Ransom Ch. 02

Hi readers! Apologies for the delay, I've been slowly tinkering away here and there at this story, but finally have another chapter for you! Hope you enjoy it - I'm a relatively new writer with much improvement to come so I am grateful for all constructive criticism and suggestions.

-AmandaSarah xx

*****

"It's just up here on the left," Mira stated the obvious as Carl steered the car towards the extravagant construction belonging to the Brooks family. The first time she'd laid eyes on it was as a small schoolgirl on her first play date with Kailee. She'd known her own parents' luxury apartment was glamorous because of the awed expressions of visitors when they first arrived, but the Brooks' manor was on a completely new level and she was convinced her classmate was royalty. It was a breathtaking two-storey, grey cobblestone mansion with four full length windows mirroring each other either side of the entrance. Directly above the front door was a small balcony which Mira had often looked out from as a child, pretending to be Juliet awaiting her Romeo. The height offered a distant view of the riverside, but also presented the opportunity to appreciate the Brooks' lush rose gardens. The driveway, which had once been old orange bricks, was now made of large black and grey masonry tiles, outlined by fresh green plants and just enough lanterns to light the path on an evening.

The engine switched off and Carl's hand moved from the gear stick to the lace hem of Mira's dress. Her head was spinning and she jumped slightly when she felt his eager hand breach her bare thigh.

"No need to be jittery, babe," he whispered as his palm moved ever so slightly upward, "I'm just exploring..."

His pale blue eyes were glassy with alcohol and lust as he dipped his head down, sliding his tongue between her lips and making her squeak in surprise. His hand continued to wander up her skirt and she found herself trying to push him away.

"Carl, p-please," she panted as the kiss was broken. A flash of annoyance crossed Carl's features, but then his look softened.

"It's okay, baby...you want to take things slow, we can do that."

His hand left her thigh and he slid out of the car, strolling around the other side to open the passenger door. Mira took his offered hand graciously and together they walked towards the front door.

The porch was dark and uninviting, and Mira was full of hesitation. For all she knew, Kailee may have misplaced her phone. Once, when they were children, they'd played a game of Hide and Seek in a park not far from Kailee's house. Mira had spent all morning looking for her friend who was usually so easy to find because of her height, but Kailee was nowhere to be found. Together, Kailee's parents, her brothers and Mira had searched the entire neighbourhood until they eventually found her, sitting in the tallest tree in the park. She'd decided it was a brilliant place to hide, and rather comfortable, until she discovered she was unable to climb back down. She had been much too stubborn to call for help and so it wasn't until her entire family was directly below her calling out anxiously that she finally revealed herself and her predicament. Her father had been furious with her, but the boys thought it was hilarious; a 14 year old Nathan had climbed up to help her down, much to Kailee's dismay - she hated having to be helped by anyone, let alone one of her tormenting older brothers.

"We going to stand out here all night or are you planning on pressing the doorbell?" Carl's voice, though teasing, held a slight note of irritation. Mira took a deep breath before pressing her finger to the white button. The muffled sound of chiming bells could be heard even through the thick wooden door and Mira cringed. She knew firsthand the echoing affect that doorbell had in every room of the house; it wouldn't be a pleasant sound to wake up to. It was at least two o'clock in the morning and, even on a Saturday night, Nathan was bound to be sleeping. Within a few moments, the overhead light flicked on and she self-consciously brushed her tangled blonde strands out of her face; aware of Carl's persistent gaze.

The door opened abruptly and Nathan stood in the doorway, wearing only a pair of grey track pants. His eyes were weary and brow creased in confusion.

"Mira, what's going on?" He glanced in Carl's direction, giving him a disapproving look over before returning to Mira. "Is everything okay?"

"Oh Nathan, I'm s-so sorry to wake you," she stumbled over her words as the effects of the alcohol continued to course through her body. "It's just Kailee - I haven't heard from her and y-y-see-"

"How much has she had to drink?" Nathan's dark green eyes bore angrily into Carl who stared back at him like he had just asked him if his jacket was made from real leather.

He snorted derisively, "Relax man; she's only had a few and I'm taking good care of her," he wrapped a lazy arm around Mira's tiny waist possessively and within seconds, Nathan went from moderately angry to completely rigid.

"Did you drive here under the influence, boy?" His tone reflected an iciness Mira knew too well and she clumsily stepped forward to assure him she was fine, but before she had the chance, Nathan was standing less than an inch away from Carl, his hands fisted.

"You're one of those Duchenne boys, aren't you?"

Mira had always said Carl's name with awe, but it came out of Nathan's mouth like a dirty word. Carl didn't miss the implication and narrowed his eyes at the towering man in front of him.

"I'm Carl Duchenne and I'll have you know, my father is at the top of the-"

"Your father has forced his way to the top by talking shit and stepping on the toes of respectable businessmen."

"Nathan!" Mira hissed, shocked by his insolence. He ignored her protests.

"And judging by the wine spills on your shirt, you barely know how to look after yourself, let alone a young lady."

Carl's face reddened as Nathan leaned in closer, lowering his voice. "Now get your daddy's Porsche out of my driveway before I call security."

Carl's hands were fisted and Mira could see his chest rising to match his anger. The two men stared each other down for what seemed like an eternity and she watched on uneasily, waiting for one of them to take a swing at the other. Instead, Carl let out his breath and turned to face her.

"Clearly I'm not welcome here, but if you're after some more pleasant company, you have my number." Despite Nathan's glare, he leant in and gave Mira an intimate kiss on the length of her neck before turning swiftly towards his car.

Mira turned to go after him, but a tight hand on her wrist pulled her back.

"Nathan, let go! I can't believe you - Carl will never talk to me after-"

"Good." Nathan pulled her into the warmth of the house, holding her steady with an arm around her shoulder. She couldn't help but blush as she noticed the perfection of his bare stomach that was so very warm against her side.

"The Duchennes aren't people you should be associating with. It's pretty clear by the state you're in, that boy was only after one thing from you." The words tumbled out of his mouth with disgust. He sat her down on the lounge and she lifted her chin haughtily.

"Carl isn't like that; he's been a gentleman all night!"

Nathan ran a hand through his dark hair and sighed in exasperation.

"Jesus, Mira. You can do better than that dickhead."

She was taken aback by his comment; she'd expected a lecture from her best friend's brother, but not a compliment. If only Kailee was there to hear him...

"Kailee!" Mira jumped up and Nathan grabbed a hold of her elbow, steadying her. She'd been so wrapped up in the drama at hand that she'd lost track of why she was there in the first place.

"It's okay," Nathan turned towards the staircase, "I'll go wake her." Mira stopped him before he could take a step.

"Wait! I'm n-not sure she's here..." she bit her lip as he raised an eyebrow at her. "She was...ahh...on her way to meet me at the party..." her voice dropped as she saw his eyes darken slightly, "...but she never turned up..."

Nathan turned swiftly and ascended the stairs two at a time with a stumbling Mira scuttling after him.

"Kailee!" His voice boomed when he reached the top of the stairs. He flung open her bedroom door and Mira's heart dropped as she saw the empty room, window wide open from Kailee's descent.

"Fuck!"

"What's going on?" A pyjama-donned Paul appeared in the doorway, concern brandishing his soft features. If the situation were less serious, Mira might have laughed at the way his ruddy blonde hair stuck up in odd places, but she couldn't even bring herself to smile.

Nathan growled as he paced the room furiously, "Kailee's climbed out the fucking window again - that's what's going on!"

Paul turned and disappeared down the stairs just as quickly as Nathan had climbed them. Strong hands fell on Mira's shoulders and she jumped around unexpectedly, her hands brushing against Nathan's chest. He didn't seem to notice the intimate contact.

"When was the last time you heard from her?"

"Ahh...it would have been around m-midnight. She was on her way to meet me at the Northmount...I haven't heard from her since then." Her eyes started to well up as the alcohol heightened her emotions. "It...it's not like her not to call me back..."

"She took my freaking car!" Paul's discontent echoed up the stairs.

Nathan put a comforting arm around Mira, who now had tears streaming down her face. "Don't worry. Paul's car can be tracked. We'll find out where she is." Mira knew he was reassuring himself as much as her.

***

The sound of clanging dishes awoke Kailee with a start and she jumped in surprise at Jakob standing over her.

"Woahh, girl," he backed away and Kailee wondered if it was to calm her or if he was worried she would lash out. "I'm just here to feed you." She followed his glance to the table beside her and winced as the movement caused a dull pain down the back of her neck. Sleeping in shackles had proven to be more uncomfortable than she'd thought, not to mention the piece of fabric she'd been given as a pillow. Despite the warm weather, the room was chilly and other than a thin blanket, she'd only had her dress to keep her warm throughout the night. Following Dominic's rough handling of her she hadn't been in the right frame of mind for sleeping anyway. Instead, she'd spent the majority of the night with her thoughts; why she was here, who her abductors were and, most importantly, how she was going to get out of this mess. Most young women in her situation would have feared the worst, but although Kailee was a realist, she was also a strong believer in the power of positive thinker and, above all, she was a survivor.

She picked up a piece of what looked to be two-day-old rye from the table beside her and raised an unimpressed eyebrow at her attendant.

"Bread?"

Jakob placed a jar of cheap strawberry jam on the table and mock bowed, "With fine preserves, madam."

She ignored his jest and took a moment to look about the room. Now that the room was better lit, she had the advantage of scoping out any escape routes. There was only one door to the room which was directly opposite the bed, and the only window on her right hand side had been barred and blacked out. It was an unusual room to hold someone captive - almost a bedroom, with the exception of the sink at the back of the room. Kailee felt heated again at the memory of Dominic tossing her mother's necklace down that basin. But she found that it wasn't the loss of the gold pendant which fuelled her anger as much as losing at her own game.

"Are you going to eat that before it grows mould?" Jakob was watching her intently. He had a cheeky twinkle in his eyes that reminded her of her brother Paul, but she shoved the thought out of her mind as quickly as it had appeared.

"I'm not hungry."

Her gaze fell to the flaking red polish on her overgrown nails. If she'd made it to the Northmount, Mira would have scolded her for not applying a fresh coat. When it came to dress standards, etiquette and manners, her childhood friend put all the other ladies in their circle to shame. As an adolescent in a male-dominated household, Kailee had been blessed to have Mira in her life providing her with essential feminine tips she would have otherwise missed out on.

The weight of the bed shifted as a cautious Jakob planted himself on the edge of the bed.

"Look princess, I've got clear instructions to stay here until you eat, so if you want me to leave you're gonna have to clear that plate." Although his words were insistent, he spoke softer than Kailee expected and she was surprised to see kindness in his eyes. He was a somewhat gawky looking man, yet playful with laugh lines around his eyes and an oddly receding hairline for someone so young. His nose sat plump and crooked and she looked down at the knuckles of her right hand, noting the angry purple bruises that matched the one in the centre of his face. She couldn't help but feel a bit pleased with herself for the damage she'd caused. Lifting her eyes to meet Jakob's, she decided it was time for answers.

"How much are you asking?" she demanded.

Jakob's eyes widened in surprise, "Asking for what?"

Kailee returned his ignorance with a knowing smile. "Well you've obviously kidnapped me for money," she stared him down, "So what's your asking price?"

He cocked his head to the side in fascination. "You know, you've got more wits about you than the average eighteen-year-old girl."

"Nineteen." She corrected and Jakob threw her a questioning glance. "I'm nineteen next week. Now answer my question."

Jakob regarded the pompous beauty in front of him and considered giving her an answer, but then shrugged noncommittally, "Sorry sweetheart, I can't share that kind of information with you."

"Why's that?" she scoffed, "Your boss man doesn't allow you to talk to the prisoners?"

She was quick to retaliate and he shook his head at her persistence, but gave her no answers.

"Will he be paying me a visit today?" I have a few questions for him too."

Jakob's expression quickly changed from amused to sour. "Now don't go causing yourself more trouble," he snatched up her untouched plate from the bedside table. "Dominic isn't a man to be taken lightly."

In the solemness of his tone, Kailee took his words as a genuine warning, but she shrugged nonchalantly, "I'm too important in this transaction for him to cause me any real harm. So come on, tell me how much I'm going for?"

Jakob held a look on his face that told her she should rethink her judgement, but to her surprise he chuckled. "What does it matter anyway? A pleasant girl like you; I'm sure your brothers would pay anything to get you back home. Now eat!" He shoved the plate in her face, but she turned her nose up.

"I'd prefer a coffee."

Jakob let out a heavy sigh. "Of course you would." He crammed the piece of bread in his mouth, and chewed noisily.

"All we have is instant," he said between mouthfuls, "so no fancy skinny...soya...lattes or whatever."

"Instant is fine." Kailee watched as he devoured the last of the toast, then stood and made his way to the exit.

"Don't go anywhere," he teased before bolting the door shut behind him.

Kailee immediately sat upright and examined the metal cuffs securing each of her wrists. They were at least five centimetres wide and about two millimetres thick. They were too tight even for her slim hands to slide underneath, but she tried anyway, cursing as her thumb refused to squeeze through the shackle. Removing them was no possibility without a key or at least a paperclip. She scolded herself for wearing her hair out instead of styling it; a bobby pin would have come in handy right now. The chains trailing her wrists ran about a metre in length and were anchored to the wall just above her head. She brought herself to her knees facing the wall and ground her knee bones firmly into the mattress. Using all of her strength, she pulled on the manacles in an attempt to loosen the holdings, but they didn't budge. She continued heaving until her arms became fatigued and angry red rings appeared around her wrists. Letting out a growl of frustration, she let her face fall into her knees in defeat.

Her head jolted up as she heard the familiar clunk of the door unlocking and she scrambled back under the blankets and into an unsuspecting seated position, leaning casually against the backboard with her eyes closed.

"You'll find those restraints are quite impossible to escape."

Kailee's eyes flew open at the accented voice. It wasn't Jakob returning with her coffee, but Dominic standing arms crossed, eyes boring into her. He looked like he'd just come from a shower, dressed in slacks and a singlet and with a gleam of damp hair. The positioning of his arms gave her a good view of his muscle definition and she couldn't help but wonder how much damage he could cause with those biceps. It was no wonder he had held her down so easily last night. The thought dissipated as he strolled towards her and she lifted her head high, determined to hide the fact that her entire body had stiffened upon his arrival. But she couldn't control herself from flinching as he snatched her right wrist into his hand and examined the metal securing.

"I chose a slender fit particularly for you." He fingered the cuff proudly, obviously pleased with his choice.

Kailee smiled wryly, "How thoughtful of you."

He rotated her arm slightly, exposing the damaged state of her knuckles and pressed softly on the bruised area with two fingers. Kailee hissed at the pain and struggled in his grasp, but he kept his grip on her arm strong.

"Did your brothers teach you to punch like that?"

Kailee ignored his enquiry, glaring up at him in defiance. His head tilted to the side awaiting an answer. When he received none, he squeezed her hand with more pressure and she yelped in agony.

"I asked you a question, girl." His tone was not unkind, but his threat was clear.

"I taught myself!" she growled out the answer furiously. "I've taken some basic self-defence lessons, but I taught myself to throw punches a long time ago."

Kailee thought she saw a hint of surprise cross his features, before his eyes became callous once again.

"Your technique is poor." He spoke plainly, but she was still affronted by his comment.

"My technique was proficient enough to take out two of your men," she spat stubbornly. "So tell me, Dominic," his eyes blackened at her use of his name, "are your men poorly trained or are they simply unaccustomed to taking on such an extreme challenge of a 60kg girl in stilettos?"

She could feel his fingers on her arm tighten and he leaned in so close that his earthy cologne reached her nostrils.

"You have a clever mouth," he spoke in a menacing tone, "You'd do well to keep that under control before I find a better use for it."

She opened her mouth to protest, but before she had the chance to express her revulsion, the door was unbolted and Jakob entered, a mug of steaming coffee in his hand. He took in Dominic's sinister expression and paused in the doorway, uncertain of whether to continue inside or back away.

"What is that?" Dominic turned to Jakob, flinging Kailee's arm back into her lap. She rubbed the circulation back into her forearm where his fingers had been.

"It's just coffee, Dom...the girl..."

"I told you to give her bread. If she doesn't eat the bread, she goes without." The corners of Kailee's lips turned up as she noted the way his accent thickened the angrier he became. Jakob shrugged in defeat, throwing Kailee a sympathetic look.