Page 25 of Protecting Olivia

“Why would bad guys want to prove they could take me?”

“I can’t tell you that either.”

“What can you tell me?” I asked.

“No more than I already have.”

“Are they going to kill me?” I whispered.

“No.”

“Didn’t they say they were going to? Isn’t that why you are trying to hide me?”

“Yes, that is what they threatened,” Leo confirmed.

You hear about things like this on the news, read about it in the newspaper, threats being made on people’s lives, stalkers, women who need to run from abusive husbands. But you never really think about what that means, or what it feels like to be the one running. How terrifying it is to know there is someone out there that is hunting you.

“So, I’m as good as dead.”

“No. I won’t let that happen.”

I suddenly felt bone tired even though I had slept most the day. I had nothing left. I wanted my mom until I remembered how mad I was at her. Without changing out of my clothes, I crawled into the bed and buried my face in the pillow.

***

The smell of dried blood and puke filled the room. I was going to die in here. The men were yelling at each other again. I strained to hear something that would tell me who took me and why. I couldn’t understand a word they spoke.

The door opened, and a man stepped in. He was filthy and smelled like liquor and cigarettes, his nasty yellow teeth and bad breath made me gag when he got close.

“Good, the princess is awake. Maybe today I fuck you before I give you breakfast. You like that princess? You like me to fuck you?” His thick accent and broken English made it difficult for me to understand him.

“Don’t touch me,” I screamed.

The man reached down and grabbed my shoulders shaking me so hard my neck snapped.

“Wake up!” The man’s voice had changed. He was speaking English, and his tone had even softened.

“Please, don’t touch me.” The man covered my mouth with one of his hands, his fresh, clean smell cutting through the stench of the room. “You need to wake up. Come back to me, tesorino.”

I struggled to push the man away.

“Olivia!”

I opened my eyes and shot up in bed. Leo was kneeling next to me looking at me but allowing me to get my bearings.

It was a dream, just a dream. Leo’s here. I waited for the panic attack to come. My breathing was getting tight. Before it could get any worse Leo took my hand and placed it on his chest, he took a deep breath and I didn’t need instructions this time. I started to breathe with him. My chest loosened and my vision cleared. I focused on my hand on Leo’s bare chest. There were at least a dozen small scars that looked like he had a bad case of chicken pox. The more my eyes explored and took in all the scars I began to understand.

I pulled my gaze from his scars to his face; he wasn’t trying to hide the look of concern that marred his handsome face. I wasn’t sure if it was because I saw his scars or if it was because I had a nightmare.

“Lie back down,” he whispered.

“I don’t want to go back to sleep,” I admitted.

In some magic maneuver, Leo pushed me on my back, rolled us both, and tucked me into his side.

“Well I do, and I can't do that if you’re screaming the hotel down,” he huffed, but his annoyance fell flat as he pulled my hand over his tight stomach and rested it on his chest. My breath was caught in my throat, and I was frozen in place when he didn’t let go of my hand holding it against his bare skin. “Relax. We only have a few more hours here.”

His tone was gruff and his words were harsh, but his touch was soft and soothing. One hand covered mine on his chest, careful not to put pressure on my wounds. The other hand was on my hip, his thumb gently rubbing the bare skin above the waistband of my sweatpants.