Locked( Book 1)

Chapter 3

I saw a man oddly waiting by the cell door blocked by darkness. He would not step into the light. Matthew and Noah grabbed the girls, pushing them behind them. Noah grabbed my arm, trying to hide me behind him, but I shook my head and let go. The man continued to hide in the shadows.

"Who are you," I ask. The man chuckles softly.

"I am no one important; my boss wishes to speak to you; I would suggest you cooperate; he can be testy," the man said. Two of the guards opened the cell door, one of them grabbing my arm; I flinched, trying to fight my way out of his grasp.

"ADDISON," Riley yelled, trying to reach me, but the guard was too strong for me to break free. He pulls me out, closing the door behind him. Riley continues to cry for me, but Matthew holds her back.

I was forced upstairs. Walking through the corridor and into a side door. Once inside, he shoved me upstairs to a door on the left. I tried to keep calm and not be afraid, but I didn't know what would happen to me. Anyone would have been scared at that moment. I was alone, scared, upset, and needed food. I was starving. I didn't realize how hungry I was until I heard my stomach growling. It felt like someone was twisting my gut.

"I'm here," the man says as the guard shoved me in the room to the left. Inside was a desk, very long, a couple of computers and a laptop sat on it. There was a chair, leather, and black like an office chair, behind the desk. And it was turned around. There was also a landline phone with a chord. Those were old-school phones.

"Here ya go, boss," the man says, not showing his face. I felt so sick to my stomach that the hunger I had before disappeared. All that was left was worry and fear. And I didn't know what was going to happen.

Once the guards had left and stood outside the door, the guy turned slowly. I had my stomach eating my heart and throat. When he turned, I realized I knew him. I had seen him early today in the mall. The guy I had run into.

"What the hell," I said abruptly. This was a shock to me. He put his hands down on his lap, and then, with one hand, he placed his chin on his fist, resting it.

"It's nice to see you again," he said. I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms.

"Seriously, you, a bad guy, this can't happen," I said. And I meant it. He had been quiet and seemed so nice. But he was the one who kidnapped us. He sized me up for a minute. And being an attorney, I realized the only crime he committed was kidnapping. He hadn't hurt us, so we wouldn't get him a lengthy prison sentence even if we got out.

"You know I can still let this go and walk away, never mentioning you or anyone here if you let them go," I said about my sisters and the boys. He smirked.

"Nice try, princess, but I have ordered just like my boys; the boss man said you and your family are needed here, and you will remain here until we are finished," he said. I chuckle, being a smartass.

"Right, oh, I'm sorry, please forgive me, give me a break, we don't have to do anything for you," I said, bending down to his desk and looking into his eyes. Something in me jumped in excitement. His eyes looked into mine. And I felt butterflies building. I had to stop looking at him; he kidnapped us.

"Okay, enough small talk. You will do what we ask, and you'll be let go after, without going to the cops or FBI," he said. That made me laugh.

"And why would we do that," I ask. He stands up, his face inches from mine.

"Because unless you want your family down there to die, you'll do what we ask."

His face was still close to mine; I continued to look into him. I had seen this before. The call for help. The strange feeling of someone needing out. It made me question his motives. What was he getting from this if his boss was the one who needed us?  Did he have a motive or anything in the race at all? It ran through me like electricity. Wondering why he would risk his freedom for someone else.

"What do you have in this?" I ask. He continued to burn a hole through me, staring at me like I was the villain.

"That's none of your business," he said. I stood up and crossed my arms. Letting my right leg out in front of me.

"You have some nerve, speaking to me like that, especially since you kidnapped me to help you," I said. He chuckles sarcastically. The grin was all it took to realize he was unhappy. He was only doing this for a purpose.

"My name is not Princess; it's Addison," I said. He burrowed his brows, confused.

"From earlier, you called me princess; yeah, it's Addison," I said. He rolls his eyes.

"Whatever you say, princess," he said, straightening himself.

"I'm Derek," he said. He crosses his arms as well. Something in me wanted to punch him, and the other something wanted to hug him. He seemed stuck. And he also seemed poignant. He was insulting, but He wasn't trying to be. He seemed like he had been through a lot. Maybe he needed to figure out which way to turn.

"I don't know why you're doing this, but you don't have to, walk away," I said. He looked down and back up quickly.

"Guards, I'm done," he said. I looked at him, confused. Did I touch a nerve?  Was he upset that I told him to walk away? I had no idea what the sudden change was about, but it seemed off. The two guards from before grab me, and I look back at Derek, who is slowly sitting in his chair. Like he had gotten bad news, he looked up at me slowly before I was dragged out the door.

I was dragged back to the cell. Riley and Chloe were excited to see me in one piece. Riley hugged me so tight I forgot to breathe. Chloe asked what happened. I told her. Nothing. Nothing happened. That was the weird thing. Nothing had happened at any point. Except Derek looked upset to be doing his job. He didn't look happy.

That night, Riley and Chloe shared the cot. Matthew and Noah slept on the floor, and I slept all night. Trying to figure out what went on in his office. I paced the cell, thinking of something to ask or say the next time he came for me. If I was taken back to his office, I could talk him out of keeping us here. It may take a few tries and a little flirting, but I needed to be careful and not let anyone know what I was doing.

The sun rose through the small window in the cell. Causing the girls and both boys to awaken. I hadn't slept all night, and it probably showed. I was hungry and needed a shower. And sleep. But the girls were probably hungry, too. Five guards came inside as if on cue after everyone was awake.

"The boss wants to invite all of you to join him for breakfast."