It's All About Us

Chapter 9: "You don't look high though."

Anna

"Did you really think running away was going to help you?"

That voice, which haunts me in my nightmares was here, just behind me. How was that possible though? I really thought I had imagined him yesterday in the car. But now...

I was just about to sit at the table when he had appeared behind me. And when I turned to look at him, the same beard face grinned down at me, his eyes glinting below his cap.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. What happened to your wrist, sweety? Broke it while running away? Man, how disappointed your mother will be, knowing how you can't even run properly."

I was afraid to look him in his face, and glanced around in hope if one of the boys are coming or something.

But I also didn't wanted the boys anywhere near this man.

"That was the last thing your Mum said to you, right?" He chuckled. "Run, Annie, run!"

I closed my eyes, the tears trying to escape. Deep down, I knew he will not do anything to me here, in public eye, but the way he was mocking Mum just broke me.

"So, to the main question, where did Lillian hide the evidence? You were the only one she must've told."

I opened my eyes, and blinked in confusion.

Evidence?

"Don't play dumb with me, kid." His voice was somewhat angry now. "Just remember, until my boss doesn't get the evidence, he will not let you live in peace. Do you understand?"

I clutched Oliver's phone tightly in my hand but didn't say anything.

"I asked, do you understand?"

He suddenly grabbed my chin, the action far from gentle, and all hell broke loose.

Logan was there next, pulling the man away from me and punching him square in the face.

I swear I heard a bone break.

Somebody turned me around, and pulled my head to their chest. I heard a dog bark but I concentrated on my breathing. Something my social worker had taught me when I first got a panic attack visiting my house.

"It's okay, kiddo. You're safe." Lucas' soothing voice reached my ears, as I tried to normalize my breathing. I could smell his cologne, something of a mixture between amberwood and cedar, which was calming me down. "Oli, hold her."

"Come here, baby." Oliver hugged me next, keeping my eyes shut against his chest too. He smelled of grapefruit, something I noticed when he hugged me the first day too, and started whispering in my ear. "You're okay, Anna. Breathe with me. The man is gone now, he ran away. Buster scared him away. We will go home now, okay? Travis will come to get us."

I shook my head, trying to forget the memory, but it was going to be hard because it hadn't even been 12 hours since the bearded man approached me.

Travis had come to pick us up, and the very first thing he did was to check if I was hurt in any way.

Oliver and Lucas had sat beside me in the car, as Logan continued keeping his distance. He sat in the passenger seat, silent and with Buster at his feet, but I had seen Travis glaring at him once.

I had fallen asleep on the way and woken up in my bed, hungrier than before and to some shouting. The noise had been coming from downstairs so I tiptoed there and stopped outside the living room.