The Ransom

Chapter 5

Brooklynne's POV:

"Brooke?"

I woke up to someone shaking me. I slowly opened my eyes and looked around and saw that I was still on the airplane. I was so tired from being up all night that it didn't take long for me to fall asleep. I sat up and stretched.

"It's time to go," Harrison said as he grabbed my arm and pulled me towards the exit.

"You know, you don't have to hold my arm and yank me around anymore. Where am I going to run to?" I told him.

He didn't say anything to me, just let go of my arm. He let me walk out of the plane first and was right behind me. There were more black cars parked and ready to pick us up. So far, nothing really looked any different than what I was used to. At least I won't have to worry about learning a new language. That's a plus so far in my favor. Got away from dad, another plus. I think I'm doing pretty good I think.

I got into the car and Harrison got in on the other side of me.

"Do you think we could get breakfast?" I asked him.

He turned and raised his eyebrows at me. Looking at me like I was crazy for wanting to eat.

"I haven't had anything solid to eat since lunch at school," I said to him in an irritated tone.

"What would you like?" He asked me.

"Um, I don't know. What do you eat here?" I asked.

"We have a lot of the same things here." He says laughing at my lack of knowledge of their country.

"Do you want pancakes?"

"Yeah, that will be fine," I said, folding my arms over my chest.

I didn't, particularly like being laughed at over that so I decided I was just going to sit here in silence for the rest of the drive to where ever it is we were going.

The car drove into town and parked in front of a little café. I got out of the car with Harrison and he took me into the café. I took a seat and he sat across from me while we waited for a waitress to come over to take our order. I could see it in her expression she questioned the way I looked. She also doesn't say anything about it but kind of looks at Harrison in question. Does she know he's mafia and best to not say anything? Or does she just think he beats me?

Harrison just quickly gave her our order and she walked away.

"Can I ask you something?" I asked him.

"Sure." He said to me.

"How old are you?" I asked.

Maybe I was a little curious about his age. He didn't look to be too old but if he has a child that is nine already he may be older than I thought.

"30 sweetheart," He responded.

"As I said, your not my type, and besides, I'm almost old enough to be your father so this between us will never be more than what this is now."

Well now wasn't he just blunt and to the point on that. I wasn't exactly planning on marrying the guy I was just curious.

"Ok. I just wondered." I told him.

"So who is your boss? What's his name? What does he look like? Is he really old?"

I know I asked a lot of questions all in a row but I was really curious about what this guy looked like. I wanted to know if he was going to be kicking the bucket soon.

"I think I will leave all those questions for him to answer." He snickered to himself but loud enough for me to hear.

"Oh, I see how this is. You want me to be worried about what kind of person you are taking me to. You want me to be scared and wish I was back at home where no one cared if I woke up the next morning or not. Where all I was, was just another paycheck to those at the house. Go back to school where I walked around like I was invisible because I wasn't sleeping around with every boy in the school! Well, I'm sorry Mr. Kingston but I am not going to ever want to go back to that place again!" I told him almost raising my voice louder than what I should have been doing.

"Calm down. I didn't mean it like that." He said.

"I only meant that your questions aren't really my answers to tell. You want to know something about him you will just need to ask him yourself."

"Oh," I said to him lowering my voice as the server brought out our breakfast.

It looked and smelled so good! I was starving and wasted no time scarfing down the food as fast as I could. I can't help but feel that I need to be out sightseeing right now but I know that isn't going to happen. I probably shouldn't press my luck. I am after, not dead yet.

Once we were done we got back into the car and continued our drive to our destination. We drove out of town and traveled a good ten minutes out before we came up to a long drive that went up a hill to a large house that sat on edge of a cliff. There was a stone gate all the way around the property except for where the cliff was of course. The sight is nothing like I've ever seen other than in movies and magazines.

The car pulled into the drive and made its way up to the gate and stopped. Harrison opened his window and told the guard who he was. The guard looked in at the driver and then back at me.

"Who is she?" He asked.

"She's here for Mr. Hawkins," Harrison said to the guard.

The guard looked back at me and I can only imagine how I look. I haven't brushed my hair or teeth in over a day, I haven't showered in over a day. I have cuts all over my arms and shoulders and my busted lip and eye is all bruised up. I probably look like a train wreck right now.

"You may enter." He finally said after taking his sweet old time looking me up and down.

I swear, some men can just be pigs! Who knows what he thought I was here for considering my outfit. I was dressed in a halter top and a black mini skirt for a party. A party that somehow managed to get me here on the other side of the world.

Once he gave us the okay to go through the iron gates opened slowly and the car drove through. This person really wants to make sure they are secured. I know that Harrison said he was his right-hand man but what did that actually mean? Am I going to the residence of a mafia leader?

Oh, dear mother, I hope not! Nothing good comes from being involved in the mafia. Even if you are in the family you are still hunted like dogs. There's always someone after you. I will never be safe! I gasped and put my hand to my mouth when I realized that these people were after my dad! What did he do to get a mafia on the other side of the ocean to come after him?

I slid down in my seat trying to hide from anyone that could be lurking out on the property. Even though the windows were still tinted I wanted to curl up and hide.

Is this what Harrison meant when he said I didn't know what I had gotten myself into? Why do I get this feeling that I'm about ready to meet someone who is a cruel, vindictive, heartless man who is going to make my life a living Hell!

The car parked in front of the house and Harrison got out first and came around and opened my side of the door. I stepped out onto the gravel drive and stood there in awe. The house was just spectacular. There were trees everywhere. The large boulders and rocks were incorporated into the architecture of the log cabin. I could hear the sounds of the waves crashing just over the cliff. The house I lived in back at home wasn't anything like this. We were still in an apartment but it was an apartment that had three stories and was at the top of a skyscraper. Everything about this place was screaming luxury and relaxation.

"Are you coming?" Harrison asked with a chuckle.

I had to shut my mouth and blink several times to get myself focused on the task at hand. I followed Harrison to the front door and he unlocked it with his thumbprint. He opened the door and the coolness of the air conditioner blew my hair behind my shoulders. As my eyes adjusted to being indoors I found myself still staring. The largest staircase I have ever seen was right in front of me. It curved to the right as it went up to the next floor. The area was open and the balcony looked over us. There was a huge chandelier above me hanging from a long chain that was viewable through the massive windows in the front of the house.

"Wow!" That was all that I could say at the sight in front of me.

"This is just the start of the place," Harrison told me.

"Come, let me show you where you will be staying."

I followed him up the grand staircase and he took me down a hallway and then up a few more steps to the door. He swung it open and there was this massive bed along one wall. The room had solid floor-to-ceiling windows that looked over the cliff and out onto the ocean below.

"Are you serious!" I screamed putting my hands to my mouth.

"Yes, ma'am." He told me as he walked farther into the room.

"This will be your private room. None of the maids come in here. You have a chute in your closet where you will send all of your washing down. If you need anything at all you just ask them and they will get it for you. They will do the cleaning of the room once a week, you just have to let them know the day and time you would like that to be done. Other than that this room is just yours. Through that door leads into the wardrobe and through the wardrobe is the bathroom. Everything is already fully stocked."

He said as he walked around the room to show me everything. I couldn't take my eyes off of the view. I walked to the windows and opened the door and walked out onto my own personal balcony! The warm breeze and the smell of the ocean were fabulous. I really did feel like I was a princess who just found out that they owned a kingdom and has been brought back to her palace.

I walked back into the room and Harrison was still standing there waiting for me.

"You can make your own meals or have someone make them for you. I will have some clothes brought up to you in a little while so you probably should get yourself cleaned up and presentable. Mr. Hawkins isn't due back till this evening." He told me as he walked towards the door.

"Oh, and do you have any questions you would like to ask before I leave?"

"You don't stay here?" I asked him.

"Oh no, ma'am. No one stays here except for Mr. Hawkins. The workers live in their own homes and only come in on their shift. Same with all of the guards that you will see throughout the property. None of them, however, come into the house unless told to.."

"Um, Harrison?" I asked as he opened the door.

"Yes ma'am?" He asked me.

"Why am I here?"

It's been a question that has been burning in my mind since the moment he told me I was coming here. I don't understand why, out of everyone in the world, why am I here. I doubt my sad excuse story of a life was the reason why I was here.

"You remind me of my daughter but that isn't the only reason ma'am. I think you are needed here." He said and turned to walk out.

"What do you mean needed here?" I asked quickly before the door shut.

"Ma'am, I think you will find out on your own." He told me and shut the door.

Well now doesn't that just open up a bunch of questions that I have now that are probably never going to get answered! Why can't he just answer my questions when I ask him about this Mr. Hawkins or whatever his name is? Why does he have to leave me with more questions than what I started with?

I turned around and looked around the room again. It was beautifully decorated and some of the walls had logs for walls and that added such a warm touch to the room. The room was accented in creams and deep red colors. I walked over to the bed and turned around and plopped myself down on it. The bed was so big and so soft! I could really get used to sleeping in here! I wonder what all there is to do here.

I walked over to the balcony again and walked over to the other edge and looked down. My eyes widened when I looked below me. There was a large patio with a bar and one of those infinity pools that looked like it cascaded over the edge of the cliff! Oh, I bet that is amazing to swim in! I could easily go out there and practically burn instead of tanning and relaxing in that pool. This place was just amazing and I still can't believe how my luck got me here. It feels like a dream and I'm scared I will wake up and be back at home, alone with no one.