around my legs and my wrists. Once it is secure, they attach it to a wire hanging between the two poles. Now, I’m being hoisted into the air, facing away from the doorway to the room. I am dangling facedown about a foot above the floor. My neck is cocked, and my back is arched slightly, with my hands and feet bound behind me. They stuff a cloth into my mouth and duct tape it in place.
Darius pauses next to me and unzips his zipper.What the fuck is he doing?
“It’s a shame, doll, that the boss said ‘hands off’ where you are concerned. I bet he’s saving you all for himself.” He shakes his head, pulling out his erection. “Damn shame, I could make you feel so good. Guess I’m just gonna have to take care of things while you watch.” He masturbates right in front of my face. He’s disgusting, and I try to turn my head but can’t, so I close my eyes. Breathless from his ministrations, he whispers, “Since I am sure the boss is gonna have a go at you, I think I will leave him a present.” He reaches his climax and ejaculates all over me. “That’s what you get, darling, for not watching me.”
I’m thoroughly disgusted, but I keep my eyes closed. I hear the door slam shut and realize I am now alone. I swear to God, if I get out of this, Darius will regret it. And that’s just from me. I can only imagine what Michael will do to him. I’m beginning to truly understand the true meaning of vengeance.
Michael… Why didn’t I make a better point to see him before I left? If I don’t get out of this, he will never know how I feel about him. Please find me, Michael.
I try to remember how I got here.
Darius and I had left the party early. He said we needed to get to the airport. He said Michael’s jet had to be back and that we had to leave earlier than planned. He instructed Freddy to take us directly to the private airport here on the island where the Vitali plane was kept. However, the longer we drove, I realized we had long passed the airport. When I asked where we were going, D advised precautionary measures had to be taken. I prodded him to elaborate, but he told me not to worry about it. And, like a stupid idiot, I did what he said and didn’t worry.
No, I didn’t worry when I was taken away from the party early.
No, I didn’t worry when he said the Vitali jet had to be back.
No, I didn’t even worry when we had driven too long to be going to the airport.
And no, I didn’t worry when we pulled up to a house that looked like it came fromThe Amityville Horror.
Why? Because I trusted the lying son of a bitch!
We got out of the car and were approached by two men I did not recognize. One of them asked Darius, “All precautions taken?”
Darius nodded.
The man who spoke approached me, brought a cloth to my nose, and within seconds everything went black.
Now, as I hang from the two metal poles in this room, tied and gagged, I now know Darius is a traitor and I have no idea if Michael even knows yet that I’ve been taken. I wish I knew what this was all about. Perhaps if it is money they want, I know Vince will…
Of course they will try to rescue me, no matter what the cost. As soon as Michael finds out they have me, I know without a doubt he will move heaven and earth to get me back safely.
So many thoughts race through my mind. First and foremost is Michael. My love for him has never truly faded, even after all the lies. I pray he finds me. I think about my father. Vince and Michael were right, and I was too emotional and hurt to see it. He was a sadistic fuck. The realization of everything causes my heart to ache. Papà killed my mother. He changed my life that day, more so than he would have ever known. But really, he never cared. He never cared about her or any of us for that matter. Even in the end, I remember watching him run from the gunfire. He was more concerned with saving himself than his own children.
