Chapter 2 2

Amalia woke to the feeling of ice in her veins. She was lying on the cold tile floor of the penthouse kitchen. A violent cramp seized her stomach, twisting her insides like a wet towel. She groaned, curling into a tight ball as the hunger clawed at her organs.

She placed her bruised palms flat against the freezing floor and tried to push herself up. Her legs felt like jelly. They gave out instantly, and she crashed back down, her hip slamming hard against the base of the wooden cabinets.

The kitchen door swung open. Alton walked in, holding a steaming mug of black coffee. The rich, bitter smell filled the room. He looked down at Amalia sprawled on the floor, his upper lip curling in deep disgust.

Amalia swallowed hard. Her throat was so dry it felt like it was lined with sandpaper. She gathered every ounce of strength she had left and looked up at the massive security guard.

"Water," she whispered. Her voice was a harsh, scraping sound. "Please. Just a little food."

Alton didn't even blink. He turned his back to her, taking a slow sip of his coffee, preparing to walk out.

Panic flared in Amalia's chest. If she didn't eat, she was going to die right here on this floor. She lunged forward, her bloody fingers grabbing the fabric of his tailored suit pants.

Alton let out a sharp breath of annoyance. He kicked his leg back, striking Amalia's wrist with the hard leather of his shoe.

Her hand flew back and smashed against the metal handle of the cabinet door. A bright red welt instantly formed across her pale skin. She pulled her hand to her chest, biting her lip to stop the cry of pain.

Alton paused at the door. He looked at her pathetic, trembling form. He walked over to the stainless steel trash can, reached near the rim, and pulled out a half-eaten, cold sandwich wrapped in plastic. He tossed it onto the floor.

The sandwich hit the tiles, the bread spilling out of the wrapper.

Amalia didn't care. She abandoned every last ounce of her human dignity. She scrambled forward on her hands and knees, grabbed the cold, slightly dusty bread, and shoved it into her mouth. She chewed frantically, her jaw working overtime.

The bread was stale and dry. A large piece lodged in the back of her throat. Amalia gagged, her eyes widening in terror as her airway blocked. She hit her own chest with her fist, coughing violently. Tears of suffocation streamed down her face as she forced the dry lump down her esophagus.

Alton let out a cold, mocking laugh. He turned and walked toward the inner office to report to Chadwick, leaving the kitchen door slightly ajar.

Amalia sat on the floor, taking small, painful bites of the remaining food. She stopped chewing. Through the crack in the door, she heard Alton's deep voice.

"The police are asking questions downtown," Alton said.

Amalia instantly stopped breathing. Her heart hammered in her ears. She leaned closer to the door, straining to hear any mention of the agency or her passport.

"Have they found Davina Vazquez?" Chadwick's voice cut through the air. It was low, but it carried a weight that made the hairs on Amalia's neck stand up.

Amalia frowned. Davina Vazquez?

"No," Alton replied. "And the NDA... it was destroyed."

A heavy, terrifying silence fell over the inner room. Then, the sound of glass shattering violently against a wall echoed through the apartment. Amalia jumped, her shoulders hitting the cabinet behind her. A cold sweat broke out across her forehead.

She thought Davina was another victim. Another girl who had crossed this mobster, who had her non-disclosure agreement destroyed, and was now running for her life. A deep, sickening fear for her own life settled in Amalia's gut.

She tried to slide backward, wanting to hide in the dark corner between the fridge and the counter. But before she could even shift her weight, the heavy, terrifying silence in the inner room was broken by a deliberate shift in tone. Chadwick's voice suddenly dropped, slicing through the air with lethal precision. "The rat hiding in the kitchen," he said coldly, his words echoing off the high ceilings. "How much longer are you going to listen?"

Amalia's heart stopped beating. The blood drained completely from her face. Dead silence.

Heavy, deliberate footsteps approached the kitchen. Each step sounded like a death knell. Amalia looked around wildly, her eyes darting from the pantry to the island, but there was nowhere to hide.

The kitchen door was pushed wide open. Chadwick's massive frame filled the doorway. His eyes were completely black, locked onto Amalia with the intensity of a predator looking at a trapped rat.

He crossed the room in three long strides. Before Amalia could even raise her hands to defend herself, Chadwick grabbed a fistful of her dark hair. He yanked upward with brutal force.

Amalia screamed as she was dragged to her feet. The roots of her hair felt like they were being ripped from her scalp. Hot tears immediately flooded her eyes.

"What did you hear?" Chadwick demanded. His face was inches from hers. His breath smelled of mint and cold danger. He looked at her as if he were deciding how to dispose of her corpse.

"Nothing!" Amalia sobbed, shaking her head as much as his grip would allow.

Chadwick tightened his fist. The pain in her scalp flared into absolute agony. Amalia's toes barely touched the floor.

"I was just... I was just dizzy from hunger!" Amalia cried out, her voice cracking. "I bumped the counter! I didn't hear anything, I swear!"

Chadwick stared at her pale, tear-streaked face. His eyes dropped to her mouth, noticing the crumbs of stale bread clinging to the corner of her lips. His jaw clenched tight, a muscle ticking violently under his skin. He was assessing her lie.

"Sir," Alton's voice came from the doorway. "The overseas video conference. They are waiting."

The interruption hung in the air. Chadwick stared at Amalia for one more agonizing second.

Then, he opened his hand.

Amalia dropped to the floor like a discarded ragdoll. Her knees hit the hard tiles, and she gasped for air, her chest heaving as she rubbed her burning scalp.

"If you breathe a word of what happens in this house," Chadwick said, his voice dropping to a lethal whisper, "I will make sure you disappear from this earth. Completely."

He turned and walked out of the kitchen. The sheer physical pressure of his presence left the room with him. Amalia slumped against the cabinets, her entire body soaked in a cold, clammy sweat.

Her hands shook violently as she reached out, picked up the last piece of dirty bread from the floor, and shoved it into her mouth. She chewed through her tears, a desperate, burning vow forming in her chest. She had to escape this monster.