Chapter 2 M.S

Her eyes opened swiftly as there was a bang loud in the air.

Maria's heart pounded in her chest as her vision focused and she came to the grim realization that there was a gun barrel pointed right in her face.

"Get up," she heard a gruff voice, and her eyes drifted to the owner of the hand that pointed the gun at her. It was a strange man that she had never met before.

What was going on?

She got up swiftly covering her chest with her bedsheet. She had been wearing only a rose colored satin nightgown to sleep.

Maria's eyes were fixed firmly on the man who was still aiming the gun at her. In her head lots of questions popped up that made her wonder if she had somehow entered the fucking twilight zone.

Opening her mouth with the intent to ask the strange assailant what had brought this on, she jumped in fright as the man gestured to the door with the gun, circling her but thankfully keeping his distance.

"Get walking now," he ordered her and she scrambled to get her robe to at least keep herself decent while she did as the man asked.

As soon as she left her room she heard the sound of a paint grunt and stopped walking.

Alex, she thought, breathing heavily.

"Keep moving!"

The feeling of a cold metal on her neck stopped Maria from making any wrong moves. She raised her hands up in surrender and took one shaky step after another. Each step was punctuated by the sounds of her brother's grunts and moans of pain, and the sound of flesh meeting flesh.

She was afraid, for the first time in her life - a kind of fear that was truly terrifying, where there was no way out.

As she entered the living room with the constant pressure of the gun barrel on her, she met Alex's bloodied and bruised face with her expression full of fright.

There were two similarly dressed men aiming weapons at him; one was even wearing a sort of brass knuckle?!

"Alex," she murmured.

"Leave her alone," Alex looked at the men. "She has nothing to do with this!"

Maria shrieked as suddenly one of the men put a boot to Alex's face in response.

Brutes! She wanted badly to scream at them but she knew they wouldn't tolerate that.

But who were these people?

And what did they have to do with Alex?

"You tried to run, didn't you?" One of the men sneered at her brother who was now missing and writing around a meter having his face roughly stepped in. She saw a stream of blood running down his nose and out onto the floor. "Now you get to face the consequences."

Suddenly, her vision was blocked and she was plunged into darkness. Maria struggled against the bag that was put over her face and screamed. The rough arms handling her stirred up more panic within her.

She struggled against the man holding her, only to find herself being lifted up from the floor.

Unaware of much else after that, Maria only realized she was in a car of some sort when she heard, and felt the rumbling of an engine.

She sniffled, feeling pitiful. The sounds of Alex's groans that still had not ended, filled the air.

Meanwhile Maria was feeling nothing but regret.

She wondered why she had taken Alex in and let him stay with her in the first place. She had suspected he was in trouble, but she didn't know how much. Now it seemed she had been pulled into this mess as well. It had clearly been a mistake, all her actions that led up to now. And her brother was to blame.

"Oh Alex, what have you done now?" She whimpered.

They were truly in deep trouble.

...

Damien walked into the warehouse, his expensive shoes clicking on the concrete floor, and wearing one of his other great suits, purchased at Savile Row.

His men that were talking amongst themselves turned at the sound and stood up straighter, out of combined fear and respect for their boss.

He didn't spare any of them any glance, instead staring at the bruised man who was off to the side and kneeling.

Alex Zane, Damien thought with sadistic triumph coursing through his body. Finally, he had been caught.

Without looking away from his target, he ordered, "Leave us."

"Yes Boss," a chorus of relief came.

The men acted quickly and almost in unison, marching out of the warehouse as he had commanded them to.

Finally, they were alone.

Damien looked over at Alex with a smirk on his face.

Alex shrank back.

"Alexander Zane," he demurred in a pleasant sounding tone. "I have been waiting for far too long to get my hands on you."

"Please," Alex groaned out, his head killing a bit. "Please don't harm me. I can pay you back, I swear. I can- I just-" he fell silent immediately, his words cut off in a choke as Damien finally drew his weapon, staring down at him in disgust.

"I could do all those things," Damien stated with bite. "But what use have I for a fucking liability like you?"

"Please! I have a wife! She's pregnant! Spare me!" Alex had tears running down his cheeks now.

Damien watched him impassionately.

Then he heard a gasp from behind him.

Turning his head briefly, Damien locked eyes with her, kneeling at the furthest corner from where he stood.

How had he not noticed her?

She looked quite literally like she had just rolled out of bed. She was kneeling in her pink nightgown and robe, her hair disheveled.

Who was she? Alex's lover?

Before Damien could figure it out, the woman spoke.

"Let him go," her voice carried through the hush of the warehouse with ease.

He cocked a brow at her.

"You have a lot of nerve to demand things from me."

"Please," she begged. "He's my only brother. I don't know what he be is to you, but-"

Damien cut her off.

"Your brother was then one that got you into this, not me. He knows what he did, and must be ready to pay the price."

Alex whimpered, only swallowing his cries of pain when Damien aimed a dangerous glare at him, a promise to exact more pain and suffering on him if he didn't keep damn quiet.

"Please," the girl continued to plead. "I'll do anything. Please."