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I collapsed on the bed, still conscious but only just. He’d never been able to punch that hard, but I must have awoken something deep inside of him, something he’d kept hidden.
Suddenly despite the ringing in my ears, I heard a commotion through the closed door. I thought nothing of it until I heard a few warning shots fired.
Have they come for me or is it just those brutes fucking around…
Silence…
The iron door flung open, and for a moment, I thought I’d dreamt it, or it was some sort of mirage until I heard the voice I’d longed to hear.
“I fucking warned you what would happen if you touched her.”He was real… he wasn’t a fragment of my imagination.
He’d come for me just like I knew he would.
I could barely see out of my left eye, but I knew he wasn’t alone. I heard the familiar voice of my father as he entered the room.
“Lorenzo, get your wife. I’ll take care of this two-faced fucker.”
“Already on it,” Lorenzo replied as my father rammed his gun into the back of Chad’s head, knocking him out.
“Red, I need a hand.” I saw a flash of Red as he rushed in, but he didn’t grab Chad or help my father instantly like he was expected to; he froze the moment he saw me, and I knew then I must have looked like shit. “Now, Red!” my father ordered as he jumped back into action. They dragged Chad out of the room and the only ones left were me and my husband.
“I’m here,amore, I’m right here.” I had never been so happy to hear his voice before. I could tell he didn’t know how to touch me. I didn’t even know if he wanted to. “I’m going to remove this chain and take you home.” He ran his thumb gently across my swollen cheek as I sucked in a sharp breath. “Sorry, I’m so sorry.”
“Take me home, please. I want to go home.” I sobbed as tears trickled down my face and onto the stained sheets. “Please…” I could hear his heart breaking as he picked the lock of the chain, the relief I felt the moment it fell to the floor was indescribable.
“I’m going to lift you up, okay?” I nodded as strongly as I could as he scooped my limp body into his arms, and I instantly felt safe, enveloped in his embrace. I felt as if I was already home. “I thought you didn’t need a knight in shining armour?”
“Maybe just this once.” I tried to smile, but I couldn’t, it hurt too much. I rested my head on Lorenzo’s chest as I closed my eyes to the rhythmic sound of his heartbeat, and with each thud, I felt the darkness pull me in, and no matter how I tried to fight it, it was no use.
“Ana, don’t you dare shut your eyes. Do you hear me?!” I could hear him as clear as day.
Did I respond? No.
Could I? No.
“Anastacia! Please!” I heard his plea, the pain apparent in his voice. “Open those beautiful eyes, please.”
* * *
“Amore, can you hear me?” I could hear him, feel him, and I knew I had to open my eyes. I had to see him, but it felt as though I was being pulled under by a current, one I couldn’t escape, one that kept pulling me further and further away. “I really need you to open your eyes and look at me. I can’t take it anymore. I feel like I’m drowning without you, please.” I could feel his hand in mine, the softness of our bed and the familiar cotton t-shirt that covered my bruised body.
“How is she, Boss?”I knew that voice, it was Red.
“I just need her to open her eyes. I didn’t imagine it being like this, Red. I thought our reunion would be anything but this.” His voice cracked as if he was close to tears, but he couldn’t be, could he? “It’s been two days, why hasn’t she woken up yet?”
“She’s a fighter, her body is just exhausted, but she’ll wake up when she’s ready.”
“If you say so.” He sounded so defeated, so low.
“What’s going on in that head of yours?” Red quizzed when Lorenzo didn’t reply.
“It’s my fault she’s this way. I let them take her from that car. I let them do this to her.”
“Don’t start with that shit. I don’t want to hear it! There was nothing you could do; you’ve done all you could to find her and now that she’s home, she’ll need you to be strong for her and get her through this!” Red always seemed to be the voice of reason, and I adored him for it.
“How are the prisoners?”
“Untouched until you say otherwise.”
