Chapter 31
Shooting up from my position on the couch I wake with a start, but this time it isn’t the usual nightmares that plague my sleep. This time, something isn’t right, I can feel it in my gut and I trust my instincts wholly.
The living room is cloaked in darkness, the only light coming through the open curtains that I must have forgotten close when Eli left.
I steady my breathing for a moment, Lyla’s big brown eyes look at me with concern, maybe she’s feeling the same as me.
I can’t afford to second guess myself, and jump up from the couch, racing into the kitchen to find my phone and keys on the counter, then quickly run over to the front door and swing it open.
“Stay here and hold down the fort. I won’t be long.
” I tell Lyla whilst giving her head a quick scratch.
She tips her head to the side then lies back down on the couch.
“Good girl.” I praise, then leave the house, locking the door behind me.
Taking the porch steps two at a time I land on the gravel and start sprinting towards my truck, pressing the key fob to unlock it and throw myself inside.
Starting the engine, I high tail it out of the driveway and straight to Ana’s apartment, the tires skidding and spinning as the truck tries to keep up with my heavy foot on the accelerator.
The trees that line the outer edge of the land whizz past in the darkness, and start to disappear as I make my way into town.
My stomach’s in knots, like it’s being squeezed in a vice.
The moment I found out who Ana’s husband was I knew she wasn’t safe here, especially on her own and the dreadful feeling that I’m experiencing now is enough to confirm that.
My gut has never failed me before and I know it won’t fail me now.
It probably sounds stupid considering I’ve only known her for a couple of weeks but she doesn’t even realise how far she’s buried herself into my skin, into my life and I refuse to flush her out now.
So where Ana is concerned I’m going to trust my instincts and pray to whoever will listen that I’m wrong this time.
I speed through the empty streets, my hand gripping the steering wheel until the leather begins to creak under the pressure.
I only needed to follow Ana home once to completely memorise the path to take.
Making it to the edge of town in record time, I spin the truck down a quiet side street, the friction between the tires and the road causes a deafening squeal as I fire it down the road before pulling up in front of Ana’s building.
My chest heaves as I look through the windshield to find the lights on in her apartment, but I don’t see any movement.
Options fly through my mind at whether I should go up there to see if everything is alright, she could be absolutely fine and kick me out or, the worst could have happened.
Her psycho husband could have found her and taken her from me.
I decide to go with the latter and face the consequences later.
Jumping out of the truck and slamming the door behind me I sprint up the steps that lead to her building and push the door open, noting that it doesn’t even have a lock to keep people out.
The blinding lights flicker on as I make my way up the steps towards the second floor where I saw Ana’s lights on.
Pausing at the edge of the small hallway, noting only a couple of doors line the walls but only one of them is left open, the rest are shut tight.
Patting my back pocket I make sure my phone is still in there in case I need it and begin to take small, quiet steps into the hallway, silently putting one foot in front of the other until I reach the open door.
My anxiety peaks as I notice the lock of the door is smashed to pieces on the floor, fragments scattered all over.
My fight or flight instincts begin to kick in and I slowly push the door further open to reveal the utter chaos of a small living room.
If I didn’t know any better, I’d think a deadly bomb was let off in here.
An aching pain begins to bloom behind my eyes at what I’m seeing, my brows pulled tightly together as I try to piece everything together.
For all I know this might not even be Ana’s apartment and I’m just walking into a robbery scene.
Shards of glass crunch underneath my shoes as I walk past the small connected kitchen and into a short hallway that leads to a bathroom and a bedroom.
The dimly lit bathroom seems to be the only room that’s come out of this unscathed, so I turn towards the bedroom, the door slightly ajar, the scene quickly begins to unfold.
The bed is covered in scorch marks, a massive black hole in the centre where it’s been charred to a crisp, the sheets and mattress have melted right down to the springs.
Pushing the door further open my whole world comes crashing down, everything I could have feared is right there in front of me.
The sight of Ana’s lifeless body laying on the carpet has me running the short distance between us and falling to my knees, the carpet beneath her is soaked in blood, the dark liquid is still damp and shiny under the bedroom light.
I pull her heavy body into my arms, brushing the hair away from her ghostly pale face and grab my phone from my back pocket and dial the only person I know who will break every speed limit to get here.
“Eli! You need to help me! Ana’s.. Fuck!
She’s tried to commit suicide and there’s so much fucking blood!
” I beg and plead down the phone. He instantly tells me to send him the address, and I hear him through the phone shuffling around to get his stuff together.
Immediately, I hang up and fire Ana’s address off to Eli before putting my phone back in my pocket, pressing two fingers against Ana’s throat to feel for a pulse, I wait in agonising silence as a barely there beat pulses under my fingers.
Lifting my hand away from her neck, I bring it to her face and cup her jaw, giving her face a shake to wake her up.
“Ana, baby, please. You need to wake up.” Panic fires through my entire body when I don’t get any movement from her.
Please. Please. Please, wake up. Ana’s eyelids slightly open, showing the whites of her eyes and I shake her face harder this time, squeezing her limp body to my chest. “Ana! Talk to me. Fuck. Please, I’m begging you!
” I’ve never begged for anything in my life, but fuck, right now I’m pleading.
I keep her pale face in my hand as her eyelids flutter, her perfect mouth parting ever so slightly.
She begins to gain consciousness and panic starts to shake her body until she’s trying to pull away from me.
“Ricky! Please! Don’t hurt me! I promise I’ll be good!” She screams out at me, her arms flailing as she tries to claw away from my grasp. The refined agony that spreads across her features is enough to kill me where I stand.
“Ana, stop. Stop, it’s me-” She cuts me off by throwing herself around in a state of frenzy, wholeheartedly believing that I’m her husband. “Get away from me!”
Slipping my arms around her again, I keep her locked tightly against my chest, her blood covering my arms and soaking into my shirt as I cup the back of her head in my hand, bringing her tormented face into the crook of my neck, my lips grazing her ear.
“Mama, it’s me. It’s Dean. I’m not here to hurt you, I promise.
Ricky isn’t here.” I plead. “You’re safe and help is on the way, okay?
I’m gonna get you out of here and I’ll do everything in my power to make sure nothing happens to you.
” The tremors in her body begin to ease as she focuses on my voice, her heavy breathing starts to slow to a regular motion.
“I’m.. sorry, Dean. I’m so fucking sorry.
You don’t deserve any of this.” Ana’s harsh voice speaks into my neck and I instantly grind my teeth at her apology.
How badly does someone have to be treated to truly believe that they’re the problem, that they’re the ones who have caused the torment.
To the point where they believe they can no longer walk this world because of fear, hurt and anger.
White hot rage spreads like a wildfire over my skin.
I will be the end of Ricky De Rossi. I will personally deliver him to the gates of hell in bloodied and battered pieces, even if it kills me.
Dropping my face, I rest my chin on top of Ana’s head, inhaling her sweet scent.
“Don’t ever apologise to me baby. You haven’t done anything wrong and you don’t deserve this.” I breath heavily through my nose to will the anger away as I hear what I assume is Eli making his way into the apartment.
“Dean? You good?” He shouts out.
“Yeah man, we’re in here.” Eli’s footsteps start to get closer until his frame fills the doorway.
“Shit man. Let’s get her out of here.” I lift up from my knees and carry Ana in my arms, tucking her into my chest. “Her husband has been here, or one of his fucking goons has. The place is a mess.” I make my way down the short hallway constantly checking on Ana to see if she’s still breathing, Eli following closely behind me.