Chapter 2

Before she could process anything, Ford stood up and roughly pulled her up with him until she was standing in front of him. He opened his mouth to speak, but Roselle didn't give him the chance. She raised her hand and slapped him hard across his face, relishing the sound as her hand made contact with his cheek. As soon as he recovered from the shock of being slapped, he glared at her. She raised her hand to slap him again, but he caught her wrist in a tight hold just as her hand was mere centimeters away from his face. "You will regret this, Firefly," Ford muttered, squeezing her wrist, causing her to yelp in pain. "Let go of me, you piece of shit!" she shouted, trying to free her wrist, but Ford's grip was unyielding. "Are you American?" he muttered, slightly loosening his hold on her. She ignored his words, mainly because she had no idea what he was saying. "Cut the Italian bullshit and let go of me," she seethed. Ford released her suddenly, causing her to fall flat on her butt. He bent down and gave her a once-over, taking in her disheveled appearance. His presence intimidated her, even more than when she saw him in that royal room. "What are you doing here? Don't you know, whoever trespasses is shot on the spot, how did you make it this far?" Ford asked her. She stared at him in anger and confusion. What the hell was he talking about? His burly men had kidnapped Merline and her, and now he was holding her sister hostage. Why was he talking as if he was meeting her for the first time? Did he not remember what happened just an hour ago? Did he suffer from any memory disorder? "What are you talking about? Your men kidnapped me and my sister. I want my sister back, let her go or I will chop you into pieces!" she threatened. Ford frowned, his eyes flashing in confusion. She had no idea if he was genuinely that forgetful or just an excellent actor, because in that moment, he truly looked as if he had no idea what she was talking about. Ford moved his arm behind his back and produced a black gun. Her heart leapt into her throat as he pointed the gun straight at her. With his other hand, Ford pulled out his cell phone from his pocket, after dropping his white coat on the ground. He put the phone to his ear and waited for the line to connect, while Roselle sat there, eyeing the gun with barely concealed terror. "Dave, what is a random girl doing in our territory? She's going ballistic, demanding that we let her sister go," Ford said, the gun still pointing at Roselle. "Where is Dave?" He asked. Ford was quiet as he listened to the other person. Roselle, on the other hand, prayed for her life. She couldn't believe the turn her life had taken. Just a few hours ago, Merline and she had been arguing over paying for a taxi, and now here she was, on the ground, with a stunning monster in front of her, pointing a gun at her face. She had heard stories about how Italy was infamous for the Mafia, and she prayed that this man was not a part of it, even though the gun pointing at her did not tip the scales in her favor. After a few 'hmm's and 'yes's, Ford hung up and pocketed his phone, a wicked look in his eyes. Her heart rate skyrocketed as Ford stared at her with a terrifying expression. "You were supposed to leave and never come back, yet here you are, trying to sneak back in. You do know I can kill you right now, right?" Ford stated, cocking the gun, causing a whimper to escape her. Roselle tried to bargain for her life. "Look, sir, Mr. Ford," she hastily stood up, the gun following her movement. "You seem like a great man, you don't want to shoot an innocent girl like me, you don't want my blood on your hands," she said. "Actually, I always have blood on my hands. Having the blood of a trespasser would only make me happy," he replied, pressing the gun to her forehead, right next to her bruise. Her body started shaking as she took in his words. "Please sir, I just want my sister back. I swear, whoever you are, we won't say anything to anyone, I swear. Your secret is safe with us, please don't kill me, let us go, please," she pleaded, cursing the man standing in front of her for being the cause of her begging. Instead of answering, Ford frowned as he eyed her bruise. With the gun still pressed to her forehead, he gently brushed his fingers over her bruise causing her to wince in pain. Just as quickly as he had produced the gun, Ford put it back in his pants. She sighed in relief and found that she could breathe freely once again. Ford grabbed her upper arm in a tight hold and began dragging her away from the mansion. "Brick. Atom. Over here now," Ford barked while continuing to tug her along. Roselle frowned when she heard him shouting 'Brick'. What was 'brick'? Why was he shouting for a brick? Was he planning to hit her with a brick and then kill her?! Suddenly, two men appeared in front of them, dressed in all black with a peculiar tattoo on their left cheek. They resembled the burly men that had left her in the forest. They stood at attention, ready for orders. "Call a taxi, right now," Ford stated in Italian. No sooner had he said the words, one of the men pulled out what looked like a black walkie-talkie and said something into the speaker. Another voice responded before the man put his walkie-talkie away. In less than thirty seconds, a black car arrived with tinted windows. Ford opened the passenger door and pushed Roselle inside the car, then climbed in after her before shutting the door. "Where do you live?" Ford asked her. "Why?" she questioned, not wanting to tell him where she lived. He was a dangerous man with a gun - a criminal and a stranger. He must never find out where she lived. "Answer my question," he said in a dangerous voice, his golden eyes hard. "N-No," she stated, her heart resuming its pounding. Ford sighed. "Do you want your sister to live?" He questioned. "What do you mean?" she asked, suddenly afraid, not for herself but for Merline. "Easy, you answer my question and I'll let your sister live, if you don't, then you say goodbye to her," Ford stated. Angry tears welled up in her eyes but she refused to cry. She would not give this man the satisfaction of seeing her cry, he was not worth it. "Florence," she spat, glaring at him. "Where in Florence?" He questioned calmly, as if he hadn't just threatened her. "Near Montana Pacio," she hissed, staring out the window. "To Montana Pacio," Ford said to the driver, who started driving without a word. "Where are you taking me?" she asked, as she saw the mansion getting smaller and smaller the further they drove. "I'm taking you home," was all he said. Her heart sank as she saw the mansion disappearing from her view. Just as they turned a corner and the mansion vanished from sight, she made a vow to herself. Merline, I'm going to save you or die trying.