Page 19 of Stolen By the Alien Prince

Oliver paled, his eyes widening with fear. “You wouldn’t.”

Kozien leaned closer to him. “I’m a desperate man. Ever heard the saying a desperate man will do anything to save someone? Ask me again if I will.”

He grabbed hold of Oliver’s hand, fully willing to go through with his threat. He would break his hand if it gave him what he wanted. He wanted Gianna and nothing would stop him from getting to her.

“All right!” Oliver caved, his entire body shaking now. “I’ll tell you what I know.”

“Good idea,” Kozien spat. “Now,talk.”

Chapter 9

Giannalosttrackofhow long she sat there waiting. It could have been a few minutes, or it could have been hours. She wasn’t entirely sure. She did, however, know there were one hundred and twenty-five tiles on the floor, which didn’t include the eighty in the bathroom. She knew the room was soundproofed as well. She heard nothing from the door or the walls when she pressed her ear against them.

She was also getting a headache from the lights. They were just bright enough for light but dark enough to make her eyes unsure of her surroundings.

At first, she hummed to herself, hoping it would calm her. It only lasted a few moments before she decided silence was better. The truth was it wasn’t better.

Nothing about this was good, and she was stuck. It ate at her.

Suddenly the door opened, and her head snapped up. She took in a man wearing a nice suit and slicked-back hair. He looked at her with a stern expression, and her insides twisted.

He stepped into the room, narrowing his eyes on her. The door shut behind him, sealing them together.

“Who told you about us?” His voice came out harsh and straightforward.

She tried to harden her voice, knowing she still had to play her part. “I heard about you from my brother. He spoke highly of all of you, so I figured you would extend an olive branch.” He watched her, and she straightened her back. “Considering I’m his sister. We worked together before, and we did well. Didn’t the others already tell you this?”

He nodded. “They have, but I like to hear the words from the person. If you are serious about joining us, you will need to go through a trial to ensure you can handle things and that you are who you say you are.”

She swallowed. She knew she was going to have to prove herself, but she didn’t know how. She didn’t like the idea.

Gianna wasn’t a drug dealer and didn’t know how to do a damn thing, but she had to play it like she did. She had to just continue the act until she found her brother.

“Do you often have people trying to join and lying about who they are?” It was meant to be a humorous question to get the man to laugh, but it didn’t.

He kept a blank expression and narrowed his eyes slightly. “No, but that doesn’t mean someone isn’t stupid enough to try.” He gave her a vicious smile. “Trust me when I say a normal human wouldn’t be able to handle this trial.”

Her stomach clenched hard, but she kept her face blank. She couldn’t let him get into her head and ruin everything. So, she smiled back at him. “Well, then it’s a good thing I have no problem getting my hands dirty.”

She did. She had a problem with that. She hadn’t killed anyone. She hadn’t shot anyone. God, when she stole growing up, she always threw up afterward. She wasn’t a terrible person, so if they asked her to do something truly horrible, would she be able to?

“Good, we leave right away, then.” He turned, and the door flew open. Her stomach tightened even further. If she left, Kozien wouldn’t know where she was headed. She was still clinging to the hope that he had seen where they had taken her before he was pulled out of sight.

“All right, but can I contact my bodyguard? He’s probably freaking out about where I am. I would like to inform him about my upcoming tasks.”

“No contact with the outside world,” he simply said like it was a no-brainer.

Gianna crossed her arms. “Do you have someone special…” She paused, realizing she didn’t know his name.

He looked at her, raising an eyebrow. “Lokkon.”

“Lokkon,” she repeated. “Someone who likes to ensure they know where you are? My bodyguard is very protective.”

Lokkon shook his head. “The trial won’t take you long. When you are done, you can contact whoever you want. But this trial has to happen with no help. It’s not about the others. It’s aboutyou.”

Gianna swallowed, suddenly feeling the stress of the entire situation.

“Once you’re worthy,” he continued, “you can contact whoever you want.” He gave her a smirk. “You can even contact your brother.”

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