Amanda's POV

"I didn't bring you here to drink and lose your senses, I wanted to--", he stepped closer to me. Our lips almost touched. My heart raced as my hand rested on his chest. He gave me inhale-exhale issues.

My eyes were interlocked with his, none of us broke the contact. His eyes traveled through my face and made its way towards my lips. I gasped. I stood still for a moment, my brain ceased to work.

I pulled myself away from him on learning his facial expressions, they weren't as straight as usual. "You wanted to ?', I questioned as I was intrigued by his statement.

"Nothing", he changed the topic. It felt like he was lying, he did want to say something but unfortunately, he couldn't. "I uh- I ", he stammered "I wanted to buy this place so I decided to have a look around"

"Okay, have fun inspecting this place.Mr. Richie Rich", I turned my attention away from him. I leaned towards the menu whilst taking a seat at the bar. Mr. Reynolds didn't follow me, maybe I was a bit rude before. No Amanda you weren't.

"One Martini please ", I swiped my credit card whilst making the payment. I took a small sip of it.  Olives surrounded my glass generating a bit of saltiness flavor in my mouth. I blinked my eyes as I pouted at the sour taste.

I cornered my eyes, turned my chair around against the bartender, and searched for Mr. Reynolds around in the crowd. Without enforcing my eyes, I spotted him on the couch. 3 almost naked women surrounded him. One had her hands on his thigh, the other curled her hands around his neck and the third stood still with a bottle of vodka as she swayed it in the air.

Oh My Lord, look at them. The town was decent and traditional, the women here weren't. Didn't they lack decency? They were literally hanging on a man, a single man who was single too. Why does it sound so unpleasant to my ears? Pfft.

I tried to look away as the view was affecting me. I was infuriating, I had no control over this situation of mine. I tried to bird-watch around, no one caught my eye though.

My eye-balls traveled to that direction no matter how much I warned it. I clenched my left fist as I took another sip of my Martini. He had all the right to do whatever he wanted to but it hurt like someone was pinning some sort of pointed needle in my heart again and again.

Take it easy Amanda, he's no one but your boss. You're no one to him but his employee. Just another employee.

"Hey sexy, all alone ?", a man brushed his hair as he walked towards me. I at first decided to not attend him but I was all alone and a little company from someone was something I shouldn't object to. I waved him with a half-smile.

"I am Amanda ", he pushed his hand in my direction wanting a shake. I smiled stretching my lips as I tightened the grip of my hands over the glass. I clearly avoided his gesture.

"Nice to meet you "

"Well, I reciprocate the feeling  ", I took another sip. My head was heavy by now, No I didn't lose my senses. I wasn't just used to drink so I tended to have an ache in my head whenever I opted for alcohol.

"So, mind if I ask this beautiful girl sitting in front of me a dance ?', he arched his brow as he swayed his right hand towards me again.

"I am fine, this way ", I totally avoided him again. I didn't like him and I felt better off alone so I decided to cut his presence from my life. "I don't want to either dance or have any further word with you ", I can't blame myself as alcohol always brought the blunt Amanda out.

"Did you just insult me on my face ",  I did attempt to rage him.

"I did, oops ", I covered my mouth with my hands dramatically as I placed the empty glass back on the table  "Go away, shoooooooooooo ", I extended the o in the shoo.

He stumped his foot hard on the floor, my heart raced in agitation. I couldn't take a back step as I was seated and my back already rested on the corner of the table.  I swallowed as he was now very close to me, I could feel him breathing.

Where are you Mr. Reynolds, I closed my eyes. Maybe I should stop acting a bit over-smart. "Hey you ", I pointed my finger against his chest at I tilted my face and looked straight in his eyes.

I didn't want him to know that I was scared, we give people the power to scare us. The moment we stand for ourselves, they'll consider us a stand-out. They won't consider us weak.

My heart raced as his intentions didn't look much pure to me. "Oh Amanda, where have you been ?, I sighed as I saw Mr. Reynolds push the man away through his shoulders.

I smiled gratefully on spotting him. The man took back steps and then got himself comfortable in the crowd. "Can you literally go a day without needing my help ?", he interrogated as he ordered himself a drink too.

"I can, I choose not to ", I quickly looked away on this statement of mine.  Damn you, Alcohol.

He ordered himself a drink and took the seat next to me. Our arms touched, I didn't distance myself away. I liked it this way. The women he was surrounded by earlier was nowhere to be seen now "So?", I questioned.

"So, what ?", he questioned back. My bad, I didn't really complete my sentence.

"Where are the ladies you were having your sensuous time with ", Okay I was done being blunt for today.

"You sound like a nosy wife and I am not answering you ", I shrugged as I took shelter of his shoulders to stand up. I straightened my dress and decided to walk away from him, he was like a contaminating virus that was affecting my body, precisely my heart.

I hopped and swayed my hands in the air on reaching the dance floor. Several bodies touched mine, I didn't let my introverted nature to affect it. I pushed myself on people just like everyone did when the music-beats hit my ears. It felt a bit awkward but it was what I needed to divert my mind.

Suddenly I was propelled away from the crowd, my forehead rested on the ground because of the hard push. I picked myself up whilst taking the support of the ground. Maybe I did drink more than my actual capacity.

I marched towards the floor again and avoided my unconsciousness completely. I hopped in sync with the song, I did hair flips while doing the same.

The floor was a bit crowded so I couldn't dance comfortably and as a result, my body was restricted to a certain area. I decided to completely avoid Mr. Reynolds. I turned my attention towards him, he kept himself busy with the bottle of Bacardi and his phone. I playfully hit my head and turned in the opposite direction.

I felt a push on my body again, I decided to push back this time so I tilted my chin up in order to have a view of the muscular person who was shoving me again and again.

"Excuse me ", I tried pushing him while I danced. He didn't move, not even an inch. He tightly caught me by my wrist and yanked me away from the dance floor, towards the exit.

He was tall, muscular, and had great height. His face was tanned, his black eyes were scary as he gazed towards me. "Get the fuck off ", I screamed.

Holding me tightly by my shoulders he pushed me towards the wall. We were close to the parking area, the place was quite vacant which set me off in fear and trepidation.

"Who are you ", I shrieked as I was totally unaware of the massive figure.

"Here's your cash ", I cornered my eyes as I sensed a familiar voice. My eyes widened in fear as I gasped on spotting James.  He threw a signed cheque on the man's face. The man took a glimpse of it and left.

James had his focus on this man, taking advantage of this situation I took a step away. To my oblivion, he roughly pulled me closer to him through my waist. My heart almost plummeted on the floor and I gasped again.

"le-let m-me go ", I stammered as I formed the sentence.

"I brought you this close to me ", I could feel his breath when he kissed my neck "And now I should let you go ?", he raised his brows whilst chortling.

"Please", I pinched him on his hand as an attempt to bail myself. He turned aggressively facing him, I swallowed while I looked at him in perturbation.

His proximity towards me scared the shit out of me. My hands shivered as I pushed him away. On kissing the tip of my nose, he smirked. I rubbed his touch on my nose with my shoulders. My hands shivered when I pushed him away, as gravity pulled me closer again.

"Mr. Reynolds, where are you ?", I shrieked as I turned my head from left to right searching for him. To my disappointment, there was no one.

"No he's not coming for you this time ", he tightened his grip over my arms. He mischievously smiled "Aw poor baby, I warned you though "

"Are you going to kill me ?", I questioned.

"Not so soon, I want you to die a slow painful death with your Mr. Reynolds ", he laughed as he removed his pocket knife.

I gawked at him as he started moving it over the naked skin on my neck, I cornered my eyes to places where his knife moved. He didn't insert any force on it, he was clearly scaring me. And suddenly he ripped off the sleeves of my dress through the knife and injected the knife in my shoulders on the naked area.

I yelled when I couldn't take the pain any longer. I could see the blood sinking in my dress. It hurt, it hurt very badly.  "Enough for today ", he removed a huge handkerchief from the pocket of his jeans. He pursed it in between my lips and tied the knot thereafter.

I kicked him on his knees, it didn't work. In fact, it exasperated him more, he interlocked both my hands and connected a rope on it, preventing them to move any further. He picked me up and rested my stomach on his shoulder.

My whole world felt upside down, I only hoped for Mr. Reynolds. Every time I was in trouble he rescued me. I didn't let any pessimistic thoughts to cross my mind. James walked steadily with me on his shoulders.

On reaching a certain spot, he threw me inside. On turning my eye-balls around I realized that it was a trunk of some cars. He jerked it close as soon as he placed me inside.

Darkness surrounded, I couldn't see anything even with my eyes. My eyes were paining due to the excessive flow of water from it. My tears dried naturally as I couldn't wipe it off.

I tried screaming out loud but no one heard me. To my relief,  the car didn't move yet. I pushed the trunk lid continuously through my body but it didn't move too, not even an ounce of it.

My throat was parched due to my incalculable shouting attempts. My superior eyelid interacted with my inferior eyelid due to tiredness. I stayed that way for a long time and finally lost consciousness.

*****************

To people who didn't know, Bird watching means staring or checking out hot guys.

Aww!  Poor Amanda. I literally feel so bad for her.

Also, there are like 15 to 20 chapters remaining of this book. So I decided to dedicate the last 10 chapters to my readers who never fail to motivate me.

It won't be on favoritism neither will it be particularly numbered. I'll just dedicate so if you're a silent reader then now is the time to speak up.

Thank you for reading.

Much love, Aafrynn!