Chapter Seventeen: Will

Kidnap My Heart

Chapter 17: Will

My dad was hundreds of miles away—thousands, for all I knew—yet he still somehow managed to find out that Emma had escaped twice. Eric wasn’t the gossiping type, but my dad was pretty insistent when he wanted to know something. I knew both of them perfectly well. My dad wasn’t the type to let something go if he caught even the slightest whiff of it, and my brother wasn’t the type to hold out and keep secrets from our dad. It wasn’t hard to guess how my dad knew about everything that went on in our house.

Well, not everything, I guess. He didn’t seem to know about Emma’s pranks. If he’d known, that would have come up in our conversation over the phone. The phone I was using was an old Nokia cell phone—an indestructible little demon that blended in pretty much everywhere. I was surprised Emma hadn’t found it. She’d gone through enough of my things.

“This can’t happen again, William,” my dad yelled over the phone. I actually had to hold it away from my ear for a second. Those speakers were better than I thought. “There is too much at stake here. Do you know who that girl’s father is?”

“Yes,” I muttered.

“Do you know how much money the man has? Do you realize the amount we could get for this ransom? Don’t make me regret involving you.”

My jaw clenched. “I realize this.”

“Then keep a better eye on her. Eric has had no trouble at all with the other girl, and she was a liability that had to be silenced. Yet she’s the one who is under control. What does that tell you?”

“That you have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about,” I snapped back. “Taylor is nothing like Emma van der Bilt. Emma is absolutely psychotic. She’s violent, reckless, smart, and pure evil, Dad.”

“She’s an eighteen year old girl. Not just that, but a spoiled little rich girl. How could a teenage brat possibly outmatch my son?”

“You clearly haven’t met her.”

“I don’t have to. That’s what you two are here for. You know the plan, Will. You keep the girls hidden for a few months, long enough to rouse some desperation in their families. We push for a ransom when it’s time, and then we take the money and leave and start over somewhere new. We can go wherever you guys want. South America, Europe, Australia—it doesn’t matter. But this won’t work if you won’t listen to me. Stick with the plan. Don’t screw it up.”

“I won’t,” I said, internalizing what I really wanted to say. What was the point? He wasn’t going to listen. He just wanted to be heard loud and clear. He didn’t care about what I had to say.

“I won’t let you screw it up,” he went on, as if I hadn’t just agreed to follow his orders to the dot. “You’re going to keep Emma van der Bilt at your side at all times. Get her out of that garage and into your room like Eric has done with Taylor. If Emma has managed to escape from that garage two times, you need to realize that this is a clear sign that your system is flawed. Follow Eric’s example. It works, and that’s all we need. Do you understand?”

What? No… Tell me I hadn’t heard him correctly… Oh, damn it. Fuck. So much for punishing the evil little brat. This completely messed up all of my plans. She wouldn’t be eternally grateful if I took her out of there now. She’d just be cocky about it. She’d count this as a win for her.

This was going to be a bigger challenge than I thought.

When I didn’t reply, my dad repeated his question in a louder voice. “Do you understand?”

“Yes. I’ll do it Eric’s way. You win.”

“No, neither of us wins until that money is in my hands. Now, go and get her out of there.”

“Fine.” I hung up without saying another word. If there was one person in this world who had control over me, it was my dad. I wasn’t as bad as Eric, but I still couldn’t help but do as he said. He was counting on me. What else was I supposed to do? If I screwed this up, he would never forgive me.

I should have never gotten involved in the first place. If I’d just had the balls to say “no,” I wouldn’t even be in this mess.

I put the Nokia phone back in its hiding place and stood up, glancing out the window. I could see the garage perfectly well from my room, and it made me wonder what Emma was doing in there. Probably watching Titanic again. I knew I shouldn’t have charged the portable DVD player for her… That wasn’t much of a punishment.

Despite my attempts to get back on her good side by charging the DVD player for her and shit, I figured she was probably still pretty mad at me. I hadn’t let her take a shower the day she ran in the house. I mean, I guess I could’ve let her, but if I was lenient when it came to that, she would expect leniency when it came to other things.

Okay, so I was being a little lenient when it came to getting her things and charging her source of entertainment and whatnot, but that was what the rules were for! They balanced out my leniency so she wouldn’t get used to getting her way.

Reluctantly, I tore my eyes away from the window and made my way downstairs. Taylor and Eric weren’t down there, surprisingly. Maybe they’d decided to change things up and watch TV upstairs. What badass rebels.

I went outside and walked up to the garage, but I didn’t open the door. I came close, though. My hand hovered over the door as I debated internally. In the end, my hard-headedness won out and I let my hand drop. My dad wouldn’t find out if I left her in there for a few more hours.

Or would he? What if he asked Eric? Eric would crack in a second, although my brother had no way of knowing what I was up to out here. Well, he would if he came outside, I guess, but he rarely came out here. He only came outside if he knew I was out here and needed to talk to me.

Shit.

At some point, I started pacing as I went back and forth in my mind. I needed to get her out of there, but I didn’t want to see that self-satisfied look on her face again, a look I knew would make an appearance if I opened that door and let her out— permanently this time. She would never let it go. This was going to be a nightmare.

I was so wrapped up in my thoughts that I didn’t even hear Eric walk up to me. I only noticed his presence when he started talking. “What are you doing?”

I glanced up but didn’t say anything, continuing my frantic pacing.

“Why are you pacing back and forth?”

I still didn’t say anything. I just continued pacing.

“I think he’s lost it,” Sniffles muttered to Eric.

Eric raised an eyebrow at me as I shuffled past him. “Will?”

“I’m thinking,” I finally said.

“About what?”

I just grunted.

A knowing look crossed Eric’s face the next time I shuffled past him as I paced. “Did Dad talk to you?”

“Yeah.”

“What did he say?”

I was about to answer when a thought crossed my mind. I glanced behind me for a second and then turned back to face my brother. “Shh,” I said, tiptoeing over to the garage. I put my ear against the door to see if Emma was listening in on our conversation. Not a single sound could be heard.

“Emma?” I called out.

No answer.

I tried again. “Emma? Are you awake?”

And again, there was no answer. She must have been asleep. Better for me. I wouldn’t have to worry about an unwanted listener.

I walked back to where Eric was standing and said, “Anyways. Dad called to yell at me for letting Emma escape again. I mean, she only wanted to go to the bathroom. It’s not like she was going to escape for real, but he didn’t care. He told me—” I sighed. Saying it out loud would make it seem more real. There would be no going back. There already was no going back, I guess, but this just cemented it as my only option.

“What?” Eric asked. Sniffles didn’t say anything, but she was paying close attention.

“He told me I had to do things your way. He wants me to get Rage out of the garage and keep her at my side at all times, like you and Sniffles over there.” I nodded at Taylor, and she rolled her eyes, probably at the nickname. And again, what was up with the attitude? She needed to tone that shit down, or pretty soon we’d be dealing with another Rage. “Apparently, my system is flawed, and yours is unorthodox but legitimate.”

Eric frowned. “Listen, man. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get you in trouble. He can be pretty demanding, and I didn’t want to lie. He would’ve known. He always seems to know somehow. Sorry.”

I shook my head. “It’s fine. I get it. It’s not the first time something like this has happened.”

He didn’t say anything else, but the same apologetic look remained on his face.

“I better get her out there.” I nodded towards the garage.

I had just turned around when a loud squeal came from behind me. I turned around and saw Taylor with her hands over her mouth, jumping up and down excitedly. When she saw me looking, she dropped her hands and returned them to her mouth two seconds later. “I-I’m sorry, it’s just—I can’t help it. I haven’t seen my best friend in a week, and you wouldn’t let me come out here to see her, and—I’m just excited!”

“You saw her when she went inside to go to the bathroom,” I pointed out.

“You pushed her into the bathroom and then pushed her out when she was done. That doesn’t really count.”

“No, I’m pretty sure it counts,” I said, spinning back around. Here went nothing.

I opened the garage door. “Hey. Rage.”

She looked up from her magazine. Eric had subscribed to Rolling Stone one year, and we still had a lot of those lying around. When Emma told me she was going to start practicing voodoo to entertain herself, I decided to bring her some magazines. I wasn’t sure if she was serious, but if she was, I knew who her first victim would be, and I wasn’t about to let that happen. I’d rather give her a few magazines and let her entertain herself that way than risk being magically punctured by Emma.

“I’ve had some time to think these past few days,” I began, hoping my words didn’t sound like absolute bullshit. “I haven’t had much to do with you in here and out of trouble, so I’ve been thinking.” I paused, swallowing loudly. Why was I making this a big deal? Who cared if she could see past the bullshit? I needed to reevaluate some things, clearly.

“Don’t hurt yourself there. Take it one thought at a time. If that’s too much for you, try one word at a time.”

I shot her a dirty look. “Shut up. Don’t make me regret what I’m about to say. Look, long story short, I’m willing to let you out of here. No gimmicks, no leverage, nothing. I’m doing this out of the kindness of my heart. People always say if you show kindness, you’ll get it back, so that’s what I’m doing. Maybe you’ll get an attitude check and treat me better.”

I was pretty proud of that answer, honestly. It was beautiful. Poetic, really. Maybe I had a future as a poet…

Well, I was pretty proud of it until Emma started laughing at me.

“What?” I asked, annoyance crossing my face. I hoped Eric had walked away. I didn’t need anyone witnessing this.

“Cut the crap. I heard every word you said.”

“Wha—you were asleep!”

She snorted, shaking her head. “God, you’re too stupid for your own good. I was awake. I just chose to ignore your question. I know this is an order from the big guy himself. Your old man. So how about you quit trying to act like you’re Saint William? You’re not doing this out of the kindness of your heart. No, you’re doing this so Daddy won’t get mad at you.”

“I could ignore orders. I could just leave you here. Ever considered that?”

“You and I both know that’s not an option. Unless, of course, you’re willing to stay in the garage with me to make sure I stay out of trouble. I have to stay by your side at all times. Remember?”

I clenched my fist in frustration. Damn it. I should’ve gone inside and talked to Eric there.

“I’d recommend getting me out of here and taking me to your room, Squilly. Without pulling any of the stupid sex leverage shit you tried to pull earlier, and without trying to get into my pants again.”

I ran a hand through my hair and cursed under my breath. I could never win with this girl. “Alright, fine,” I said. “You’re right. Are you happy now? You’re right. Congratulations. Hell, you even get a prize. Your prize is a complementary indefinite stay in the William Knight suite. There’s one bed, one closet, and no bathroom. A real prize.”

Emma hopped off of her seat, glancing down to make sure she hadn’t stepped on anything. She stuffed a couple of things into her jacket—my jacket—and bundled it up. “It’s a slight upgrade. That’s all that matters.”

“Slight upgrade?” I repeated. What the hell was that supposed to mean? Slight? I hadn’t made my room sound appealing, exactly, but anything was better than this shit-hole. What was wrong with her? “I’d say my room is more than just a slight upgrade from this place.”

She walked past me and replied as she sauntered by. “There’s no bathroom here, either, and I have to deal with annoying roommates in both ‘suites,’ as you call them. But you have Taylor, a bed, and a closet, so you’re still an upgrade.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I muttered. I picked up what she’d left behind—the chair and some miscellaneous items—and followed her out the door. She’d literally just left the garage and I already wanted to shove her back in there, lock the door, and eat the key.

A loud, piercing squeal made me look up and forget my complaints. “Emmy!”

Another equally loud and piercing squeal made me cringe. “Taylor!”

Emma set the jacket down on the ground and ran towards her best friend, throwing her arms around her neck. I was pretty sure they started crying, but it was hard to tell between the squeaks and the squeals and the screaming and the other unidentifiable noises those two were making.

“I missed you so much!” one of them sobbed. I’d lost track of who was making what noise a long time ago.

“I missed you more!” the other wailed.

“I don’t even care that you smell like musty garage!” That was definitely Taylor speaking.

“And I don’t even care that you smell like a guy with cheap cologne!” And that was definitely Emma speaking.

“Alright, as charming as your girly little reunion has been, I don’t want to stand out here all day,” I said, pulling Emma’s shirt to try to get her to let go of Taylor.

Emma resisted at first, but when I grabbed her by the waist to try to pry her off, she slapped my hands away and stepped back herself.

I shook my head. Women.

“Did you get my card?” Emma asked.

Taylor laughed and nodded, wiping away the tears from her eyes as she did so. Very Sniffles-esque. “It was the highlight of my day.”

“It took me like an hour, but it was worth it,” Emma said with a laugh.

“How about we go inside?” Eric said, finally speaking. He’d just been staring at them with an uncomfortable look on his face the whole time. “Emma can get cleaned up while we find something to eat for dinner, and you guys can talk when you’ve both calmed down a little…”

Emma glanced down at herself and nodded. “Yeah, I smell like rotten eggs. I need to take a shower.”

I threw my hands up in the air, huffing incredulously. “What the fuck? You listen to him, but you won’t listen to me?”

“Eric didn’t try to choke me or put his dirty paws on me. Can’t say the same about you,” she said.

“This is fucking ridiculous,” I muttered angrily. Eric wasn’t even the guy who was in charge of her. I deserved more respect than this! I had just gotten her out of that hellhole, after all. Sure, it hadn’t entirely been my doing, but I could’ve left her in there for a few more hours at the very least without alerting my dad. Instead, I’d taken her out. And this was how she thanked me?

Emma walked up to me and patted me on the arm. “As your roommate, I feel it’s my obligation to express concern over your wellbeing, and I think you have some real anger management issues going on. Work on that. Don’t turn to drugs, though. You don’t have any brain cells to spare.” She smiled, that evil little smile she liked to use on me, and patted me on the arm again. She walked away after that, leaving her bundle of crap behind, a bundle of crap I had to carry inside for her.

This was going to be a long indefinite stay.

***

A/N: Poor Will. He's in for a very long indefinite stay. x)

Finally finished this chapter! I didn't have much time to write yesterday since I was at the hair salon getting my hair ombred! I love love love the result and could not give two shits that it's "going out of style." I LOVE IT. This weekend has been selfies galore at Chez Alex.

Anyways, hope you enjoyed this new chapter! Let me know what you think and stuff!