The knotting and the hunger pangs in Katherine’s stomach prevented her from falling asleep. Apparently, starving and sleep deprivation were part of their torture techniques. She had no idea how long it had been since she ate last. Her sleep was minimal at best; it was difficult to slumber when tied to a chair in the middle of a room, never knowing when someone was watching. She all but lost the feelings in her hands and longed for the opportunity to lay down.
Her will was strong the first day. However, as the hours ticked by, her resolve gave way to survival. She needed to conserve her energy so she could heal and gain strength to escape if the opportunity presented itself.
She wanted out of this basement and this country forever. New York City was sounding more and more like paradise each hour that passed. She longed for her routine, her strolls through Central Park, and even the sweltering summer heat that would quickly be upon them. She wanted it all back. She was even okay with running into Mike again. She was confident she had moved on from him; her experiences in Italy had secured her self-esteem and independence ensuring she no longer needed, or wanted, the cheating bastard.
If only Tony would come rescue her. That was what was supposed to happen, right? The knight in shining armor dashed into the dungeon and saved the princess from inevitable doom. She visualized him pushing his way through the doorway, down the stairs, untying her, and battling the evil captors—freeing her from this private hell. He would take her home, and who knows, maybe he’d stay and they would start dating. They would have a whirlwind romance where he would sweep her off her feet. She imagined the back of his hand brushing against her cheek, his warm breath against her ear, the smell of his cologne, and the heat of his embrace. It was comforting.
Footsteps coming down the stairs startled her from the daydream. The smell of food heightened her awareness, and suddenly, the uncontrolled rumbling in her stomach decided to take over and created loud gurgling noises.
“You’re awake.”
As the man removed the blindfold, the light overhead blinded her, forcing her eyes closed yet again. When they finally adjusted, she focused on her tall, dark, and handsome captor with the emerald eyes. “It’s hard to sleep in a chair. Perhaps you wouldn’t mind letting me lie down for a bit.”
“We’ll see. If you can behave yourself, I’ll think about it. Are you hungry?”
“I’ve eaten once in what I presume has been about two days. What do you think?”
“I think if you keep up that mouth, you’ll be waiting a lot longer.”
She bit the inside of her lip, searching for some ounce of patience that wasn’t there. “I apologize. I’ve lost my manners; I’d appreciate what you have to offer, I’ve grown quite famished since my last meal.” She forced a smile across her face.
“That’s better. I’d think a woman of your stature would be more obedient and speak to me that way all the time.”
She bit down harder on her lip in an attempt to refrain from saying anything that might cause more trouble. Her head screamed obscenities and her fingers resisted scratching his eyes out.
“You’re right. I’ll work harder to be more respectful in the future.”
“That’s better. Let’s untie you so you can eat, unless you prefer I feed you. You might like it.” Ray smiled.
Her stomach started to recoil; his smugness made her want to vomit. “If you wouldn’t mind, I would very much appreciate my hands being untied so I could feed myself. It seems I’ve lost the feeling in them and I’d appreciate the opportunity to move them around.”
“Since you asked so nicely, how could I refuse?” The green-eyed monster put the food down on a small table that seemed to magically appear in front of her. He walked behind her, slowly untied her, and freed her hands. Her shoulders were stiff, and made it difficult to move her arms around the front. It almost hurt more to move them than to leave them where they were. She took a moment to rotate her shoulders and wrists to work out the kinks and encourage blood flow back through her arms. Tiny pins poked in them as the feeling returned.
“How about you walk around a bit before you start to eat? I’m sure your legs would like to stretch out as well.”
What was with this sudden change in attitude? Ray was actually being nice. Something must be going on. Was it Tony? Had he been captured? “Thank you, I believe you’re right.” She stood up and almost collapsed as her knees buckled. Fortunately, her arms were able to support her weight with the chair. She slowly tried to stand up, and became aware of how sore her bottom was from sitting in one place for so long.
She slowly walked the length of the room. She’d never been so grateful for the ability to walk in her life. She didn’t own a car in New York and would walk most places, but until now, she took that freedom for granted.
“Come sit down and eat. Your food is getting cold.”
She obediently complied with the orders and forced her protesting body back into the chair. The only part of her that wasn’t aching was her stomach, and she was more than ready to appease the grumbling.
She placed the napkin on her lap as she looked at the food in front of her. A spaghetti bolgonaise, caprese salad, garlic bread, and a glass of red wine. She looked up at her captor, confused by the red wine and not sure she wanted to drink it.
“Does it not meet your satisfaction?”
“The food looks delicious. I’m just confused as to why you would serve me red wine.”
“A good woman would just be grateful for such a lovely meal and would drink it. Why must you question it?”
“I’m sorry. It’s just…I’ve barely been able to get a glass of water. Wine seems like a luxury.”
“It’s customary to have wine with dinner in my country. We don’t get drunk like you Americans. We only drink enough to enhance our meals and enjoy our company.”
She forced a smile. “Thank you. I’m sorry. I’m just confused. It seems odd to give that to someone you’re holding captive. Why would you want me to enjoy anything?”
“Let’s just say I’ve had a good day. I’m feeling generous.”
“Does your good day have anything to do with the cut on your lip?”
She felt the sting on her face before she even registered the hand moving to hit her. Her head jolted to the left, causing a sharp pain in the right side of her neck. She reached her hand up to her cheek, feeling the warmth from where the green-eyed monster’s hand had been.
“I thought I made it perfectly clear about you being respectful. I’d hate to have to take this dinner away.”
“You-You’re right. I apologize. I don’t know where my manners went. I won’t let it happen again.” She bowed her head and folded her hands in her lap.
“That’s better. Now eat!”
She picked up the fork, resisting the urge to stab it in the monster's neck. Instead, she took a bite of the salad. “It’s delicious. Thank you.”
“You should try the pasta. It’s from a local restaurant, but I think you’ll be pleased with it.”
She cut a small portion of the spaghetti with her fork. It was amazingly delicious. Of course, anything at this point would probably be considered a five-star feast in her mind.
“This…it’s so good.” Katherine continued to devour the food as he spoke.
“Yes. They use locally raised meat. It’s a combination of beef and pork. I personally think it’s one of the best around. It reminds me of when my grandmother used to make family dinners.”
She needed to find out more about this man. If she had a chance of escaping, she wanted to know as much as possible to help the authorities track him down. “I’d love to hear more about your grandmother.”
The green-eyed monster grew silent and paced the room. After a couple moments, he began to speak. “She was a wonderful woman. She was so compassionate and full of life, although it was hard. She and my grandfather were farmers and didn’t have a lot of money. They would eat off the land. My grandmother always wanted a big family, but she almost died giving birth to my dad. As a result, she wasn’t able to have any more children. She poured all of the love she had into her two sons and eventually her grandchildren. We visited her at least once a week to have dinner with our entire family. It was fun getting together with everyone; the cousins played games out in the pastures while the adults talked about their week in the house.”
“She sounds like an incredible woman.”
The green-eyed monster put his head down. “She died of a broken heart.”
Katherine almost spit out her wine. His comment seemed to have come from left field.
“I’m sorry. What did you say?”
“My dad and uncle began quarreling about the family business. My great grandfather helped my grandfather start up an olive oil production company. It was small at first because they didn’t have much land. They planted olive trees on the farm, and purchased the equipment needed with the profits from selling livestock and various crops throughout the year. It slowly began to grow. When my uncle became old enough, he began helping on the farm. Eventually, he was my grandfather’s right-hand man. They wanted my dad to be a part of the company but instead, he refused, wanting to find his own way in the world. He didn’t want to be a poor farmer. He wanted to be a wealthy businessman. I remember many heated arguments as a kid between the three of them. They always ended up with my dad leaving. Finally, we stopped going to my grandparents’ altogether. I think it broke my grandmother’s heart because she died shortly after.”
“That’s awful. It sounds like you missed out.”
“I did. On my dad’s side, we became the black sheep of the family. No one would talk to us. We weren’t invited to holiday celebrations, so most of the holiday’s were spent with just me and my mom. My dad was always away on business.”
“So, what got you into the business of kidnapping?”
“Watch it!” The green-eyed monster gritted his teeth and locked his jaw.
She had finished all her food and took a sip of wine. Even though she only had half the glass, she was lightheaded. She needed to stay in control, and getting a buzz wasn’t going to help the situation.
Why Ray, or the green-eyed monster, decided to open up to her, she didn’t know, but she needed to find a way to use it against him. She was angry; it seemed he was trying to justify his behavior as an adult with what happened to him as a youth. He clearly thought it was okay.
Ray reappeared from his memories. He was wild-eyed, and looked as though he was ready to lash out at her. That was until his phone rang.
“What?”
“Good…No…No…Stay there tonight. I don’t want you on the road. We don’t need a reason for them to search the car…Okay, nine o’clock tomorrow. Take the train. I’ll have someone pick you up at the station.”
The green-eyed monster hung up his phone. “It looks like your Prince Charming was smart and directed my people to the documents. Too bad he wasn’t able to make it there with them. Unfortunately, he wasn’t smart enough to figure out he wasn’t going to make it out of this situation.”
“You…you said if you got what you needed, you would let me go.”
The green-eyed monster smiled. “You’re right, but I haven’t gotten what I need as far as you’re concerned.”
Fear coursed through her body as her hands started shaking. Her captors had never made a move on her, and she never once thought she could be sexually assaulted until this very minute. “Wha…what is it you need from me?”
“I want the five million dollars from your father. Then, you’ll be free to go. In fact, I’ll have one of the men drive you directly to the U.S. Embassy. No harm, no foul done. We can both go our separate ways.”
“Except your walking away with my family’s money.”
“From what I understand, your family is in no shortage of it.”
“From what I can tell, you don’t need the money. You seem to be doing all right for yourself with your custom-made suits.”
Ray smiled. “Yes, I do very well, but who wouldn’t want a little extra cushion? That’s where your family comes in. Don’t worry. I’m sure dear old Dad will pay up soon enough.”
This man was untrustworthy. Could she honestly believe he was just going to let her go as soon as he received the money? Of course not. She could identify him. There was no way she was going to get out alive unless she escaped. Now she had to put on a show; he had to believe she thought she would be released. Then Katherine could escape when Ray least expected it. “How do I know you’ll keep your word and let me go?”
“You don’t. However, if I fail to keep up my end of the bargain, I’ll have a whole other set of circumstances to worry about. I’d prefer to keep this clean and easy.”
“You call this clean and easy? You think kidnapping, assault, and torture is clean and easy?”
His smug laugh returned. “Now, my dear, this isn’t torture. If you want to experience torture, I can arrange that. I wouldn’t call a few minor bruises assault. Every woman could use a little reminder here and there on just how to behave. Unfortunately, you’re not a quick learner. Perhaps, in the future, you’ll think before you speak.” The green-eyed monster smiled as he lifted her chin with two fingers and looked into her eyes. “I can definitely think of some other things that pretty little face could do for me. Every woman needs to earn her keep.”
Katherine attempted to pull her head away, but Ray grabbed her face, preventing her from moving.
“You’ll have eye contact with me until I’m finished looking at you. Is that understood?”
“Yes, sir.” She was scared stiff. Literally. There were endless possibilities of what this man could do to her. None of which sounded remotely pleasant.
“Good. That’s what I like to hear. Now, I’m going to release your face, and I intend to have one of my men bring you a cot to sleep on tonight. If you do anything rash, I’ll tie your ass back in the chair instead. Do you understand?”
“Yes. Just one question. Why did you open up to me about your grandmother? It almost made you seem human. I thought I saw a flicker of humanity.”
“Clearly, it was a momentary lapse of judgment. Trust me when I say it won’t happen again. But make no mistake, I don’t give a shit about you or anyone else. The only thing that matters to me is my freedom and your money.” The green-eyed monster started to walk toward the stairs.
“Pig!” she barked.
Before she could scramble to protect herself, the monster was only inches from her. His fist slammed into her face, causing her to crash to the floor into an unconscious, motionless heap.