Indie

I think it's been three days since Tomas last made his appearance. I have no idea what he's planning, but I refuse to let him scare me. From what I can tell, I'm in a basement, likely in a house far from the city. If we were still in Houston, I would recognize the sounds of the city. He probably has a place in the countryside. It's always dark here, except for the small sliver of light when they bring food twice a day. The accommodations are minimal—a bucket for a bathroom and an uncomfortable mattress. Every time the door unlocks, I wonder if they've come to end my life. The dark can reveal fears you didn't realize you had.

On the fifth day, someone came down the stairs and turned on the light. I recognized her face immediately. She looked shocked to see me. "Ms. Sanz," I croaked, my throat dry from dehydration.

"¿Qué estás haciendo aquí abajo?" she asked, her voice trembling.

"Fui abducido," I said, pleading for help with my eyes. She looked horrified. Just then, I heard Tomas's voice.

"Mama," he said, his tone filled with warning. He guided her back upstairs, and I heard them arguing for almost an hour. Exhausted, I barely had the strength to keep my eyes open. If he was coming to kill me, I almost welcomed it at this point.

Tomas returned, his expression dark. He took out a knife, pacing back and forth before finally cutting me loose from the pole. "Come with me," he ordered. I stood shakily, my legs weak from disuse.

"My mother thought you might like to have a bath," he said, leading me to a beautiful room with a grand bathroom. "Before you think about running, I have men everywhere with orders to kill you if you try to escape. Don't be stupid. If I wanted to kill you, you'd be dead." He handed me some joggers and a t-shirt, which I assumed were his.

"That threat goes both ways," I muttered, trying to maintain some semblance of defiance. He smiled deviously as I closed the door, attempting to reclaim a shred of power in this powerless situation.

Tomas

I heard the water turn on and went to the living room, trying to avoid my mother. Her frequent use of Spanish brought back memories I had almost forgotten. "You shouldn't be treating her like that," she said, sneaking up behind me.

"What if Lucas had gone down there and saw her like that? He is already disturbed enough," she added, her voice filled with concern.

"I wasn't going to kill her, Mama," I reasoned.

"Well, then she shouldn't be treated like that. Your father was sick like that. Are you?" she asked, looking at me with distressed eyes.

"No," I answered firmly.

"Good. Make sure she comes down for food. I'm cooking your favorite," she said, giving me a kiss before heading to the kitchen.

I went back to the room about thirty minutes later and heard her putting on the clothes I'd given her. She opened the door carefully, and there I was, as if I had never left.

"I always wondered what prison felt like," she said, her annoyance evident as she paced around the room. "So, what now? Do I go back down to the basement and wait on Death Row?"

I laughed. "You're really funny. No, you're not going back to Death Row. You can stay in this room for the rest of your stay, but my threat earlier still stands."

She looked around, confused, and then focused back on me. "My threat stands as well," she said defiantly.

"Okay," I laughed again.

"What's funny?" she asked, irritation creeping into her voice.

"Your defense mechanism seems so forceful, yet you're so scared," I observed. "The position you got yourself into is all your fault. Your boss told you to back off, and yet you still came. You have no family, so I can't threaten you with that, and if you show up dead, I'm sure your coworkers will look into it. I'm not trying to kill you," I assured her. "I just want you to stop looking my way."

She didn't respond, seemingly processing my words. "Take a nap. I'll be back when dinner is ready," I said, closing the door behind me as I walked out.

Indie

I sat on the bed, weighing my options, which were practically none. If I ever got the chance, I'd call for help, but no opportunity seemed to be in sight. Looking around the room, I spotted a remote. Pressing the button, the curtains opened to reveal a beautiful backyard with a waterfall cascading into a pool, several acres of land watched over by Tomas's men, and an expanse of trees stretching into nowhere. I had no idea where I was, but I guessed that was the point.

A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts, and Ms. Sanz stood there with a smaller version of Tomas. The boy walked in and took my hand. "That's Lucas. Lucas, this is..." She paused, realizing she didn't know my name.

"Indie. My name is India, but everyone calls me Indie," I said, giving a small smile as I took Lucas's hand.

We walked outside to a beautiful patio with a spread of Spanish treats laid out like a feast. A man approached and hugged Ms. Sanz. "Thank God you're here," he joked, and I recognized him from a picture—Juelz Diego. He was just as bad as Tomas, if not worse.

"No, Juju," Ms. Sanz scolded, hitting his hand as he giggled and sat down. Tomas joined us, clearly frustrated as he ended a phone call. His mother began praying. If I ever had a real family, this is what I imagined it would be like. I bowed my head out of respect.

"Amen," we said in unison, and they began speaking Spanish in front of me.

"She can't understand us, right?" Juelz asked, and I kept my head down, pretending ignorance.

"No, I don't think so," Tomas replied, stuffing his face as they discussed business. I made sure to keep my knowledge of Spanish a secret, knowing it was my advantage. I heard ports, dates, names, and places—information that could make my career if I could remember it all.

Ms. Sanz put on music, and we sat by the pool as Lucas swam. He seemed so sweet, and his muteness was probably a blessing in disguise. It would only be a matter of time before Tomas corrupted him if he were more vocal. "Does he sign?" I asked Ms. Sanz.

"A little," she answered.

I went over to Lucas, dipped my feet in the water, and began signing. "Who taught you how to swim?" I asked.

"Tomas," he signed back.

"Wow, you're really good. Is he as good as you?" I asked.

"No way," he signed before diving underwater. I laughed.

As night fell, Tomas walked me up to my assigned room. "Lucas is sweet," I said, trying to break the ice.

"He seems to like you as well," Tomas pointed out, stopping to look me in the eyes. "If I let you go, you come after me and only me. My family is off-limits," he said, his voice laced with fear.

"Got it. If you let me go," I replied, pulling away and entering my room. The night was filled with thoughts of escape and the dangerous game I was now a part of.

I lay in bed, my mind racing. I tried to shut off my thoughts, but it felt impossible. As much as I wanted to hate being here, the bed was incredibly comfortable—far better than the one in my tiny apartment. I could see why this world, with all its luxuries, could be so appealing that it might make someone lose their moral compass. But that wasn't going to be me. Nothing was worth the horrors they inflicted on people.

Tomas was really bad... but his deep green eyes could really mess with a girl's moral compass. What are you thinking? Stop thinking about... how white his perfect teeth are... his jet-black hair he keeps in a bun... Oh my God... I stopped myself as my hormones went haywire. I smelled his shirt, and couldn't believe the sudden obsession I felt. My body ignited with a fiery desire as I imagined his hands on me. I pushed the covers off in an attempt to cool down, but it did no good.

Suddenly, I heard a door open in the bathroom, and I immediately became alert. I pulled the covers back over myself, trying to stay hidden. I must have been extremely dehydrated not to notice another door. The bathroom door opened to my room, and I saw Tomas walk in. He closed the door and turned on the shower.

Curiosity got the better of me. I got out of bed and gently opened the door. What I saw left nothing to the imagination. Tomas was in the shower, his body glistening under the water. A part of me wanted to let him know I was there, but I stayed quiet, watching him like a stalker. When he turned around, I saw the Rucci Family symbol tattooed on his back. It caught me off guard, and I made a slight sound. He looked over as I quietly backed away, hoping he didn't see me.

He turned off the shower and I heard his door close. I knew he worked for the Rucci family, but that symbol haunted me. It was the same symbol someone had carved into my father's chest. My pulse quickened, and a mix of fear and determination surged through me. This was no longer just about bringing down a criminal; it was personal.

Tomas

The next morning, I woke up to the sound of the shower running. Intrigued, I walked into the bathroom and sat on the counter, watching as Indie bathed. This game wasn't something I had planned to play with her, but it seemed only fair since she got a show of her own last night. She turned around, saw me sitting there, and quickly wrapped a towel around herself.

"What are you doing in here?" she asked, her voice a mix of annoyance and embarrassment.

"Are you the only one who gets to have all the fun?" I joked.

"I wasn't looking at you. You scared me. I didn't know the bathroom was adjoining," she confessed, bits of truth laced in her explanation.

"I almost believe you, but usually when normal people are startled, they walk in and say something. You crept back into bed as if it never happened," I said, a devious smile spreading across my face.

"You really need to get over yourself. We are not normal people. Well, I'm normal; you are not normal at all," she said, starting to brush her teeth. Watching her do something so mundane in my presence was new to me. I admit I stared as she did it.

"So, the creepiness continues," she remarked, noticing my gaze.

I grabbed her arm, feeling her pulse quicken under my touch. 'I'm not a creep. Just getting what's owed to me,' I said, pulling her close. Her breath hitched, and I could see the conflict in her eyes—fear mingled with undeniable attraction. I rubbed her chin, my thumb brushing her lips, and for a moment, her eyes fluttered shut, surrendering to the moment.

But then I laughed, the sound breaking the spell. 'Asshole,' she muttered, her cheeks flushing with anger and embarrassment as she slammed the door in my face. I continued to laugh, the sound echoing in the empty hallway, but inside, I felt a pang of something I couldn't quite name.

Indie

If I was going to be here, I was going to be as annoying as possible. I sat by the pool and waited while Tomas took a phone call, presumably with Capo Rucci. He hung up, his face tense, and I approached him.

"I need clothes, girl products, and all the things you don't have here," I said, handing him a long list.

"Tampons, really?" He looked at me, clearly uncomfortable.

"You said I would be here for two months. I'm a girl, I need girl things." I raised my eyebrows, making it his problem.

"I'll let my mother handle it. Is there anything else?" he asked.

"Whenever you're done running your criminal organization, I'd like to go for a walk," I demanded.

"Juelz can take you for a walk," he suggested.

"I don't want to walk with Juelz," I said seductively, walking away, hoping he would change his mind and want to walk with me.

A couple of hours later, Tomas took me for a walk around his huge estate. "Where are we, exactly?" I asked, noticing his hesitation.

"Come on. I'm doing everything you've asked me to do. I haven't run once or taken out your weak-ass perimeter on the left side of the estate," I joked.

"The left side isn't weak," he said defensively.

"If you insist," I smiled at him.

"We are about 100 miles outside of Houston," he admitted.

"Why here?" I asked.

"It's peaceful. No one is coming here to take my peace away," he said.

"Interesting. You take peace from many but are so protective of your own peace," I said, treading a thin line.

"You will never be able to separate me from what I do, will you?" he asked.

"How can you separate it? Isn't what you do who you are?" I asked, turning to face him.

He stopped, catching me off guard with a deep, passionate kiss. For a moment, the entire world fell away, and it was just us. He broke the kiss and trailed his thumb across my lips.

"I assure you, what I do has nothing to do with who I am," he said, then continued walking.

I stood there for a moment, trying to catch my breath and collect my thoughts. His words lingered in my mind, and I wondered if it was truly possible to separate a person from their actions. As I followed him, I couldn't help but feel that this was just the beginning of a much more complicated game.

After our walk, I wandered into the kitchen and noticed a phone lying on the counter. My heart raced as I picked it up, almost without thinking. I hesitated, weighing my options. If I called someone and Tomas found out before they arrived, I was dead. If he knew the phone was in my hand, I'd be dead.

I put the phone down just as Tomas and Juelz walked into the room. Tomas looked at me with a disappointed expression. He handed the phone to Juelz, who began to investigate it.

"Who'd you call?" Tomas asked, his voice cold.

"No one," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Don't fucking lie to me!" he yelled, and for the first time, I felt genuinely scared. He grabbed my arm and dragged me back to the basement.

"No, Tomas. I didn't call anyone. I swear," I pleaded, but he wouldn't look at me as he zip-tied my hands again. The ties bit into my already sore wrists, and I felt my skin break, blood seeping through.

Back in the darkness of the basement, I was reminded of the reality of my situation. I should be hating him, not kissing him. The lines between captor and captive, right and wrong, were becoming dangerously blurred. As I sat there, the pain in my wrists a constant reminder, I vowed to keep my focus. I had to find a way out, and I had to remember why I was here in the first place. No matter how compelling or confusing Tomas's actions were, I couldn't afford to forget who he really was and what he represented. Besides, I'm not afraid of the dark.