Chapter 2: The Golden Cage

My head felt heavy. My eyelids felt like they were glued shut.

Slowly, I opened my eyes.

I expected to see the dirty ceiling of my small dorm room. But I didn't.

I saw a crystal chandelier.

I sat up quickly. Too quickly. The room spun around me.

"Where... where am I?" I whispered.

I looked around. The room was huge. It was bigger than my entire apartment. The floor was covered in soft, white carpet. There were heavy velvet curtains covering the windows. I was lying in a massive King-sized bed with silk sheets.

It felt like a hotel. But it felt cold.

Flashbacks hit me hard. The rain. The gunshot. The man with the cold eyes.

"Ryker," I gasped.

I jumped out of bed. I was still wearing my wet clothes from last night, but they had dried and felt uncomfortable.

I ran to the door. I grabbed the handle and twisted it.

Click. Click.

Locked.

"Hello? Is anyone there? let me out!" I banged on the heavy wood. "Help!"

No one answered.

I ran to the windows and pulled back the curtains. My heart sank. We were high up. Maybe the 30th floor of a penthouse. Below me, the city looked like small toy cars. There was no escape.

I was trapped.

Click.

I spun around. The door handle turned.

The door opened, and he walked in.

Ryker.

He looked different today. He wasn't wearing a suit jacket. He wore a black dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up, showing strong forearms. He held a silver tray with food.

He looked calm. Like it was normal to kidnap a college student.

"You are awake," he said. His voice was low and rough.

I backed away until my legs hit the bed. "Stay away from me."

Ryker kicked the door shut behind him. He didn't stop walking until he placed the tray on the small table near the bed.

"Eat," he commanded. "You didn't eat dinner last night."

"I don't want your food. I want to go home!" I shouted.

Ryker turned to me. His expression darkened. In two long strides, he crossed the room and stood right in front of me. He towered over me.

"This is your home now, Hana," he said.

"How... how do you know my name?" I asked, my voice shaking.

He smirked. He reached into his pocket and pulled out my student ID card. "I know everything about you, Hana. I know you study Arts. I know you work at a convenience store. I know you have no family here."

He tossed the ID onto the bed.

"You are all alone," he whispered, stepping closer. "Except for me."

"You are a psycho," I spat out.

I tried to push past him to get to the door. But he was too fast.

He grabbed my waist and pulled me flush against his body. His grip was tight. I could feel the hard muscles of his chest.

"Let me go!" I struggled, pushing at his chest.

"Stop moving," he growled.

He didn't let go. Instead, he hugged me tighter. It wasn't a nice hug. It was a cage. He buried his face in the crook of my neck. I froze.

He inhaled deeply, smelling my scent.

"You smell sweet," he mumbled against my skin. "But you still smell like that dirty alley."

He pulled back slightly to look at my face. His thumb brushed over my lower lip. His eyes were focused on my mouth.

"I prepared a bath for you," he said. "And new clothes. Go wash."