A loud noise wakes me up. Blinking, I open my eyes, but promptly squeeze them shut again as the bright light blinds me.

Where am I?

I rub my eyes carefully, but keep them closed for a moment before I can actually open them. New York's skyscrapers look out at me, but how is that possible? I'm in Spain and...

Oh.

I haven't even woken up in the bed I last laid down in! I am in the seats of the private jet. Gripped by panic, I look around, but no one else seems to be in here. How did I get here? A sharp pain makes itself felt in my temples and I draw in a hissing breath, squeezing my eyes shut. Damn, why do I feel so down?

"Headache?"

I wince and wrench my eyes open, whereupon the pain only increases and I groan, touching my head. Leroy stands in front of me, dressed in a fresh suit, looking down at me. His left eyebrow jumps up when I can only look at him. Then he sighs soundlessly and sits down across from me, rather than handing me the glass he's holding.

"Drink this and you'll feel better."

"What did you do to me?", I whisper hoarsely and immediately clear my throat. I would like to reach for the glass immediately, so much does my throat crave it now, but I try to control myself. Who knows what's in there...?

"You were only given a sedative so that I could transport you here sensibly. I didn't feel like having to fight you again," he answers me, raising his eyebrows meaningfully as I can only snort.

"A sedative? I was completely out of it and apparently for very many hours!", I complain. What's more, my head is pounding because of it. Most likely it was rather strong drugs that are now flowing through my blood.

"That was the whole idea," he replies unemotionally and hands me the glass of water again, which I slowly accept. I smell it first and look into it suspiciously, whereupon Leroy amusedly returns my gaze as soon as I look at him.

"I jammed a syringe down your throat while you were fast asleep. Do you really think I couldn't do it now if I really wanted to? The water is clean. You can drink it without worrying," he informs me and for a moment my head spins.

I feel my neck with my fingers and actually feel a bump on the right side and the slight burning sensation of barely touching the spot. Speechless, I look into his poison-green eyes again. Poison green because they are always spraying poison.

Just like now. Why does he always look at me like that? As if I were the greatest enemy he has ever met. Deep hatred is visible in his eyes, but why?

I put the glass on my lips and drink without averting my eyes. Leroy looks at me throughout, but my gut tells me he's only doing it to fuel my fear. No, the water is pure, I'm sure of it.

I finish my drink and set the glass down on the table in front of me. At that moment, Leroy also bends down to the table and reaches for his mobile phone, which has been lying there the whole time, only I didn't notice it. I startle and hurriedly lean back.

"Don't, chica. You're not usually so anxious," he sneers and leans back again. I say nothing and turn my head away to the window. How could I not have seen his phone earlier?

If only I had had a clear head, I could have reacted correctly and informed the police! Sighing, I lean my forehead against the cool glass. The plane is landing, so it will be a few more minutes before I can get out of here. The outlines of the skyscrapers blur in the misty haze and the lower we sink, the clearer the icy snow becomes.

Oh yes, this is the real winter!

I bite my lower lip and wonder if I could manage to get away. If we are indeed alone this time, then the chances are not bad, but I am sure that his men are here somewhere. They are really good, I have to admit. Attentive, aloof, loyal, and well-trained.

Of course, they are. After all, in front of me is the mafia boss.

The one who is responsible for the suffering of many people.

I draw in a hissing breath as I think of how many people he must have hurt. How many children do you think he has taken away from their father? How many women has he made widows of? How much mischief has he already caused and how many families has he destroyed?

He is a monster.

I give him a look. He is also looking out of the window, his head tilted back and his eyebrows slightly drawn together, but although he looks so serious, he looks relaxed. So if he is relaxed, then this will be a good opportunity to possibly have a reasonable conversation with him. I bite my lower lip and think about how I could start.

What can I say to get him interested in talking to me?

Mostly he doesn't even let me finish, as if he can't bear to hear my voice.

"Ask."

I flinch and widen my eyes. How on earth did he know I wanted to speak with him?

"I...", I begin, but the fact that he doesn't look at me bothers me immensely. If he really wants to listen to me, then he should show me an ounce of respect and look at me when I speak to him!

"I actually want to ask you something, but only if you really listen to me," I add, leaning slightly in his direction. The only thing he does is roll his eyes. But then he actually looks at me! I try not to let on how puzzled I am by this and clear my throat softly.

"You don't understand what you're doing," I explain to him and try to withstand his cold gaze. Leroy merely tilts his head.

"This is too much for me and neither my mind nor my body can handle it. They can't at all, because I'm not used to this kind of thing and I have desires. Wishes to live and I have to say goodbye to all of them because I made a little mistake? I made a huge mistake when I went into the forest back then and I regret it deeply! Please, forgive me for that mistake and let me go. Please, Leroy. I swear to you that I won't breathe a word about what I saw or heard here and my parents won't speak either, but let me go," I whisper towards the end, looking pleadingly from one eye to the other.

Minutes pass and Leroy just looks at me dumbly that I eventually slump my shoulders and give up. He won't answer me again, it seems. Of course! The noble Leroy Kingston has allowed me to ask him a question and even listened to it! I even got too much, I think to myself with a snort.

"Remarkable," his voice suddenly snaps me out of my thoughts. I lift my head and look at him in surprise, while he just claps his hands gently with a sneer. "You're stalking me, sniffing the surroundings I call home, analyzing me, and now that you've gathered enough, you really think you can just walk away because you've got the puppy dog eyes?"

I blink in confusion.

"Wait a minute, do you think I'm some kind of a spy?" I breathe, stunned. Just the thought triggers an oppressive feeling in my stomach and now saying it makes it worse. This is ridiculous, really. Leroy raises his eyebrows, which is answer enough.

"Where would you get an idea like that? I assure you that I am not a spy and, and... I just swore to you that I wouldn't tell anyone about what I saw here!", I stammer insecurely. If he really believes that, then he will never let me go.

"That's not the point, chica. You can say whatever you want, you still couldn't do anything against me. It's about so much more. So much more power and now that I've learned who you really are, I won't let you go at any price in this world. And you know what? I'm not doing this because I need to, I'm doing this purely for pleasure. Just because I really enjoy hurting you." His voice changes and so does the look in his eyes. It becomes filled with hatred and makes me gulp in shock.

"But I'm just the daughter of a caretaker and a doctor. I am nothing that will make you more powerful. Y-you're already so powerful... It doesn't make sense," I whisper, shaking my head. For a brief moment, I think I see confusion flicker in his eyes, but it's gone so quickly that I'm not even sure I imagined it.

"A caretaker's daughter?" he chuckles.

I nod hesitantly. Does he find this funny now? Ridiculous even? Was he mistaken and thought I was the daughter of a billionaire? But he knew my dad wasn't a billionaire. He was at my house and saw that our door handle wasn't made of diamonds.

"You have no idea..." he murmurs and it seems to me that he is talking to himself rather than to me.

"What do you mean?", I enquire, but he now raises his hand and leans back.

"Nothing at all. Shut up already and don't bring up this subject again. You're not leaving, Katrina. Get over the idea already." With those words, he averts his eyes again and I realize that the conversation is over for him. I must look like a beaten puppy as I stare at him for minutes before slumping my shoulders again. I snort inwardly.

Truly, much has changed. Women are more powerful and they can do whatever they want. Nowadays, women are doctors, lawyers, and the CEOs of companies, but they will still never be one thing - as much as we might wish.

We will never be superior to a man in the physique. Of course, a world champion black belt in kung fu will get a young adult on his knees, but if we take Leroy and me as an example, it's a different story again. They say women have the clever, refined mind for that, but even that doesn't do me any good at the moment.

If, on the other hand, I had the physical strength of a man, I could have beaten the living daylights out of him!

Or is it really just me? Maybe I'm just too stupid? Too stupid to move forward smarter so I can get one over on Leroy? Inwardly, I sigh. Yeah, maybe.

I'm just closing my eyes when one of his men comes in and says we've landed and we're allowed to go out. I knew they were close by, didn't I? Accordingly, running away is pointless. I roll my eyes in annoyance. Oh great.

Annoyed, I realize after getting out that Leroy walks ahead completely relaxed and doesn't even bother to keep an eye on me as if he knows that I won't run away. I growl softly. Eventually, the moment will come when he will be distracted and I will already be long gone.

But until then, I'm going to find out what's in that damn basement and who the kid named Danny is.

What if Leroy kidnapped him, too, and he's holding him there? I wouldn't put it past him. We get into a black SUV and immediately the doors are locked, whereupon I give Pablo a withering look. The biggest obstacles to escape are indeed his men, who are loyal to him. They make it particularly difficult for me.

"As soon as we arrive, go to my dogs and check on them. Wash them and give them proper food - and I don't care if they attack you. I won't help you this time, because you don't deserve it," I hear Leroy say. I give him a horrified look. How am I supposed to do this with five dogs that don't even like me?

"But..."

"No!" his voice thunders, cutting me off.

I exhale uneasily. The two shepherd dogs, Racer, and Rec, hate me. How am I supposed to manage this? Last time Rec bit me on the thigh, well he didn't really get me because the husky pulled him off me in time, but still, I was in pain. Or maybe he's just saying that to scare me. At least I hope he is. It's not that I'm afraid of dogs, in fact, I love them, but Leroy's dogs are wild. Wild, threatening, aggressive, and disobedient. They only listen to Leroy and no one else, so it wouldn't do me any good if one of his men were there, because they can't help me.

The dogs don't attack the men, but they don't let them stop them either.

Damn, I hate my life.

After thirty minutes of driving, I finally see Leroy's manor. We drive up the driveway and as soon as the gold-colored gates open, the first thing I see is Yang's beaming smile. Fine, I've actually missed her a little bit.

"Sweetheart, what a tired look you have! Come on, let's eat, take a shower and go to bed, my love...", Yang immediately begins, barely making me get out of the car and walk towards her to hug her. Her loving words warm my heart, but they are interrupted by Leroy's gruff voice, who grabs me roughly by my arm and pulls me back to him.

"Yang, take a step back. She doesn't deserve a soothing evening. Let her change and freshen up and then she'll know what she has to do," he says, looking steadfastly at Yang. My throat tightens as I hear what Leroy is saying. Yang looks at me concerned and apologetic, but I wring a reassuring smile. I don't want her to worry.

"Oh sweetheart, what have you done now?" she whispers softly as her gaze grazes my neck. Confused, my hand wanders there until the slight burning makes me remember that Leroy injected me with a syringe there. It probably left marks. Again she wants to give me a comforting hug, but Leroy's big hand grabs me firmly by the wrist and pulls me away from her. Jerk.

"For the rest of the evening, I don't want to hear that you've done anything wrong, nor do I want to be disturbed by you, do you understand?" he says as he leads me into the garden. His words sound rough, but his voice is neither soft nor hard, just emotionless. I wonder if he has practiced speaking in such a way that you can't hear how he feels.

The growling of wild animals snaps me out of my thoughts and lets me already guess where I am without having to lift my eyes. I am standing in front of his dogs' cages. I thought I was allowed to clean up first? I would have liked to say something about it, but it would be better if I kept quiet so that he could finally turn his attention to something else. And Leroy finally leaves, which relieves me a lot. How am I going to do this? Just the fact that I'm breathing seems to bother them.

They're only afraid of you, Rina...

I sigh. And I'm afraid of them! Funnily enough, I don't have sharp teeth to do them any harm and so far I haven't hurt them either, unlike them. Leroy's dogs have already attacked me once.

I am jolted out of my thoughts again when I notice a shadow from the corner of my eye.

Danny.

The small mute boy stands next to me and smiles at me hesitantly, which I timidly return. What is he doing here? I know Leroy won't like it when he sees me near him. His threat still echoes in my ears. I shake my head slightly as if this will allow me to overhear his voice, and am about to turn away when he suddenly raises his hands and performs the most beautiful signs of language.

"You have to win her trust," he says in sign language.

Dumbfounded, I look into the green sparkling eyes that resemble emeralds. The dark blond hair falls tangled in his forehead, although I am sure they fix it neatly for him every morning, but I can imagine that he keeps brushing it back and that is why they are so messy now. I take a deep breath and look around, but there is no sign of Leroy, so I dare to answer him.

"I don't know how to do that though. They don't like me near them," I counter, and can't help sounding a little exasperated. But Danny just smiles wider at me, which makes me frown in confusion.

"Well, how do you think you can calm down wild-eyed people? With food, of course! Take some of the meat and give it to them."

Food? Why didn't I think of that?

"And, what if it doesn't work?", I ask. He looks closely at my hands, which gives me an uncertain smile.

"What is it? Am I doing it wrong?", I immediately ask, to which he shakes his head with a grin.

"No, that's the right way, but I have to look carefully, otherwise I won't understand what you mean. Back to your question, though. What if it does work out? We should try everything, because, in the end, you have to take care of them anyway," he replies. Damn, is this little boy actually teaching me something right now? How old is this sweetheart? Five or six years old?

"All right." I sigh and give him another uncertain smile as he raises both thumbs. Slowly, I kneel down and look at them, to which Rec immediately barks at me. Gulping, I hand them their food through the small slit at the bottom of the cage, and immediately he stops growling and much prefers to sniff the food with interest.

I would never have thought that this would work, but it actually does! As soon as they all have their food in front of their noses, they are quiet.

"Now when you give them their treat, open the cage each time. Trust me, they won't attack you."

I nod slowly to Danny and follow his advice.

God be with me...

I open Racer's cage door, thinking that at any moment my heart might burst with fear, but Racer doesn't bark or try to attack me when I hold his treat in front of him. Instead, he pants and gobbles it up as soon as I hold it out to him. He stares at me expectantly as soon as he is done. I slowly bring my hand to his muzzle and let him sniff, only to stroke through his thick, dark fur shortly afterward.

"Well, finally," I huff and sit down completely on the floor. Well, the same with Rec. And it works with him too, maybe because he watched Racer do it. Rex, the sweet husky, even snuggles up to me, which makes me laugh. Now that that's done, I can wash them one by one.

"Come on, you're the first one today, Rex," I call delightedly and scratch the spot behind his ears. Then I turn to Danny who is already beaming at me.

"Worked out great!"

Smiling, I affirm and ask him if he would like to help me wash the dogs. This time he seems very pleased because he jumps into my arms smiling. When we arrive in the bathroom and we start washing Rex, he barks and wags his tail as he licks Danny.

"I'm Danny and what's your name?" Danny suddenly asks me and holds out his hand, which makes me laugh softly. So small and already so charming, I can hardly believe it! I don't tell him that I already know his name and instead introduce myself the same way.

"Katrina. But you can call me Rina if you like!"

Rex suddenly slips into the big bathtub, but jumps up with a jerk and starts barking like mad again, whereupon Danny and I start laughing. The poor husky must have been very frightened, so we stroke him until he calms down, but we can't stop laughing. Danny's laugh is childlike, so bright and so joyful that I can only look at him for a moment.

His eyes light up, his baby teeth gleam and his tongue quivers slightly as he fills the room with the sweet sound of his voice. Two deep dimples stand out just to the right of his upper lip.

"It's like he's telling us to stop laughing at him!"

When I finally understand what Danny is trying to tell me underneath his fit of laughter and frantic signs, I have to start laughing again too. Oh yes, I agree with him. Rex barks at us as if demanding that we stop laughing.

But the moment is shattered when I sense a presence behind me. It makes me stop abruptly and hold my breath in panic.

Please, don't let it be Leroy...

But this time my prayer has not been heard, because not even a second later I am grabbed roughly by the upper arm and spun around hard, only to look into angry green