ESCAPING DEVIL'S DEN!

BRIA

I returned back to the room where Adam was along with Gabriel. My mood was in complete contrast to what it was when I stormed out of there. I was smiling and giggling, loving the way he held my hand in his.

It made me feel so special, and for some reason, I envied Jessica for having such a caring man in her life. I wished one day I would also find one for me, but then the monster standing in front of me with his ugly dark shades came crashing into my life and turned it upside down.

Sometimes I envision him as a death who had struck a stupid deal with me!

"King, I will take a leave then. I have to take care of something." I heard Cameron talking to his boss while the latter was as usual busy on his phone.

A silent conversation happened between the three of them which I was still trying to get used to. I wonder how they got a message from the devil without looking at his eyes. I should learn that talent if I wanted to survive the remaining days of my life.

"Take care, Gabriel! Call me if you need anything. I will come in the morning with breakfast. And don't scare the boy when he wakes up."

I swear I saw Cameron smiling at Gabriel! Why he couldn't do that for me?

I scoffed mentally.

Nora had already gone home, and that left only three of us behind.

"Butterfly, you should go back home. Take rest and eat something. I will stay with Adam." Gabriel turned his attention to me.

"But-" I immediately objected, but Gabriel cut my sentence in between.

"King will take you back home and that's final. No room for argument." He concluded.

My face soured hearing that. I would rather spend the whole time in that uncomfortable metal chair in front of Adam's room than sharing a confined space with the devil!

"What? No way that I am going with him anywhere that too in his car! Last time I got the once in a lifetime opportunity, I ended up being a hostage." I crossed my hands over the chest and huffed.

I prayed for the lamp above Gabriel's head to fall on him and electrocute him when he forced me to go with the devil.

"I will take a cab or bus or walk." I tried desperately for the last time.

"You are kidnapped."

So he thought now was the right time for him to look up from his phone and finally open his mouth!

" I swear if he murders me during the ride, I will be a bad ghost and hunt you down to make your life miserable!"

Gabriel chuckled in amusement "I bet!"

In the end, I ended up sitting beside him in his care, with a deep scowl on my face.

Besides, my tummy monster was growling in hunger. He needed to be fed. But that particular ride was too uncomfortable for me.

I couldn't understand why I was feeling these tingles all over my body, and the confined place was suffocating. Why?

Because he sat beside me with only 2.60 feet of distance between our bodies. His masculine woody and resinous scent overpowered my surroundings. His chocolate brown hairs were combed to perfection, not a single strand out of place. His dark shades rested on his pointed nose like a crown.

He didn't acknowledge me at all like every other time, since I got into the car. And this time, he was not even busy with his phone or laptop. He was staring outside the window, but I knew that his mind was playing rugby with hundreds of thoughts. The man's brain was never tired. There were always some calculations and planning going on in that big brain of his.

So much for being the leader of the world's biggest mafia family!

After ten minutes of unbearable silence, I tried to get my mind distracted from the weird things my body felt. "You can thank me, you know. I won't mind!" I said calmly, monotonously.

I half expected him to treat me with his famous silent treatment, but he didn't. He kept his face away from me but asked, "Why?"

"Because I kinda saved Adam. And not to mention that somehow my efforts paid off as Gabriel has realised his mistake and he has promised me to take a good care of Adam." I couldn't help but smile at the thought.

Silence.

I just hate him the most when he replies to me with that annoying silence!

"It's my pleasure!"

"I never thanked you."

"Yeah, because you are an egotistical asshole and it will wound your pride to thank your pray."

I was satisfied with my snarky comeback until he opened that garbage of a mouth of his.

"No one asked you to do that. Certainly, it was not me!"

My head snapped in his way at a lightning speed, and I looked at him in horror. "Are you serious, bulldozer?"

"Stop disrespecting me!"

"You shitface, all you care in the world is only yourself. Open your damn eyes and remove that bloody goggles. The world doesn't revolve around you. It's okay if you don't want to thank me, I don't care!

But at least show some kindness and respect to your friend and his only family. What have had happened if we couldn't find Adam in time? Ever think of that?" I yelled, pointing my first finger at him.

But the very next minute, my anger cracked as I saw that straight vein pop on his forehead.

Bria! You are so dead!

"I hate to repeat myself, Miss Maxwell. I said stop disrespecting me." He said lowly in his deep velvety voice that send ripples on my skin.

Focus Bria!

"Ever learned about 'give respect, take respect'?! To expect respect from others first learn to give the same to them. Everyone is not your dog. Certainly, I am not!" I was not ready to back down. No way!

But then I realised the consequences of my stubbornness as I felt him leaning towards me slowly.

A gasp escaped my lips when his hand grabbed my hair harshly and pulled me towards him. Memories of the night when they murdered Patrick Baker flashed in front of my eyes, and dread filled my mind.

"I am trying to go easy on you but it seems that you always get the way to cross my path. From day one, I am telling you that I have very thin patience, Miss Maxwell. I told you to stop disrespecting me and follow my rules but you didn't!" He gritted.

Lowering his voice dangerously, "Don't misunderstand my silence with my incapability, Miss Maxwell! I can ruin you, break you in a thousand pieces and destroy you until you won't be able to take a single breath without wishing for death. You have a very short time in this world, spend it wisely. And... the last but most important thing... Don't make me repeat myself!"

It was hard to breathe with him so close to me. We stared at each other, our breaths hit each other's faces. I gulped down in fear. My body shivered at the warmth coming from his body.

My eyes betrayed me as they travelled down to his chest, and my lips parted. Suddenly I felt thirsty. But then his words replayed in my head, and though I couldn't see his eyes, I could feel the intensity of disgust he harboured for me.

It was too much! It was just too much for me to bore.

The car stopped at the red lights. When I remained silent, he loosened his grip on my hair. And that was my only chance!

Without thinking twice, I opened the door and jumped out of the car. He tried to grab me, but I was too quick, and the pain in my chest only pushed me over the edge.

Not looking behind, I ran on the busy streets of the city in bright daylight. I bumped into people, some cursed, some questioned. But I didn't heed them any attention and took whatever road my eyes caught.

I knew that his driver and bodyguard were chasing me and my stupid, stupid mind came up with an absurd thought.

Was he also following me?

I shook my head and took a sharp turn to mislead them. Crossing the alley, I entered an isolated opening.

Oh no! Where was I?

A ray of hope sparked in me when I saw a black car stopped in front of me. After the dust settled down, my eyes darted to the front of the car. To my good luck, there was not a golden K on its front, and that was enough for me to run towards it, pleading for help.

I stopped when four people stepped out of the car. They looked shady, but as long as they could help me, I was fine with it.

"Please sir, please help me. There are people who are chasing me. They will hurt me. Please help." I made a smart choice by pleading with a middle-aged man.

He had a navy blue tailored suit on his lanky frame and a mischievous grin on his lips which were partly hidden by the large moustache. He examined me from head to toe like a hawk, and something strange glinted in his eyes.

"Bria... what the fuck? Come here!" I heard Cameron shouting my name.

I turned to look at him and saw him with a gun pointed in our direction with the other two men who were with me in the car.

When and how did he come here?