Page 14 of Stealing His Christmas Present

Chapter 5

I WOKE UP WITH THEworst headache ever, and my whole body was heavy as if a truck had run me over.

My vision was blurry too, and I could barely see anything around me.

What the hell had been in that drink at Stella’s party? It had to have been something weird and strong because I’d had the worst nightmare ever.

I’d seen Pablo in my room.

I’d felt his touch.

Smelled his familiar scent.

I blinked as I pushed myself up.

My eyes widened, my pulse going in overdrive.

Oh no!

Oh shit!

Where the hell was I?

Cold gray stone. Bars. No windows.

A cell? I was in a cell?

But where? Why?

I pushed myself up to my feet with a groan, stumbling forward. There was a toilet and a sink in the corner of the cell, like in prison or something like that.

“Hello?” My voice was raspy, and I cleared my throat. “Is anyone there?”

I inched closer to the bars, and all I could see was a long dark hallway.

Alone.

I was alone.

Had Pablo really gotten into my room and... kidnapped me?

But why? What did the Red Eagle gang want with me now? With my family? After so many years?

They must’ve teamed up with some other criminal. Some other enemy who wanted their services for something, and they’d done it for money.

But why Pablo? Why was he here? Or had I imagined him?

I had to get out of here. Since I was still alive, then someone was probably going to use me to blackmail my family. I couldn’t just stay here and wait to find out who it was.

But how could I get out of this cell?

I looked at the bars and the lock on the door. It needed a key. But where could I find one?

As I leaned on the door to try to spot the key in case it was hanging somewhere in the hallway, the door gave way.

What the hell?

Had someone really forgotten to unlock the door of my cell? Maybe they’d expected whatever Pablo had used to knock me out wouldn’t wear off so quickly. I didn’t know, and it didn’t matter.

---