Of Demons and Pretty Girls

Chapter 1: The Kidnapping

Melanie waltzed through the streets of Paris with bags of designer clothes held firmly in both hands and a pair of sunglasses obscuring her eyes. Maybe she wanted to protect her sight from the sun or maybe she just didn't want to be as easily recognizable.

Either way they knew exactly that this was Melanie Fitzgerald, the only child of James Fitzgerald, one of the wealthiest and most influential men in the world. Seth exchanged looks with Adam and they both raised from the bench, one following closely behind the other.

The girl walked on obliviously until Seth accidentally bumped into her before hurrying away. Melanie swayed in her high heels, the bags falling out of her hands. It was Adam that grabbed her wrist and saved her from stumbling to the ground. "Quel imbécile!" The girl exclaimed in perfect French looking after Seth and shaking her head.

"Wow, huh. I'm sorry but I don't speak a word in French." Adam said with a nervous chuckle knowing that the success of their mission depended on whatever happened next.

Melanie lifted up her shades revealing a pair of curious blue eyes. She vexed him with her gaze and smirked. "You're a cute one." She said before she looked down at the bags still on the ground. "Pick them up." She commended and Adam eagerly grabbed the two paper bags with familiar logos printed across them. "Good." The smirk was still attached to her face. "How about a coffee? Your treat, of course."

Adam couldn't believe that this was happening. He couldn't have imagined it going any better than that if he tried. "I'd love to." He agreed eagerly grinning at Melanie. If it wasn't all part of a job, he would have just scored a date with a billionaire's daughter. "I know just the place."

Melanie brushed her long blond hair away from her face and hooked her arm through his. "Lead the way, then."

Adam led the girl through side streets, one narrower than the other. They weren't passing many people and he was worried that it would scare her off but much to his surprise Melanie didn't seem fazed at all. "An awfully long way to that mysterious coffee shop of yours." She stated at some point, one eyebrow raised, as if in challenge.

The young man chuckled, hoping that it didn't give away just how nervous he felt. He frantically looked around but his friends weren't there yet. "We're almost there. I promise." He said but slowed down his walk.

"Can't wait." There was something weird about Melanie, Adam had to admit. He was starting to realize that she wasn't like any other rich girl he had encountered before, not that there were many of those. Just a few privileged girls back during his high school years that believed that he was there to serve them.

The girl seemed a little like that too but it was more as if she knew her worth and wouldn't settle for anything less. Apart from that she also seemed to really enjoy his company. Adam felt almost bad for what was about to happen next. A part of him wanted to warn her and turn her away, the consequences be damned.

But then, like a saving grace, a big black van came to a halt in front of them with a screech of the tires and its door sled open. Emily and Jared jumped off it, one holding a black bag and the other a gun that shook just so slightly in his hands.

Adam thought that Melanie would try to run away or stand frozen in fear but the girl surprised him once more. As Emily put the bag over her head with Jared pointing the gun at her she looked almost amused. "Oh, okay." She let out lightly as Emily all but threw her into the back of the van.

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"Of course there's a password! What were you thinking?" Emily exclaimed as she snatched the phone from Seth and stared at the numbers, as if believing that she could will them into spelling out the four-digit code for her.