Songs Unsung - Book One

Chapter Sixteen

Dedicated to lexiloo7 - For adding the story to her Library :)

"Candice?!" I moved closer to her, to move the hair from her face. "Ahh" she breathed as I brushed her cheek. I gasped as I saw that her face was covered in bruises. "What happened to you?" I shrieked, filled with fear and worry.

"Antonio" she breathed between sobs. Instantly, the hair stood up on my arms as goose bumps covered my skin. "He changed Annabelle. He would get so angry and..." she started sobbing more heavily.

"Shhh it's going to be okay. You're safe now" I said as I tried to comfort her.

"He's just... evil" she cried

I rubbed her legs as I tried to keep her calm. As though something snapped inside of her, she sat up to attention, stopped sobbing and wiped her tears.

"What is it? What's wrong?" I asked, still rubbing her legs

"I know you'll say 'I told you so'" she said firmly

"No Candice, of course not!" I soothed

"But I had nowhere else to go!" she wailed, tears falling steadily again "He found me everywhere. My home, work, the coffee shops and bars where I'd be with friends.. this was the only place I could think of that he wouldn't know"

"I'm happy you came here, but, how did you get in?" I questioned curiously. This building was tighter than Alcatraz. I couldn't even order pizza and have it delivered to my door without the Staff causing a showdown.

"I spoke with the Bell Boy" she sniffed. "I told him you would want me to be let inside".

"Oh" I replied "I'm happy you did, he did the right thing" I smiled

"But Antonio's men followed me here. After the Bell Boy let me in, I waited for you in the living room. Then, the doorbell rang. I thought it was the Bell Boy again.. but.." tears rushed down her face as she struggled to breathe between sobs.

"Shhhh shhhh it's okay, everything is okay" I pulled her close to cuddle her.

"I opened the door and it was forced open in my face. The next thing I know, Antonio's men are throwing me around and breaking everything in sight" she wiped her cheeks with her hand as she raised her eyes to meet mine "I'm so sorry Annabelle" she said with a frown.

"Don't give it another thought" I soothed "Just come here" I said pulling her into me once again whilst holding her head to my chest and rubbing her back. "Nothing is going to happen to you. I will keep you safe".

"Annabelle?" Candice asked whilst pulling her head away from my chest.

"Yeah?" I replied

"What did you think you were going to do with that?" she asked, pointing her eyes toward the perfumed aerosol can in my hand "Freshen someone to death?" a large smile developed over her face.

"I didn't have anything else okay?" I laughed, giving her a slight push on the arm. We locked eyes and instantly burst into fits of laughter. "Remind me never to hire you as my bodyguard" laughed Candice.

"I'd rather stick to my day job anyhow" I laughed.

A noise resembling someone stepping on broken glass came from the living room. Immediately, Candice and I stopped moving, holding our breath as our eyes widened in pure fear. I held my finger to Candice's lips and shook my head as though to tell her to not make a sound. The footsteps continued to get closer to the bedroom as we vibrated in fear. I held Candice close as I covered her face with my arms, pushing her to my chest. Petrified, I closed my eyes tight and waited for what would come next.