His Dolly

17. Roberto... how could you?

As the door opened in front of him, Roberto froze to identify the intruder. He had already informed his men he was not to be disturbed. His face the usual show of stone, broke to relief as he recognised the man that stood before him. "I did not relise you were coming over." Roberto returned to his pacing. His mind could not rest after the night he had shared previously with Dolly. Although Dolly had begun to thaw to him. Finally asking for things she had wanted. Silly, mundane things like lasagne and brownies. But still it was a step in the right direction, she was finally beginning to let go of her fear. Through all of the good things that had happened last night, it was however marred by the scream that tore through her as she slept. Her tossing and turning, kicking and scratching at the invisible force that had been attacking her slumber. Out of everything it was the one thing that was now burned into his memories, the fear in her eyes as she awoke. As much as he tried to comfort her since the night that he had organised her taking, he was not delusional. Of course he must have frightened her. He knew that himself. Nothing he had done, or any the events that had been happening since her arrival, not even Lar attacking her had drawn so much fear into her eyes as whatever was haunting her in her nightmares. If it had been the first he had heard of this he would have said that the nightmare was reliving the attack from Lar. But he knew better. After all Matteo had warned him before they left the ship.

"There's something about her Roberto. Everytime I think of her I want to lock her away from this big bad world. But I fear maybe the big bad world has already taken it's toll on her. There is much about her past we do not know. She needs protection. She is so innocent, so afraid of what any attention maybe bring her. Once you mentioned her name in your message I suddenly found myself in the car on the way out here." Matteo laughed to himself at his own actions. Him of all people rushing to protect a girl. Matteo looked up to his best friend to see anger and and what he thought to be a hint of jealousy in his eyes. " And why do you, you feel this, need to be her protector?. I will look after her. I CAN protect her." His chest rose with each laboured breath. His eyes glaring into Matteo's soul as if he was one more word away from ripping his heart out. It took a moment or two before Matteo finally realised what he had done to bring out this beast in his usually carefree friend. "It's not like that Roberto. You know that. She is yours I would never do that to you. I should hope you of all people would know better of me. But yes I have grown a soft spot in my heart for the girl... Deep breath Roberto... More in a little sister kind of feelings. I do not want her to be mine but I feel like I would break the legs off of any man who hurt her." Matteo walked over to the bar at the side of Roberto's office. Picking up a glass, he started to look through all the bottles. " Since when do have a steady supply of Jamesons?" He turned looking for the answer. He looked back at his friend awaiting an answer. As Roberto shrugged in a not so elegant nor effortless way, Matteo suddenly realised when the sudden appearance of the Irish whiskey in the bar. "I take it back Roberto. Man or woman I would hurt anyone who harms her." Matteo took the glass he had just filled with the jameson and raised it in salute to his friend, throwing the contents of the glass back his throat. "Hmmm not bad."

"Tell me again Matteo. Tell me about that night."

"OK." Matteo nodded and moved across the room taking a seat in one of the armchairs near the fireplace across from Robertos desk. He waited for Roberto to join him on the other armchair. This would be a long evening. Roberto filled his own glass and started to make his way over to the fireplace before turning and grabbing the bottle to take with him.

"She had a nice place Roberto. Not to our standards but she made it her own. Mismatched furniture that screamed second hand but she had her own touches. She had one wall in each room that was was full of pictures. Not the the kind of ones that our families would put up. No posed portraits. No red tie ball outfits. They were more casual, more day to day. Like a random evening in the pub or a day out at a park. Pictures of snowball fights and drunken hugs and costume parties. Looking at these picture you could almost hear the laughter that was going on in side them... have patience Roberto let me explain why I am telling you this. I have been thinking about it since being there. I think it was almost as if she was trying to surround herself with happiness. Almost as if she was trying remind herself what it's like to be happy. We heard a lot of movement in one of the rooms, we assumed it to be hers. For a second... ha ha... I thought maybe she wasn't alone and I had no idea how i was gonna break the news to you. But when we went in I saw it was just her but she was kicking and punching at whatever was around her. It scared the hell out of Michael, poor boy has never seen anything like it. but he has only ever known of our privilaged kind.  She started screaming so I figured it was best to put her out before anyone heard the commotion. But once she was out I looked around her room. There was no furniture or anything around the bed. There was one bedside locker but it was shorter than the bed itself and nothing on it that may add height to it. As if it had some sort of purpose, like she knew not to injure herself in her sleep. Like no lamp, her alarm clock was on a dresser on the other side of her room. These nightmares aren't new. We are missing something in her past. Something she probably won't share either. She needs some one to look after her, protect her. I cant believe what happened with Lar. Roberto I know it must not have been easy seeing as that you and him had been friends for many years but I will say, you have made her world a little more safer and I think that might be what she needs."