CHAPTER 22

"Tell me your name?" White Lion whispered.

His voice made me feel things, things I couldn't comprehend. I looked away from him. I was ashamed of myself for the way I was feeling. I knew that I was not supposed to be quiet. I felt the need to fight even if there was no need to.

I was still chained to a bed, in a fortress that was heavily guarded. Surely there was no way for me to escape. Still I felt the need to struggle. I felt that if I didn't struggle then it meant that I wanted this_his touch_his closeness_ but I didn't.

Yes, I wanted love and romance and like most people my age I dreamt of it, but never in my dreams or in real life did I ever imagine myself falling for a criminal_ a notorious gang leader. I swear I didn't want him to touch me. Or did I? I was confused about what I wanted as I was quite aware that a part of me wanted him to touch me again. A part I was determined to silence.

"It's alright you don't have to tell me your name. I'll call you Reina then." He shrugged. I didn't respond. He took out a key from his pocket and unlocked the chain that bound me to the bed. "You look dead and dirty. Let me take care of that."

He removed the chain from my hands his gaze not leaving mine. Now that my hands were free, I looked around the room in silent observation. Surely, there must be a way to escape and with my hands not bound the ratio of the possibility that I might find this way increased a whole lot.

My stomach fluttered in excitement. I prayed fervently that he would not notice me looking around in search of an escape route as I was hellbent on pretending to be naive and fragile if that would gain me his trust and the opportunity I needed to let myself out of the lions den. Literally.

"Mirabel." I murmured. I cleared my throat afterwards, because my voice came out very hoarse It was almost inaudible.

My throat was sore from shouting much and I was feeling dizzy from all the tears I cried. I hoped that it was all a dream and I would wake up to find that I am in my Aunts house lying peacefully on my own bed. Suddenly the prospect of being at her house did not sound so bad anymore.

He nodded. "I'll call you Mira." He said. 'Everyone calls me Mira.' I wanted to say but I thought against it.

His face was contorted as he spoke and his brows were raised like he was seeing something very alluring to him. Our eyes were fixated when he lifted me up from the bed and carried me to the bathroom.

The room was beautiful although I barely had more than a glimpse of it and the bathroom had the same beauty. I had to praise the architectural design of the house.

I was putting on a short gown with buttons from top to bottom. He pressed me to the wall by the side of the sink, and I didn't try to push him away. It would have been futile anyway there was no way I would have been able to fight him off so I watched him hoping he wouldn't do what I was thinking he wanted to do.

My hope was quashed like all I had hoped for today which turned out to end merely as just false hopes. He tilted my chin caressing my cheek with his thumb then he kissed me. I froze. His lips moved from my lips to my chin and back to my bottom lip which he suckled.

I felt fuzzy like I would faint. When my stomach fluttered against his touch I knew I had to push him away even though I had a feeling that I would not be able to stop him if he really wanted to have his way with me. He was already so aroused. The moan that left his lips gave him away.

"Stop please." I whispered weakly against his lips. He let go of my chin and moved away.

I exhaled feeling a bit better even though he was still close.

"Let me clean you up." He muttered, cleaning my lips with his thumb. His hands moved to my button. He unbuttoned three from the top exposing my full breast to his view. His eyes were hungry and it scared me. If I didn't stop him, I knew he would feed on me.

"I can_ I can freshen up by myself." I stuttered. My hands held his, which was little in comparison to his big hands. He didn't respond to me, he simply stared me down with a frown.

I immediately regretted challenging him but it was too late already to take back my words I had to face the consequences.