13. Snooping around the Lion's den.

Elena.

It's daylight, bright, like a day for the beach but he is coming. He is coming and I can't stop him, I can't. I sent him money, all that I've made, and extra, I have begged him to simply let me go, to just leave me be, to forget that I ever existed, still he hunts me down these alleyways calling my name as if he were my friend - but in his hands is a knife and he means to twist it in my guts when he gets close.

I have been running in scattered way, run and hide, rinse, repeat. Now my heart beats like it means to explode and my mind is a scattered mess. Then before I know it, I'm out in the open, running down the street like the devil himself is in pursuit. Only it's worse, my chaser is flesh and blood and means to send me straight to hell just the same.

He's raging, malicious and he takes twisted delight in my fear. I should not have ran away, maybe I had no right to think I could ever escape him. He makes it seem like I should never have even gotten away from him, like he was protecting me when it was truly enslavement, now he plans to teach me a lesson, to let me know that all I'll ever get is him that I don't deserve better, to strike fear back into me but I won't be back in his arms, at least, not without a fight. I'll be alive when he's six feet under and throwing daisies on his grave. I'll run until there's no skin left on my feet, then I'll crawl...

But all of that seemed like a hopeless wish as I suddenly I felt his coarse whisky tongue licking at my skin, stubby fingers curled in my hair. Every time I closed my eyes, he bashed my head backward onto the concrete demanding that I open them. I didn't want to, I closed them over and over, anything rather than watch his face lit up with with power and lust.

He became angry, his force less controlled, until finally blood ran from the back of my head onto the rain soaked ground and my head lolled like a doll. He was finished anyway. He snorted and whispered close to my earrings, "Dead's better anyway, should've never dreamt of leaving me, dear wife," and then, he left without a backward glance.

He won. Again.

My eyes fluttered open as I unconsciously touched my head and my body, feeling violated. It was a dream, of course, another one of my trauma melted into nightmares, only that this was different, different from the ones I've had.

I turned the light on, looking around my room like he would suddenly appear and drag me back to that dungeon with him where I was sure to not see daylight ever again should that ever happen. I was also suddenly patched so I got off my bed and went out of my room to help myself to some water, as I walked past Mr. Deangelo's room and down the stairs, I couldn't help but pray that I just didn't run into anybody. I don't want to come off as a sneaky rat on my first night here.

Without turning on the light, I was able to get into the kitchen and then I opened up one of the huge fridges in there to get a bottle of water, I poured some into a glass cup I found on the sink just after washing it. But while drinking, I suddenly spotted Mr. Deangelo somewhere in the lounge and then I stood in the dark, unable to tear my eyes away. There was just something about him that fascinated me but I didn't quite know what it is. He stood abruptly, and I pushed myself back against the wall wondering if he could see me in the dark.

My eyes followed him as he started to do little exercises by jumping up and down. The only thing he was wearing was a black boxer shorts. His blond hair had messy, loose waves on top. He turned around and I sucked in a sharp breath as his shirtless torso was exposed to me.

Gawking wouldn't quite describe my state. I was shocked, stunned, flabbergasted, amazed, wonderstruck, mesmerized by his physique. It was like nothing I've ever seen before. His body was drool-worthy. He had a chiseled chest and the skin on it was glowing healthily. His abdominals were sculptured to perfection as his six-packs pop, instantly giving off the impression that he came out of a Calvin Klein shoot.

I won't even forget about his arms for years. His biceps were the size of my head yet lean and his triceps looked like diamonds - really rare ones, indeed - and completing his masterpiece of a bodice, his shoulders, round and protruding, give his whole look a new flavor. I want to extend my hands and touch. Really, I was mannerly enough to avoid gawking at strangers or worse dangerous men who could end me simply by snapping me in half, but this man before me, radiating with nothing but grace, had me enthralled. He was mesmerizing in every way.

My heart began to beat faster.

What was I doing?

I shouldn’t be standing here in the dark, watching him like a creep, but for some reason I couldn't make myself look away.

Soon, I watched as he walked out of the house into the compound and I released the breathe I didn't even know that I was holding. I sighed, took another cup of water and then started to go back to my room but then on going past Mr. Deangelo's room, I noticed that it was opened and the stupidest curiosity got the best of me such that I couldn't help but peep in.

I took in the well listed room even though I had just been in it hours ago while hiding from this same man. The bed was clearly king-sized, and the room was grand. I kept going and before I knew it, I was literally snoopong around his room like a creep, I was even at the entrance of his bathroom too.

As soon as I got back to my senses and remembered that I was literally playing with fire at the moment, I proceeded ro walk out of the room, hoping that he does not sense any difference when he finally comes back in but just then, I heard footsteps coming up the stairs and I froze, standing still like I had just seen a ghost or wild animal. I heard them getting even closer and my mind had completely shut down. I stood there, frozen in the middle of his room as I lost her ability to think while he kept coming.

But soon, I was able to move, although, instead of me walking towards the main door of the room, I walked straight into the bathroom again and before I can even comprehend what was happening, I had hopped into the bathtub and pulled the shower curtain shut, again.

Soon, footsteps, coupled with more grunts began to approach me and to my horror, it was getting closer. It was soon obvious and certain that he was walking towards the bathroom.

Why on earth did I think it would be a good idea to even come into his room against?

Why did I even think hiding inside his bathtub for the second timewas a good idea?

I literally just made everything worse, how do I explain why I'm hiding in the bathtub with his keys in my hand? I'm probably going to get killed on my first night here! Elena, why do you keep being this stupid?

I kept scolding myself as I heard the bathroom door open and then a hiss. A distinct sound of something – a thick stream – hitting the ceramic, followed by a loud sigh. He was peeing and it caused me to groan with disgust and then an eternity later, the flush of the toilet and the rush of the tap opening could be heard.

I could swear that I heard the bathroom door open and close once again such that I was already jubilating at not being caught until I heard the curtains drawn in a twinkle of an eye only to reveal the same dangerous man that I had been trying so hard to run and hide from.

“What do you think you are doing in my bathroom? Again?” He thundered.