CH 48

Sonny quickly backed away from Nikolas, looking down at him in shock. “You think you killed her?” He breathed. Nikolas looked up at him, wiping his tear-drenched face with the back of his hands. “Something’s wrong with her. I think someone has her. She’s been in trouble this whole time and I didn’t try and find her, it might be too late.” Nikolas said solemnly. Sonny shook his head in confusion. “You think someone has her? Like who?” He asked. “Well my gut instincts tell me Zander, but I left her standing outside the club by herself, it could be anyone Sonny.” Nik said. “I say go with your gut instincts, I’ll put a call in and find out what Zander has been up to the last few days. If he has her, you’ll have my word that he will be taken care of.” Sonny said. “Thank you.” Nikolas said, with no question of Sonny’s methods of taking care of the problem. He watched Sonny walk away and got up from his floor. Although fear still lingered on inside him, his body began to fill with a new emotion, anger. His mind suddenly began to fill with random thoughts. He thought of Gia the last time he saw her. How beautiful she looked and how much fun they were having at the club. He thought about hearing her call out to him, her voice muffled from the pounding rain and ignoring the direction his heart wanted him to go, back to her.  He thought about every time she kissed him, or smiled at him. He remembered the look he saw when he looked into her eyes as they made love just nights before she left. The love was unmistakable, how could he have doubted it? His heart was pounding and his fists began to ball together fiercely as other thoughts invaded him. Zander. The way he acted the day after Gia disappeared, his words, the cocky look on his face. He knew than that his instincts were right, it was Zander who had her and he would pay.

She loathed him more than ever in this moment. She wanted to scream and yell at him, but instead she was graciously accepting the food he was offering her. The bread of the cheese sandwich that was wedged into her mouth felt foreign to her at first. She first dragged her tongue along the texture, before her hunger increased and she bit down fully. She chewed, ever so slowly at first, but as the food entered her body and her stomached churned as she ate it, she began to eat at a faster speed. If she wasn’t so hungry, she probably would have noticed how stale the bread was, and that there was no mayonnaise on it, or any other condiment for that matter. But she didn’t care right now. All she cared about was the fact that after almost three miserable day’s, she was finally eating. He offered her a glass of water next, and she lifted her head and sloppily drank it, feeling like a slob because she couldn’t wipe away the water that dripped down her chin. When he tried to wipe it for her, she turned her head away from him. She could smell the sickening smell of her own perspiration as her face neared her armpit. Fresh tears poured down her face. She hadn’t showered in two and a half days. She was still in the same clothes that she wore the day Zander caught her. Her heavy maroon sweater kept her temperature uncomfortably warm. Her black leather mini skirt was a constant annoyance, she always wanted to push it down, feeling it hike up above her thighs, but her arms were still immobile so she couldn’t. “Gia, please don’t cry.” Zander said softly as he crouched down in front of her. “Zander please, I haven’t showered in days.” She pleaded with him. The only times she was aloud to get up were the few times that she asked to use the bathroom, but that was before she tried to escape. Zander looked away from her, contemplating what she just asked of him.

Nikolas walked up to Sonny hurriedly as he came downstairs. “What did you find out?” He asked. “Well he’s been staying at that same apartment upstairs at Jakes but he’s moving. It looks like he’s going back to Brooklyn tonight. My guess is that he planes to take Gia with him.” Sonny said. “Well we have to get to him right now.” Nik said. “I have the room number, lets go.” Sonny said as he ushered Nik out.

She kept her eyes fixed on her feet, while trying desperately not to think about anything. She was aware of the soothing feeling of warm water rushing onto her as she braced herself against the cold shower wall, but she tried to think of nothing. She was having a hard time standing, her head was spinning and she needed Zander’s help to even get to where she was. She could feel his eyes on her naked body and it made her feel even dirtier. With shaky hands, she cleaned herself, running the white bar of soap over her body. It was worth it, she told herself. The refreshing wet air that she breathed in was worth his staring. It calmed her and although he was still so close to her watching, she felt like she was finally alone. “OK Gia come on, that’s enough.” She heard his muffled voice yell through the glass door after a few minutes. She shut off the water and slid the door open. “We’re going to be late.” Zander said. “Late for what?” Gia asked roughly as she grabbed a towel. She brought the coarse cloth to her face and made a face as she breathed in the smell, before drying her face off with it disheartened. “We need to get out of here soon. I want to be back in Brooklyn before it gets dark.” Zander said. Gia turned her head away sadly, stepping out of the shower with the towel wrapped around her.  “I don’t want to go Zander.” She said softy, hoping that he would hear the desperation behind her words. He walked up to her and pulled her to him roughly, pulled her face to him and pressing his lips to hers in a bruising kiss. Gia pulled him away from him abruptly, clutching desperately at her towel to hold it up. Zander merely smirked at her. “You’re so beautiful Gia. You’ll see my angel, when we get back to Brooklyn you’ll remember everything. We’ll go to Colombia where we met and sit on the campus, go to the hotdog stand in Central Park. You’ll remember the love we once shared Gia. Now come on, we’re running out of time.” Zander said, he took hold of her arm and pulled her out of the bathroom and back into the front of the apartment.

Gia was handed a pair of men’s knee-length board shorts with flames up the sides, and a black T-shirt to change into. Zander sat down to watch her while she put her clothes on, licking his lips as she stretched her arms above her head and pulled her shirt over her head, covering up her bare chest. Gia looked up at him, the cocky grin on his face and the lust she saw in his eyes made her furious. She was out of her handcuffs now, that’s why he was keeping such a close eye on her. The food he had given her before, gave her more strength and she felt a little better after her shower. They were locked in a staring match, challenging each other as Gia stood in the middle of the room, Zander sitting on the bed. Her fists unconsciously balled together as she glared at him. In an instant she was running at him. Feeling a sort of crazed high and letting her anger take over her. She charged at him, pulling her fist back and than slamming it across his face as hard as she could. She cried out, clutching her hand as she watched Zander fall off of the bed and onto the floor beside it. The countless times she had seen people on TV do this, she never once realized just how much it would hurt. She fought back tears as she shook out her injured hand. Zander looked furious and Gia backed away from him in fear. She screamed when he lunged at her, pulling her down to the floor hovering over her. “Why are you fighting me Gia? You love me!” Zander yelled as he pinned her hands behind her head. “Someone help me please! Nikolas!” Gia screeched as she fought him. “Shut up, shut up! He won’t help you. He doesn’t even know you’re gone. He thinks you left him for me.” Zander said angrily. Gia shook her head. “No.” She breathed. Gia heard a loud noise come from behind Zander and her heart skipped a beat, she screamed in hopes that it was someone who would find her. She saw Zander raise his hand up to hit her and her eyes blinked in preparation for his blow. So suddenly that she thought she was dreaming, she saw a hand clamp around Zander’s wrist and he flew off of her, and then she saw him.

Nikolas rushed to fallow Sonny into Jake’s and they both knew where they were going. Nikolas remembered a time not too long ago that he had come looking for Gia the first time she was missing. He moved with the same determination now as he had then. With the same thought running through his head, Zander was a dead man when he reached him. The men, wasting now time at the door, worked together to kick it down. They stood there, glancing around the apartment trying to find Gia. Nikolas noticed the boxes that were obviously being packed.  He heard Gia’s scream coming from the other side of Zander’s bed. The apartment was so small; it took him no time at all to run to where her voice was coming from. His heart was pounding as his eyes landed on Zander’s back; his arm was raised over his head and he looked like he was about to strike. Nikolas grabbed his wrist, clamping down fiercely and pulled back towards him. He gripped Zander’s shirt and pushed him away roughly, and then he saw her.