Chasing the Bartender

Unwell

DAVINA POV

After running into Jake down in the lobby, I began to feel uneasy. I always leave behind some emergency contacts whenever I've stayed in a hotel, especially when I would travel for digs or fights. I leave the names and numbers with the front desk, then have them written on a piece of paper and set in an obvious place in my hotel room. Leaving my suitcase next to the foot of the bed, I headed back down to the lobby and found Jake right where I left him.

"Is the hotel restaurant ok with you, Davina?"

"Yeah, sounds good." I give him a polite smile.

He walks right beside me the whole way. As we are escorted to our table, he notions for me to move ahead, closer to the waiter. Once seated, we place our drink orders. I was surprised he ordered wine in the middle of the day, but to each his own, I guess. When I asked for water, he pressed me to get something stronger, which I refused. The meal was slightly quiet and awkward. As our waiter brought out our food, right when he reached our table, he lost balance of the tray, causing the food to fall to the floor. I bent down to see if the young man needed help, as Jake jumped to his feet reaching across the table for me.

"Are you alright?" He asks me, concern etched on his face as his hand sat on my bicep.

"I'm fine." I say, looking up at him, then quickly back to the waiter on the ground trying to clean up the mess as he apologizes over and over. "It's fine, accidents happen. Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm ok." He looks up at me, surprised at my concern rather than anger at the situation. "I'll get you both new dishes, excuse me."

The rest of the meal passed by slowly, and I began to get a headache. Once we had finished and the bill was paid, we stood to leave. I lost my balance momentarily, and Jake caught me. He looks me over, checking for any reason I would suddenly be unwell.

"Are you alright? You don't look too good." He sounds so far away and muffled.

"I don't feel very well." I say, as I lose almost all my ability to stand on my own.

"Let's get you to your room." I hear faintly as everything else becomes muddled and unclear.

JAKE POV

Lunch couldn't have gone any better. The poor waiter I had to trip just to slip the drug into her water couldn't have distracted her any better. At the end of lunch, when it finally kicked in, I got her out of the hotel and into my car. The staff that stopped me along the way to see if everything was alright fell for my claim of taking her to the hospital.

I watched her through the camera I placed in the corner of the room, as she lay there with her ankle chained to the metal bed frame, still sleeping. After a few hours, she began to stir, so I made my way to her so she'd see me once awake. I sat in the chair just out of her reach waiting. When she opened her eyes, groaning as she moved her hand to her head, I hardened, knowing that soon I'll hear her groaning more.

"What the hell?" She says as she wakes up a little more, looking round some. "Where am I?"

"I'm glad you're finally awake." I say, causing her to jump as she looks in my direction. She sits up the rest of the way and moves to get up from the bed, when the chain stops her from even getting her foot on the ground. "My dear, I didn't want you to fight back against what we have, so I've made sure that until you accept being here, that we will both be safe."

"Safe? Safe?!" She says, her voice raising each time. "What did you do to me?!"

"I simply made sure you would come quietly." I shrug.

"How? When?" She asks, but I could tell the question was more towards herself. I'll indulge her anyway.

"The poor waiter made a great distraction. While you focused on him, I was able to drug your water. Alcohol would've made it kick in sooner and last a little longer, but you refused."

"Why are you doing this?" She asks, fidgeting slightly, clearly trying to see if there's a way to get the chain off of her.

"Because I love you, and you will be mine."