Chapter 2 He just wants to talk

MELANIE

I felt a chill run through my body, because the look he was giving me was not even close to being a joke. I remembered that he had mentioned having a gun, so he was not someone I should provoke too much.

I cleared my throat and reached out my device on the bedside table, finally handing him the phone and he made a call, speaking low and in Italian.

"Someone will come and get me soon. Thank you," he said calmly.

At least he said thank you, right?

And when he said it would be soon, he wasn't joking, because in less than ten minutes someone was knocking on my door. I frowned. The intercom hadn't rung... How unsafe!

"He has a scar that cuts across his face and lips. Bald."

"Okay," I said slowly and walked into the living room. I looked through the peephole and saw a man just like the stranger had described to me. I opened the door and if I had found him scary before, now that the door was no longer between us, I just wanted to get away.

"I came to get my boss." He said, without saying the name of the man whose life I had saved. What the hell, why so much secrecy? Was he really from the mafia?

I didn't say anything and took the man to the injured one. In less than two minutes, I was alone in the apartment. The bald man had taken out the trash, where his boss's bandages were discarded.

I sat down on my couch and threw my head back. It was over. Whoever it was, I had nothing to do with that person anymore.

I thought that was the case, until the next morning, when my intercom rang.

"Delivery?"

"Yes, ma'am. Melanie Walton, correct? I was asked to make a delivery to this address."

I sighed and let the delivery man go upstairs. I signed for the delivery and closed the door, placing the box on the table. It was a pretty black box, with a black ribbon too. There was no card on the outside. I opened the package. Tissue paper. Black. Inside the paper, a black fabric, with sparkles. And then there was a note.

["Wear it tonight. Be ready by 9 p.m."]

I turned the card over in my hand, but there was nothing else.

"What the hell is this?"

I wasn't going to do whatever was written there! No one I knew would send me that kind of thing, so I would just sit there and wait. Maybe it was a joke!

Curious, I took out the contents of the box and came across the most beautiful dress I had ever seen in my life! It was one-shouldered, with a stiffer bodice, a more open skirt, and the fabric was fine and beautiful, very shiny.

I was tempted to try it on, but I decided to put the dress back in the box. I took a shower and lay down on the bed, ready to watch a movie on streaming. It was my day off and I just wanted to enjoy it.

In the middle of the movie, my doorbell rang. I got up, practically jumping up and down. It must have been the pizza delivery. Or Spencer. Or both. That would be great, because I loved food and the presence of my best friend!

However, what I saw was the same man from earlier, with the scar. He didn't look happy at all. And I was so stupid not looking through the peephole before opening it!

"Ah..."

"Miss, please take the box with the dress and follow me,"

"I'm not going anywhere," I replied with all the courage I had inside me. The man showed no emotion.

"Miss, I'll be straight with you: either you do what I tell you to do, or I'll take you anyway. And believe me, no one will come to help you," he said it like it was nothing! "No one will hurt you. My boss just wants to talk."

"Well, your boss can go to hell, because I'm not going to..." I felt a sharp pain in my neck and then, only darkness.

I started to regain consciousness and heard some murmurs. What had happened? And boy, my head was hurting!

I tried to sit up and realized that I was already sitting, with my head resting on something soft behind me. I opened my eyes and two greenish orbs were watching me.

"Ah!" I said as I tried to move away, only to realize that I was trapped. "What... what is this? Let me go, now!"

"Miss, there's no point in struggling, you'll only hurt yourself," the dark-haired girl said, her voice low. "Since you were sleeping, we had to tie you up so that you didn't fall and hurt yourself."

I looked at the woman in disbelief. She couldn't have been more than twenty years old and looked shy. I took a deep breath.

"Are you really trying to make it seem like tying me up here was a favor?" I asked and she swallowed hard. "Untie me. I'm awake now, right?"

She bit her lip and before she could move, the door opened. I saw the dear 'patient' standing there, wearing a tuxedo. Damn, how could that bastard be so handsome?!

"Okay, Marana, you can go. I'll take care of her from here,"

She didn't wait for another order and almost ran out of the room.

The door closed and I stared at the charming stranger.

"Is this how you thank me? By kidnapping me?"

He pouted slightly and looked me up and down.

"The dress is perfect. I knew it would look great on you," he said, as if talking to himself. I narrowed my eyes at him. "And you are not kidnapped, you're 'under arrest' because you disobeyed an order."

My jaw would have hit the floor if it weren't stuck to my face.

"Sorry, can you repeat that?" I asked and let out a snort of mockery. "Order? I disobeyed an order?"

He stepped closer to me, and my breath caught in my throat.