Taken and Misused.

[Listen to Damien Rice- 9 crimes over and over again while reading this, it helped me write this whole chapter]

E l i s a b e t h ' s P e r s p e c t i v e

My cheek still stung from the slap I had received for trying to warn off Vaughn and Stephen. I couldn’t rub my cheek to try and get rid of the pain because my hands were cuffed behind my back and secured to the chair I sat in.

“Keep up those little stunts and we will make sure Vaughn dies very slowly,” Semyon threatened, his words seemed to make my heart stop in fear. I did not want to believe that they were really going to kill Vaughn. Semyon grasped my chin in his hand and forced me to look at him, “do you understand?”

I swallowed the lump that had risen in my throat and nodded, “please just forget about this and let us all go, my parents are very wealthy and I can easily pay you what Vaughn has not,” I begged, searching his eyes for any hint of giving in.

There was none.

He chuckled darkly and rubbed his thumb across my cheek, “my dearest Elisabeth, this is not a matter of money anymore, I have plenty.”

“Then why will you not just let us be?” I demanded, my eyebrows furrowing in frustration.

Semyon stood up from his crouched position in front of me and let go of my chin, he glanced at the two guards in the room with us, one of them being Allan. “Please give me a moment alone with her?” he asked, but it was obvious denying him was not an option. The two men left, Allan gave me a fleeting, reassuring glance before closing the door behind him. Once they were gone Semyon pulled up another chair and sat down in front of me. While he took out a cigar and proceeded to clip the end and light it I glanced around my surroundings once more. I was in a dark room with three small windows on one side that let in hardly any light due to the dirt and dust caked on them, the walls were made of bare cement bricks that gave the room no warmth, and the only source of light was a yellowish florescent light hanging over our heads that made an annoying buzzing sound and flickered on and off every now and again. The room was incredibly depressing, the only furniture being the chair I was chained to and three others sitting around a very unstable looking table with three other chairs around it for the guards who kept watch over me. A puff of bitter smoke blown in my direction snapped me out of my thoughts; I coughed a few times before regaining my breath.

“Were you ignoring me Elisabeth?” Semyon asked, his voice deadly. He chuckled as I coughed once more and leaned forward in his chair. “You wanted to know why being paid off would not satisfy me now?”

I merely nodded in reply.

He sighed and leaned away from me, “I am sad to say my pride is preventing me from doing so, it is terribly bad for word to get out that I let some street racing imbecile get away with breaking a deal and trying to make a run for it. What kind of image would that give me? I have a reputation to uphold my dear,” he said, speaking as if we were talking about the weather.

“You are a sick man,” I spat, my voice taking on a tone I never knew it had.

Before I could even think Semyon had pulled back the hand he was not holding his cigar in and slapped me clean across the face, I let out a short cry at the sudden hit. Semyon continued to take my chin in his hand once more, this time squeezing so hard it made my eyes water. “I will not stand to have you say such things, I am hoping I will not have to kill you but you are making it very hard for me.” When I didn’t reply he just let go of my chin with a forceful push that nearly tipped the chair I sat on over. “I am merely a business man, I have to make sure my associates do not think of me as someone easily taken advantage of,” he said with a small shrug, his temper completely gone.

“So you would rather be feared by your associates than respected?” I asked, my tone skeptical.

“Precisely, it is much easier to get what you want when the person you are dealing with fears you, don’t you think so my dear?” Semyon asked, leaning towards me while he spoke and brushing a piece of my hair behind my ear. The touch sent a shiver of fear down my spine, a shiver which Semyon noticed. He chuckled and stood up, bringing his cigar to his lips once more and taking a long drag from it. “I will be visiting you again soon,” he said, leaving the room with not another word. Allan came back in once Semyon was gone. My back was to them so I didn’t have to fight back the tears that spilled from my eyes in the next few seconds; they fell down my dirty and bruised cheeks and fell on my lap. I was scared, the most I had ever been in my life. I tugged at the handcuffs around my wrists but they didn’t budge, if I hadn’t gotten caught Stephen and Vaughn would not have to come a rescue me. If I had never met Vaughn I would not be being used as leverage to get him to come here. If I had never met Vaughn my heart wouldn’t be breaking at the thought of losing him.

A sob burst from my lips, I hung my head and let another sob wrack my body. I wanted so desperately to just curl up into a ball and close myself off from this nightmare. I tugged at the handcuffs keeping me secured to the chair and then I yanked harder. Frustration took over me and I started fighting to get out of the cuffs, “dammit!” I yelled, the word was followed by a heavy sob as tears fell from my eyes. The dull pain in my wrists just reminded me that I was not dreaming.

“I wish I could help,” came Allan’s voice from next to me. I looked up to see him standing there with a pained look.

“Then help me,” I demanded, my eyebrows furrowed together in annoyance. I was suddenly extremely angry with Allan because he just stood there, completely able to uncuff me and let me escape. Yet he stood there and watched my life fall to pieces.

“I can’t,” he answered, looking away from me.

“Coward,” I spat, an anger so ferocious and foreign building up inside me.
“Semyon would kill me if I did,” Allan defended, leaning closer to me as if his defense completely excused him.

“Then if you are not going to help me I would very much like you to shut up,” I said through clenched teeth. Tears bubbled up in my eyes once more at the realization fo how hopeless my situation was. If I had taken some sort of self-defense instead of ballet I could have defended myself and I would not have gotten kidnapped.

“I’m sorry,” Allan murmured once more.

“Just shut up!” I yelled, getting more and more frustrated by him. I looked up to see him back away from me, his eyes focused on his feet. Slowly the anger gave way to sadness and I succumbed to the tears when they came.

An hour later the door to the room I was being kept in opened and I looked up from the floor, my eyes felt puffy and tired from my crying and it seemed I had run out of tears. A man stood in the doorway with a heavy looking gun hanging from his shoulder. “Boss wants her out when Vaughn comes,” he said as he came further into the room and took a key from inside his pocket. He unlocked the hand cuffs and I sprang into action, I pushed him with all of my might and my sudden attack seemed to catch him off guard and he stumbled backwards a few steps. I broke into a sprint for the door but a strong hand wrapped around my shoulder and I was yanked to a stop that nearly popped my shoulder from its socket. When I turned around to face my captor I felt a sharp slap on my cheek, “behave yourself and you’ll live,” the man holding me growled. It seemed I had not run out of tears because fresh ones were building up already.

“Why can’t you just let me go,” I sobbed, pulling at his grip on my arm.

“Boss’s orders,” the burly man replied as if it was no big deal. He pulled me out of the room we were currently in and out into the main part of what I now knew was definitely a warehouse. Semyon and three others were standing in this big room, they were talking in hushed voices and once the man holding me brought me within hearing distance Semyon turned his full attention to me and smiled like I was an old friend.

“I’m glad you could make it my dear Elisabeth, Vaughn should be arriving soon,” he said, that evil smile of his still pulling at the corners of his lips.

“I hate you,” I said, my voice quiet but filled with hate.

“Words I have heard many times,” Semyon said softly. “Sit her down there and make sure she stays put,” he directed, speaking to the man holding me. I was shoved into another wooden chair and my hands were jerked behind me, before I could resist the cuffs from before were tightened around my wrists once more.

After what felt like ages one of Semyon’s guards entered the warehouse and hurried up to Semyon, “Vaughn is here, so is Stephen,” he said.

“So my traitor of a son has decided to help your beloved, and here I was hoping he would come to his senses,” Semyon said with a deep sigh. “Bring them in then,” he added with a dismissive wave of his hand.

I watched the man leave the room once more and my heart sped, this couldn’t be happening. I kept shaking my head, unaware that I kept mumbling the word “no” over and over again. Someone dug their fingers into my hair and made me look up, it was Semyon. “I would make the most of what time you will have with Vaughn, and if you keep blubbering like that I will just shoot him the moment he steps foot in here. Which would you prefer?” His words made me stop my pleading but the tears didn’t stop welling up.

In the next few moments Stephen and Vaughn entered the warehouse. Vaughn’s eyes seemed to zero in on me immediately and they widened with worry.

“Elisabeth!” The voice that shouted my name was one I both loved and, in that moment, dreaded.

“Vaughn!” I sobbed, fighting to get out of the handcuffs keeping me tied to the chair I was sitting in.

“Let me see her dammit!” He shouted, fighting against the guard that was holding him back.

“I wouldn’t start shouting orders around Mr. Hart,” Semyon warned, his voice calm as ever.

“I am going to kill you, I swear it,” Vaughn growled, glaring at Semyon so coldly that it made me almost scared of him.

“On the contrary my dear friend, I intend to kill you. But since I am such a nice and forgiving man I thought I would give you ten minutes with your beloved Elisabeth,” Semyon said, taking a small key from the man who had uncuffed me not too long ago and tossing it to Vaughn.

Vaughn caught it and took a moment to look at it, “what is this?”

“The key to her hand cuffs, you are welcome to unlock them,” Semyon said with a small shrug. Vaughn hurried towards me and was about to unlock the cuffs when Semyon spoke once more. “But before you do I have thought a deal.”

Vaughn watched him warily, “I’m listening.”

“Option A, you uncuff Elisabeth and I let her go safely and kill you. Or option B, you leave Elisabeth with me,” Semyon said, grinning wickedly.

Vaughn kept his eyes locked with Semyon’s letting the Russian see the pure hatred and loathing in them before he approached me once more with the key to the hand cuffs. Stephen hung back, looking ashamed, “Someone make sure my son doesn’t try anything heroic,” Semyon said, one of his guards pulled Stephen away from us.

“Vaughn,” he shouted, urgency coating his tone.

Vaughn was still approaching me slowly; it felt like he was taking time to memorize every part of me. “This was always the plan Stephen, there was no avoiding it,” he said calmly, never looking away from me.

Stephen stopped fighting the men holding him, confusion blanketing his face. When the confusion cleared there was only sadness, “I’m going to miss you my friend,” he said softly, so many unspoken words packed into that one sentence.

“Take care of Elisabeth?” Vaughn asked, glancing at Stephen. Stephen nodded once and was then taken over to where Semyon stood.

“No, Vaughn, you can’t do this, just go, please,” I begged, a sob breaking my words up. Vaughn slipped the key into the lock and the cuffs loosened from around my wrists.

He kept his eyes locked with mine as he spoke, “Semyon, you said you would give us ten minutes.”

“You are correct my friend, just be aware, a bullet can travel very far so don’t get too cocky just because we are not near you,” Semyon warned. He waved his men away from us and over to the other side of the warehouse, I could still see them. Semyon had all of his guards aim their guns straight at Vaughn, they weren’t taking any chances.

I didn’t say anything at first, neither did Vaughn. We just looked at each other, out gazes locked. Finally he spoke, “I wish things would’ve worked out differently,” he murmured, the words barely audible. His hands rose up to cup my face gently, his thumb caressing the cheek where I had gotten slapped. A tear slipped from my eye and he wiped it away, I reached my hands up to cover his.

“I can’t leave you, I won’t,” I said, my voice rich with determination.

“And I can’t let you stay here Princess, it would hurt me more than anything. I’ve walked away from too many people before, you’re the only one that I can’t leave behind,” he said, moving his hands to hold mine tightly. I looked down at the floor; I couldn’t keep looking into his eyes knowing I would be losing him soon. He kneeled down and set our clasped hands on my lap so that he was looking up at me, the sight of him so forgiving and understanding made a sob break through me. “Please don’t cry, everything is going to be alright.”

“You are a terrible liar Vaughn Hart,” I said, my breathing coming out shaky because of my crying.
A sad smile crossed his lips, “I do remember you believing that I actually have a driver’s license,” he murmured softly.

A laugh slipped from my lips, full of sadness as I remembered when I had accused him of not having one because it had to be suspended when considering his reckless driving. My laugh held nothing but sadness because I knew I would never have a moment like that with him again. “I can’t lose you Vaughn,” I whispered, holding his hands tightly.

“Hey,” he said softly, waiting for me to look at him, when I did he was still smiling that sad smile. “I love you,” he said, letting go of one of my hands to brush a piece of hair from my face.

“And I love you,” I said, sobbing softly.

“I wish I had told you that sooner, it took me so long to gain the courage to tell you that. And now...” he choked on his own words and looked away from me, unable to continue. After he composed himself he looked back at me and grasped my hands tightly. “I’ll only ask you to do this once.” His eyes were pleading as he spoke once more. “Go, Elisabeth.” He stepped away from me much too soon, looking down at the floor. I stayed sitting for a moment, and then I jumped from the chair with a heavy sob and wrapped my arms around him in a tight embrace.

“I don’t want to go,” I sobbed. Our time together was too short; I couldn’t stand to leave him now.

He wound his arms around my waist and clutched me to him tightly; he nuzzled his face into my neck and held me like that for a few moments. “You have to go Elisabeth, and you have to promise me that you will keep smiling and live your life to its fullest.” When I didn’t respond he pulled away from me slightly and made me look at him, “I need you to promise me that, please.”

“I promise,” I whispered.

He pressed his lips against mine in the gentlest kiss I had ever felt. I clutched his shirt tightly and pulled myself closer to him, it felt like I couldn’t get close enough. There was something different in this kiss, a desperate urgency. We both knew that our time together was slowly running out, ten minutes seemed like ten seconds to me. I let out a shaky breath when he slowly moved away, leaving only a few inches between us. “Go,” he whispered, touching his forehead to mine for a moment with his eyes tightly closed. “Please,” he added pulling away slightly to press a gentle kiss to my forehead.

“I’ll always love you,” I promised fiercely, tears now falling down my cheeks freely.

He smiled softly, “I’ll never stop loving you either, Princess.” He reached up to his neck to lift his silver chain from around his neck; it had a interestingly shaped, silver cross hanging from it. It was his good luck charm, he had told me about it on one occasion. “I want you to have this, maybe it’ll work better for you,” he said as he slipped the chain over my head. The cross laid against my chest, I clutched it with one hand. He stepped away from me, his eyes never leaving mine.
“Stephen, take her out of here and never again linger in my presence,” Semyon commanded, his tone uninterested.

I still didn’t look away from Vaughn when I felt Stephen’s gentle grip on my arm pulling me towards the exit of the warehouse. I wanted to tell him to stop, I wanted to yell at him to leave me alone but I couldn’t. My throat was choked up and all I could do was stare at Vaughn.

“Stephen, if she is not gone within the next thirty seconds I will kill both her and Mr. Hart,” Semyon warned, already taking his gun out.

Stephen pulled on my arm harder, “Elisabeth, please, we must leave!” He urged.

He was nearly dragging me backwards but I was still staring at Vaughn. He looked so alone, the sight made me feel like I was being stabbed in the heart. The only thing I could do in that moment was just memorize Vaughn’s face. Devote every aspect of it to memory. I was leaving him all too fast, just like the moments we had together, and our future ones which we would never have.

Semyon began counting down from thirty but I still wouldn’t break eye contact with the only man I would ever love. I didn’t want to leave him, everything inside me was screaming for me not to. Stephen and I reached the door just as Semyon reached zero, I watched in horror as he lifted the gun to aim it at Vaughn. Vaughn just stood there, his eyes still locked with mine. I tried to fight against Stephen’s grasp but he didn’t let go. I had to go to Vaughn, I couldn’t let him die alone. Not for me. Semyon pulled the trigger of his gun and everything else seemed to happen in slow motion, I saw Vaughn jerk as the bullet ripped through his chest. “Vaughn!” I screamed, fighting with every muscle I had to get away from Stephen and run to Vaughn. I slipped from his grip for a moment but Stephen grabbed me around the waist and dragged me out of the warehouse. “NO!” I screamed, not wanting to leave Vaughn.

“We have to go Elisabeth, otherwise Vaughn will have died for nothing,” Stephen demanded, his voice sounding tight. “You can’t fix this, he’s gone!”

With tears running down my cheeks and a broken heart I let Stephen drag me away from Vaughn. I reached up and clutched the cross Vaughn had given me, trying to follow Stephen when I couldn’t even see through my tears. “He’s gone,” I whispered, feeling a cold emptiness wash over me.