ACCUSED

Chapter 1

"Let go of me," I yelled as I kicked the men holding me in the air, but they didn't seem affected,damn, they didn't even seem to care as they took me to their boss who was hands down the most handsome guy I had ever seen. He was tall, built,handsome and had a lot of tattoos, he could have been the man of my dreams if he wasn't kidnapping me right now.

"So it's you," he said as they threw me at his feet in some kind of basement.

"Huh, what do you mean by it's me," I asked looking rather puzzled.I mean what had I done to make Alrik Kinston, the mafia prince,the prince of fortune and many more of country X say it's me, and what the hell exactly was he doing in country M anyway.

"Oh don't give me that look," he said, breaking me out of my reverie, "you know you did it,"he continued.

"l know I did what," I asked confused

"Don't push my buttons you know you killed her. Tell me if you did it on your own or someone hired you. If it is the latter, kindly tell me the name of your employer or you can kiss your certificate goodbye."

"Excuse me Mr Alrik sir, but I think you've got the wrong person. I wasn't hired, I didn't do anything out of my own will and I most certainly not did not kill anyone." I yelled trying to sound brave and it actually worked but still, I was trembling inside. Anyways that could be counted among the worst mistakes of my life cause suddenly Alrik got up and held me by the hair.

"Don't test my patience woman," he breathed.

But I did, me being the type of girl that can never keep her mouth shut.

"But I don't....."

I didn't even finish my sentence cause suddenly my head was in a barrel of water I hadn't noticed before. I was struggling but it was of no use. He was stronger than I was and the water kept rushing through my nose and throat. The struggling reduced as I felt my eyelids drooping and my heartbeat slowing before he pulled my head out and whispered in my ear,

"This is just the beginning,"then he gave a sinister grin before I went out cold. Like I did all the times he put my head in water or tied my legs with a heavy stone and threw me into a pool. Everyday they used different brutal methods on me for committing a crime I knew nothing about.

"Has she said anything yet," Alrik asked his chief bodyguard with his hands crossed behind his back as he stood facing the floor to ceiling windows in his office.

"No sir, she hasn't said anything yet but....,"he paused hesitating

"But what", he asked, annoyed by his hesitance

"I think something is wrong with her sir"

"Do you think I care about that murderer"

"No sir it's just, she hasn't eaten for a week now, she's practically a living dead and she um...."

"She what"

"She coughs blood, a lot of it"

"So"

"I'm afraid shell die sir"

"Is it serious"

"Yes sir"

"Tell Jake to come over", he said after a long pause

"Ok sir", he said and left to call Jake

Thirty minutes later,

"Hey bro, long tym no see, what made u come back for your old friend, did u miss me, and by the way, what are you doing in country M."

"Shut up and follow me, you talk too much," Alrik said and headed for the basement whiles Jake rattled after him

"Give her a checkup", he said pointing to the girl who was out cold on the floor in the basement.

"God Alrik, what did you do this time, I mean it's not like you haven't done worse but look at her, she looks so fragile and so small, I thought you only do these things to criminals."

"Just give her a checkup and stop asking questions"

Yes "boss" he said the last part cheekily as he bent to check her pulse, thus getting a better view of her face.

"Jesus Alrik, she looks like, is she....,"he hesitated,too shocked and confused to continue.

"She's dead already Jake," Alrik said.

"Then who is this", Jake asked.

"Hurry up and treat her before she also dies and you won't get to know."

"Ok fine, but at least put her in a decent room"

"Sure, you can take her there yourself", he said and turned to leave.

"You're so heartless," Jake said in a low voice as he picked her up bridal style and took her to one of the medical rooms in the house.

"What did you do to her," Jake asked as he entered Alrik's office.

"I did what I had to do," he replied nonchalantly.

"By giving her aquaphobia?"

"That's none of your business"

"Well you'd better do your best to get rid of it"

"And why would I do that"

"Cause she's your ticket to supremacy."

"How"

"She has the same blood type as Mina"

"Impossible"

"I'm sorry but that's the truth. I think they are related cause they have the same genes."

"But she killed Mina"

"Do you have any solid proof to back that? wait don't tell me....is that the reason you've been tormenting her"

"And again, that is none of your business, your job is to take care of her, nothing more, nothing less."

"Ok well let's forget about that for now, good news is she's out of danger, bad news is, she has to undergo surgery, we have to get all that water out of her and until three months after the surgery she's gonna have some health complications so you cannot touch her. Plus she'll be going through therapy because of her phobia of both you and water. Turns out she's been having horrible nightmares with you in them and when I showed her your picture, she had a stress reaction so I'm pretty sure she might have a heart attack if she sees you in person."

"Take her away," Alrik said devoid of emotion.

"What do you mean by I should take her away, don't you realize how important she is, she can..."

"I thought you said she was scared of me"

"Yes I did but..."

"Take her to your hospital and make sure none of my brothers get a whiff of her existence, you got that".

"Yes sir",Jake said playfully

"And make sure they don't kill him, at least not now".

"Ok one miss... miss what"

"Ava, Ava Smith"

"One miss ava Ava Smith going out, he said and left to prepare for the trip"