Page 6 of Protecting Olivia

A few seconds later, I heard more shots ring out. I strained and listened to see if I could hear more English.

“All clear, Viper,” the voice said.

The door was slowly opening, and my heart was jumping out of my chest. I held my breath and readied myself for a fight. Unless one of them shot me from across the room, I was going to claw his eyes out and rip his balls clean from his body. If I was going to die anyway, I might as well inflict maximum pain in the process.

In stepped the largest figure I had ever seen. He was completely dressed in black, face covered with a black mask, black military looking rifle pointed in my direction. I was frozen stiff. I didn’t know what to do, what to say. I thought about playing dead, maybe he would just close the door and leave me there.

It had to have been only seconds, but it felt like an eternity as he slowly stalked across the room toward me. He had lowered his rifle, but I noticed his finger was still on the trigger. I would only have seconds to make my move before he pointed his gun at me again.

He knelt down next to me and gently brushed my crusty hair off my face.

“Sweet mother of God. Fucking animals,” he muttered.

My eyes shot open and staring at me was the most piercing set of green eyes I had ever seen. He looked like a panther, all in black with green cat eyes.

“Olivia?” he asked.

Well, I didn’t really know if it was a question or a statement, but I answered. “Yes.”

“We’re gonna get you out of here. I just need you to wait a moment for me to get this cuff off you,” the man said.

“Where-where are you taking me now?” I asked.

This was not going as planned. I was supposed to be ripping his balls off. Kicking and screaming, and clawing my way to safety. Instead, I was hypnotized by his eyes, they were kind and gentle, and oddly I felt safe for the first time in forever.

“Panther, we are three minutes to out,” a man said from the doorway, “Holy mother fuck! It smells like rotting bodies in here.”

“Damn, Blue, you’re always bitching about some kind of smell,” a third voice called out.

Maybe I should’ve been scared, maybe I should’ve been fighting, but the gloved hand on my bare arm kept me calm. He was gently rubbing his thumb back and forth on the inside of my bicep.

“Would you two idiots shut the hell up,” the man touching me said. “We’re gonna take you home, Olivia. Your ma is real worried about you.”

“My ma?” I asked. “How? Who are you?”

“Don’t worry about the how, tesorino. You’ll be home in no time. I’m Panther, that’s Blue, and that’s Breeze.” The two men across the room nodded their heads in turn.

“Panther? It fits,” I whispered, embarrassed by my lack of filter.

Panther chuckled and asked, “Really, how so?”

“That was my first thought when I saw your eyes, that you looked like a black panther,” I admitted.

“Here I thought it was because you thought I was as deadly and quick as the cat.” He winked.

Holy shit, this man was lethal, and it had nothing to do with the many weapons he had strapped to his body. The sound of metal hitting the floor drew my attention to my wrist. It looked worse today. The open sores were encircling my entire wrist now, instead of just on the inside.

“I don’t want my mom to see me like this.” The gravity of the situation hit me all at once.

It’s funny how when you are in the midst of a crisis, certain parts of your brain turn off and all you are worried about is surviving. But as soon as you begin to feel even the slightest bit safe, all the emotions you were suppressing flood you all at once.

The sob I had been holding back finally broke loose, and I could taste the dirt my tears washed down my cheeks. Panther started to lift me from the floor and embarrassment set in.

“I can walk,” I told him.

“No, tesorino, you can’t. I will carry you,” he replied.

“But, I…I stink. I have throw up in my hair. I am okay to walk, I promise.”