"Your man isn't here to protect you now," Mason sneered. One minute, I was walking to my car from the dance studio, the next two strong arms gripped me and pulled me into an alley. "You thought you could run away from me, huh? Is that what you fucking thought?"
"Let me go," I said, gritting my teeth. "Leave me alone, I am done with you!"
He pushed me up against the bricks with so much force it almost knocked me out. "You selfish bitch! I got a funny way of showing it but I love you! You're mine!"
I squirmed in his grip, failing to get out. "This isn't love, this is torture," I spat back. "This isn't what I signed up for!"
His eyes pierced directly into mine, his grip getting tighter around my wrists, bending them up and back towards the wall. I winced in pain. "If I can't have you, no one can." He snarled. He pulled me forward, then banged my head against the wall, leaving me collapsing to the ground. Everything was fuzzy, fading in and out of consciousness. I looked up at him, weakly. He was holding a switchblade with an evil smile. I screamed at the top of my lungs, and didn't stop until he punctured my stomach.
***
Hands were shaking me awake, saying my name over and over. I opened my eyes to a very tired looking Tony. "Breathe, Brae, Breathe," he cooed.
I couldn't. I was hyperventilating and going into a full on anxiety attack. The room spun as my breaths got faster and shorter, choking for air. I could barely see, but I felt two arms wrap around me, causing me to jump. Once I realized it was Tony, I retreated into his embrace.
"It was just a dream, you're okay, you're okay, I'm here, you're okay. Breathe with me," he said, and I tried my best to copy his breathing.
After almost an hour I finally calmed down, and came to my senses. "It was a dream," I stated, still focusing on breathing deeply.
He ran a hand through my tangled curls. "I heard you screaming and came running in, I couldn't even get you to wake up for ten minutes," Tony said, rubbing small circles on my back.
I flinched when I heard a knock on the door, it creaking open. From the light in the hall, I could make out Vic's face, surrounded by messy curls. "Bad dream?" he asked, slowly walking towards the bed. I nodded. "I figured, I brought you some water," he said, setting a glass down on the bed side table. "Was it about?..." he trailed off.
I nodded. "He found me after work, he tried to kill me," I managed to get out, my voice hoarse. "Sorry for waking you guys..."
"It's okay," Tony whispered into my hair.
"Don't be sorry," Vic said. "Oh, baby, are you alright?" Vic always called me that, back in the day. 'Oh, baby.' or 'oh, darling,' he would say to me, most often in an over dramatic sing-songy voice.
I didn't say anything back, I just stared at the floor. I could feel the boys exchange glances.
"Well, we're always across the hall if you need us, try get some rest. If it helps, the security alarm is set so you'll know if anyone unwanted tries to get in. Goodnight," he said, walking slowly back to his room.
Tony was still rubbing my back. "Thank you," I breathed. "For everything."
"You don't have to thank me for anything," he whispered. "You okay?"
I nodded. He laid me back down on the bed, tucked me in and gave me a soft kiss on my forehead. "Get some rest, okay?"
He started walking away from my bed but then I stopped him. "Tone?" He turned around. "Stay with me?"
