When I was about six years old, I once accidentally hurt a cat. It was our neighbor's cat, which, oddly enough, often sat and slept outside our front door.

Filled with euphoria, I opened the door, ran out, and hurt her tail. She screamed loud enough that even today it still echoes in my ears when I think about it. Her scream had horrified me and I immediately fell on my knees and cried.

Mom came out a few seconds later, helped me to fix her up, and told me that it was an accident and that the cat would surely forgive me. I blamed myself for days, forced Mom to apologize to the neighbor on my behalf, and buy his cat the best treats so that she would realize that I was really sorry until my neighbor assured me that his cat had forgiven me. I was even allowed to cuddle her afterward! It was really wonderful.

That was the only horrible act in my life. Neither before nor since then have I ever hurt anyone again and yet I am being punished as if I had sinned every day.

"Katrina!", I hear him yell, but I have no intention of leaving the huge wardrobe.

Shakily, I close my eyes. I'm not used to hearing him call me by my name and now he's yelling it so loudly that the hair on the back of my neck stands up in shock.

"It can't be," I whisper. Tears of fear and panic roll down my cheek.

"Pablo, toma tu posición. Vamos! Lo juro, si no la veo en diez minutos, los mataré a todos!", I hear him yelling at someone. Whimpering, I close my eyes, lean my head against the cupboard and pray that Leroy doesn't find me.

I shouldn't have gone into the basement.

Three days before...

"So we are engaged? And when were you planning on telling me?", I ask straight out as soon as his chauffeur starts the engine. Leroy looks up from his mobile phone and gives me a quick glance before looking down at it again. A few seconds pass and he still doesn't say anything. I even count to thirty inside, but he doesn't seem to want to react.

"Why are you-", I begin, but he interrupts me.

"Shut up."

"What the hell?"

More seconds pass when he finally lifts his eyes. I swallow. It may sound ridiculous, but I feel like his eyes are shooting fireballs at me.

"I felt like doing it and now shut up," he retorts.

Annoyed, I pull my eyebrows together but remain silent, because I hear the threat in his words and I believe that Leroy is capable of a lot by now, but I don't want to take my eyes off him yet. He doesn't even seem to be really absorbed in his phone! I'm also sure there's nothing exciting to see and yet he holds it up in front of his nose as if something important is going on, just to avoid talking to me.

"When can I actually go back?", I ask him uncertainly. For quite a while now, there is silence between us and slowly this silence is driving me crazy.

Leroy doesn't answer.

"I have to go back to college soon," I rasp. If I don't even get to go to college, that's it for my life. I know I'll find a way to escape him eventually, but then I don't want to have lost everything and have to start all over again! I want to be able to continue to earn a living, he will understand that, won't he?

Let's find it out.

"You don't have to," he contradicts me without even lifting his eyes. Now he actually seems absent. Deep wrinkles stand out on his forehead as he exhales sharply and immediately afterward he pulls his packet of cigarettes from his jacket before bringing a stub to his lips.

"But I don't want to stop my studies. You can't decide that, whether I need something or not," I interject angrily, but my voice crumbles towards the end and immediately I press my lips together to prevent a sob. It can't be that I react so emotionally with him all the time!

"Yes, I can."

"You can't destroy my life because I made a small mistake. You can't punish me like this! Haven't you ever made a mistake before?", I shout angrily. Confused, he lifts his head and finally looks at me.

"What?" he asks, to which I snort. "Why are you crying?"

"You can't be serious now," I whisper, stunned. He wasn't even listening to me properly?

"Are you even listening to me?", I hiss, ruffling my hair in annoyance when he actually shakes his head.

"No, not really."

Unbelievable.

Again, a few seconds pass in which I just stare at him, stunned. Before I can stop myself, the next words are already gushing out of me.

"You're such a bastard," I hiss through my tears.

I mean it. He is a fucking bastard, but I didn't want to say that out loud, because right now he slowly lifts his head to look at me. Once again, I can't shake the feeling that those eyes belong to a demon.

They sparkle with anger and I realize that I should have kept my mouth shut. But how long am I supposed to keep my mouth shut? I can't let him break me! And he must realize that not everything can go as he wants here because some decisions are far too engaging in my life.

But before he can say anything, his mobile phone rings.

With such relief, it's like a stone falling out of my chest. Hopefully, it's only good news, so his anger fizzles out a little. Leroy gives me a sharp look, leans back again, and answers.

"Que?" the raspy sound of his voice rings out, making me shiver. Someone seems to be telling him something that actually makes the wrinkles on his forehead disappear. But it doesn't reassure me at all, because the evil twitch of the corners of his mouth lets me guess that I'm not going to like it.

"What I want you to do, Pablo, is to wake him now. Time is money. Make him talk, and if he won't, chop every crooked finger off him or burn them, but don't kill him. He can't die until I have my answers."

My blood freezes in my veins as I listen to his words. Not only does the fact that he's speaking in a language I understand tell me that this is what he wanted, but his eyes scanning me make me realize that he absolutely knows what he's doing. To scare me. I swallow and turn my head away to look out of the window as soon as he hangs up.

God, why doesn't this ride go faster?

The air and the tension in this place are suffocating me. Knowing that I'm here fucking all alone with him sends me into a panic that I try to swallow down - in vain.

"I would really be careful with what I say if I were you. You forget your place even though I remind you of it so often. I'm still good to you, friendly and polite, but you don't seem to be able to appreciate that at all, and you're slowly breaking the camel's back. If I lose my patience for once, then let me tell you that you should really run away, because once I get my hands on you, you'll wish you were dead. You got that?" He says under his breath, amused, making me take a deep breath. My fingers are trembling, I can feel it, and I try to stay calm and give him an answer, but it just won't work.

His phone call threw me off too much. I feel his burning gaze on me for a long time and just when I think he is finally looking away, he grabs me roughly by the jaw and forces me to look at him. Shocked that he attacks me so suddenly, I widen my eyes.

"Do you understand me?" He whispers.

His gaze captivates me and once again I can hardly help but wonder about this man. How can anyone be so disgusting, rude, and mean? In a moment where the panic subsides a little, I want to deny his question, but when his grip tightens so that it really starts to hurt a lot, I nod and let the letters, he wants to hear, roll over my tongue.

"All the time you are bitching and when I get mad you start crying again. How did your parents manage to deal with you?" he hisses in exasperation, finally letting go of my jaw. I avert my gaze with glazed eyes and gasp softly before touching my cheeks with my fingertips. When did I start crying?

Hissing, I inhale and give him an angry look, but don't dare say anything again. How dare he touch me? Is he not ashamed of what he did? As if it wasn't enough that he kidnapped me, I also have to accept his choice. What on earth have I done to deserve all this?

"You live with me, that was our deal and you can thank God that we made a deal, otherwise I would have really sold you out as even your face annoys me by now without you even having to open your mouth, but I keep to promises I make. Since I'm bored at the moment and can't get rid of you anyway, I've decided to marry you." The corners of his mouth curl and he tilts his head as if to challenge me. That last sentence was pure provocation and I can't fall for it! In the end, only he wins.

"And if I don't want to?", I croak. I'm finding it really hard to speak right now, but I can't say anything to that. A diabolical smile spreads across his face.

"No one's asking you, mi amor."

"You've got to be kidding me," I whisper, unable to even move. I'm not supposed to have a choice in this? No one asks me? Surely he doesn't believe that himself!

"What are you going to do about it?" He snorts in amusement, whereupon I feel my blood begin to rush. An incredible wave of anger comes over me, but most of all I feel lonely. For the first time in my life, I feel truly alone. That's why I let my shoulders slump and merely shake my head before averting my eyes. I can't speak now.

He's hot to offend and provoke me and I shouldn't fall for that. I'll talk to him another time and make it clear that I won't marry him. I take a shaky breath when we finally arrive and get out as soon as the car stops. Just get away from him.

"Stop right there," I hear Leroy say, but I don't even think about it. No, not now. Now I desperately need rest and time and he should bloody well give it to me! What does he allow himself?

He says I won't be able to study anymore and then that I should marry him? What on earth is wrong with him? And what in God's name is behind all this? I can tell he doesn't like me and I'm sure it's not about getting me into his bed!

Shaking my head, I hurry up the stairs and am relieved to find the room I woke up in hours before.

And Leroy, fortunately, does not follow me.

☼ ❅

Which ride, Rina...?

Pablo, toma tu posición. Vamos! Lo juro, si no la veo en diez minutos, los mataré a todos! - Pablo, take your position. Let's go! I swear, if I don't see her in ten minutes, I'll kill you all!

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