Chapter 12 : The Kidnapping
933 Words
Teri’s POV – The Chase
Teri knew she was being followed.
She wasn’t an i***t.
She had felt the weight of their eyes on her for weeks.
And now, they weren’t even trying to be subtle.
She saw the black sedan in her rearview mirror, tracking her movements with surgical precision.
Every turn she took, they took.
Never too close—but never far enough to be a coincidence.
Her hands tightened on the steering wheel, pulse kicking up.
Okay. Stay calm.
She had gotten herself into this mess, and now she had to figure out how the hell to get out of it.
The city streets were too crowded for them to make a move now.
Which meant they were waiting.
Waiting for her to make a mistake.
Waiting for her to go somewhere quiet.
Alone.
Her stomach twisted.
Not happening.
Teri turned sharply onto a side street, weaving through the backroads, pushing her car harder than she should.
Hoping to lose them.
But the second she did—
The sedan sped up.
Oh, s**t.
Her heart slammed against her ribs.
They were done playing now.
They were coming for her.
Teri’s mind raced.
She needed to get to people. Crowds. Somewhere public.
She pressed her foot to the gas, gripping the wheel tight.
She could still shake them. She could—
Headlights.
Blinding.
Too close.
Another car.
Coming out of nowhere.
A sickening crash.
Tires screeching.
Metal bending.
A flash of movement—
And then—
Everything went black.
——Raf’s POV – Too Late
“Boss—she’s gone.”
Raf’s blood ran cold.
He froze, Enzo’s words slamming into his skull like a bullet.
What?
No.
No.
“What?” His voice was lethal. Low. Deadly.
“They have her.”
Silence.
Dark.
Deadly.
And then—
The entire room shifted.
Raf grabbed the nearest chair and threw it.
Wood shattered against the wall.
“How?” His voice wasn’t calm anymore. It was rage. Raw, unfiltered rage.
“They forced her off the road. Took her. Blacked out the cameras before we could track the plate.”
Raf’s vision blurred with fury.
He had known this would happen.
He had felt it coming.
And he had let it happen anyway.
His fault.
This was his fault.
“Where?” His voice was nothing more than a growl.
Enzo hesitated.
Then—
“We’re working on it.”
Not good enough.
Not even close.
“Work faster.”
He didn’t wait.
Didn’t think.
Didn’t breathe.
He grabbed his gun. His keys.
And then he was out the door.
Because if they thought they could take her from him—
They were about to learn exactly what kind of monster they’d just pissed off.
—-Teri’s POV – Waking Up in Hell
Pain.
That was the first thing she felt.
A dull, throbbing ache in her head.
Her ribs.
Everything.
Then—
Cold.
Her fingers brushed against rough concrete, and the realization hit her all at once.
She wasn’t in her car.
She wasn’t on the street.
She was in a room.
No windows. No light.
Her heart slammed against her ribs.
She forced herself to breathe. Think.
Okay. Focus.
Wherever she was, it wasn’t a random attack.
This was planned.
Which meant—
“You’re awake.”
Teri went still.
The voice was smooth. Cold.
A shadow stepped into view.
A man. Tall. Dressed in black.
Smirking like he had already won.
Her stomach dropped.
“Who the hell are you?” she bit out.
The man chuckled, tilting his head. “You don’t know, do you?”
Teri swallowed, her pulse hammering. “Know what?”
He crouched in front of her, his dark eyes gleaming.
“Who your little hero really is.”
She clenched her jaw, refusing to react.
But her heart—
Her heart was racing.
No.
No, this was about the attack. About whatever money or power play had gotten Raf tangled up in that mess.
That’s all this was.
But then—
“Raffael Esposito,” the man said, drawing out the name like a threat.
Teri froze.
Her breath caught.
Something deep in her gut twisted.
She knew that name.
Or at least—she had heard it before.
On the news. In whispers.
Stories about a man who wasn’t just powerful—
But feared.
Her stomach churned.
No.
No, it couldn’t be.
Because if that was true—
If Raf wasn’t just some rich, reckless guy but a full-blown crime boss—
Then she had just walked straight into a war she didn’t even know existed.
And she was the bargaining chip.
A weight settled in her chest, heavy and suffocating.
This wasn’t just about her.
This was about him.
About who he really was.
And the second that thought hit her—
The second she realized that this man, this stranger, had taken her not for ransom, not for leverage, but for punishment—
The cold, sinking terror crept into her bones.
This wasn’t about money.
It wasn’t about luck.
It was about making a statement.
Raf had enemies.
Enemies who wanted to hurt him.
And they had chosen her to do it.
Teri swallowed hard, forcing her expression into something sharp, something unreadable.
She wouldn’t let them see the fear.
Wouldn’t give them the satisfaction.
But inside?
Inside, she was unraveling.
Because this wasn’t just about who Raf was.
It was about what they were willing to do to get to him.
And she had no idea if Raf would get to her before they made their point.
- Writer
