Chapter 6 Harlow
Harlow
It’d only been a few hours since Xavier took us, but the mental trauma was radiating off of Lizzy.
Five years versus five months meant a hell of a lot when it came to having thick skin with our shared trauma.
She was free, semi-healed from her nightmare, only to be dragged back into it because of me.
It was my fault she was in this situation.
If Caterina never took me, she would still be free and not in danger.
I would do whatever I needed to do to make sure Lizzy was safe.
She protected me before; now it was my turn to protect her.
I was scared, too, but I wanted to be strong for Lizzy.
I needed to protect her because she was a dead girl walking if she didn’t get out of this warehouse before Vincenzo came for me.
I rubbed her back as she sobbed in my lap.
Xavier was waiting for Vincenzo to come for me with another van to get Lizzy.
Apparently Vincenzo was busy showing his face and persuading clients to buy his women.
When Xavier mentioned Lizzy’s description to Vincenzo, they remembered who she was and planned on finishing what they started years ago.
She didn’t deserve to be trapped again. I was willing to go back and if I saved the people I cared about, I’d die happy doing it.
Xavier made me beg him to unchain our hands so I could comfort Lizzy because she was a mess. I would pay for it later, but dammit this girl was worth everything. And I needed to get her out of here.
“Lizzy, babe, I need you to breathe for me. Can you pick the lock to your chain? I know you can do it.”
Her bottom lip trembled. “I-I—”
“You’re going to get out of here. I have bobby pins in my hair you can use. Luca is smart. I know he taught you, and I know you’re scared.”
She nodded and I grabbed two from my hair.
I watched her fumble with them as she bent them as needed.
Having Xavier unbind our hands gave an advantage, and if she could do this, I knew I could find a way to distract Xavier.
He didn’t want her. She was convenient and a ploy to use against me to bend me to Xavier’s will until Vincenzo came for me.
Lizzy would die if Vincenzo took her from this warehouse.
The lock snapped open and Lizzy sobbed a sigh of relief. “Now you.”
I shook my head, but before I had a chance to speak, the metal door slammed open and Lizzy jumped.
I reassured her as Xavier’s heavy footsteps echoed through the warehouse.
Of all the people it could be, I was glad it was only him.
That was the first mistake Vincenzo made— Xavier played around too much.
I was scared of him, but I would be able to use his nonchalant attitude to my advantage and get Lizzy out of here.
I watched as he undid his belt with a wicked grin on his devious face.
“What are you willing to do to save her life?” he mocked. I glared at him in response. “I could just kill her,” he taunted.
“No,” I hissed. “What do you want? Blow job? To rape me again? Do whatever you want to me. Just leave her alone.”
“Harlow, n-no,” Lizzy mumbled loud enough for me to hear. I gave her a comforting squeeze. I knew exactly how I would get her out of here, but it would mean either I’d get hurt or he’d kill me. I didn’t want to leave Caterina, but I knew what I was about to do would piss Xavier off.
“It’s okay,” I reassured her. “Let me protect you this time.” I pulled her into me. She was free from her chains and he would be distracted. “When I do this, start easing towards the door and run when I tell you to. I’ll be okay,” I whispered. She tensed against me, but I felt her head nod.
I crawled towards him, the chain rattling behind me. Caterina would look for me, but he would hurt me in the process. All I cared about was my girl getting free.
“I missed this hot little mouth. Bite me and she’s dead.” He cocked his gun to prove a point. It wouldn’t be the first time I had a gun to my head while a man violated me. Lizzy sobbed harder behind me, and I hoped she wasn’t watching.
“Did I ever bite?” I snapped. “Besides, there’s not much to damage, anyways.” One thing I’d learned was men get angry when you insult their dick size. Apparently it damaged their masculinity, but men who had to rape women to get off weren’t men at all.
He hit me with the butt of the gun, enough to daze me and leave a cut, but not hard enough to knock me out.
With what I was going to do, I needed Lizzy to be ready to run.
Xavier was an idiot for being here without anyone else, but I could make this work.
If I was dead, at least I died protecting one of my friends.
I’d do anything for this girl, and if it meant sucking Xavier’s rancid cock, then so fucking be it.
I was not the same girl I was before, and I knew Caterina was looking for me. I only had to fight a little longer.
His fingers curled into my hair as he guided my face to him.
It wasn’t the first time I’d been forced to give blowjobs, and hopefully it was the last. I wanted to kill him.
Rage flowed through me like an inferno. I tasted freedom, fell in love, and finally lived for the first time in a decade, just for this rat bastard to take it all away from me.
No. He didn’t take anything from me— he just expedited his death sentence.
I sank my teeth into him until I tasted blood. He screamed bloody murder and I pulled away to yell, “Run!”
“Oh, you stupid fucking bitch.” He hit me again with the gun before firing, but thank God the doors slammed shut.
My girl did it. “You’ll regret this. Vincenzo wanted you alive; he didn’t say in what condition.
” He kicked me, landing a blow to my hip that he shot earlier, causing the wound to start bleeding again.
I grunted, falling to my side and curling into myself as he kicked me again and again.
There was a cracking sound, and I was positive some ribs might be broken.
When he finally finished rage kicking me, I slumped onto my back, taking a failed breath.
I hadn’t been beaten like that in a long time.
I looked at my handiwork, satisfied to see Xavier bleeding, and I smirked. Served him right.
“Can’t rape anyone now, bastard.”
He laughed maniacally. “I don’t need my cock to make you hurt.” He lifted his gun and fired. Scorching pain erupted in my right shoulder. My eyes grew wide as he knelt between my legs. I kicked with my good leg, but he still straddled me.
I shuddered, feeling the warm metal from the recent fire of the gun brush against me and braced for unwanted, painful penetration.
But then the doors to the warehouse flew open and another gunshot went off.
Xavier grunted, blood spraying my face as he slumped on top of me.
Pain erupted in my shoulder with his added weight, and I cried out.
I was trapped under him, but he was still alive, attempting to reach for his gun that was oddly positioned at my thighs.
If it were to go off, it would be agony.
There was yelling from an angel before Xavier was pulled off of me. He grunted when Caterina threw him to the ground and told Malachi and Alexi to lock him up in the basement for her to deal with later.
Our eyes met, and it felt like coming home after a vigorous snowstorm. She cradled me in her arms, and I winced at the pain radiating through my body. “Don’t yell at me; just kiss me.”
Without hesitation, she slammed her lips against mine, yet the kiss was soft, gentle, almost like a caress. “I am never letting you out of my sight, bellissima.” She pulled away and there was smeared blood on her face. I crinkled my nose.
“I got blood on you.”
“I don’t care.” She removed her jacket, pulling her shirt off and pressing it against my shoulder. I grunted, squeezing my eyes closed. “I know, baby. Deep breaths. Malachi, call Lena and put her on speaker.”
“Caterina, I don’t feel good…”
“Just hold on for a little longer, baby,” she reassured me. “Lena, I have Harlow. She was shot in the right shoulder and hip.”
Her voice started to distort. “Take her to the closest hospital. If you’re at the docks, Presbyterian is closest. I’ll make a call.”
“I want Dr. Emilia Morris. She owes me a favor, and it’s time she repays the family.”
“Cat,” I mumbled. She brushed my hair away from my face. “I-I l-love y-you.”