Christmas with My Enemy (Feuding Hearts Christmas)

Chapter 15

fifteen

TATI

“How close are to the airport?”

Clyde gazes at me through the rear mirror with that gentle face. “In the next twenty minutes we’ll arrive there.”

It's not like I'm clueless about the distance to the airport, but the direction he's taking doesn't look like the one I know. I gaze through the tinted window at the dazzling Christmas decorations along the roadside restaurants and shops. Perhaps, the dark sky is the reason I can't seem to get the route he's taking. My phone beeps with Jamal's ChatterSpot message.

DaBeast: Are you getting close?

Beauti4U: Yes, we’ll be twenty minutes from now.

DaBeast: Is there a traffic jam?

Beauti4U: No, why?

DaBeast: That’s kinda slow.

Beauti4U: Put your mind to rest. We'll get there.

DaBeast: Sure. Have a safe trip. I’ve got some things to fix. Call me when you get to the airport.

Beauti4U: All right. I love you.

DaBeast: I love you more.

A smile lingers on my face when I send a kiss emoji. I gaze up, picturing a smile on his face, then I look at his message again.

A frown crosses my face when my brain interprets the image my eyes picked when I gazed up. So, to be sure I wasn’t hallucinating, I look up again.

What the fuck , he’s turned away from the expressway, and he’s now heading to an open field covered in snow.

“Where the hell are you driving me?”

He lets out a sinister grin. “Where you belong.”

My heart pounds against my chest. No, this isn’t happening.

“I’m supposed to be at the airport. So what…. What do you mean?” He steps on the gas, and he’s now heading towards an old warehouse.

“You’ll find out now.” He speaks as if everything is fine. But I know he’s up to something. Something Crazy.

“Who the hell are you?” Intense fear grips me, and I doubt if Clyde is the nice man he claims to be. I try to open the door even with the car in motion. I don’t mind falling as long as I’m out of this car.

"Open the fucking door," I scream when I notice the doors are locked. No, I can't believe this is happening to me. My finger shakes as I dial Beast's number, but the car halts on the spot.

Clyde jumps out of the car, open the door, and snatches the phone from my grip. My stomach twists and I feel like puking. This feels like a nightmare.

“You traitor, you’ll pay for this.”

“As long as you’re married to the right person, I don’t mind.”

He hauls me out of the car, and I kick his balls. He grabs his balls for a moment, then stands up with his eyes burning with rage. He drags me out and carries me on his shoulder.

“Put me down you son of a bitch.” I yell, but I know my voice will never make any impact.

A dark SUV is parked in front of the Warehouse, and as Clyde steps near, the headlight comes on. At first, I can't see the face of the person, but when Clyde stands me on my feet, I notice it's Stacks.

Right now, I feel death’s the only solution.

"You?" My voice trembles.

I try to snatch my hand from Clyde, but he grips me from behind so much that my hand hurts.

Stacks relaxes his hands in his pants pockets. “Hi, wife.”

My blood boils in my veins when I hear those words.

“I’ll never be your wife you bastard.” I ensure my voice is loud enough to express my resentment toward him.

He shrugs with a confident smile that disgusts me.

"Then you'll be nobody's wife." He looks from me to Clyde. "Thank you. Take her to the car. Be gentle with her please, she'll be my bride in two days’ time.”

“Sure.”

As Clyde hoists me to the car, I try to break out of his grip, but his hands are like steel wire around my arms.

He opens the door with one hand, and I notice his grip is loose. On the spot, I strike him on the jaw with my elbow.

“Arrgh! Damn you!” He cries, soothing his jaw with both hands.

I run like my life depends on it. Okay, my life actually depends on it.

The space is as wide as a runway and foggy in front. So, I’m trying to figure out which way to follow.

My chest heaves as I run with every bit of strength in me. Abruptly, a hand grabs my leg, and I lose my balance, crashing on the frosty ground.

The big guy dives on my back, pressing me to the ground.

“You’re going nowhere. You’re mine!” Stacks speaks through clenched teeth, struggling to steady his breath.

"Get your filthy hands off me." I struggle to get out of his grip, but this time his hands are so firm around me that I'm running out of breath.

So, I give up. Tears roll down my eyes as Clyde matches towards us.

With my last breath, I scream, but only a whisper comes out of my mouth. My muscles relax on the frozen ground as Clyde nears us.

You know how the paramedics move corpses into body bags? That's how Clyde and Stacks are carrying me right now.

The only difference is that they’re moving me into a car, not a body bag. I wish it were a body bag.

Death, where are you?

“Guess who I brought home?”

My parents' eyes widen with curiosity in their standing position.

Stacks gestures to me, and Clyde hauls me forward before them. Even though we're standing in our luxurious living room, and my parents are now gazing at me with excitement, I feel like a victim of human trafficking.

“My bride.”

I fix my eyes on the glass center table, unable to stare at their faces.

“And you have to tie your bride hands with a tape?”

Dad’s question is more of a complaint than something coming from a place of rage.

“I didn’t mean demean her. You know how stubborn your daughter can be.”

Stacks strokes my hair, and I cringe, weaving his next touch.

“Well, I’m sorry for the stress she put you through.”

“It’s okay. Things we do from love.”

Dad inches close, shoves out a key chain, and flips up a mini knife.

While cutting through the duct tape, he gazes at me, but my eyes are fixed in the opposite direction, staring at the white walls. The rage flowing through my blood will never let me stare at him.

“Welcome home, daughter. Your mother and I are happy to see you.”

He gawks at Stacks.

“Thank you for bringing back my daughter. I can see you truly love her. As a reward, she’ll be your bride tomorrow. After all, Christmas is just two days away, so what stops us from joining you two together on Christmas Eve?”

For the first time, I shoot him a look. And it's a dark one. If looks could kill, dad would be dead right this minute.

And you want to know my conclusion about his disposition? He's a fucking narcissist. My chest is heaving with rage as I lock eyes with him. God! If I were a dragon, I'd have spat fire, and everyone except my mother would be dead.

Stacks lets out a smile and sticks out his hand. "Thank you for the honor."

Dad takes his hand, shaking it. “Priscilla, take your daughter inside. And don’t forget to give her some lectures on how to be a submissive wife.”

My mother inclines her head and walks over to me. "Come on, let's go inside."

Without further ado, I lead the way walking along the stairway.

For fuck's sake, I have no phone, no means of reaching out to Beast. Guess I'll be stuck with them for the rest of my life. I feel like a pet forced into a cage.