To Freeze Fire Ch. 03

I know this chapter doesn't have many scenes with people ripping at each other's clothes, but I felt it was necessary to have a bit of back story. The next chapter is almost finished and should be much more...enticing. Lots of love! XOXO—Luna

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There was calmness in the air, a sense of peace. Her eyes were closed, and somehow she knew she was in-between dreams. This was the only place left in her life she felt safe, accepted, at home. The feeling around her began to change, a prickling of ice cold air trailed across her skin, making goose bumps rise. Only now, feeling that calmness fade, did she open her eyes. With a couple of slow motion bats with those dark eyelashes, her eyes closed for a second or two, before they sprung open, and panic began to set in.

The walls were denim blue, having more science fiction movie posters than wall. This room had lost every comfort it once had for her, the beginning to all her nightmares, starting with that icy breath she exhaled, and the tremble that set into her bones as she came to the side of the bed to stand, looking towards the only the door to the room.

"It's time, Mia." A deep, masculine voice bellowed from beyond the seemingly thin piece of wood, followed by a knock, and a twist of the handle, "The sooner you open this door, the sooner we can put this entire mess behind us."

Once more, she felt like she was re-living the experience. Her bottom lip trembled, every muscle in her body locked in fear. 'I—I can't' she thought horrified, tears seeping out the corners of her eyes, feeling so scared that her heart would stop, 'I have to get out of here!'

Her eyes locked on the backpack she had at the foot of her bed, propped up against the white desk, another loud knock came at the door, "OPEN THE DAMNED DOOR!"

Suddenly, she could move, and move she did. She was packing everything she could fit into the weathered grey backpack, and opened the window as quietly as she could manage. While she went to do so, ice started to collect around the door, seeping into the room, crawling along the ceiling and walls. Once it was fully open, there was a loud bang, followed instantaneously by a loud crack. Her head turned to the door, which bowed back, like someone had crushed it in with their weight. More quickly, she turned to the window, trying to get a grip on the seal as she crawled out. 'God, please, I don't want to die!'

Her room had been on the second story, and now, on the roof, the fall was looking like it might cost her far more than what the man who was trying to break the door down, would make her do. In those moments she saw the elderly man she had come to trust, burst through the threshold with surreal strength, her grasp loosened and her back arched, the balance of her footing losing the battle. Before she fell too far, the hand of the elderly man shot out the window, grabbing her by the collar of the shirt she wore. In that moment, she gazed into his eyes, wondering how he could be trying to force her to do this. His attempts to bring her back into her bedroom, turned violent, him cursing her. How they had ended up here, on the ledge with him trying to send her to her death. The hand at her collar had advanced in getting her almost back into the window, as his other one wound in her hair so that she couldn't turn her face away. "You're going to do as you're told. There is no running from this. No alternative. Anywhere you would run, I'd find you."

But he was wrong. She thought of the drop from where she was, to the ground, calculating her chances. There was one place he would never dare follow. What he was going to do to her, was a fate worse than death. She placed her hands over the elderly man's, trying to loosen their hold, "Let me GO!"

With the last word, the man screamed, doing as she asked, pulling his hands to himself, as hers turned ice cold.. With a gasp, a total look of horror reaching her eyes, she began to fall.

As if mimicking the sound of impact, a loud bang occurred. She was no longer stuck in the reoccurring nightmare, but she was back in bed. Sitting up so fast, she nearly dislocated her shoulder when something caused her movement to come to an abrupt halt. With a painful gasp, her eyebrows came together, and she looked over to her right hand, which was cuffed to the metal headboard. Reality began to set in. She wasn't in the motel. At the very least, not the one she had lived in the past month.

Along with the wicked headache, and her stomach growling, a sense of fear awakened inside her. She couldn't remember where she was. She looked to her right where, through a window and thin curtains, she could see the sun had set, barely lighting up the sky. What was the last thing she had...?

She had met a gun in the bar. 'I met Michael, and I made the mistake of telling him my real name.' she shook her head, remembering she had packed and left town, but the car she had stolen ran out of gas. There had been a stranger at the side of the road. Images flickered of something sweet smelling being placed over her nose and mouth, and then of her being in the back seat of a car, hearing the same man talk, "I found her," the man had said, "We'll be at the Miracle INN in phoenix. I'll text you the room number and time once we arrive."

And just like that, shit got real. The man of her nightmares came floating back. "I can't go back." She whispered looking around the poorly lit room that was of the simplest motel accommodations. One of which, she didn't feel safe even lying on the sheets. On that matter, she felt at least somewhat better knowing she was still in her clothes, which it should serve as proof nothing too awful had been done to her. If what she thought was going on, was actually happening, she knew the elderly man would have it no other way.

The man from the side of road, and most likely, her abductor, was nowhere to be seen. Not to say that he might not show up at any given second, or hiding out nearby, which meant she had not a second to spare.

Taking a deep breath, she placed her free hand on the chain of the cuffs, tried to take everything she was feeling inside, fear and hope alike, and released that energy in the form of ice which collectively formed of the chain, and up the cuffs on either side. 'Here goes nothing.'

Exerting all her force, she yanked her right hand away from the headboard, and with a mechanical sounding crack, she was free. Once again, she went back to assessing her situation, laying out her options before her. Her escape options were this, a window to her right, and a door in front of her. Carefully, she walked a few steps towards the bathroom, to ensure she was alone. The light was off, and the door open.

She quickly darted across the small room to the window, checking her exit through the door. One, maybe two seconds passed for a man to come walking down the sidewalk, under the awning, and stop directly in front of that door. Before she could move, something caught her ears and not hers alone. The man, no longer wearing sunglasses, turned his dark brown eyes to another who seemed to be approaching, the one who whistled.

"You've got to be freaking kidding me." She rasped, backing away from the window. All of her exits were blocked. And since she had no way of escape, she was left with only one other option. Scanning the room, she quickly searched for something she could, if need be, defend herself. From inside, the familiar sliding of a key-card could be heard. She had run out of time. Unplugging the small lamp from the wall, she flipped off the other light switch off to the room, and took a stance against the wall, waiting for whoever dared to enter.

She had turned into a statue, standing unmoving as two men entered the suddenly darkened room, they're faces eclipsed by shadows their own bodies gave from the bright yellow light outside that hung under the awning

"Have a habit of keeping your guests in the dark, do you?" a voice said gruffly, even mildly annoyed, and familiar. Since it didn't appear to be the elderly man she had in mind, she figured he must have sent this low life to collect her.

"I left the lights on." The man from the side of road barked, "There's a switch along the wall here somewhere."

Oh, Mia knew where the switch was alright. And as she felt the air rush towards her from the person who began to reach out, she took the glass object she had at hand, and brought it down of their head as hard as she could. The sound of glass shattering, in synch with a groan filled the room, followed by the sound of someone falling to the floor, almost deadweight. Her hands empty, she made her way for the door, crying out when arms circled around her waist, stopping her in her tracks. Placing her hands over the strangers, she turned cold, the man who held her began scowl, and quickly turned. Suddenly, she was free, and falling. Before she had a real handle on what had happened, her head came in contact with something hard, and that barely gave a fraction upon impact. Blackness tugged at her, threatened to take over. She shook her head as the light switch was flipped on, the loose feeling only increasing.

Across the green carpeted floor, the glass from the lamp as scattered about. With a shaky hand, she reached for a sizeable piece, when a foot shot out and stepped on it hard. Crying out, she looked up to her abductor, with pure hatred, wishing she hadn't held back. She should have used every bit of energy she had to freeze this asshole solid, even if it meant taking her with him. Her brown eyes drifted from him, to the other man in the room, who was already on his feet, and quickly locking the door. When he turned, she felt like she was going to be sick.

All of this was happening because of her. Because she had met him! She would know those baby blues anywhere, as if his perfect body wouldn't be enough to be permanently etch him in her mind. The Ian Somerhandle look-alike had tricked her. Foolishly, she felt tears sting at back of her eyes, thinking of the kiss they had shared in the club. It was far worse that means for physical hunger, it had been used to get to her. To get what he wanted to know.

The foot on her hand impossibly exerted more force, and its owner spoke as she cried out, "Price just shot up." He said, appearing to be addressing Michael. "Little bitch may have cost me one of my fingers."

"I think not." Michael stated calmly, "The instructions were clear. You were not to harm her in anyway. You were not successful. There will not be any negotiating the price."

The man retracted his foot immediately off of her hand, his face filling with blood, "But she froze my hands!"

"And she cracked open my skull." He shrugged, taking a couple of fingers to his head, just above the temple where a thin line of blood began to slide down the once seeming flawless ivory skin. "In fact, seeing how you tried to crush her hand there, gave me on a little insight on how terribly you must have been treating her since she's been under your care. I'll be taking her with me now." Those blue eyes flickered down to the wounded hands, "I suggest you get that checked out."

"Hey, what about my money?!" the brown eyed math seethed, "You're not leaving this room with her until I get it!"

"You really don't know who your messing with here, pal. As I said before, there will be no negotiations." He whispered softly, helping her up off the floor, leaving her no choice but to lean on his incredibly compact frame when the room started to spin. As much as she hated being close to him, this was her best option of getting out of here. Especially since this guy didn't seem to want to hurt her. "I suggest you leave with your life while you still have it."

Halfway to the door, her feet started to give out, and suddenly she was in his arms. 'God, he even smells good.' She thought, turning her head into his chest to inhale the scent deeply, 'I must be really sick. I would have to be to getting turned on by this.'

Despite the fact, she felt herself grow wet, her nipples turning hard. The ease in which he picked her up was almost eerie. A thousand and one scenarios flashing across her mind, curious to all the things he could do to her with those strong hands of his. Just like in her dream. All of that, ceasing to matter where she heard an all too familiar mechanical click, and Michael stopped walking. The voice of her abductor reached her ears once more, "I'm getting my money, one way or another. But you have it all wrong, friend; it's you who should leave with your life while you still got it."

Michael sighed, causing her to feel all the tiny vibrations when it turned to a growl towards the end. Bringing her right back to where she started, he lay her on the bed. While pulling back, he dropped a whisper at her ear, one that caused a shiver to run up her spine, "Close your eyes, you shouldn't have to see this."

"I know enough about sizing people up to know you're not carrying a gun." The brown eyed man muttered confidently, smiling even, "And since you've made it perfectly clear you have no intention of paying me, it seems only fair I get compensation in...other ways."

His eyes turned to hers, with that grin growing even wider. All the excitement drained from her, being replaced by fears of rape and death. Michael's eyes turned her, and tapped with his index finger just below his eye, signaling to her. She nodded, and shut her eyes tight, feeling the overwhelming need to trust him. Like he was about to do something he didn't want her to see.

Michael's voice could be heard despite that, "You are right about me not carrying a gun. What you don't understand is this; I don't need one."

The brown eyed man chuckled, and a moment later, abruptly stopped. The room around her grew hot, heating her chilled skin, a crackling reaching her ears. Then she could smell it, something was burning. Her eyes cracked open in search of a fire, to see the blue eyed man at the end of the bed, and the other man gone. She lifted herself up a bit, expected to find her abductor dead on the floor, instead she found a pile of fine powder, appearing a charcoal grey.

"Where—where is the other guy?"

"It's time to leave," Michael said sullenly, marching towards her. Before she could dare to ask what that smell was, she was being swooped into the arms of the man of her dreams, and being taken to the man of her nightmares.