Song: Carried Me With You by Brandi Carlile

Chapter Fifty-six: You spit as much as a llama

>>>>Charvi's POV<<<<

Let's talk? He wants us to talk? No.

"I said let's talk, so talk."

I still didn't reply.

"Fine if you won't talk, I will. You won't believe the amount of things I had to do to get you, but you gotta admit, I am a genius."

Keep lying to yourself.

"Well, I tried many strategies. I tried taking that your friend. Actually I sent someone to take her. You know, the friend you were texting when I wanted to bring you along. I planned to use her to blackmail you into-"

I cut him off. "You use every word except the actual word that describes the situation. Kidnapping."

"You use your words, Luna. I'll use mine. If you weren't so stubborn about the situation, you won't be using that word."

I sighed in disbelief and muttered, "You're insane."

He had the nerve to laugh. "Not the first one to call me that. He tried taking her and she kicked him in the nuts. While she was sleeping. He got so angry, and after wriggling on the floor in pain, he decided to scatter her room in anger."

Oh, so that's why Leyla's room was so messy the next morning. And here I thought it was just one of her sleepwalking episodes.

"I also tried hitting your mom with a car to sca-"

"You what?!" I reached out my leg and kicked him in the stomach before getting up. I lunged for him again. I didn't care if he would win. I just needed to hurt him one way or the other. He was the stupid jerk that hit my mom with a car.

He clutched his stomach as he stood up and then turned to me with an angry expression, but I didn't care. I started kicking his leg since my hands were tied up. "You bastard!!" I screamed at him. "How dare you?!!!" He pushed me back. I slammed against the wall hard, and started sliding to the floor from the painful impact, but he walked up to me and raised my cuffed hands to make me stand upright and then he pinned my body to the wall.

If I couldn't kick or punch him, I could do this, I spat on his face.

"Darnit!" He cursed as he wiped it with one hand. "Would you stop spitting? At this rate, you spit as much as a llama."

My voice croaked as I remembered what she went through. Because of me. "What if she died?"

His face softened. "Oh Luna no. I only meant to scare you. I wouldn't kill her."

"You hit her with a freaking car!"

"Only mildly."

"You dick!"

"You need to stop that. I thought you never cursed."

"All of this is your fault. Let me go and I won't break your face."

"I'd like to see you try."

There was a knock on the door, but it sounded like someone was hitting hard against metal. Were there two doors?

"Help! Someone help me! Please! Who's there? I'm-"

I was cut off by Jaxon's hand over my mouth. He had an amused smile on his face as he said. "Luna, that's just one of my workers. I told you. No one can find you down here."

I was about to bite his hand, but he snatched it away. "I think you should give me credit. I know you more now, Luna."

He used my hands to drag me all the way to the bed, albeit my kicking and thrashing, and he threw me down on the bed. I was about getting up, but he slammed into me hard that my breath was practically knocked out of my lungs. Then he pinned me down and used another handcuff to handcuff both my handcuffs to the bed so I couldn't get off it.

Then he stood up from on top of me and went to the door. He unlocked it and after exchanging a few words with the person of the other side, he came back in and locked the door, with a video tape.

He started towards the TV and then stopped to turn back to me. "Oh, and also the helmet knight guy was me not that other boy. I had to slip something into his drink because for some reason he doesn't drink voluntarily."

I was starting to piece it all together. The fact that Wren all of a sudden wanted to wear his helmet. The fact that he wasn't talking at first and started talking later on with a weird voice. So he wasn't getting into character. No wonder he was telling me that Zane won't love me as much as he loved Serena.

"You put all that doubt in my head." I muttered.

He was the reason that Zane and I got into that first argument. He spiked Wren's drink and made Wren say all those things about Avery and I thought Zane was lying to me about being with Wren, when he was actually with Wren and not with Serena. I let my head fall. I should have believed him, but all those things were coming from who I thought was his best friend so it was kinda getting hard to.

"I'm brilliant, aren't I? Now put your head up, Luna. I think you'll want to see this."

I left my head down.

"Your choice Luna."

I kept my head down, until I heard familiar voices. I looked up at the TV, ignoring Jaxon's arrogant smirk. It was a convenience store and a big, burly man just opened the door for Rev, Zane and Xander. Seeing them made my eyes fill with tears.

"Is this upstairs?"

"Yes."

"They're here. Yes! They're here! Guys! I'm down here!" I yelled as I wriggled off the bed. Jaxon's laughter cut me short.

"It is far, far upstairs. Even if they were here right now, how many times do I have to tell you they can't hear you? They were here, but now they're gone."

I looked back at the TV. They were looking around the store, with the big man keeping a close watch on them. They were silent, until the big man walked up to Zane.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"What is down there?"

"The basement, where I live."

"Can I check it out?"

"He wants to make his own house under his store."

"He has a store?"

"Yes."

"You kids should leave. I am closing up."

"It's the middle of the day. Why close up now?"

"As you can see there are no customers."

"We're customers."

"No. You're nosy kids. Leave before I call the cops."

"We need to see what's behind that door."

"Out now!"

"Do you know who he is? He is a well-known billionaire's son."

"So? Do you know who I am? I am the owner of this store. I am the boss here. And I would call the cops for trespassing."

"His parents would just bail us out."

"I didn't want to have to do this, but you left me no choice."

He lifted Rev off the ground.

I didn't get to see what happened next because Jaxon put off the TV. "Why would you do that? Did he hurt her? Please tell me he didn't hurt her... Jaxon!"

He smirked as he twirled the remote in his hand. "I should really keep you guessing, but that is not good for your well-being. First, you have to do something for me."

I gritted my teeth. "What do you want?"

"Don't look so angry, I'm offering you an opportunity to keep your family safe, or else." He let the threat hang in the air.

"Don't you dare hurt them!"

"I won't, only if you wear this." He reached into his pocket and brought out a golden necklace with the letter 'J' as its pendant.

That made me reach towards my neck and realize the necklace Zane gave me wasn't there. "Where is it?"

He chuckled. "I took it since last night. Guess you don't love him as much if you didn't notice."

He's not right. We were just occupied.

"Give it back!"

"Not a chance. Wear this instead. It's the same, but it has my initial and lock and key at the back."

"I would not let you put that on me."

He frowned. "Hmm. What happens when a footballer breaks both his legs?"

No. Not Shane.

"Or when a fashion designer bends all her fingers. Ah the littlest, the one with the sharp mouth, maybe I can hand her over to one of my boys to see what that-"

"Stop! Just stop!" I begged. " I'll wear your stupid lock and key necklace."

"And you'll eat my lasagna."

He walked up to me and sat me up on the bed. The feeling of his hands on me made me want to puke. He lifted my hair up, and put the necklace around it. Then he locked it at the back. He lifted my chin and turned me to him.

"Absolutely beautiful."

I struggled with my chin in his grip, but his hand wasn't budging. "You should know by now that I am way stronger than you."

"How can I get this necklace off without the key?"

"You can't."

"So what? You just expect me to never take it off?"

"That's right."

"Can you at least remove the handcuffs if you want me to eat your stupid lasagna?"

"Nah. I'm feeding you."

"That wasn't part of the deal."

"Well I'm making it part of the deal. Unless you want your little sister to lose-"

"Fine! Goddammit! Fine! I'll do whatever you want. Just please, don't go near my family."

"Better. Now wipe your tears."

I ignored him. He started wiping them for me. "If I knew blackmailing you to hurt your family would have made you behave, I would have done it way sooner than trying to meet you in the middle."

He went to get the plate and started feeding me the lasagna. I took every forkful for my family. Every tear I let him wipe. I just couldn't let him hurt them. What has my life turned into?

****

He left that evening, but came back a while later. I was lying on the bed just staring at the ceiling. And when he came back he just sat there and watched me. I did my best to ignore him as I let my mind wander to what my family was doing at the moment. What Zane was doing at the moment. I put my hand on the necklace only to be hit with the harsh reality that it wasn't a Z that was placed there.

"Go away."

"I can't."

"Go away."

"No."

"Why not? Is you sitting there watching me another part of the deal?"

"You've only eaten once today."

"I'm not hungry."

"Would you at least take a shower?"

"No."

"I insist."

"If you have forgotten. My hands and legs are in handcuffs so I don't know how you expect me to be able to take a shower like that."

"I could-"

I cut him off. "No. You promised you won't force yourself on me. So you can't have my bath for me. And can you not make me talk to you?"

"It was part of the deal to reply me every time I speak."

"I do not want to speak."

He stood up and walked towards me. I moved back until my back hit the headboard. "There's nowhere to go." He reminded me, before sitting at the other edge of the bed.

"If you come any closer, I will bite you."

He touched my bare foot and I jerked my leg back. "Have you forgotten the deal to behave?"

"It can only go so far."

"Not when the safety of your family is hanging on your neck."

I rolled my lips inwards. Although I was trying to fight and deny it, I was at his mercy.

"You know, I got another videotape. Your boyfriend is very ambitious. Also very smart."

"Show me."

"Oooh, so demanding."

He stood up from the bed and inserted another videotape into the TV. I wasn't sure what time of day it was anymore, but I knew it was still the same day.

The video started off with police officers entering the store. I didn't bother jubilating because it was quite obvious they didn't find me. Following in after them was Shane and Zane. He was looking at the new store manager suspiciously. He knew I was here.

"What is going on?"

"We have gotten information from a source that a victim may be held captive in this destination."

"You have?"

"Yes, and we have authority to search this area." The officers walked into the store and went to search everywhere. The looked around and then some stopped at the back door. They tried to open it, but it was locked.

"The key. So we won't have to open it by force."

The man reached into his pocket and pulled a key out. He handed it to the officer. The officer used it to open the door. "You'll have to come with us sir." He turned to another officer. "Stay with this kids while we search down."

"I'm coming."

"You've led us here. That is enough. We cannot have kids around during an investigation."

They started down the stairs with the store manager leading them.

I turned to Jaxon. "They didn't find anything, did they?"

He smirked. "You should give me more credit than that."

The cops returned upstairs without me. "It is just an ordinary basement. She must have gone somewhere else after coming here."

"But-"

"Apologies for the disturbance sir." The man just nodded at him.

Zane pushed the man against the wall and grabbed his collar. "Where is she?! I know she's here! I know you have her! Let her go now!"

Shane and an officer pulled Zane off him. The man dusted his shirt. "You need to control your temper."

"You need to calm down."

"How can I be calm when I know she's somewhere down there all alone in the hands of some maniac?"

"But the cops have searched. She is not there."

"They are missing something. I know she's there."

"We won't let him come back here. Don't worry. He won't be of any disturbance to you anymore."

Jaxon switched off the TV. "Your little boyfriend can't go around snooping anymore."

He can't. I let my tears fall. Jaxon walked up to me and removed the cuffs on my ankles. "Help yourself to the shower." And he left.

I didn't help myself to a shower. I didn't help myself to anything. I just lay there and cried and cried and cried. They were never going to find me. Zane wasn't allowed to come back here. The situation was hopeless. I'll be here. All alone. For the rest of my life. At the mercy of this bastard.

********

It's been exactly a week since Jaxon had taken me, tomorrow was my eighteenth birthday. Not that that would matter seeing as I was stuck here. I had lost all hope that they were going to find me. They obviously weren't looking here because Jaxon hadn't brought any video tape down.

Everyday was the same. Jaxon would come in here with breakfast. He'd feed me and I'd obey like the good girl I was. He'd take the plate out and bring me fresh clothes so I would have my bath. The first day it happened; my second day, he removed my handcuffs for me to have my bath myself and I attacked him. To no one's surprise, he easily defeated me so I just stopped trying. 

When I was done having my bath, I'd go back into the room and just sit down and stare into space. He'd come in, sit on my couch and watch me. Sometimes, he'd brush my hair. Sometimes, he'd talk and I won't listen. Sometimes, he'd just compliment me and that's how it went. It was Wednesday now and I was sitting on the bed waiting for Jaxon's usual arrival.

I used my cuffed hands to hug my legs and rested my head on my knees and let the tears drop. It's been a week. Had they stopped looking for me?

No. Never.

Well, was I going to be here forever? Was I?!!!

There was a knock on the door. "He's not here!" I yelled. If it was him, he won't knock. "Go away!"

"Charvi? Is that you?"

I raised my head at the voice. "Jayden?"

"Yes it's me! How on Earth did he get to you?"

I couldn't get up because my legs were handcuffed to the bed. "Don't you know? Seeing as you're the one that tricked me in the first place."

"Tricked you? What are you talking about?"

"You said he wasn't interested in me anymore. I let my guard down. God I'm so stupid!" I reprimanded myself.

"That's what he told me. Don't worry. I'm going to get you out of here."

"Where have you been?"

"I went out of town to spend the holiday with my parents. And I come back with a gift for Jaxon and I hear you. I swear I didn't know you were here. Once I find the key, I'll get you out of here."

"There is more than one key. I am chained to the bed."

"I'll start looking. I don't know where to look, but I will. And if my brother comes back, don't tell him I was here."

"Does he sleep here?"

"This is the lowest level. He stays up and the basement that everyone sees is above that. So there are three floors below ground level."

"The police came to the store up. Why didn't they find me?"

"Because the door in the basement that leads down here is camouflaged as the wall. And you have to push a certain block in the wall for it to open."

Oh, that was why. But now that Jay was here, at least, I had a little hope. If his brother doesn't figure out he's going against him.

"Your brother trusts you."

"He used to, but I don't think he does anymore. He thought I was gone for good. That's why he didn't bother getting a new place."

"He'll be here soon."

"I gotta go."

"Please don't go for long. I hate being here."

"How long have you been here?"

"A week."

"A whole week?! I'm so sorry. I promise I'll get you out. I can't alarm the police because before they get here, he'll have moved you, but I promise I'll be back soon."

We didn't say another word to each other after that.

I was finally hopeful that I may leave this lonely prison Jaxon wanted to make my home.

*

Hope is a fickle thing, isn't it?

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