Chapter 3 No Way Out

Elena's POV

I woke up to bright sunlight hitting my face.

For a second, I didn't know where I was. Thought I was home in my apartment. Safe.

Then everything came rushing back.

The alley, the knife, Marco's blood spreading across the ground, being thrown in the SUV. The elevator going up and up.

Luca De Santis.

My eyes flew open.

I was lying on the bed. The huge white bed in the locked room.

I didn't remember getting into the bed. Last thing I remembered was sitting on the floor by the window. Crying until I couldn't anymore.

I must have fallen asleep there. From exhaustion. From shock.

Someone moved me onto the bed.

The thought made me feel sick. Someone came into this room while I was unconscious, touched me and moved me.

I sat up fast. Looked down at myself.

Still wearing yesterday's clothes. Jeans. Black t-shirt. Jacket still on.

At least they didn't undress me.

I got off the bed. My legs felt weak. But I forced myself to stand.

The room looked different in daylight. Still huge. But I could see details now.

I walked to the windows. Pressed my hand against the glass.

The city stretched out below. So far down the people looked like ants.

We were so high up.

Even if I could break this glass, even if I jumped, I'd die before I hit the ground.

There was no escape that way.

I turned around. Looked at the door.

Tried the handle again even though I knew it was useless.

It was locked.

I looked around the room for something. Anything I could use as a weapon.

The lamps were attached to the tables. Couldn't move them.

The furniture was too heavy to lift.

The bathroom had soap and shampoo but nothing sharp. Nothing useful.

They'd thought of everything.

I went back to the window. Stared out at the city.

Somewhere down there, people were living normal lives. Going to work.

And I was trapped up here. In a locked room. Held by a man who killed people.

Who killed my brother.

The pain hit me again. Sharp and horrible.

Tears started burning my eyes again. But I blinked them back.

No. No more crying. Crying wouldn't help.

I needed to think. Needed to figure out how to survive this.

A sound at the door made me spin around.

Someone was unlocking it.

My heart started racing. I backed up against the window.

The door opened and Luca walked in.

Alone this time. No bodyguards with him.

He wore a different suit today. Black. Expensive looking. His dark hair was perfect. His ice-blue eyes looked straight at me.

He looked like a businessman. Not like someone who murdered people in alleys.

He closed the door behind him. The lock clicked.

We were now alone.

"Stay away from me," I said. My voice came out shakier than I wanted.

He stopped a few feet inside the room. Hands in his pockets, he looked calm like this was completely normal.

"Good morning, Elena."

How did he know my name? I never told him.

Then I remembered. Last night. In the alley. He asked me questions. I must have answered. Everything was so blurry.

"What do you want?" I asked.

"To talk."

"I don't want to talk to you."

"That's unfortunate. Because we need to talk anyway."

He started walking further into the room slowly. But every step made my heart beat faster.

I moved along the window. Keeping distance between us.

"Don't come near me."

"I'm not going to hurt you."

"You're a liar. You kill people. I saw you."

"I kill people who betray me. Who steal from me. Who deserve it." His voice stayed calm.

"You haven't done any of those things."

"Then let me go."

"I can't do that."

"Why not?"

"Because you're a witness. You saw something you shouldn't have."

"I won't tell anyone. I swear. Just let me leave and I'll forget everything."

"You won't forget." He stopped walking. Stood near the bed. Still watching me.

"No one forgets watching someone die."

He was right. I'd never forget. Never stop seeing Marco's face. The blood. The way he fell.

"Please," I tried again.

"I have a life. A job. People who'll look for me."

"Let them look. They won't find you."

The way he said it with so much confidence, like he was so sure made my stomach drop.

"You can't just keep me here forever."

"I can do whatever I want, Elena. The sooner you understand that, the better."

Anger flashed through me. Hot and sudden.

This man. This murderer. Standing in front of me. Telling me he owned me.

Something inside me snapped.

I charged at him.

Such a stupid move, I regretted it immediately because he was twice my size, trained and dangerous.

But I didn't care. Didn't think. Just wanted to hurt him. Wanted to make him feel something.

I swung my fist at his face.

He moved fast. So fast I barely saw it.

He caught my wrist before my fist connected.

I tried to hit him with my other hand. He caught that one too.

Now he was holding both my wrists. I couldn't move.

"Let me go!" I screamed.

I tried to kick him. He stepped to the side. Avoided it easily.

Then he pushed me back not hard but just enough to put distance between us.

I stumbled. Caught myself against the wall.

He stood there still calm, not even breathing hard. Like I hadn't just tried to attack him.

"Are you done?" he asked.

"I hate you! You killed him! You killed—"

I stopped myself. Almost said my brother. Almost gave it away.

"I killed a traitor," Luca said. His voice flat. "Someone who stole fifty million dollars. Someone who sold information to my enemies. Someone who got three of my men killed."

"He was a person! He had a life!"

"He made choices. Bad choices. And he paid for them."

"You're a monster."

"Yes." He didn't deny it. Didn't look away.

"I am. And now you're stuck with me."

I slid down the wall and sat on the floor. My whole body shaking.

All the fight drained out of me. Replaced by exhaustion.

"I'll try to escape," I said quietly.

"Every chance I get. I'll never stop trying."

"You can try. You won't succeed." He walked toward the door.

"This room is on the sixty-eighth floor. The windows don't open and can't be broken. The door is locked from outside. Guards are posted in the hallway. Even if you somehow got past them, you don't know the code for the elevator."

He paused at the door. Looked back at me.

"You're not the first person I've kept here, Elena. And everyone who's tried to escape has failed. You will too."

"Why?" I asked. My voice breaking.

"Why not just kill me? Why go through all this trouble?"

Something flickered across his face. Too fast to read.

"Because I don't kill innocent people. And you're innocent"

"Then let me go."

"I will. Eventually. When I'm sure you won't talk. When I'm sure you're not a threat."

He opened the door.

"Until then, get comfortable. You'll be here a while."

"Wait!" I pushed myself up.

"That man. The one you killed. What was his name?"

Luca stopped. Turned halfway back.

"Why do you want to know?"

"Because I saw him die. Because he's a person, not just a traitor. He deserves to be remembered by someone."

For a long moment, Luca just looked at me. Like he was trying to figure something out.

"Marco," he said finally.

"His name was Marco Ricci."

Marco. My brother's name. But wrong last name.

He'd been using a fake name. Living a fake life.

"Marco Ricci," I repeated. Trying to sound like I didn't know him. Like it was just a name.

Luca watched me carefully. Those ice-blue eyes missing nothing.

"Does that name mean something to you?"

"No," I lied.

"I just wanted to know. So I can remember."

He stared at me for another moment. Then nodded.

"Food will be brought to you. Clothes. Whatever you need. You'll be comfortable here."

"I don't want to be comfortable. I want to be free."

"You should have thought of that before you went snooping around warehouses at night."

He walked out. The door closed behind him.

The lock clicked.

I was alone again.

I sank back down to the floor. Put my head in my hands.

Marco Ricci. My brother had taken a fake name. Had stolen money. Had betrayed these people.

Had gotten himself killed.

And now I was a prisoner of the man who killed him.

With no way out.

No way home.

No one to help me.

I was completely trapped.