No Escape

*Elizabeth's POV*

I woke from the insufferable heat that was hitting the exposed skin of my back, but being too sleepy to understand what was happening, I let my mind take its sweet time processing. The wind blew my hair right in front of my face making it feel like I was moving even when I sat still in one place.

Everything zoomed past me so quickly as if a race was being conducted. The scenery consisted of only big, rocky mountains and enormous amount of tiny sand dunes everywhere. Basically, I was in the middle of nowhere, all alone, with him in this desert. After all he had abducted me.

Forcing myself out of sleep, I pushed myself away from his chest. That was when I realized we were on a bike this time. For a second everything seemed like a dream but to my tribulation, this specific nightmare was very much real.

He had me sitting facing him while he raced like hell hounds were at his tail. I would so wish they were, but for the moment, I was riding with him too and I was too selfish for my own safety.

Before this fateful day, I had never been seated on a bike before. Until, he decided to give me another unforgettable experience for my pitiful life. He had a black helmet on his head, leather gloves on his hands, a white jacket and washed jeans on. I couldn't even see his eyes from the tinted plastic glass of his helmet.

Seeing him dressed like an Egyptian mummy, made me sweat more even though I was in a strapless, knee-length, magenta frock and bare-footed. He must have thrown off my sandals last night as a form of punishment or something. The strap of the backpack he had on his back smelled weird near my nose making me wrinkle it.

"Good morning!" His voice sounded jovial.

Maybe he was in a good mood. After killing my last hope, why wouldn't he be happy?

Suddenly, everything from the previous night flooded back in my head. My breathing hitched up and my mind couldn’t stop from wondering.

Was Milo okay? Was he alive? I hoped he was! The way this bastard had hit Milo, I feared that Milo would die on spot. Or maybe he was already dead!

No... I had to think and stay positive.

I could feel the anger rush into my veins. Urge for avenging Milo, overwhelmed my rationality. It was the least that I could do for him if he was pronounced dead because of me.

With that in mind, I didn't greet my kidnapper back. Instead, I tried pushing myself away from him as much as possible in that tiny space.

Like he knew what was going on in my head, he suddenly applied the brakes making me fall back onto him. He stopped the vehicle and got down becoming the reason for my heart to start beating louder and louder till I felt my angry resolution dissolved in a corner along with the pledge to avenge. It all went puff in the air!

Had I made him angry by any chance? Oh God! Please don't!

I was in no position to take his wrath onto myself after last night.

He pulled me down and in the span of a second I was standing on the hot sand, bare-footed, almost at the verge of doing a tap dance with the scorching pain. Not like I wasn’t already hopping up and down. Taking some mercy on me, he ducked down and pushed me over his shoulder, reducing the torture as he carried me away to god knows where.

My hands turned into fists on his jacket tightly, definitely going to leave some marks there. I hadn't even seen his expression due to that stupid helmet before he carried me through the desert. At least, I could have readied myself to whatever was in store for me.

What was he planning now? Was he tempted to travel on foot? Or was he thinking to... No... He couldn't! If he was going to punish me as he had promised last night... No... Please don't!

I don't think I would be able the escape that type of punishment again.

Or had he already decided to kill me, knowing that I pushed all his buttons the previous night? I had even crossed the final limits after the continuous that he had given me...

My brain was way too alarmed to think straight.

Before I could conclude on anything, he set me on foot in the shade of a big rocky mountain. It was cooler here and bit more comfortable too. My gaze dropped on him as he dug into his bag. Not able to hold myself together anymore, I let my knees do what they wanted to do for a long time, let go and collapse right where he left me.

"Wh-where a-a-are you taking m-me?" I stammered the same question, which I had been asking him every chance I had, again as I asked him unable to keep my mind from exploding at all the possible situations it was conjuring. And keeping mum at these times proved more disastrous with the idle mind.

His helmet moved up, which I guessed he was looking at me. Suddenly, he threw something shiny towards me. I caught it by reflex, yet my hands shivered.

It was an aluminum foil wrapped around something. The delicious smell that was coming from it had my stomach grumbling. I carefully opened it to find bagel and lox! It was slightly soggy but I wasn’t the one to complain. It was such a long time since I last ate one, who knew when I would be able to eat something like this again.

My mouth watered making me immediately wolf it down. I watched him move next to me to pass me the warm sugar water as an excuse of coke. And immediately like a switch had been flipped, I froze for a while, waiting for him to do something. But he didn't. We both remained in silence until I relaxed again and calmed down my thumping heart.

My untimely meal had almost finished when his hand snaked around my waist, catching me off-guard. My mind went blank for a few seconds but immediately started working again and pulled the necessary muscles to move away from him. As though he read my mind, his hands moved faster and pulled me onto his lap.

The last bite of my most cherished meal slipped from my finger and instantly they started trying to pull his arms away from me. I knew it was a futile attempt, but I still wriggled and struggled in his arms.

His hands started from my thighs, tracing my body all the way up till they grabbed a fistful of my hair and pulled it back making me crane my neck. He got a good grip over my body and slowly stroked away a rogue strand of hair behind my ear as he pressed his lips on the side of my neck. I realized it then that he had put his helmet aside, risking his own life just for a few minutes of molestation that he would be inflicting on me. My emotions flowed out as liquid in the form of tears from my eyes.

I started breathing raggedly, knowing full well he was pissed. His helmet had been hiding his sneer from me. I shouldn’t have been sassy. I should have swallowed back my anger right then and there. Those were my only thoughts filled with remorse.

"Looks like your parents do love you a lot. They don't seem to mind spending any amount of money on you. They have got a small army of SWAT, Scotland's best detectives and the FBI behind us. But don't worry my love, no one will be able to snatch you away from me. By hook or crook, you are mine." He whispered mockingly in my ear, shivers and chills went down my spine.

His grip tightened as he pulled me further into him, restricting my struggle. It was hard to breath and the firmness started hurting. Letting out a loud sob, I cried in pain, "J-Jerome! You are... holding... m-me too tight! It's hurting!" unintentional tears began to roll down my cheeks.

He abruptly let go of me but still sitting on his lap as he said, "Sorry. I forgot that you were still a human."

His expression had turned pained. I rolled off from him and landed on the hot sand that scorched my skin, in fact, it almost burned but I didn't shout.

Who was he kidding? Still human, seriously? Was that all he could come up with?

My conscience shouted inside my head annoyance. The helmet was back on his head covering his face once again and he was on his feet in no time.

Turning towards me, he offered his hand to help me get up.

I contemplated it for a while before taking his hand with the fear that he would lose his temper again. He pulled me to my feet with a swift pull before ducking down to lift me in his arms the bridal style. Within the matter of minutes I was being carried away to an unknown destination by him. And I didn't struggle because it would be just waste of my energy.

Nevertheless, the tears didn't stop from escaping the confinement of my eyes.

He set me on my feet again near the bike, letting the sole of my feet experience the burning tar below them. Handing over the backpack as he commanded coldly, "You put this on and sit behind me. It isn't that as bad as it looks. Just hold on to me tightly, and you won't feel scared."

I don’t know if he didn't notice me crying or just chose to ignore it. As if I was just another non-living thing to him.

My body followed what was ordered to it and even before I knew it, we were racing with the wind again. Resting my cheek on his back, I opened the corner of my memories letting my life replay in my head. The start of this year came back marking the start of this nightmare. The time which I wished had never occurred in the first place.