Their Girl: The Hunt

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Looking up at Lorenzo I can see he's saying something to me but it's like I'm not even in the room anymore all I can hear is their screams. The way they're probably screaming begging him to stop. Pleading with him. But he won't stop I know he won't. And I can smell the mix of blood and burning flesh. It fills my nostrils like I'm back there, like I never left.

My head is spinning and before I know it I'm up and running towards the kitchen throwing up in the first thing I can find. Which unfortunately is the sink.

I try my hardest to breathe through it, try to bring my thoughts back to the present but it's useless every time I clear my mind the slightest bit it all comes rushing back to me.

Every hit, every slice. The feel of that curling iron. All that pain.

And then him. His breath. His grunts. The feel of him.

I can't breathe. I can't think. It's too much.

My head feels like I've been spinning in circles for hours and the dizziness suddenly hits me. My knees buckle beneath me and just as I go to lose grip on the counter a set of hands grip hold of me keeping me upright.

I don't know who it is and I don't have time to see before I'm vomiting again. A hand moves from my side and pulls my hair out of the way but it's too late I know it's covered in vomit. I try my hardest to groan a thank you but my stomach is churning too much. Who ever it is tries to talk to me and rubs my back to sooth me but I can't hear properly over the blood thumping in my ears.

All of this is too much. This whole day has been too much and I think my body is about ready to give out.

"Liss it's going to be okay" Freddie coo's and that's when I know it's him trying to soothe me.

Just as the nausea subsides I finally manage to pull my head out of the sink. Freddie pulls me into his arms and holds me there tight.

"Freddie don't I'll get sick on you" I groan as I try to pull myself away from him but he tightens his arms basically immobilising me.

"Liss I don't care about it" he says as he continues to stroke my back and I know he'd probably telling the truth. I somehow manage a slight smile but the fact I do makes it all come crashing down on me again.

"It's all my fault" I cry hiccuping on the words "they're dying because of me"

"No don't say that none of this is you're fault you can't blame yourself" Alec says from next to us. I look up to see he's joined us but Lorenzo is no where to be seen.

After a while I manage to calm myself down with the help of Alec and Freddie. We don't talk about it anymore they just comfort me and keep telling me everything is going to be okay. But Lorenzo isn't around, I don't even think he's in the Villa anymore and after a couple of hours we head up to the bedroom.

"I'm just going to shower" I mutter quietly and head into the bathroom closing the door behind me.

My eyes are burning from how much I've cried today and I don't even risk looking at myself in the mirror. I don't want to see that pain in my eyes. I can't.

After a long and burning hot shower when I step out of the bathroom Freddie and Alec are both waiting for me. None of us say a word to each other and really what is there to say? Im just thankful for the silence i need it right now and I think they understand that.

Always knowing exactly what I need and when.

I climb into the bed with them feeling the warmth of their bodies wash over me. I'm sandwiched so tight between them there's no chance I could move even if I wanted. Which I don't. Right here I'm safe. Safe with them.

For now.

Alec's gently stroking my arm with the lightest of touch whilst Freddie strokes my face. It's not like it was this morning, they're not touching me in any way that's sexual it's purely for comfort and the conversation from earlier really seems to finally set in. I think back over these past few months back to when I wouldn't even let them touch me. Even then they did nothing but look after me, not once was it about anything sexual. That's not the only thing they want from me and part of me has always known that.

But the conversation about the playroom and the punishments seems like so long ago now. I didn't even have chance to full comprehend what they'd said before everything came tumbling down around me.

They want a future with me. Because they love me.

That reassuring feeling mixed with the warmth of their bodies and the gently soothing strokes i feel myself melt into them and slowly drift off into sleep.

When I wake up a few hours later Freddie and Alec are both passed out in a deep sleep but as I look up at the ceiling I can tell the fire pit is blazing from how the flickers of orange are illuminating the bedroom.

Lorenzo is back from where he went and he's out there.

I manage to move myself out from in between the two of them without waking them up.

Heading downstairs and outside I spot him sitting by the fire pit just staring out into the distance a drink in one hand and a cigarette in the other.

"You know I really hate it when you smoke" I say from behind him which makes him jump a little. He was clearly lost in thought because nothing ever startles him.

He doesn't say anything back he just stubs the cigarette out so I take the seat next to him and lean myself against him.

It's pretty cold but the heat from the fire is taking the chill off and making it a little more bearable but it doesn't stop me from shivering. Which Lorenzo seems to notice because he finally puts his arm around me and pulls me into him sharing his warmth.

"I'm sorry I freaked out earlier" I mutter quietly as I sink myself into him but I'm unsure if he's even heard me he seems transfixed on whatever he's staring at. He can't be staring at anything in particular because it's pitch black over the ocean.

"You never have to apologise" he replies as he leans in and gently applies a kiss to the top of my head.

"You say that but I should probably apologise for throwing the shampoo bottle at your head" I feel the guilt wash over me. He always gets the worst of it when I'm like that, he's always the target for my frustration. Each and every time I hate myself for it after but he never holds it against me no matter how far I take it.

"You're aims definitely getting better" he halfheartedly chuckles. But it's not a real laugh. It's the kind you do in an attempt the lighten the looming dread that we can feel.

"Everything's going to be different where we're back isn't it" it's not a question more of a statement. There's a shift in the air, a shift they've known about this whole time.

He takes a deep breath and then sighs. "I don't know princess I really don't know" he lies and I can tell he's lying by how he goes rigid. I'm not going to question him on it though I know exactly why he's lying.

It's the same reason why he was so adamant on keeping this from me because he knows that Antonio's not going to stop until he gets to me. He's sick and twisted. His obsession means he will do anything and hurt whoever he has to until he gets to me.

I can tell he hates this, not knowing exactly what's coming. Not having a plan. That's why he's been so on edge and it's all starting to make sense now. Antonio isn't logical, his actions won't be calculated and that makes him so much more dangerous than he's ever been.

As much as I try not to think about him I saw that switch him, the switch from slightly logical where he had a plan and knew exactly what he was going to do. Then he became someone that terrified me because his only goal was inflicting as much pain on me as he could.

The reality is we have to go back to New York eventually we can't stay here forever and we have to figure out a way to deal with Antonio once and for all.

He has to die

A/N: As I've been away so long I thought I'd post another chapter :) hope you enjoy!