4. Kidnapped

“Tell me, what should I do to erase your mark on me?”

Athena Xander

***

Since that day, there was no news or message from Edrica who left them. Athena knew their mom really left her and Ares and now they have to survive together as she promised that she would take care of her brother.

Since Athena had escaped from Zev Russel’s mansion. Athena thought the wound on her neck was infected, but when she checked the wound on the mirror, she found there was nothing wrong with the wound. Her body became hot recently. That was the reason why she thought that her wound got infected and she got a fever. Athena forced herself to consume paracetamol to reduce the hot temperature in her body but it seemed not working at all.

Also she couldn’t get out of her apartment since that day because Zev must be looking for the assassin who wanted to kill him and he would kill Athena for sure. Athena also doesn’t want to put her brother in a dangerous situation so Athena chose to sleep in her bedroom alone while her brother was going to school usually. Athena just hoped Zev Russel would never know about my family even though that was like an impossible thing because a man like him would never let his prey escape no matter what.

“Athena, I am going!” She heard Ares’ voice from her bedroom as she knew her brother would be going to school but Athena was too lazy to respond to him. “Athena, someone looking for you. I am going now!”

‘Wait! Someone is looking for me? Am I still dreaming?’

Athena tried to open her eyes but everything became so difficult until she felt someone touch her jaw gently. At that point, she had to admit that she felt so comfortable until she realized something weird here. Athena had to force herself to open her eyes and that woman was shocked when she saw a man who wore a neat suit seated on her bed.

“Zev!” Athena shouted his name. Her legs suddenly trembled and she didn’t know what she should do.

“This is me.” That man responded to her reaction.

Actually she wanted to stand up and run away from him but for unknown reason she felt her body became so weak suddenly.

“Do you want to kill me right now?” Athena asked him with a low voice.

“No.”

“Are you kidding me?”

In this situation actually, it was so difficult to trust that a man like Zev Russel didn't want to kill her after he found the silver dagger with her. Athena couldn’t trust anyone in this world.

“No. I am not.” He answered.

“I am here because I want to pick you up. You have to stay with me.” He said firmly.

“Wait-, don’t make me laugh.” Athena looked at his eyes but all that she found was just Zev’s serious face.

“I am not.” He said again.

Athena took a deep breath and closed her eyes again because she thought that she was still confused whether this was in her dream or not while she tried to sit and on the last attempt finally, that woman could sit properly on her bed as she needed some time to process the new information in her blank head and found that everything was true. Athena realized that she was forced to deal with Zev Russel again as that man sat beside her with a nice navy blue suit.

One thing that made Athena feel a little bit calm because her brother was going to school but at the same time, she knew that she couldn’t let this man get what he wanted and also she doesn’t want to die here so she has to escape from him no matter what.

“You can’t bring me as you wish!” Athena tried to kick Zev’s back with her leg but Zev avoided her attacks in time and he grabbed her leg instead. Athena hit his face with her palm but at the same time Zev pinned her wrist on the bed and at that time, she just realized this man locked her on the bed with his body on top of her. “Let me go.”

“Athena, do you think that you have a lot of choices right now?” Zev smirked at her coldly.

“I know, then you can do what you want to me.” Athena said while she closed her eyes as if she had totally surrendered to her ill fate but that man just stared at her and smirked.

“Athena, what is in your mind? I just want you to stay with me and I don’t understand why you act like I want to harm you?” Zev asked and his question made Athena embarrassed as she opened her eyes soon.

‘Wait?! What’s going on here?! How come this man embarrassed me like this?’

Athena was perplexed when she heard what that man said to her. “Does that mean that you don’t want to kill me?” She asked him back.

“No. Of course, not. I don’t want to kill you.” He said while his body still imprisoned her as his eyes stared at her as if he wanted to eat her prey alive.

“Then why do you want me to stay with you?” Athena asked him out of curiosity. Even though her body was still in fever, she didn't let her guard down over this dangerous man.

“I will explain to you later but now, you have to follow me.” Zev said again.

“I don’t want to live with you.” She said with a weak voice.

“I am here not to argue with you.”

After that, Athena saw nothing but the darkness and when she opened her eyes again, she felt there was someone that embraced her from behind. This embrace was so warm and so calming.

‘Something must be wrong here because no one ever embraces me like that.’ This thought made Athena realize that she was in a strange room.

“Why?”

‘That voice!’

And of course, as an assassin, Athena would never forget the voice of her first ex-target. She wanted to hit him with the back of her left arm but he caught her arm and straddled her. Everything just happened in a second.

“Athena, why do you always attack me?” Zev asked her as the cunning smirked framed his handsome face.

“So why don’t you kill me?” Athena asked him in curiosity but she didn’t have any encouragement to face him because his face was too close to her until his breath touched her jaw. Athena was also shocked because Zev didn’t kill her but what he wanted exactly? She really doesn’t understand at all.

“Why? Do you expect me to kill you?” Zev asked her back.

“You know who I am, right? A dangerous man like you must kill someone like me.”

“Like you? What do you mean? Why don’t you face me now so we can talk properly.”

‘Is he wants me to look at him? But I am not ready yet to see his face,’ She said in her mind.

“Athena, you have to stay here with me before everything becomes too late.” Zev insisted.

“I really don’t understand, why do you let me stay here with you? You don’t want to kill me either so what do you want? Don’t make me confused.” She asked him again.

“If you really want to know the answer then you have to stay with me and I will explain everything to you.” Zev looked at her.