A full night passes and Johnny doesn’t come back in. I don’t know if he has left or if he’s just avoiding me. I don’t know how long I’ll be in this place or if I’ll ever see my home again. I’m so angry and hurt at my Father, if it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t be in this position. He never gave me anything when he was alive and now, even when I thought he was dead, he’s still proving what a monster he truly is.
When the morning light shines through the window, I get off the bed and sit in the sunlight. Last night I read the one book in the room…twice…and sung to myself. I don’t want to go crazy; I don’t want to be that person. I don’t want to be the girl who ends up in a mental institution. That place frightens the life out of me and I won’t end up with my Mother. I’ve been in that dark place before…
“Willow, why do you do this to yourself?” My Sister Jenny whispers, stroking my hair.
“It’s all my fault,” I whimper, trying to pull my hands from the restrains holding me to the bed.
“Willow…it’s never been your fault. Mom’s sick.”
“She’s sick because of me.”
“No honey, she’s not. Please, don’t do this, don’t crumble. I need you.”
“No one needs me Jenny, no one.”
She looks down at my bandaged stomach, and closes her eyes. Deep slashes from a piece of glass will be forever burned into my skin. It was the second time I had tried to take my own life, and this time I didn’t know if I would escape this hospital…this time I was trapped…
The door beeps and clicks and my head snaps up. He’s finally coming in. I don’t move from my spot on the floor, instead, I just sit anxiously waiting. He steps through again, and he’s wearing the same faded blue jeans and no shirt. Doesn’t the man shower? I snort to myself, what an absurd thought to be having right now.
He carries a tray, and he slams it on a nearby table and turns. Oh, so he’s not going to speak with me? The fucking man dirty danced with me at a club, and now he’s trying to send me insane. I knew something about captors, and that’s that they don’t like to communicate with the captive incase a bond grows. Maybe that’s what I have to do here? Talk to him? Make him like me…trust me even. It was worth a shot.
I stare at the tattoo on his back, I wonder if that’s his nickname? I’m about to find out, “Jagger?” I say.
I watch him stop and turn, oh, so he does go by that. Interesting. He stares down at me on the floor, and his eyes narrow. “What did you say?”
“That’s your nickname, right?”
His glare hardens and he crosses his arms across his chest, causing his muscles to jump and bunch. “It’s of no use to you, either way.”
“I should at least know who the bastard is who captured me, if I’m staying a while.”
“The only thing you need to know about me, is that if you continue smart mouthing me, I will tape it shut!”
I close my mouth, but only for a moment. “Why are you so awful? Are you like this to all women, or only the ones you kidnap?”
His eyes narrow and he looks momentarily shocked. “My life is none of your business.”
“My life is none of yours either, but that hasn’t stopped you.”
He storms forward and I keep my eyes open, challenging him. He stops in front of me and I look up at him, giving him a hard stare.
“I know what you’re doing and it won’t work. Act tough, be brave and witty but let me tell you this; I WILL break you, little girl, because everyone has a weakness - even you.”
Then he turns, walking out and slamming the door without another word. I sit, staring at the door for long moments. He’s wrong; he won’t break me because I won’t let him. I stare at the tray of food, and my stomach turns. I rush over, lifting the silver lid off the dish. There isn’t much, but its food. I pick up the ham sandwich and bite into it. Oh thank God, I’m starving. As soon as the food hits my stomach though, it turns violently.
“God,” I groan, gripping it and rocking backwards and forwards.
I crawl into the bed and curl into a ball, rubbing my stomach until it settles. Then, I manage to fall into a fitful and weak sleep. I’m so exhausted.
~*~*~*~
Three hours later the door opens again, this time five men pile into the room. I sit up quickly, my eyes blurring from sleep. I grip the blanket, my heart thumps. What will they do? Rape me? Hurt me? Beat me? Maybe they have decided it’s easier to get rid of me. I can’t see Jagger or Johnny, or whatever he goes by - and that frightens me.
“Well well, Willow Barnes…”
I stare at the man who has spoken; he’s tall with blonde hair and green eyes. Why are all the men reasonably attractive? I guess it’s how they lure their victims, women wouldn’t think twice about getting in a car with any one of them. They range from red hair and green eyes, to dark hair and brown eyes but all of them are packing a punch.
“What do you want from me?” I whisper, staring at the strange man.
“I want answers, get up and come over here.”
“No.”
His green eyes flare and he storms towards the bed, picking me up and tossing me to the floor in one quick movement. I cry out as my head slams against a nearby coffee table and blood trickles down my cheek.
“You bastard,” I scream. “I did nothing to you.”
“You will learn very quickly, I’m not the sort of person you wish to smart mouth. Now, get up and come over here or I’ll break your fingers one by one until you do as I ask.”
I stand on wobbly legs and walk over; I stop in front of him but refuse to meet his eyes.
“Now, what do you know about your Father?”
“Nothing,” I spit.
He raises his hand to slap me, but Johnny is in the room and has his hand crushed in his grip in a split second. “Hit her once more Snake and I’ll break your fuckin’ fingers. What the fuck do you boys think you’re doin’ in here?”
“I need answers Jagger, and you’re clearly too much of a fucking pussy to get them.”
Jagger - the nickname definitely suits him better - whips a gun out and grips the other man, pressing it to his temple. The man goes white and his mouth opens in protest.
“What did you say?”
“Man, I’m sorry, but we need answers.”
“And we’ll get them, without all the beating.”
Jagger’s protecting me? Why?
“She’s bein’ a smart ass.”
“I don’t give a fuck what she’s doin’, it ain’t your place to be in here. I took her, she’s my business. If I see you lay a fuckin’ finger on her again, I’ll gut you.” Jagger drops the gun and shoves the man out of the way, and then he steps in front of me and grips my chin almost gently.
“Answer the question for me Willow, please?”
“I did,” I whimper. “I don’t know anything.”
“Tell me the name of the police officer that came and informed you of your Father’s death.”
I close my eyes, trying to remember. I consider lying, but I know that won’t benefit me. My Father deserves all he gets, he lied to us all and I have to protect the rest of my family.
“Officer Huck.”
“I knew it.” One of the men snarls.
“And what did they say happened to him?”
I swallow, keep calm, just answer the questions and they’ll leave. “He was in a car accident.”
“Did you overhear Huck saying anything unusual, at any time?”
I close my eyes, trying to remember that time. I was devastated, trying to look after my Sister, and trying to keep my family together. There was once though, because even through my hard time, I thought it was odd. I found Huck out the back on the phone; he was talking to someone rapidly. I open my mouth and begin repeating the conversation.
“Ben, you can’t breathe a word of this. If anyone finds out what is going on, we’re all dead. We’re dealing with bad people here, the kind of people you don’t want to fuck with. Manchez and his…”
I pause and choke on my words. Breathe Willow, just breathe.
“Keep going…” Jagger encourages.
“Manchez and his gang…” I whisper, closing my eyes and clenching them tightly, “Will do anything to get that information, we have to keep this on the low down.”
“Is that all?”
I nod and he lets go of my chin and turns, facing the five other men. “Well, that’s enough for now. Angel, Ace and Rusty, you lot go out and find Huck. It’s time we have a word.”
Three of the men retreat without another word, and the other two remain, staring at me with hard expressions. It never occurred to me until now, just what I am dealing with. These men are part of something very dangerous. It seems like Jagger might be the only protection I have, and even that’s pushing it. Jagger has an angry side.
“Leave,” Jagger snarls to the other two, and they leave.
When they’re gone, he turns to me. “Come with me.”
We’re leaving the room? He’s letting me out? I follow him out the door and into the massive house. Holy shit, it’s huge. It’s very modern, with wooden floors, pale walls and shiny finishing’s. We walk into a massive kitchen, with marbled benches and chrome fittings. Jagger shoves me down onto a stool and opens a cupboard, coming back a moment later with a first aid kit.
I don’t dare say anything. I’d rather him fix this, then I would to get an infection and likely get sick. My pride wasn’t worth that much. He pulls out some swaps and begins wiping my cheek, neither of us speaks. He dabs all the blood away, then covers it with a patch. He grips my chin and turns it from side to side, before nodding to himself.
“Why is your nickname Jagger?” I whisper.
He pauses mid-way through throwing the bloody swabs into the bin. It seems my question has stumped him. He drops them in and then looks up at me with narrowed eyes.
“Does it matter?”
“No, but I want to know…”
“No, it’s not. It’s just the name that we came up with. We’re like a brotherhood I guess, and it just stuck.”
“Why did you pick that?”
“Why are you asking questions?” He snaps.
“I just want to know, it’s not like I can tell anyone.” I growl, frustrated.
“Johnny, Aiden, Greg, George, Eddie and Rusty, that’s their first names and together it spells Jagger, so I got that name because I started the group. All the boys except Rusty go by created names, which is what you hear me call them; Angel, Ace, Bull and Snake.”
So they’re basically like a gang? Although, they don’t seem to like the idea of being referred to as one, however, as far as I can tell, that’s what they are in a simple sense. I close my eyes a moment and listen as Jagger continues cleaning up.
“Please don’t lock me in that room anymore.” I whisper, pushing his reasonable mood.
He’s over at the sink now and he stops moving again. Without turning, he says, “You will stay in there until I say you can come out. If all goes well, I might let you come out and help around the house, but that depends.”
“Please…”
He spins around, and slams a glass down onto the bench. “This isn’t a hotel princess; you’re not here to enjoy yourself. If the room isn’t good enough for you, I have a dark basement riddled with rats that you might prefer?”
I shake my head, swallowing back more tears.
He stares at me for a long moment, and then sighs. “Look, for what it’s worth I’m sorry I had to do this. I need that information because if it gets in the wrong hands all hell will break loose. I don’t want to hurt you, and I’m sorry you’re here but I have to do this. I’m the nicer side of this situation. You have bad people after you Willow, it could have been so much worse for you. If Manchez and his gang had taken you, I guarantee you wouldn’t be sitting here chatting. You’d be in a basement, bound and raped until you couldn’t breathe any longer.”
I shudder at the thought. “His name keeps appearing on everyone’s lips. Who is this Manchez?” I ask in a small voice.
“Manchez is the most feared gang leader in this city and he wants the information your Father has. He was after you also, you don’t even realize the danger you were in do you? I took you to get the information from your Father but I never planned on hurting you. Manchez on the other hand, would have killed you as soon as he got his hands on that information.”
“My Sister…” I whisper. “Is she safe?”
“Yes, she’s safe. She’s only your half-sister…”
I nod, thanking God in that moment that she is only my half-sister. My Mother had her to another man, and my Father left her. It’s when things begun going bad…
“Then she’s of no use to those men.”
“How could I live so long and not know the whole time that I was in danger?”
“Your Father knows too many things, and eventually people were going to find him and try to get that information. One way or another, you would have been taken.”
“Can I go back to my room?” I whisper, closing my eyes. This is all too much to take in.
He nods and leads me back to my room, when he’s about to close the door, I whisper, “Thank you.”
He turns, looking shocked. His eyes meet mine and for a moment, I see something else in them. Quickly, he pulls on the hard front and nods stiffly. “Yeah well, I’m not a fuckin’ monster. Don’t get used to it though; I can’t be your friend.”
Then he slams the door and leaves, and I cry myself into a weak, exhausted sleep.