The Mafia's Bride (Book 2)

Chapter 14

I sat down on the bed, crossed my legs, bit my nails whilst my mind was in pure anguish; not sure what to think or say.  I stood up, got off the bed, walked from one corner to the other.  I ran my hand through my hair, it being caught by the floral crown; I took it off and threw it on the bed then ran my hands smoothly as my hair slid silkily in between my agile fingers.  I scratched my skull, bit my lip, until my head hurt and lip burned.  It all just came back, the rape, the beatings, the blood, the excuses, the shooting, the blood and those cold dark eyes staring at me.

The man's screams just triggered something in my head and I remembered my own screams as I bawled with 'him' forcing himself on me, beating me, the gun shot when they killed Ruby.  It was like I was reliving it again and I started to hyperventilate, gasping and gasping for air.  My chest rising and falling rapidly, my face burning, the room suddenly being too small and too hot.

I pat my way, hands waving in the air; feeling for something, anything, that could support my weight.  My legs wobbled, suddenly too weak to carry my weight.  I fell with a thud to the floor, hands on my chest, eyes red and watery from the tears wanting to fall through.  I was having an anxiety attack.  I had never had one before, I had no idea why suddenly it occurred but it felt like the world was ending, my soul departing from my body.  It was so scary and I was all alone.

You might wonder how I got in my room at the first place,  well,  Klaus left after telling his guards to feed the man to the sharks.  The guards that were guarding the room I was at from outside came in and asked me if I was ready to depart.  I was dazed really, I was functioning but not really functioning.   My feet carried me to my destination with an absent mind, I blinked and I was standing in my room, my mind not really comprehending what was going on.
As I lay on the floor I felt a voice calling my name, the person was persistent.  The next thing I know a glass of water was placed on my lips and I greedily gulped down the liquid and as I did so the voice was becoming clear and I suddenly could feel the soothing sensation as my back was being gently rubbed.

The glass was taken from my shaking hands and I find myself curling merely to the warm of this person.  Strong arms are wrapped around my body, tightly caging me and making me feel like I was in a safe place. I drown in the comfort of this stranger, my breathing decreases to a normal rate, my chest rising and falling less rapidly.  I feel safe, I feel warm. The stranger does not say a word, just merely holds me tight like I was something special, something delicate, something precious.

This stranger then rocked me back and forth like a mother rocks a baby in her arms. We stay like that for some time both drowning in our own thoughts, my lashes then start to falter, about to give way to sleep.  Who would blame me, it literally felt like I was in safe heaven.

My body was scooped and placed on the bed, the stranger then unfolds away leaving me bare.  My shoes are gently pulled from my feet, a throw-blanket is stretched to cover half of my body yet I still feel cold. The stranger stands by my bed and watches me for a couple of seconds or was it minutes; I do not know but what I knew was that when my eyes flickered open from their daze he was still there but then the stranger's  body starts turning and heading for the door. My mind tells me that I should not but I do not want to be alone so I summon all my strength and the words slip right from my lightly parted lips.

"Stay,"

  I do not know if the stranger heard me, I did not care what the stranger thought of me at that moment but I just did not want to be alone.  The world was a scary, brutal place and for this once I just wanted someone to lay next to.

Seconds turned into minutes and my heart sinks that this stranger did not hear me yet I cannot bring myself to utter another word.  My heart was bleeding and my body was cold. As I was about to drift to the world of dreams I felt the bed dip, hot breath on my neck, arms around my waist and my heart cannot help but jump in joy.  I feel secure and safe, even if it was just for a few minutes I would take what is given. The stranger closes every space in between our bodies, holding me close. I close my eyes in the arms of my stranger, the stranger that took me in when no one was there, the stranger that took care of me, the stranger that protected me.

My own stranger.