Run, little kitten

Chapter five

(𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐃 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐏𝐎𝐕)

The bar was too loud.

That's the strange thing about being sober after getting drunk.

You hear everything.

The clinking of the glasses, the bartender yelling out orders, the bad music and the men and women laughing loudly at the tables.

Their sounds irritated him.

Jay glanced at the glass in front of him.

Water, f*****g water.

The bartender was already staring at him like he was sick.

Where the f**k did Sleddin disappear to?

Jay thought in his head.

She was gone for 38 hours, no calls, no texts, no location, nothing. Her apartment was locked from the outside, and her bag was with Rosetta.

He had just looked away from her at the club, surrounded by crowds of people, and the next thing, she was gone.

And then, there was Mira.

His little sister, still with Derek and still held hostage. The mafia bastard who thinks he owns her because he paid her college debt.

Jay rubbed his face, his hands shaking terribly.

He turned to Sleddin’s phone placed on the counter. She had left it behind.

Why would she do that?

The last message was sent two days ago, at 1 a.m., the night before she disappeared.

It was to her grandma.

"Hey Grandma, I need to see you and Grandpa. Can I see you tomorrow?"

Jay's chest tightened. As far as he knew, Sleddin's grandparents had been dead a long time ago.

Then who was the message sent to?

The door of the bar swung open, and Rosetta walked in. She had her coat wrapped around her, her eyes red from crying. She scanned the bar, and when she saw me, she ran towards me.

"Jay," She said, breathless. "Any news? The police said they can't file for 48 hours. It's been 38 hours-"

"They won't do s**t!" He cut her off and showed her the last sent message on Sleddin's phone "See"

Rosetta read the message, her hand covering her mouth.

"But they are dead"

"That's what I don't understand!" He snapped in rage, standing up on his feet and sliding some cash on the counter. "I know someone took her, and I believe it's that bastard stalker who's been after her"

Rosetta looked at him, confused. " Stalker?"

"Forget the cops, I'll find her myself." He said, looking away

Immediately, Rosetta grabbed his arm "Are you insane?! " She yelled in his face ", Where are you going? Where will you start from?"

Jay released his arm from her grip, causing her to stumble back, but she caught herself in time.

"I'll find her", He muttered, walking out of the bar, not daring to look back.

(𝐒𝐋𝐄𝐃𝐃𝐈𝐍 𝐏𝐎𝐕)

I can't stay here under another Moretti.

I stared at the ceiling in the bedroom Zade locked me in.

If I stay here much longer, I'll die.

I had to escape.

I waited till 2am when the house was quiet. I had watched through the window all evening. The guards changed shifts, and I overheard one of them talk about taking a break between 2:10 AM and 2: 20 AM. There was a blind spot on the east side near the kitchen, where they threw trash out. Behind that trash area was a forest. A thick, dark forest.

10 Minutes for my escape.

I didn't have any shoes. I took a bed sheet from the wardrobe and tied it round my waist. I put the small kitchen knife from the dining table I stole inside it.

No one noticed. Not even Zade.

I opened the window. I was on the second floor. I threw the duvet down first and then jumped. My legs screamed in pain, but I didn't stop.

I ran.

I realized it immediately when I entered the forest. This wasn't a normal forest behind the mansion. This was a wild forest. There was no road, no path. The mansion was built in the middle of nowhere. No one would hear me scream.

I ran deep inside, ignoring the sharp pains in my hands and feet.

The bushes were thick and full of thorns. My feet were bleeding within minutes. My dress tore.

But I kept on running.

Then my leg brushed against something, and it burned.

I stopped and looked down at my knee. It was covered with red leaves. Venomous plants. The leaves had tiny hairs that felt like fire. I cried out but bit my lip to stay quiet. I tried to wipe it off, but it spread.

Shit. I cursed.

I heard tiny rustling sounds and looked up ahead, my eyes widening at what I saw.

Scorpions.

Small black ones all over a fallen log. I stared in horror. I didn't even notice the one close to me.

It stung my palm, and immediately, I kicked the log away.

The sting hurt so bad that I screamed at the top of my voice. I fell backwards, my body shaking terribly. I shook my hand violently. My vision began to blur.

I couldn't move an inch. The poison from the plant and the scorpion sting were making me dizzy. I was going to die.

Here. Alone.

That's when I heard the branches snapping.

Heavy footsteps.

"Kitten?"

My eyes lit up.

That voice. Zade.

A flashlight hit my face, and he was standing over me, breathing hard. His white shirt was half open, his chest moving up and down.

His eyes were wild.

He looked down at me. Dirty, bleeding, drowned in tears. My swollen hand was twice as big from the sting.

For a second, I thought he would help me.

But I was wrong.

His face changed. That cold, amused look and something darker came out.

"You", he growled, so angry his voice shook. "I tried. I swear to God I tried to be nice to you"

He grabbed my uninjured arm and yanked me up to my feet roughly. I yelled in pain.

"I gave you clothing, food, I made sure you weren't poisoned and a room. And what did you do? You ran away?!"

"Let me go! I can't stay here! I hate you! You're just like your brother!" I sobbed, hitting his chest with my weak hand.

He dragged me. Dragged me through the same thorns that cut me. He didn't care that I was bleeding and barefoot.

"The same person you killed?!" Zade yelled at the top of his voice; his grip was like iron. "I'm not like him; I'm different, worse, dangerous. You want to see the demon, right? Congratulations. You just brought him out"

We got out of the forest, and the guards were there holding lights and completely silent.

Zade threw me over his shoulder like I weighed nothing and walked back into the Mansion. My dress was torn to my thighs, my hair full of leaves.

He kicked open the bedroom door and threw me onto the bed.

I tried to crawl away, but he climbed over me, pinning both my wrists above my head with one hand. Using the other, he grabbed my swollen hand, examining it.

He was breathing against me. His blue eyes were burning with rage.

"You want to escape, Kitten? There is no escape. We are surrounded by 50 miles of this forest, and the only thing you'll find out there is death. And death is not allowed to have you; only I am"

He let go of my wrists and brought out something from his pocket. A small medical kit.

He cleaned my leg where the plants burned me; his touch was rough. Then, he injected something for the scorpion sting.

I screamed out.

"Shut up!" Zade snapped at me. You were brave enough to enter it; now be brave enough to endure it"

He bandaged my leg, my hand and the. stood up.

He looked down at me, his white shirt stained all over with my blood.

"You tried the nice, Zade." He whispered. "You don't get to leave this room. Get ready to meet Zade Moretti"

He walked out the door and locked it from outside. Immediately, the lights went off.

I lay there in the dark, my body burning in pain. My escape plan had failed. I just made everything ten times worse.