CHAPTER 3. ROMAN CONTINI.
1164 Words
It was like I was finally seeing clearly for the first time, since I entered the bus. There were six other people present, five men and a woman. The first man was the driver, I could barely see him since we were seated at the back but I assumed he’d be focused on the road.
The second man was sitting with the woman, they both had black hair and lots of tattoos, they were also quite affectionate with one another.
In front, just behind the driver, sat two men in suits. From where I was sitting, one looked more muscular but there was something about the other one, you could just tell he was in charge.
The last person was a young guy with headphones on, still a teenager, probably eighteen or nineteen. On a normal day, none of this would have looked suspicious at all. But in the aftermath of the text message, I could now notice four of them staring back at me and Alice.
I shifted uncomfortably, trying to plan my next move.
WHATEVER YOU’RE THINKING, DON’T.
Another text came in and I sprang to my feet faster than I thought I could. The couple imitated me, followed by the teenage boy.
“Um Alex?” Alice looked at me, confused.
“It’s going to be alright.” I assured her, mostly speaking to myself. She dropped the bag of chips and held on to the edge of my hoodie.
The bigger man in the suit finally stood up and started walking towards us, as he passed the couple and the boy, they followed close behind him. Only stopping once he was in front of me.
For a moment, it felt like we were all having a staring contest. Nobody said a word, until the youngest spoke.
“Damn, Eric was right, they’re beautiful.”
“Shut the f**k up, Luca.” The woman snapped. She had ring piercings on the right side of her nose and her lower lip, she had on a black cropped tank top with baggy black jeans, her neck and right hand sleeve were adorned with different designs of tattoos. She had piercing blue eyes, covered with dark makeup that seemed to only intensify her beauty.
“Yeah, shut the f**k up, Luca.” The man that was sitting next to her repeated, he was also casually dressed in black and had way more tattoos that covered most of the visible skin I could see, except his face.
The young boy named Luca turned to them, his headphones now hanging around his neck. “Wow Roy, that’s real original. Tell me, do you always just repeat whatever your girlfriend says? Because it’s getting really pathetic.”
Roy tried to lunge at Luca but the big guy in the suit threw himself between them.
“Enough.” He roared, adjusting his suit jacket. “This is hardly the time and place.”
“Someone needs to teach the kid respect, Gio.” Roy said, his face clearly triggered.
The big guy ignored, finally turning to acknowledge me. “We’ll just take the girl and you can be on your way.”
“Excuse me?” I responded immediately, shielding my sister. “No one is taking anyone.”
The woman laughed, clearly amused. “I’m sorry, who the f**k is this?” She moved forward, standing directly in front of me. “Get the f**k out of my face before I break your bones.”
I moved back a little. I lived in a scary neighborhood but I hadn’t met anyone as bold and frightening as this lady, she did not stutter and she looked like she really was looking forward to breaking my bones. She smiled at me, her eyes twinkling in anticipation. By the corner, her boyfriend laughed mockingly.
“Alex, what do they want?” Alice tugged at my hoodie, she was still sitting, too afraid to stand.
Like I said earlier, I was stubborn, not one to back down from a fight. Especially when it involved my little sister.
“Who the f**k are you?” I asked, taking a deep breath. I hoped I sounded confident enough.
The lady paused and I waited for her to hit me or something, but she didn’t. Instead, she laughed really hard, stepping back until she was now standing at her former position, next to Roy.
“I like this one.” She said softly, biting her lip a little.
“Boss was right, she’s feisty.” Luca commented, his eyes scanning me before resting on Alice hungrily. “Too bad we’re not here for you.”
“Maybe we could take her anyway, Darling and I could use a plaything.” Roy said, starting to make his way towards me.
“STOP.” A voice spoke.
Roy stopped in his tracks, and the rest of them seemed to rearrange their posture, now looking serious and professional.
“Did I say you could touch them?”
They stayed silent, almost nervous. I looked past them to find whoever had spoken but the only other passenger was the other guy in the suit. He was still sitting, his back facing us.
“Alex, where are we?” I heard Alice whisper in confusion.
I looked out the window and noticed we were going through huge gates. It was an estate, decorated to perfection. The gardens looked vibrant and greener than I’d ever seen and the people standing in front of me were getting ready to file out as the bus came to a halt.
“After you, sweethearts.” Darling said, motioning for us to walk past her.
The moment Alice and I stepped out, there were servants lined up in front of the bus, leading all the way to the massive front doors. They were all in uniform, their heads slightly bowed.
“Good, you made it just in time for breakfast.” A lady in her early thirties walked into view, carrying a toddler.
“Nice, what are we having?” Luca asked, excitedly.
“Where are we and what is this place?” I asked, holding my little sister close to me. We were clearly in some kind of mansion, and everyone was acting like this was a typical Saturday morning when we had just been kidnapped.
The lady turned towards me, noticing us for the first time. Her forehead creased and she began to shake her head in disapproval. “Giovanni, who are these?”
The big guy in the suit looked from us to the lady, but remained quiet.
Before I could sum up the courage to ask anymore questions, Alice was yanked away from me. I turned and watched as the other guy in the suit, the one that had barely spoke, took her into his arms and turned towards me for a handshake.
“Hello Alexandra St. Ivory, I’m Roman Contini.”
“SHIT.” I whispered under my breath.
- Writer
