Never the Same

Chapter 28

I'm waiting. Patiently waiting for Nadia's return with Louisa. My eyes are locked on the space I know she will pull up in and the feeling I have inside is agonising. I don't know how Louisa is going to be with being taken away by a stranger. I'm hoping Luca has taught her to never speak to strangers and if a stranger tried to do anything, she'd run and scream for help. I hope he's taught her something like that because it'd draw attention to Nadia and she'd be caught for trying to snatch a minor.

"You can get the thought out of your head that you'll see her."

I feel a hot breath on my cheek and I know Terence is now next to me. His whole presence next to me is threatening and it's mainly because he knows the end is in sight for them. Getting Louisa is more or less the final piece of their plan. The last piece is escaping the country unnoticed which is going to go in their favour because they have money.

"She won't even know where she is when she gets here," he goes on. "All she'll see is a big house when she pulls up here and that's it. She won't be brought in here. She won't see any of this and that means she won't know you're here. No one knows you're here."

Tears fill my eyes at his words and I draw my lips in and bite down on them to stop them from trembling. No one knows I'm here. No one knows any of us are here and when everyone leaves, the chances of someone finding us is slimmer than it may have been if we had any hope left in us that we'd be found.

"She wouldn't want to see you like this if she even believed that you were here." He stops speaking and inhales deeply. "Not in your condition, anyway."

Condition? Other than being tied up to a post, cuts, bruises, numerous blows to the head, and a leg that's more than likely broken – I'm in better nick than I'd be expected to be in.

I dare myself to turn and look at him. The first thing I notice is the evil grin that's coming and going on his lips. The second is the darkness in his eyes. He's got something planned for me and it's about to happen.

He grabs me by my hair and pulls on it until I get to my feet. It's a struggle but I get there, somehow. I use the post to rest on and take a deep breath. Terence is in my face before I have a chance to breathe out, gripping my chin with his other hand.

"I never did get my own back on you after we left Greg's birthday dinner," he says, his grip on me getting tighter. "I think it's time we remedy that."

I watch him as he licks his lips then flashes me the evilest of smiles I've ever seen. He lets me go and delivers the first blow of a punch to the face. A second punch comes before a kick to the stomach has me doubling over and landing in a heap on the ground. I cry out and try to curl myself up into a ball as a way of trying to protect my baby but it doesn't stop him from delivering blow after blow to other parts of my body.

"Terence, leave her alone!" Allison screams but it's distant. "You sick twisted bastard! Leave her alone!!!"

Terence's wicked laugh mixed with the sound of car doors closing is the last thing I hear before giving in to the pain and darkness I so desperately need to put me out of my misery.

I wake with a start at feeling a small hand pushing my hair away from my face. Even moving the smallest of fractions to see who it is has me groaning in pain. I have the taste of blood in my mouth but I don't know how bad my injuries are and I don't think I want to know. I knew Terence would be capable of some things but not to this extent, anyway.

"Kaylee," a soft voice calls out to me, "are you okay?"

I manage to open my eyes ever so slightly to see a small child kneeling down next to me with a plush white teddy bear tucked under her arm. "Louisa." I try to focus on her but close my eyes back over. "You shouldn't be here. How-"