Page 46 of Paradise & Vodka

I was thrown to the ground, small rocks or gravel slicing into the skin on my knees, and I groaned from the pain. I heard Nick grunt, and a thud echoed next to me as though he had been thrown to the ground too. I waited to hear more people, but there weren’t anymore. Did that mean wewerethe only two who had been taken? If so, why?

"It's going to be okay," Nick stated again.

"How do you know?" I asked.

Before he could respond, a hand wrapped around my arm again, and I was yanked upward to my feet. "Please?" I begged.

"Don't hurt her," Nick warned.

"Or what?" A man laughed.

We started walking as Nick responded, "Or I will kill you."

"You can try." The man chuckled again.

The black bag was still over my head as we continued to walk. I wanted to see where we were or who these guys were or know anything. Was it better to be left in the dark or face the kidnappers and plead for my life?

After several minutes, we walked down numerous stairs, and then I was pushed only to hit my face against a wall. I groaned from the pain before I felt Nick crash into me. Hands patted my body, and then I felt a hand slip into the pocket of my shorts and take my phone. Once they were sure I had nothing else on me, the black bag was ripped off my head, and my hands broke free of whatever restraints they had used. I'd expected that I would need to shield my eyes from harsh light after being in darkness under that hood, but quickly realized we were in a dim cellar. The door shut with a bang before I could see anyone's face, but there was enough light that I could see Nick. I rushed to him, our bodies colliding as we wrapped each other in our arms.

"Why is this happening?" I cried.

"I don't know."

"What are we going to do?"

"I don't know."

I thought the worst thing that could happen while I was in Fiji was my sister marrying my ex. Little did I know that there would be a tsunami that sent us running, and now I was locked in a cellar probably about to be killed.

Nick held me for several minutes, and then we sat on the dirty cement floor and waited. There was nothing else to do. There were no windows, and the only way out was the door we had come in through, which was locked.

"Did you see who the guys were?" I questioned.

Nick shook his head. "No, but not like it would matter. I don't know anyone here."

"Me either."

"The only thing I can think is that we were just random targets for thieves."

"Why?"

He shrugged. "Not sure, but they target tourists."

"But we were the only ones taken."

"In that van, yes, but maybe there was another one that came after ours had left."

"You think so?"

Nick lifted a shoulder again. "I really don't know."

"Do you think … Do you think they're going to kill us?"

"I don't know that either." He sighed.

We were silent again, my head spinning with every question and possible scenario I could think of. "I'm sorry," I finally said.

"For what?" He looked up at me.