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Chapter Twelve
Nicole
Accepting His Protection
Would Desi go to my parents’ house and harass them when he realized I was gone? Would he hurt them? No matter how estranged I was from them, they were still my family. Desi repeatedly told me he would end their lives if I left him. Would he follow through on his promises?
Oh, God. I had made a grave mistake by leaving. Maybe he was still sleeping and didn’t realize I was gone yet. Maybe I could go back, and things would get better.
My life flashed before my eyes as I swerved to get my car back into the right lane. Thank God no one was coming toward me. Thinking about how Desi would react to me leaving had my mind all over the place.
No matter how much thought I gave it, I couldn’t go back. Things never got better between us, no matter how many chances I gave him. And I was tired of hurting.
I turned onto Vito’s street and drove through his neighborhood. Or should I say his massive estate since the neighborhood only consisted of his house? I checked my rearview mirror. No one had followed me. When I pulled into the driveway, I hardly gave the engine time to shut off before I jumped out of the car and ran up to the door.
I risked it all to come here. Everything was on the line, including my next breath. My life was over if Vito ended up a psycho serial killer that victimized unsuspecting women. If Desi found out where I was, my life was over. I had no choice but to trust that Vito wasn’t a psycho serial killer. He gave me good vibes, and I hoped I was right about him.
“Please let my instinct be right,” I whispered.
I saw movement on the porch. Vito stood up from a chair and greeted me with a hand out to hold mine. I took his hand. He guided me into his home.
Once we were in his well-lit living room, his mood darkened from the sight of me. He pulled me into his arms and rocked me from side to side. “You did the right thing coming here. I’m not going to let anything else happen to you. You’re safe with me.”
A moment of caution swept over me. I was so used to not being able to trust anyone that his consoling felt foreign. I thought about leaving, but his cannon arms gripped me tighter. Only then did I allow myself to be comforted by his embrace. “I’m so glad you answered the phone.”
He stared down into my eyes. “Any time you call, I will answer.” He took me by the hand and guided me into the house. “Come with me into the kitchen.”
I followed him, wondering what he was doing. I didn’t know when the last time I had eaten was, but food was the furthest thing from my mind. Going to get food had gotten me in this position. “I’m not hungry,” I told him.
Vito picked me up and placed me on a barstool. “I’ll be right back.”
Minutes later, he returned to the room with a first aid kit. He took out an alcohol pad and ran it gently over the cut on my cheek. “How long has he been hitting you?”
“Two years.”
“You’ve been dealing with this shit for two years?”
I dropped my gaze from his. “Yeah.”
He threw the alcohol pad in the trash and went to get something from his freezer. “Hold your head up so I can put ice on your forehead.”
I swatted his hand away. “I don’t need it. I don’t need you to patch me up. I just need a place to stay while figuring out my next move. Do you mind if I stay here a few nights? I have nowhere else to go.” The last part was hard to admit.
“Of course, you can stay here, Nicole. I wasn’t letting you leave anyway,” he assured.
I raised a hand in protest. “Hold on. You’re not letting me do anything. I can go if I want to!”
I hadn't left the constraints of my abuser to be bossed around by anyone. My control had been stripped away from me for so long that I had to make sure Vito understood boundaries from the beginning.
“Of course, you can leave if you would like to,” Vito said confidently. “I wouldn’t stop you from doing anything you want to do. But I’m not letting you go….”
“How does that make sense?”
“Well, you could leave if you insist. If you do, I’ll be taking you wherever you need to go. But as far as you leaving here on your own, I’m not letting that happen, not while the boy you’ve been dealing with has breath in his body. I will not let anything happen to you, but sure, you’re free to come and go as you please.”
“But you’re going with me?”
“Correct. Either I will go with you, or your security will be with you.”
