Kidnapped

When I was kidnapped, my whole life went downhill.

I wanted to be a nurse. I had all the educational qualifications for it and I had enough experience but I was slightly holding myself back from looking for a job. I wasn't too sure yet. Perhaps I was just nervous to commit to a highly demanding job.

We spoke and stayed in that cafe until two am, hours after I was supposed to close up shop and be at home sleeping. It was nice being with him and not just myself. That was part of the reason why I was so willing and kind towards him.

It was nightmarish.

Meeting Cristiano in that cafe that night was the best thing that had ever happened to me in a long time.

I was forced to be part of an auction where innocent women were locked up, chained, abused and treated like animals. Every single time any of us would try to defend ourselves, we would be severely punished. It was a unjust system where women were treated like slaves and seen as inferior to men.

During that time, I lived by myself in a small flat in a normal area. It was good but slightly lonely. I didn't have much friends. I mainly went to work as a baker in a cafe then went back home and did nothing.

Something about that handsome intrigued me.

There was always something between Cristiano and I. A connection you could call it but I wasn't sure. We had something. Every time we spoke, I was attracted to him. But was I even ready for a relationship or love? I wasn't even thinking that far.

I didn't know him too well but I felt like I did. He was sweet, caring and amiable. He clearly had some secrets but I didn't really care.

I was walking out of the bathroom and went back into the dining room to see finished plates with only stains of food left on it.

"Oh, my gosh, Rose. The shits I'm gonna be taking in a few hours. I can only imagine. Pheww. ." Jordan groaned, still eating. I chuckled, sipping my water.

"This is so much better than take out, Rose, thank you," Gage politely said, standing and holding his plate and drink. "You're welcome," I replied with a kind smile, beginning to take the plates away.

"No, no, it's okay, I'll do it. You've done enough," Gage offered, taking the plates from me. I smiled at him, "thank you."

I glanced around, noticing that Cristiano was still on the phone elsewhere. I followed Gage into the kitchen and he placed the plates in the sink. I put on the gloves and grabbed the sponge.

"I'll do it," Gage kindly offered and I looked at him, a little confused. "It's fine, I don't mind, honestly. You can go watch the movie with the guys."

"But I want to help you."

I studied his face before licking my lips and saying benevolently, "Okay. .well you can dry." He smiled back, taking a clean dish towel.

I started washing the dishes and he started a conversation by asking me, "so, how do you and Cris know each other?"

I glanced at him with a polite smile. "Well, we met once in a cafe," I explained, "we talked and well, we never saw each other until yesterday. What about you?"

"Well," Gage began, his eyes twinkling as they looked at me and he dried the dishes, putting them where they belonged. "We've always been best friends since high school. Just last year we all moved in here."

"Do you guys box?" I curiously questioned, "the ring downstairs. Do you guys use it?"

"Not much of us. Didn't you know that Cris is Cristiano Rossi? Like one of the hugest underground boxers?"

My eyes flickered over to Gage's. I smiled at him, "no, I didn't. He didn't mention it."

"Well, Cris boxes and he's actually got a match coming up this weekend," Gage explained, "you gonna watch it?"

"Yeah," I enthusiastically responded, "I will."

______

Travelling down the stairs, his rock hard abs were in my view. My eyes slowly roamed his body as I came down the stairs.

Punch by punch he hit the punching bag, his fists banging against it so roughly that it echoed bombastically. His face was sweaty, filled with concentration and determination, furiously hitting the bag, throwing in every ounce of anger he had in him onto the bag.

"So, the one thing you didn't tell me was that you were a famous boxer?"

He immediately stopped, the last punch bouncing off the walls once more. Breathlessly, he looked up at me as sweat dropped from his face.

He licked his lips, panting as his hazel eyes gazed at me, watching as I came down the stairs.

His eyes roamed my body and I gave him a small smile, pulling a strand of my hair behind my ear as I walked to the ring, my Gucci heels, that he chose, clicking against the ground, echoing.

"I wouldn't say famous. Just very known," Cris replied, his eyes intently gazing at me. "But you can call me famous." I chuckled softly, smiling still. His eyes glanced down at my body once more before meeting my eyes again.

"I see you with those Gucci shoes, girl," he teased, a grin on his sexy face. I rolled my eyes playfully, climbing up a little and resting my arms on the rope, looking at him from the other side.

My hand reached out, wiping away the faint, dark muck on his cheek. His breath hitched and I looked at my hand before without thinking, wiping it on his chest, my hand slowly sliding down his smooth, hard, double barrelled chest and down to his abs.

Realising what I was doing, I moved my hand away, but he took it, holding it. My lips parted as I looked at him and once again, we were both leaning it, so close to touching lips until an unknown voice interrupted us.

"Got your new gloves, Cris."

I automatically, moved away, turning my head and looking in a different direction, my cheeks blushing slightly and my heart racing.

There was a man.

He was slightly short with a dark stubble with sliver strands of hair in it. He had mahogany eyes and short, thin hair due to his older age. He wore some jeans and a stripy shirt that was tucked into his jeans with a belt.

"Oh, um, thanks, Jacob," Cristiano said, running his hand through his sweaty hair, his eyes flickering over to mine but I moved them away, biting my bottom lip.

"Uh, this is Rose. Rose, meet Jacob, my manager. Rose is going to be staying with us," Cristiano introduced and I gave his manager a polite smile, "hi, it's nice to meet you."

He nodded at me, giving me a small, yet not so great smile.

I ran my hand through my hair, feeling awkward and uncomfortable.

"Taking a break, are we, Cris? It's not me that has a match soon."

Cris chuckled, "yeah, yeah. I'm going."

I looked at him, my heart pounding. "Um, I'm gonna head up. I'll see you later," I announced, giving him a small, yet dull smile, turning and going up the stairs swiftly before he could say anything else.

Cristiano

All I could think about was Rose.

Her kind smile, her sweet laugh, her mesmerising eyes, her body, her voice, her words, her personality - everything.

Rose.

That was all I could think about.

I found myself going too soft on the punching bag and snapped out of my silly thoughts, throwing my anger out on the bag, struggling to stop thinking about the sexy Rose.

So I thought about the guys that held her captive, violently hitting the bag.

How dare they held her captive like an animal.

How dare they hurt Rose.

My Rose.

But she wasn't my Rose.

I wanted her to be though.

I was going too soft on the punching bag once more and sighed, stopping and looking at it breathlessly.

"A penny for your thoughts?" Jacob asked, drinking some more of his sour coffee. I glanced over at him, exhaling loudly and shaking my head with a chuckle.

"No. .it's nothing. ."

"Clearly something's distracting you," Jacob pressed on, a small grin on his face. I sighed, wiping my sweaty forehead. "Doesn't matter."

I threw another punch at the bag but it was still too soft.

"Who is that Rose girl?" Jacob asked me, his tone kind. "Is she the reason you're so loved up?"

I rolled my eyes at him, scoffing as took off my boxing gloves and picked up my water bottle, gulping down large portions of the cooling drink. "I met her months ago but I saw her again yesterday. I saved her from some douches that kidnapped her."

"Ah, so now you're saving damsels in distress."

I rolled my eyes once more, chuckling. "No. And she's not the reason why I'm distracted," I denied, lying to him straight up. I shrugged, sighing. "I'm just a little tired and have a lot on my head."

"Well, then take it all out on the bag. By now, your opponent would of killed your ass," Jacob said, snorting as he laughed. I held back from rolling my eyes once more. I scoffed, chuckling again. "Whatever."

I put on my gloves and looked at the bag before using all my might to throw a powerful punch, causing it to push the bag backwards, ripping it off its chains harshly and it fell to the ground with a loud bang, echoing through the room.

I smirked at it before looking back at Jacob. "Now who's killed?"

"Atta boy."