Kingdom of Concrete (Nicholas Ruffilo/ Bad Omens)

5: Safe.

AUTHORS NOTE: I know there has been a few chapters posted today. Sorry for the spam! This will be the last chapter for the week, but I wanted to make it count! Thank you everyone for supporting this story. It does mean the world to me. 

~Gemma's POV: ~


"Gemma?" the voice said my name so worriedly. I took a step back towards Noah, readying myself to throw myself on top of him if anything were to happen as tears streamed down my face.
I will not break. I will not break. I will not break.
The mantra screamed in my head as tears slid down even into my blood I could taste. "Gemma. . ." the figure stepped forward, but I stepped back readying to grab the gun that was on Noah. Sensing that the figure shook their head, "wait!" the voice. . . I knew that—before I could see more, the mask slid from their face and the eyes looking back at me were the blue eyes I learned to admired for all those days, the blue eyes I missed dearly for the five weeks I was in that box. He had a beard now, and there were bags under his eyes like he hadn't slept in weeks but I knew his eyes anywhere, it was Nick.

"Nick" the words were barely a whisper as I felt my knees buckling underneath the weight, as if everything that happened to me was finally hitting me.

He raced towards me, the others cursing and following along as well. "Hey, hey look at me" he grabbed me as my knees slammed into the ground earning a sob of protest from me, "Gemma, look at me" I forced my gaze from the ground to him only to snap when I saw others rushing for Noah.

Not even thinking, I grabbed the gun from beside me as I scrambled back aiming. "Stop!" I yelled pointing the gun at the masked figures in front of me.

"Gemma relax!" Nicholas said, "take your fucking masks off!" he yelled at the two figures behind him, they stopped and did just that revealing Folio and Jolly as my lungs felt like they were on fire. "Is that Noah?" Nick asked pointing to the figure at my feet.

"He isn't dead, he's drugged" I tossed the gun down as Jolly and Folio rushed to Noah getting the helmet from him—I protected him from the crash but couldn't protect him from the same fate of the split lip and bloody nose. Nicholas made me look at him as Jolly and Folio grabbed Noah hauling him to the car carefully, "I didn't break. . . I didn't break" I repeated over and over.

Nodding he scooped me up not even caring I had blood on me, and I reeked from not being able to shower properly beyond using a water bottle. "Shh, you're in shock. . . Come on" I stayed silent as he buckled me into the backseat, Folio drove as Jolly was with Noah in the other car tending to him—I didn't know the other men, but I didn't question as we pulled up what appeared to be an area I never seen before.
Getting us out, Nicholas led the way as he opened what looked like a sewer lid and saw my confused look, "it's a tunnel system, not a sewer I promise" he kept his voice low.

Going down the ladder, I watched as they lowered Noah down carefully before leading us through the dark tunnel once more. The steel door at the end, Jolly slammed his fist on it in what seemed to be a secret code before it swung open blinding me with the light.
We all stepped inside, and I heard a sob from my right as I looked seeing Helen racing up the few steps, there were others down here too. "Oh my god!" she raced to Noah checking for a pulse, "oh my god, you guys got out" she sobbed looking over at me.

"We got out" I repeated in a monotone voice not fully believing it myself.
Helen slammed into me hugging me tightly before following Jolly down to what I would assume was somewhere for Noah to rest and get bandaged up.

"Come on, let's get you cleaned up" Nicholas said gently taking my hand in his. I didn't say anything, instead I followed him to a bathroom where he closed the door behind us, he turned on the water to let it warm up but looked at the scraps on my hands and the burst lip. "You are lucky you didn't get torn to shreds that much, back has a few good scraps but nothing too scary" he said as he helped me take off the suit I wore. "I am going to get you something to wear, I will be right back" nodding my head I heard him close the door behind him.

I was alone. . . It had been weeks since I was alone last, feeling like I was back in the glass box I took a few deep breaths trying to calm myself. He was coming back; he was in the same area as me. Jumping as the door opened, Nicholas gave me a soft look as he put the clothing down on the counter. "Come on, I'll help you get in the shower" he only removed the jump suit I wore, I stepped into the hot water wearing my underwear letting the warmth cascade down my body.
Watching the water below me turn red from the blood and grime I was covered in made me remember the beatings Ben did, the way my blood would be going down the drain in that room. Forcing my eyes shut, Nick applied soap to his hands as he scrubbed at my scalp, I hadn't even realized he joined me in here fully dressed. Leaning back into his embrace, he wrapped his arm around me holding me and I was glad he was, because feeling him had tears streaming down my cheeks as my knees gave out once more. "Gemma, hey, hey it's okay. . . You're safe" he said coming down to the floor of the tub with me. "We're safe here, I promise you" he said holding me, never once letting go.

"I... Ben was there" he shifted at the name. "He was hurting Noah, they were hurting him, so I told them to turn on me instead and" I gasped trying to find the air. Nick just held me as I was crumbling. "My father Nick. . . he killed my mom, he ordered Ben" he tensed at that as I let out a sob that scratched the back of my throat. "He was going to kill me tomorrow, Ben was going to kill me" I sobbed digging my nails into his arms.

"My moon, you're safe. . . You did it, you didn't break" he held me for a few more minutes, the only sound was the water that bounced from us and into the drain below.

Once I was clean enough, we turned the water off and I removed the underwear that was soaked and slid myself into something clean. I wore Nick's shirt judging by the size and a pair of sweats I knew were mine from his room.
He led us down a hall that was well lit, "Noah is resting for the night—Jolly is giving him an IV to help hydrate him more but we need to get some food in you, this is your room" he swung the door open.

"Can I stay with you" he looked at me a bit surprised, "I don't want to be alone. . . I want to be with you" my green eyes nearly begged him.

Nicholas nodded his head as he closed the door that would have been mine and led us across the hall to a room where it was clear it was his. "The room of yours, that was your mothers, but this will be ours" he said tossing the light on.

Stepping in I saw the room was filled with comic style art and a tattoo gun in the corner with inks waiting to be used. His bed was a double bed, which would mean him, and I were about to get close when nights came. "Thank you" I said taking a seat on the edge of the bed.

My body was still in shock, it felt like I was on autopilot trying my best to navigate everything that transpired the last five weeks. Laying my head on the pillow, I stared at the art that hung on his wall. Closing my eyes, it wasn't long until slumber overtook me.



~Nicholas's POV: ~


Holy shit. She was alive, Noah was alive. I watched as she rested for an hour before heading out into the main area—we had a bunker as our new base, Luna had designed it as backup in case anything were to happen. Jolly had already put locks on the internet so the only one on it was him as he would get to work trying to crack the files on the USB we now contained.
Helen looked exhausted as she tossed a bloody rag into the rubbish. "You look tired" I said slumping down at the table in the kitchen, beer in hand.

"So do you" she slid herself across from me. "I can't believe he is alive, I was so scared" Helen whispered, trying to wrap around the fact they were both alive and now with us.

"Me too. . . Noah should be alert within a few hours, you should get some sleep" it was nearing two in the morning now and the past five weeks have been hell for all of us.

She smiled tapping her fingers on the wood, "you too, Nick" I looked at her. "Gemma will be okay, she held on and that should mean something, give her time but remember to be gentle" she reminded me before heading towards hers and Noah's room for the night.

Five weeks without Gemma was hell, I would awake during the little sleep I had with the same dream of her falling off that bridge, the way she looked at me that night haunted me. It took everything in me to not go back to her fathers that night and start shooting who ever I saw on sight, not only to get justice for her but to make myself feel something because I truly thought I lost her.
Downing my beer, I tossed it into the trash before heading back to my room—Gemma was sound asleep, she looked as if she hadn't slept in weeks, laying in the bed beside her I covered her up with a blanket before dimming the light enough where it wouldn't bother her if she woke up.
What did they do to her?