Chapter 41
Enzo
THAT HAD TO BE THE LONGEST FLIGHT OF MY LIFE.
We’re all packed in a rental. I’m driving like a maniac, racing to get to her, shaking my head while driving.
I should have fought harder to keep her.
I should never have let her leave the house.
I should have hunted her down, should have beat the shit out of Tony until he told me where she lives. I should have done it all differently.
My hands grip the steering wheel so tight, my knuckles turn white. A constant frown etched on my face. I look in the rearview mirror, my reflection is haggard, sunken eyes, dishevelled hair, unshaven… I’ve seen better days.
“We’ll get her back brother.”
I look at Tony and shake my head.
“I was such an asshole to her. I should have fought harder for her. I thought if I gave her space…”
“There’s no way you could have known.”
“I should have known. She was always vague about him, the marks on her wrists; I never pushed hard enough for her to open up to me. I was so content living in my fucking bubble, holding on to my past… I let my future slip away.” I keep my eyes on the road as I speak to my brother.
“I can’t lose her Tony… not like this.”
“Then step on the gas asshole. I’ll throw you a pity party later, but now we need to get my best friend back.”
I press down on the gas; eyes focussed on the horizon as we speed down the road.
Hang on baby, I’m coming.
We park a few doors down from the house. There’s no car in the driveway so I’m hoping he’s not home.
Evelyn makes her way to the front door while Tony and I circle the perimeter of the house. Everything seems quiet… too quiet.
Tony and I watch as Evelyn knocks and waits… nothing.
After a few attempts we decide its clear.
“Step back, I’ll kick the door in.”
“Wait!” We both move aside as she pushes her way through. She lifts a pot plant and fishes out a key.
“Elena always kept a spare under the flower pot just in case.”
The house is silent save for the soft hum of the fridge.
“Where would he keep her?”
“I’m guessing downstairs in the basement.”
“Which way?”
I move in the direction she pointed towards.
We make our way down a long hallway, walking in single file with Tony at the back and Evelyn between us both until we approach what Evelyn says is the basement door.
I reach for the doorknob and twist, surprised that it’s not locked.
Slowly, I push the door open, the wood creaks with the effort. It’s not bright in here but not dark either. I make out a landing and a set of stairs going down into nothing. Stepping inside I look over my shoulder at my calvary and nod before moving further into the space.
“Elena!” My voice is hoarse, almost choked. Scared to death that she’s not here or that she is here but not alive. All sorts of scenarios run through my mind of what she must have endured during the time it took us to realise she had been taken.
“Enzo?” Her voice is just as hoarse as mine but I heard her. Relief washes over me and my chest tightens with happiness. I barrel my way in, running down the steps two at a time.
“ELENA!” When I reach the bottom, I see her… beautiful, even now, in this godforsaken place.
“Oh my God, you found me.”
She starts to cry and runs towards me. I hold out my hands ready to receive her but she jerks back mid run and drops to the ground.
“What the fuck?”
I’m at her side in an instant. She’s chained to the bed. I only spare a second to look at the chains before I pull her into an embrace, holding her tight. She buries her head in my chest and cries, her body trembling with waves of anguish, relief. Despair.
I manage to pry myself away from her, running my hands over her body, looking for any sign of injury.
“Are you hurt?”
“N- No. I’m fine. He didn’t hurt me.”
“I’m going to kill that fucking bastard.”
She’s looking at me with such sadness, my stomach knots at the sight.
“You came for me.”
“Of course I came for you. I’m so sorry I didn’t come sooner. I’m so sorry for all of it, for everything.”
She nods her head and I pull her in again, holding her tight.
“I love you so much, I was so scared that I wouldn’t find you that you were…”
“I’m okay, and you’re here now but we have to go. He’ll be back any minute now.”
With that I let go of my girl and place her in the arms of her best friend. The two women cling to each other as Tony and I try to break the chains to set Elena free.
I scan the basement looking for something to break the chains when-
“Babe, I’m back. Did you miss me? I got you all your favourites.”
Tony and I exchange a look and nod at each other. We need to take him out.
“Evelyn! You and Elena stay down by the bed. Go now!” I whisper shout the now! when they remain standing, holding each other.
They both scramble to the corner and crouch down.
“Enzo, he has a gun.”
“What?”
“Matt; he has a gun, 9mm I think.”
“Fuck, okay stay down.”
Tony hides behind a stack of boxes and I make my way behind the staircase just as Matt appears at the door at the top of the stairs.
“I hope you’re hungry, I-”
Shit we left the door open.
“Elena? Who’s in there with you?”
I hear the metal being pulled back followed by the click of a round being loaded in the chamber. He’s ready to shoot.
He makes his way down the stairs one careful step at a time, gun in hand taking aim as he makes a sweep of the basement. He can’t see Elena from where he stands so he’s most likely uncertain as to whether she already escaped or not.
“Elena?”
He takes another step down. His feet aligned with my face under the staircase.
I should grab his ankle and let him fall.
I dismiss the idea on the off chance the gun goes off.
Instead, I wait for him to reach the bottom of the stairs, then I’ll take him out.
I just pray Elena and Evelyn stay hidden.
“Come out come out wherever you are.”
He takes another step down, scanning and sweeping with each step. Two more before he reaches the bottom.
“I know you’re in here. I can still smell your sweet scent.”
The bastard inhales, breathing her in. She’s mine… fucking mine. This piece of shit doesn’t deserve to breathe the same air as her.
“Come on baby, come out now, we can play later. I promise I’ll make you feel so good.”
That’s it, fuck the plan, I’m killing this fucker now.
I storm out from my hiding spot and deck the bastard in the nose before he has time to comprehend what’s going on.
Tony joins me and it’s all out battle. I swing at him low, my fist making contact with his side, a crunch and a low groan escapes his despicable mouth as he doubles over losing his grip, dropping the gun to the floor.
Tony grabs it and secures the weapon in his waistband while I take the opportunity to land a punch to his gut.
As he leans forward in agony, I bring my knee up to his face.
Blood spurts from his mouth, thick, dark, oozing… glorious.
I look back to see Tony making his way to the ladies with a sledgehammer he found in one of the boxes.
There’s a heavy thud as Matt drops to the floor on his side, blood spilling from his mouth as he heaves and coughs.
I grab him by the shirt and yank him up so he’s eye level with me.
“I should fucking kill you for what you did, but I’ll let the authorities deal with you. Know this, if you ever come near Elena, or any of us again, I will give you a slow painful death, I’ll pull out your teeth, chop you up to pieces and throw your body on a pig farm. There’ll be no trace of you.”
I shove him away from me and let him fall on the hard concrete like the piece of filth he is.
I turn away from him and go to my girl. Evelyn moves away to help Tony with the chains, pulling it taught as Tony pounds at it.
I kneel on the floor and take Elena in my arms again holding her close to me.
Her warmth engulfing me, I pull her closer savouring the moment, Matt all but forgotten on the floor in a pile of battered flesh.
“I’ll never let you go, never again. I promise.”
She snuggles closer to me, her arms around my neck, her chin resting on my shoulder.
“Thank you for saving me.”
I bury my face in her hair and breathe in her scent. I’m too lost in her, too taken by her warmth. It’s the closest I’ve gotten to her since she left. I’m lost in this woman, drowning in the feelings overwhelming me, drunk on everything she’s unlocked inside me. I don’t even hear him say it.
“You’ll never live to have her.”
My eyes are still closed basking in all things Elena when I’m violently shoved aside and her blood curdling scream brings me back to reality.
“Noooooooooo!”
I fall to the left as the gun goes off. The low whistle of metal whizzing past me…
inches away. Shock hits me as I realise what just happened.
A second bang echoes through the basement.
He must have had another gun somewhere. Chaos follows.
Tony is on him in seconds, effectively rendering him unconscious.
Elena scrambles towards Evelyn who pulls her into a protective embrace and I make my way to help my brother secure Matt until the police arrive.
We’re tying the bastard to the staircase banister; it’s unlikely he’ll regain consciousness any time soon.
My heart clenches at the sound of Evelyn’s panicked voice.
“NO! No no no no no no. ELENA!”
And just like that my world comes to a stop.