Chapter 3 You Can't Run, Babe

Nathan sat on the floor and stared at the locked window.

It was 4:12 pm. He had been locked for almost sixteen hours. His supermarket polo was dirty, his hair was messy, his eyes were swollen. The box of expensive clothes was still open on the bed, where Daniel left it.

He always fought. When his rent was due, he fought. When his exam was hard, he fought. When he was tired from the night shift, he fought.

But now, he looked at the window. Three floors high. Iron bars outside. Two guards downstairs in black, smoking and looking up at his window. The mansion was in the hills, far from downtown, no taxi, no bus, no people.

He cannot run.

"If I keep shouting, he will get angry and hurt me," he whispered to himself. "If I try to run and fail, he will lock me forever. I survived because I am smart. I will be smart now."

He wiped his tears. He stood up. He looked at the box again.

He will play along. Until he finds a way.

He picked up the simplest shirt in the box. Plain black shirt, soft cotton, expensive, big size. It was not his size, it was Daniel's old babe's size. He didn't want to wear it because it was Jayden's, but his own polo was smelling bad and had egg stains from morning. He took off his polo and wore the plain black shirt with his own old jeans. Not a full outfit. Small rebellion, but also small acceptance. The shirt smelled like cigarettes and expensive perfume. Like Daniel.

He sat on the bed and waited.

At 6:55 pm, Rosa knocked and entered with water.

She saw him in the plain black shirt and her eyes softened.

"You wore it, sweetheart," she said. "You look handsome in that shirt. Just call me Rosa, okay? Not Miss Rosa. Just Rosa."

"Rosa," Nathan said, his voice calm now, not shouting. "I cannot run from here, right?"

Rosa looked sad. She put the water down.

"No, sweetheart. This mansion has guards, dogs, cameras. Even I cannot go out without permission. Mr. Kravalo is... cold. But if you are good, he will be good."

"Will he let me go if I am good?" Nathan asked.

Rosa didn't answer. She just touched his face and left.

At 7:03 pm, the door opened.

Daniel entered. Same black shirt, black pants, black shiny shoes, Rolex shining. His face was cold and intimidating, but his eyes were looking for something.

He saw Nathan sitting on the bed, wearing the plain black shirt. Calm. Not shouting. Not crying. The shirt was too big for him, sleeves covering half his hands.

He stopped.

"Why are you quiet now, babe?" he asked, his voice low.

Nathan looked up. His eyes were red but brave.

"Because shouting doesn't work with a cold bastard like you," he said. "You will not let me go even if I shout for years."

Daniel was quiet for five seconds. Then he walked closer. He sat beside Nathan on the bed. The bed sank.

"My old babe never talked to me like that," he said. "Jayden was always scared. He would cry and say 'Yes Daniel, sorry Daniel.' He never said 'cold bastard' to my face."

"Good for him," Nathan said. "I am not him."

"I know," Daniel said, and his hand touched Nathan's soft hair. Nathan flinched but didn't push him away. He accepted it for now. "You are better. You have courage. You wear my babe's shirt but you still wear your poor jeans. You negotiate."

Nathan removed his hand gently. "I will stay here for now because I cannot run. I will eat your food and wear one shirt because I have no choice. But you will not touch me. You will not kiss me. You will not call me your babe like I am yours. I am not yours."

Daniel smiled. Cold smile but with something soft inside.

"You are already negotiating like my babe," he whispered. "You are already my babe, Nathan."

He stood up and pulled Nathan up too. "Come, let's eat. Rosa made steak."

"I can walk myself," Nathan said, but he followed him downstairs.

The dining table was huge, 20 chairs, but only two plates. Steak, mashed potatoes, salad, wine for Daniel, warm milk for Nathan.

Rosa put the milk in front of Nathan and whispered: "He told me you like warm milk in the morning, so I brought it for dinner too, sweetheart."

Nathan looked at Daniel. Daniel was already looking at him.

"You told Rosa what I like?" Nathan asked.

"I watch CCTV, babe. I know what my babe likes," Daniel said, cutting his steak. He pushed his plate to Nathan. "Eat."

"I can cut it myself," Nathan said, taking the knife. He was accepting fate, but not fully. He was still stubborn. He ate small, quiet.

Daniel watched him eat. Obsessed.

"You know why Jayden left?" Daniel said suddenly.

Nathan stopped eating.

"He left a note on my bed six months ago. He said I am too cold, too possessive, too scary. He said he cannot breathe around me. He said he wants a normal life, not mafia life. So he ran."

For the first time, Daniel's voice was not cold. It was tired. Sad. Human.

Nathan looked at him. For a second, he saw not a mafia boss, but a man who was left.

"He was scared of you," Nathan said.

"Yes. And you are not scared. You slapped me," Daniel said, touching his own cheek where Nathan slapped him in the morning. "No one ever slapped me. My father beat me, my enemies tried to shoot me, but no one slapped me like you are my husband."

"I am not your husband," Nathan said, but his voice was softer now.

Daniel leaned closer. "If you stay, I will protect you. I will pay your school fees, your rent, I will give you everything Jayden had. You just have to be here. Be my babe."

"I have a best friend. He will look for me. He will call police," Nathan said.

Daniel laughed. Cold laugh.

"Police?" he said, and took Nathan's phone from his pocket. Nathan's phone that was in his backpack. It was ringing. Screen showed CHASE - 23 MISSED CALLS.

Nathan tried to grab it. Daniel held it up.

"Your logical friend already went to police today," Daniel said.

At 4:30 pm, at Wilshire Police Station, Chase sat in front of a tired officer.

"My best friend is missing. Nathan. He works at FreshMart, his manager said CCTV was deleted last night, his bag is still there, he didn't come to class," Chase said, logical, calm, showing all proof. He had Nathan's class notes, his house key, his manager's number.

The officer typed FreshMart into the system. The address showed up. The officer's face changed.

"FreshMart on West Adams?" the officer asked.

"Yes."

"Who is the owner of that building?" the officer asked his computer.

Another officer whispered: "Kravalo. That building is under Kravalo."

The first officer closed the file. He pushed it back to Chase.

"Boy, go home. Your friend probably ran away. Maybe he owes rent. We cannot open case for missing adult under 24 hours."

"This is not logical," Chase said, his hands shaking now but still logical. "CCTV deleted means someone deleted it. That's a crime."

"Go home, boy," the officer said, scared now. "Don't look for trouble with Kravalo family. You are a student. Go and study."

Chase walked out of the station. He understood. Police will not help because Daniel is too powerful.

He stood outside, looking at his phone. 23 calls to Nathan, no answer.

He whispered: "Where are you, Nate? Please be okay. I will find you, even if police don't help."

He went home and opened his laptop. He started searching "Kravalo mansion Hollywood Hills" and "How to find missing friend when police won't help."

Daniel switched off Nathan's phone in front of him.

"If you are good, babe, I will let you call him tomorrow," Daniel said. "If you are bad, you will never see him again."

Nathan's eyes filled with tears again. His acceptance was breaking.

"You cannot do that! He is my only family!" he shouted, but quietly.

"I can do anything, babe. This is my city," Daniel said.

Nathan asked the question he was scared to ask since morning.

"If... if Jayden comes back... will you let me go? If your real babe comes back, will you let me go home?"

The whole dining room went cold. Rosa in the kitchen stopped moving. Leo who was standing by the door stopped breathing.

Daniel's cold face came back. So cold that Nathan got goosebumps.

He grabbed Nathan's jaw, not too hard, but hard enough that Nathan couldn't move.

"Let you go?" Daniel whispered, his eyes black and obsessed. "If Jayden comes back, I will kill him in front of you, babe."

Nathan's whole world crumbled at his feet.

"What... what are you saying..." he whispered.

"So you will be the only babe with this face left," Daniel said, his thumb caressing Nathan's shaking lips. "There will be only you. My only babe."

Nathan couldn't breathe. He realized Daniel was not just possessive. He was obsessed. Madly obsessed.

Daniel let go of his jaw and stood up.

"Finish your steak, babe. Rosa, take him to his room. Lock it."

He walked away, Rolex shining, leaving Nathan alone at the big table, with half-eaten steak and warm milk getting cold.

Rosa came and touched his shoulder. "Eat, sweetheart. You need strength."

Nathan looked at the stairs where Daniel went. He was shaking.

He whispered: "He will kill him... he will kill his own babe..."

"God, this man is crazy..."