Trapped by the Mafia Boss

Dinner

Ava Martinez

~•~

My eyes were fixed on the clock for hours. I was counting down to when Ruiz would return with my phone. I had been sitting for hours in the living room.

I tried watching a movie to pass the time but my eyes always lingered on the wooden wall clock. As soon as the time struck 7 pm, the front door creaked open and I rose from the couch.

My heart raced as I saw Ruiz walk into the living room. I had been waiting for what felt like an eternity to get my phone back.

I didn’t see any sign of my phone. He only held a brown box that looked familiar. “Did you bring my phone?” I asked as he walked towards me.

Ruiz smiled. “I brought something better.”

I frowned.

I didn’t want ‘something better’, I wanted my phone.

“Trust me, you’d like this one better.” He said as he placed the brown box on the center table. He opened it and brought out picture frames.

I had no idea how I started crying when he handed them over to me. Did he think bringing pictures of me and my family would make me happy?

It only made me sad. I was only reminded that my life had changed. And not for the better. As I saw my siblings, I remembered my dead parents.

If only I could go back in time, I wouldn’t have returned to Spain for Thanksgiving break. I wiped off my tears with the back of my hand.

“Can I have my phone now?” I asked, making it clear I was unimpressed by the picture. Ruiz had a puzzled expression registered on his face.

“I shouldn’t have brought the pictures?” He asked, gently placing them back into the box.

“Yes, you shouldn’t have killed my parents either. You shouldn’t have kidnapped me either.” I yelled, my eyes flashing with anger. “Can I have my f*****g phone?” I demanded.

Ruiz seemed entertained by my outburst. He was really a sick individual. Without saying anything else, he pulled out my phone from his back pocket.

I grabbed the phone quickly before he could change his mind. He was unpredictable and I didn’t want to take any chances.

“Thank you,” I muttered under my breath and turned around to the stairs.

As I was about to climb up, his husky voice echoed through the house. “Let’s have dinner together.” I was taken aback by his statement.

I turned around and looked him in the eyes. “No,” I replied firmly.

His lips curled into a frown. “Why?”

I didn’t hesitate before responding. “I already ate.” I lied and kept on walking.

There was no way in hell I was going to have dinner with him. I couldn’t even eat because I was nervous about getting my phone back. I had better things to do than eat dinner.

I locked the door behind me as I walked into my room. I checked the locks multiple times to make sure it was actually locked.

Why did he trust me enough to give me access to my phone? I couldn’t help but wonder if he was out of his mind. But I was glad he gave it to me.

The phone was dead and I didn’t have a charger. I groaned inwardly as I walked downstairs to ask him for a charger.

His face lit up in excitement as he saw me descending from the stairs. “You changed your mind about having dinner?” He questioned, his voice laced with playful sarcasm.

I shook my head. “No. I just need a charger.” I said, my tone firm, leaving room for no misinterpretation. “Did you bring a charger?”

Ruiz gestured towards the charger on the center table. Just as I reached out to grab it, he swiftly swooped in, snatching the charger and slipping it into his pocket with a sly smile.

“I’ll only give you the charger if you have dinner with me.” I knew he had something else in mind when he allowed me to leave when I declined his dinner offer.

“Fine!” I exclaimed, throwing my hands up in annoyance. There was no use going back and forth about the situation because he was just going to infuriate me further.

Ruiz, seemingly oblivious to my irritation, gestured towards the empty seat beside him. “The chef said the food will be ready in thirty minutes.” He said in a calm voice.

If looks could kill, he would be dead by now with the way I glared at him. “Why are you keeping me here?” I asked as I settled down on the couch. “What do you want with me?”

Ruiz leaned back in his seat. “I’m simply being a gracious host.” He said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “You’re welcome to leave if you please, but I think you’ll find the food is worth staying for.”

Everything that came out of his mouth infuriated me. He knew exactly what he was doing. He knew what I asked him about but decided to play dumb and give an entirely different answer.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves.

I didn’t bother clarifying my question. It didn’t matter anymore because I had my phone and was going to plan my escape.

In no time, I was going to be out of his prison and he was going to end up in jail for all the horrible things he had done in his lifetime.

After a while, the chef announced that dinner was ready and we made our way to the dining room. As we settled down, I was skeptical about eating the food because of what happened the last time I ate a meal that wasn’t prepared by me.

Ruiz noticing my hesitation asked. “Aren’t you eating? Should I fix you a plate?” I swiftly grabbed a plate and began serving myself.

I didn’t want him to fix me a plate.

My only comfort was that we were sharing the same food and he wouldn’t try to drug it. After about an hour, we were done with dinner.

“Can I have the charger now?” I demanded in a polite tone.

Ruiz nodded curtly, his expression unreadable. “Yes, you can.” He handed over the charger. His fingers brushed against mine as I took it from him, sending an involuntary shiver down my spine.

I didn’t entertain any further interaction, I quickly fled upstairs and plugged in my phone.