King of My Heart

24. "So, you want us?"

(1774 words)

*Anastasia's POV*

The palpitations in my chest were unnerving, but I tried my best to appear calm and unbothered on the outside. I wasn't meant to fall prey to them according to our plan, but somehow I was also a little relieved that I had, since it allowed me to be with and keep an eye on Ariana.

She sat right next to me with Mathew, the guy who had approached me, on her left. She also seemed relaxed on the exterior, and even I couldn't figure out what she must be feeling inside. She hadn't ever been in any such situation before, therefore she must have been scared.

The drive seemed to be never-ending, and it was starting to get on my nerves. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the SUV stopped somewhere. I couldn't make out the surroundings yet due to the tinted windows.

"We're here." Mathew declared, stepping out and holding the door open for Ariana to step out. The other guy opened the door to my side as well, and I shivered upon stepping out as the cold air hit me. I realised we were on a beach— a beach I had never been to before.

The sight of the waves of the sea were somehow causing me alarm, waring me of some awaiting danger. I shook the negative thoughts away, reminding myself that Ethan and Zayn were on our tails.

"Follow us." Mathew signalled us to move with his hand. Picking up my feet, I glanced back for sight of Ethan's car and slight panic washed over me just like the waves of the sea in front of us, when I discovered neither any vehicle nor a soul for as far as the eye could see.

Impossible. They must have taken cover. They have our location. Nothing bad will happen.

I walked alongside Ariana towards a giant beach-house, where the two guys led us. We entered a small lobby with two small reception desks. The walls were painted beige and red, and had an uncanny and foreign feel to them. The place already gave me vibes like something terrible was going on, and I hadn't even seen much yet.

I glanced at Ariana whose eyes also held some fear and worry. "You need to have your purse checked here." Mathew asserted, gesturing with his head to the reception desk on our right. I wasn't carrying anything with me, but I feared for the tiny camera fitted inside Ariana's bag.

With a neutral look on her face, Ariana placed her clutch on the reception desk as if she had nothing to hide. I held my breath as the man at the reception checked her purse with literally no expression at all.

Mentally sighing when he returned Ariana her purse, my breath got caught in my lungs again as he asked for both our phones. "But why?" Ariana asked, a little irritatedly.

"It's the rules." The man replied monotonously.

"Besides, there are jammers in this area, so your phones are of no use anyway." Mathew professed, causing my eyes to widen with worry.

Jammers? That meant our GPS trackers were also of no use. Ethan and Zayn couldn't track us at all then. It took everything in me not to break down on the spot. Maybe it were my pregnancy hormones that had me wanting to run away immediately.

Ariana laid her phone on the desk without another word, and so did I, with a heavy heart. "Come on, ladies." Mathew clapped his hands and walked ahead of us.

"This isn't good." Ariana whispered to me as we followed suit. I nodded my head at her, biting my lip nervously.

We stepped into a dimly lit hall with black marbled walls and strange decorations. Overall it exuded eeriness. The hall wasn't empty; in fact it was filled with loads of young girls and... older men. I couldn't keep myself from grimacing when I noticed how disgustingly touchy those men were with the girls openly.