Chapter 2

Shawna could see clusters of palm trees swaying in the distance as the heatwaves rose from the black asphalt. Where were they? Arizona? New Mexico? She wasn't sure.

She had been asleep for the majority of this trip. Seconds later, the door opened. There he was again. This time, he held a stack of neatly folded clothing she assumed was for her. He placed the pile on the edge of the bed.

He looked at her. "Get changed. Our transportation is waiting for us." He informed her. 

She grew angry at his bossy tone.

"You can't do this !" She screamed.

"Do what?" He asked in a tone that was calm and even. It was like they were having two completely different conversations.

"This is kidnap! Kidnap! We haven't laid eyes on one another for a very long time. You said-"

He cut her off by storming over to her, roughly grabbing her right upper arm with a voice that boomed in the small cabin space she thought everyone on the runway heard him. "Get f*cking changed. Now, or so help me God I will rip that ridiculous wedding dress off of you. I would love to have the pleasure of ruining your makeup." His eyes pierced her own. It was as if she couldn't look away. His grip lessened and she yanked her arm free from his grasp.

She turned around. Her back was facing him. "Will you please help me undo the buttons? I won't be able to on my own." She asked. She hated herself more for ceding and asking him. She felt so powerless.

She did not see Giancarlo pull out the small dagger he kept hidden on his person, or she would have screamed. Shawna also didn't see what was coming. With one swift motion, Giancarlo gently pierced the delicate material where the long train of tiny crystal buttons sat and slid the blade down, cutting the buttons and ruining the dress. Shawna grabbed the front of her dress as it quickly loosened. When she saw the tiny crystal buttons scatter and dance against the carpeted floor, she felt betrayed.

This wedding dress was one of a kind and not to mention very expensive, It also symbolized her love for Harper. With a surprised gasp, Shawna whipped around. She held the dress to her bosom, and with her free hand, she slapped Giancarlo. Shawna had forgotten herself. She had thought Giancarlo was being rude and bossy, just like she recalled from their very brief love affair.

It had only lasted a few months. It had started out as one of the most intense connections she had ever had with a person. They had similar interests and their morals and values seemed to align. They had never gotten intimate, but he had made her so many empty promises. Two days before ghosting her, he had her terminate her lease and pack all of her bags to go to London as a romantic getaway before their engagement.

She had been a naive loving fool and fell for it. Luckily her apartment manager let her her renew her lease. She was heartbroken. The question 'why ' was the only question that floated around in her mind. What had she done in a former life to deserve this? She wondered.

It all came crashing back to her. She looked at him. She wondered if he would hit her back. Seconds went by, but he made no move to do so. 

"Get dressed." He repeated.

With as much dignity as she could muster, she slid out of the bridal gown, revealing her powder-blue matching strapless bra and lace panty set. She also wore a white garter with matching white stockings. Shawna tried to get dressed quickly but time had a way of slowing down and speeding up a the same time when she was with Giancarlo. It felt like he was devouring every inch of her with his intense gaze. She felt her face flush as she fumbled with the zipper and button on her jeans.

Shawna quickly pulled the lightweight cotton shirt over her head. Not before removing her tiara veil from her hair had been styled in a chignon with cascading ringlet bangs. It had taken her hours to get ready and months to find the perfect venue and dressmaker. It was all a heaping pile of material on the floor of the private plane. Shawna had thought Giancarlo would give her sensible shoes, but she saw none.

She was stuck wearing her wedding pumps. Giancarlo did not utter another word. She followed him out of the small cabin down the small metal plane steps and out onto the tarmac, where a white jeep awaited them. Shawna was immediately assaulted by the desert heat. She used the back of her hand as shade, It took a few seconds for her eyes to adjust to the glaring sunlight.

She felt completely betrayed in this moment, yet again. It was a beautiful, tropical day-too beautiful for her tastes. She was being held hostage. This type of nefarious behavior called for the cover of night and silence. Giancarlo broke her train of thought when he grabbed her by her wrist and half dragged her to the jeep. Shawna knew there was no point in fighting him any longer.

She had just tried that. No one knew where she was and she wondered if Harper thought she had gotten cold feet and stood him up. It hadn't been a full 48 hours, or so she thought. She really didn't know. Would her disappearance be taken seriously? She wasn't sure. He assisted her into the passenger seat of the jeep, leaned forward, and put the seat belt on for her.

A thoughtful contradicting gesture that confused Shawna all the more. There was a bar attached to the dashboard. He grabbed both of her wrists and looped the handcuffs through the bar. It happened too fast for her to protest. 

"Hey!" was all she could muster. 

Giancarlo walked to the driver's side, got in, put the Jeep in gear and they were off. Her head slightly jerked back and wisps of her hair quickly escaped as the desert wind whipped through her hair. It was a strange feeling, her eyes drank in the bright blue sky and the golden sands littered with dessert foliage. The asphalt road they were now driving on seemed so out of place. She didn't dare look in his direction. She was more than annoyed with him.

If she really delved into her current pool of emotions, she just might grab the steering wheel of the jeep and crash them. This all felt so dramatic. She was more concerned about Harper's mental well-being. Kidnapped or not, she had stood him up. She had to hope and trust he knew she was not that type of woman. Harper was the complete opposite of Giancarlo.

He was fair-haired, with a lean slightly muscular build. He was also kind, soft-spoken, and a very gentle lover. He was a rarity in her life. She had always felt like Harper deserved more than what Shawna had to offer, but he chose he and showed up for her in ways any woman would be happy with. She had been on her path to happiness ever after.

Why was she blindsided? She refused to look at him. She used her peripheral to see him. He didn't take his eyes off the road, and he hadn't struck up a conversation with her yet. He probably had no problem with Shawna ignoring him, she deduced.

It was her only defense mechanism left. Everything was happening so fast. It was like a shock to her system. It also reminded her that he had always been extremely competitive and determined to win in all things, at any cost. Even in love. 

She could understand if they had shared passionate nights together, and she had been the one to ghost him, but that had not been the case. They had never been intimate (they had been close), and he was the one who ghosted her. Forgetting her promise to never speak to him again she said, "You were the one who rejected me, Giancarlo."

He seemed caught off guard by the fact that she did speak. It took Giancarlo a moment to answer. He downshifted the jeep and spoke, "So?"

"So, why do this?"

"I told you already. You left me no choice." He stated as if it were a fact. 

Shawna hadn't heard from Giancarlo in two years. She had been confused and heartbroken, but she had moved forward hopeful. She focused on her career. She didn't know what to say. Giancarlo continued, "The last time we spoke I told you I had business. I asked you to wait for me. Did you?" His voice deepened. 

So with the question he asked she genuinely didn't recall that conversation, but she knew he was lying. 

"That's not true." She argued, but her words held very little confidence. 

"It is true, princess. You replaced me quickly."

Shawna knew what he was trying to do. He was trying to make her feel guilty. He only succeeded in making her angry once more.