Abducted By My Father's Best Friend (Taken)

“Oh, it’s true. I love him and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

My father paces the large space. “You will not see him again.” And then he turns and gives me a menacing stare. “You’ll never see him again because he’ll be dead.”

My eyes widen. “No.”

My father stops pacing to stare directly into my eyes, and he’s different somehow. An evil lurks there that frightens me. “We’ve got everything worked out, Mia. Sebastian admits to everything and we kill him. Everything will go back to the way it was before.”

“I can’t believe this. Why would you steal from your friends?” I ask. “Why would you frame Sebastian? He’s been nothing but loyal to you.”

My father smiles, glancing at Enzo and he smiles, too. Their sinister faces make my stomach churn with acid.

“Mia, you’re being overdramatic,” my father chides. “This is all business.”

“I won’t help.” I cross my arms over my chest.

“Mia, you will help. You’re already helping. We’ve heard Sebastian has everyone out looking for you right now. He’s got Dean Maddox and Sophia helping.”

“Sophia?” I worry about my friend.

“Mia, you do this, and we’ll be set for life. We’ll never have to worry about money or business ever again. We’ll have everything we could ever ask for. You’ll never have to work.” My father glances at Enzo. “And you and Enzo will be married and happy.”

“No way.” I shake my head. “I’m not marrying him.”

My father furrows his brow. “I’m no longer asking you, Mia. You’ll do as I say or else.”

“Or else, what?” I glance around the room, looking for an escape route.

There’s nothing promising. Nothing that looks like it could be an easy out for me. The windows are all high up. I’d have to run past my father and Enzo if I have any chance of escaping.

I know I could beat my father in a foot race, but I don’t think I could outrun Enzo.

I pace the room, tears falling down my face. “I can’t believe this.”

I just can’t.

My father turns on his fatherly charm. “Mia, I know what you must be thinking. I would never do anything to hurt you. I would never put you in harm’s way. I love you. You’re my flesh.”

“You are putting me in harm’s way.” I stare into his eyes. “You put me in danger the minute you stole from your friends. There’s evidence against you. Sebastian has already shown the evidence to Hector and Don.”

This is obviously news to my father, because I watch as his eyes narrow. “Evidence?”

I smile, feeling more powerful since I woke up in this strange place. “You weren’t expecting that, were you?”

My father shakes his head, not wanting to play anymore games. “Mia, what evidence?”

I shrug. “Don’t know.” Even though I do. “Something Sebastian sent out to everyone. They all know you stole from them.”

My father scowls, but only for a moment. As if a new idea has popped into his head, he laughs. “Doesn’t matter. We’ll get him to confess. We’ll say he doctored up whatever evidence he showed. Nate Scott will vouch for us.”

“Nate Scott is how we got the evidence.”

My father looks as though I have shot him. “No, he would never betray me.”

I shrug again. “Well, he did. He told us how to find Oliver. And with Oliver we were able to get everything we needed.”

“Oliver has nothing,” Enzo balks. “Anything you think you may have is a lie.”

I want to punch Enzo in the face, and I harness my inner Sophia. “You’re scared,” I tell him, moving closer.

He stands from his chair, moving away. “Stay away from me. Sebastian is going down.”

I shake my head. “No, you both are. And I’m not helping you catch him.”

There’s a noise off in the distance. My father smiles. “It’s already too late. The time has come.”

“Sebastian,” I yell, just in case that’s who has shown up. I need to warn him. “Sebastian,” I shout again. “How did he find me?”

Enzo smirks. “I left some pretty big clues. I made sure you saw me at the market. And then I’m sure they asked around with my photo at the market and it would lead him here.”

“You won’t get away with this,” I spit out.

“Get her in the chair. Tie her hands,” my father says.

I shoot him a look. “I can’t believe you’re doing this to me.”

He waves off my words. “Just do your part and everything will be fine.”

Enzo moves closer, and I punch at his face, not connecting as he wrestles me to the chair. My father hands him some zip ties, and Enzo has me tied to the chair within seconds.

How could my own father do this to me?

“It’s almost like you’ve done this before, asshole.” I buck in my chair, to no avail.

Enzo smiles. “You didn’t think Sebastian was the only one into bondage, did you?”