Chapter 5 : Rules and Regulations

*Beth’s POV*

Suddenly my mind flashed back to what I thought was nothing more than a fever dream. Rylan came into the basement and leaned down ever so gently taking my injured arm in his large hands. At first, he held my arm and began delivering what felt light kisses on to my wound, followed by what I thought to be licking and suckling. As his mouth caressed the sore spots on my arm, the pain slowly began to melt away, until it disappeared completely.

I had completely disregarded the possibility that that had actually happened. It was too weird to have actually occurred, so I chalked it up to another fan girl fantasy caused by due stress. Even if it had happened, it still didn’t make sense. How did this intimate action heal my severely banged up hand and arm? It wasn’t humanely possible. I felt my face begin to heat up at the thought of such an intimate event with Rylan.

“Oh!! I get it now,” the officer closest to me said with a knowing look, taking in my now pink cheeks. My relieved eyes went to him, hopeful that someone was on my side and believed me. “You’re just some deranged woman looking to make a buck off a respected officer in some drawn out trial, am I right?”

A frown appeared on my face at his words.

“Wha—no!” I argued.

“I’d be sure of your next move, little lady, because it’s a very serious accusation and wasting resources on something so absurd is truly dishonerable,” the man snarled slightly.

My eyes moved to Zed who wore an cocky look, knowing my only form of proof was gone.

They didn’t believe me and they weren’t going to. My gaze then scanned the group that surrounded me. It was blatantly obvious that everyone here thought I was insane. I was at the point I was beginning to question my own sanity.

“Clearly the girls had a long night. I’ll bring her home,” Zed stated, waving of the officers who still stood around me, taking enjoyment out of this whole situation.

“No!” I argued, taking a large step back. Fear pulsed through my body at the thought of going anywhere alone with him.

“Oh, you’ll be fine. You just go home and sleep off whatever it is you’re on right now,” one of the officers mumbled. The crowd around me began to dissipate and everyone was getting back to their work duties.

My heart raced as Zed came from behind the police desk and strode over to me ever so casually. I opened my mouth to protest once again; going alone with him would be like signing my own death wish. Before my disagreement could fly out of my mouth, he had slung his muscular arm over my shoulder.

As he led me out of the police station toward his vehicle, I tried to pull away, but he had his grip tightly around me, so there was no possibility of me breaking free. Reaching his sleek black car, he open the passenger door and shoved me inside, before climbing into the driver seat beside me.

Feeling his closeness, I reached for the door handle, ready to pull the latch and attempt to run away from him, but just as I went to pull the handle, he clicked the lock shut, as if he knew my next move.

I repeatedly slammed up against the car door, screaming and refusing to accept that I was trapped once again. After a few more pointless attempts to hit the door, defeat took over me. There was no way I was getting out of this car unless he let me out and that wasn’t going to happen. I was going to have to talk my way out of this if I wanted to get out of here alive.

Directing my attention from the door to Zed, my heart sunk when I saw a piece of shiny metal in his hand. Taking a more in-depth look at the weapon, it processed he had a gun in his hand that rested in his lap. His eyes bore into me as panic shot through my body, and my breathing picked up. Leaning forward with the gun, he gently set it against the side of my face. My breath hitched as tears began to well up in my eyes, knowing the odds of surviving this confrontation.

“We did you a favor. We let you go. You had one fucking rule, Beth,” Zed spoke coldly, steadily holding the gun to my face.

The tears that built up in my eyes started to fall, and within seconds, my vision was completely blurred by the tears of anguish.

“I didn’t want to kill you… but then you go off and do that?” he added roughly.

“I was scared. Please don’t kill me,” I pleaded meekly, in between cries.

For a second, I swore I saw his stone facade soften for just a moment, before hardening once again. He slid the gun down from my cheek bone to under my chin, tilting my chin up until our eyes met. I felt as if I was going to melt under his powerful gaze. He studied my tear stained cheek for a moment before speaking again.

“I’m not going to kill you,” he said finally.

Relief rushed through my body at his words. I wasn’t ready to die. But sparing my life twice seemed suspicious. I knew there had to be more to all of this.

“You’re not?” I questioned, as tears still fell from my weepy eyes.

Zed held his fiery gaze on me as he pulled the gun away from my face. Setting the gun in his lap, he kept his attention fixed on me.

“You come work for me and the others, and I’ll let you live.”

There it was. He had set his demands firmly.

My relief disappeared and was replaced with a twisted up sensation in my stomach. He wanted to kill my family. I couldn’t possibly work for him. If I worked for him, I would most likely be helping him locate my sister and father, and that was the last thing I wanted to do.

“I can’t…I can’t let you hurt my family,” I gritted my teeth and said stubbornly. This annoyed Zed.

“Although Roger abandoned your mother and you, and paid no care?” he stated, raising an eyebrow.

I was surprised that he knew so well about my situation, but I still bit my lip and didn't speak.

My hands trembled and pinched the corners of my clothes. Maybe the next moment was my death.

I could feel the breath on his body become colder, but in the end, he didn't touch the gun on his waist.

“Fine,” he spoke finally. “You’ve got lots of debt, right?”

“I..uhh..” I was confused about the turn. My brain has yet to recover from the threat of death.

“You know, we could have those paid off rather quickly…” he trailed off. “But only if you stick around… help us out with some things. You know, we’re really not that bad once you get used to us,” he smirked.

They weren’t that bad? Really? After they tried to kidnap and kill me and still wanted to kill my family?

I didn't know how to react to his words. My eyes widened. My heart was pounding. I thought of a dangerous solution.

Playing the devils advocate, I realized there might be a plus to working for him. I could try and subtly throw them off the tracks of my family, all while gathering evidence against the sick men who had kidnapped me.

Zed looked at me expectantly awaiting my answer.

“Work for you? Doing what?” I questioned, still feeling unsure of how to safely proceed.

“Think of it like a personal assistant type of situation,” he responded vaguely.

I felt a small scoff escape me. I could only imagine what duties might entail being three criminal’s personal assistant. However, I knew that if I wanted to keep myself and my family alive, that accepting his offer was the safest way to do so.

“Fine…” I mumbled out reluctantly.

Zed’s eyes it up at my cooperation, making it obvious he was pleased with my choice. “Good. You can move in tonight then,” he abruptly added.

Wait a second. Move in? With him and two other men who wanted me dead? The whole idea seemed preposterous. Zed must have seen the look of concern that was written all over my face because he gave me a look that despite being a little gruff, I was sure was meant to be comforting.

“If you cooperate and do your job, no one will kill you,” he noted.

Was that his feeble attempt of comforting me?

“Okay,” I agreed despite every fiber of my being warning me this was a bad idea.

Sharing a look of agreement, Zed gave me a nod before facing forward once again. He started his car and began drive to what I presumed to be the men's house where I was previously held captive.

Upon arriving at and entering the house, I took in my surroundings. The last time I was here was under ill circumstance, so I hadn’t had much time to take in the decor and aesthetic of the house. Despite being three criminal masterminds, I had to admit I was impressed with their living space.

It was rather clean and lavish, far from what you would normally expect from three grown men living alone. Zed led me into what seemed to be a dining room with a large oak dining table in the middle of the room.

“Stay here. I’ll be right back.”

He gestured for me to stay put.

Giving him a small nod, I pulled out one of the wooden dining chairs, planting myself in the seat. Now alone in the room, my mind began to wander on to how this insane predicament I got myself into was going to go. Zed seemed pleased with my choice to live here and work for them, and from what I remembered from Rylan’s behavior earlier, it seemed fitting he would be pleased as well.

My worry was more focused on Daniel. He had already attempted to attack me once, so how was he going to react finding out I was now sharing a living space with him? Would he try and take my life once again? My worrisome thoughts were soon reinforced by Zed reappearing into the dining room carrying what seemed to be a large book.

“Follow me, I’ll show you to your room,” he sighed.

Rising to my feet, I followed him as he led me down what seemed to be room after room and hallway after hallway, until he finally stopped in front of a door on the far side of the main level.

“This and the common living areas are the only rooms you are allowed in. You stay out of the basement and any other bedrooms. Do you understand?” he stated firmly, looking down at me with dark eyes.

While I found the basement being off limits part odd, I still gave him a small nod of agreeance. I wasn’t exactly looking forward to exploring th dangerous men’s house, let alone their bedrooms.

Accepting my confirmation, he then looked to the door bringing his hand up to the handle. Turning it, he opened the door granting a view of my new room. It was surprisingly beautiful, and seemed like something out of a lavish movie.

The walls were carefully painted a dark gray color, and the large bed had a beautiful and rather intricate bed bed frame, all with thick sun blocking curtains covering the tall windows.

“Wow,” I murmured under my breath still taking in the room in front of me.

Glancing to Zed, I saw that he now was holding the large book out toward me. With a look of confusion, I took the heavy book in my hands, not knowing why I was being gifted a book.

“It’s all of the rules you have to follow if you want stay here and stay alive. It needs to be fully read and memorized before you start,” he explained.

“Rules? What kind of rules?” I asked quickly flipping through the pages.

I knew there would be requirements and such, but this was just supposed to be a personal assistant job. It couldn’t be that demanding…so why was this book so thick?

“Just read it. If you don’t read it, there will be severe and lethal consequences,” he responded, not answering my question.

I felt a shiver go down my spine at the thought of what his statement could mean. Before I could question him any further, he spun on his heels and was already half way down the hall. Taking a stressed breath, I stepped into the room, shutting the door behind me. Throwing myself onto the soft bed, I cracked open the book, completely unprepared for the weird and slightly concern information I was about to read.

Page after page the book became stranger and stranger. It seemed to make little sense. Zed was right. It was a rule book, but the rules and requests seemed extremely off putting. It ranged from subtle things to things that I could only assume had to be completely fictitious. The more I read the more it settled in that something was extremely off with these men.

‘Do not get hurt in the villa. If you are injured, you must dispose of the blood immediately. Otherwise things will get out of hand and you have to live with the consequences.’

I read this rule suspiciously.

If they were murderers, how could no one be injured in the villa? Could it be that blood spurs them to kill?

‘It is forbidden to eat garlic, as well as all foods containing garlic.’ So these men hate garlic?

‘Red is taboo and it is forbidden to wear all red clothes.’ Well, red wasn’t for me either. But why do they hate red? Is it because red is the color of blood? Are they really murderers?

‘At any time, it is forbidden to yell in the villa. Otherwise something catastrophic will happen that you can't imagine.’

Catastrophic?

‘Do not touch Daniel's candy.’ Is that guy still a candy eater?

After hours of reading, I was only halfway through the book and found myself thirsty. Originally I had planned on hiding in the sanctuary of my room, but my mouth was extremely dry. So after another twenty minutes of putting it off, I ventured out of the room, gripping the rule book tightly in my hand.

As I wandered through the house towards the kitchen, I wondered where the men were, as I had only seen Zed since my arrival to the household. Reaching the kitchen, I found a glass and filled it up with tap water from the sink before heading back to my bedroom to sit and read while I drank. After quenching my thirst, I continued to read the rule book. I was completely absorbed in the strangeness of every requirement.

Although the book was actually extremely interesting, my eyes soon got heavy, and the lines of writing became blurred. It was an eventful day and my body was extremely fatigued. I was tired.

Determined to keep reading, I pushed forward moving my eyes to the next line in the book. Despite my best efforts, the lines became blurred once again, and within a few minutes, I drifted of to sleep with my head resting on the book. I found a peaceful and restful sleep washing over me, and let the darkness overtake me as my body and mind both so desperately needed to rest.

Just as my body seemed to enter a deep almost dream-like state, I was jolted awake by a squeezing sensation in my throat. My throat felt constricted, as if it was being squeezed so tightly I couldn’t take a breathe.

My blood shot eyes flung open revealing Daniel, who had his hands wrapped tightly around my throat. Bringing my hands up to his, I pulled his hand away enough to ramble out two words.

“Daniel…stop.”

But it was no use, he kept squeezing, and he wasn’t letting up any time soon.