Alex dug his fingers into my side, tickling me. "Tell me," he ordered, not letting up on the tickling.
I squirmed away but he held me fast.
"Nope you're not going anywhere, little girl. I asked you to spill the beans on which brother likes Disney movies and I intend to get an answer!"
He started using both hands to tickle me, one of each side of my body, his fingers digging up my ribs, into my armpits and up to the side of my neck under my ears where he obviously remembered I was the most ticklish. I squealed, laughed and wiggled, but I didn't tell.
So he moved to my feet. Ripping off my sock, he threw it on the floor and ran his knuckles up the sole of my foot. It was torture! He tucked my other foot under his knee so I couldn't get away and he held my ankle and tickled me mercilessly. I was laughing so hard I could barely draw breath. For a few blessed minutes I forgot about being sick.
But the torture was too much.
"Okay okay I'll tell you!" I squealed through my laughter.
Alex stopped his tickle assault on my foot but he kept a hold of my ankle, just in case. And when I took too long, he ran his nails up the length of my sole and I shrieked "it's Logan! Logan likes Disney movies!"
Alex looked smug. "Does he now? And how do you know that?"
I was silent for a moment, but Alex squeezed my ankle, a silent warning.
"Because we had a Disney movie marathon that day Damon spanked us both with the wooden spoon," I said quietly, sheepishly. I felt horrible now, betraying Logan like that.
"But you can't tell him I told you," I said. "Because I got him in trouble that day and he was still nice to me, and he watched movies with me all day." I turned to Alex and glared at him fiercely. "If you tell, I'm going to tell everyone you like Moana," I threatened.
Alex laughed and hugged me close. "You're such a sweetheart, Carrie-girl. Always thinking of others." He kissed my forehead tenderly. "Don't worry, I already know Logan likes Disney movies so I won't say anything. I was hoping you were going to say Rocco or Nick because then I really could have had some fun."
He winked slyly at me and then lowered his voice conspiratorially. "Tell you what. If you can get either Nick or Rocco to watch a Disney movie with you, and get them to admit to liking it, I'll take you to Disneyland. How does that sound?"
I bounced up and down excitedly and tugged on the sleeve of his t-shirt.
"Really? You would do that?"
Alex nodded. "Sure, why not? One day we'll probably take you to Disneyland anyway, but if you can get your brothers to admit to liking Disney movies first, it would be so much more fun."
I nodded seriously. It would be fun, Alex was right.
"How about Damon? What if I can get him to admit he likes Disney movies?"
Alex snorted. "That would take a miracle, Carrie-girl. But you're welcome to try."
Just then my stomach churned again and I knew I was going to be sick again. Alex recognised the signs and without a word he picked me up and carried me into the bathroom, placing me gently on the floor in front of the toilet.
Afterwards, he cleaned my face and carried me back to bed.
He made himself comfortable beside me again and we continued watching Moana.
The movie hadn't long finished when his phone buzzed in his back pocket and he fished it out, looking at the screen.
"Dominic is here. I'll go and let him in. I'll be back in a moment."
"No!" I begged, but it was too late, he was gone.
It wasn't long and I heard two sets of heavy footsteps coming up the stairs to my room. I cuddled right down in my bed and held the blankets tightly up to my chin. The last person I wanted to see right now was Dominic, even if he was a doctor helping me get better. There was something about him I didn't like. Something I couldn't put my finger on.
And then they both walked into the room, Alex first, with Dominic following slightly behind. Seeing him behind my brother like that, looking over his shoulder, told me where I'd first seen him; where I knew him from.
"You!" I yelled, terrified and angry all at once. "You were there that night! I'd never seen you before, but you were there that night, drinking, doing drugs with the rest of them. You were there when he put out his cigarette on my shoulder. It was you!" I scrabbled against the wall, trying to get as far away from him as I possibly could. Fear overwhelmed me. I could remember him in so much detail from that night and now here he was, right here in my bedroom. I had to get away.
"What are you talking about?" Alex asked me, sounding puzzled.
Dominic stepped forward, confident as anything, brushing aside my concerns. "You must be really sick, Carrie. You're delirious. Here, let me have a look at you."
I shook my head desperately. "Get away from me!" I screamed. "You were there that night! I remember you!"
Alex stood between us, looking from me to Dominic. At first, Dominic tried to deny it, and blame my fever for my 'faulty memory' but I knew it wasn't the fever causing my fear. It was him. I knew it with every cell of my being.
"You were there when my little sister was being harmed?" Alex snarled, his voice a low, dangerous growl. He advanced on Dominic threateningly, his entire body taut with fury.
Dominic put his hands up in front of him, his face pale. "I wasn't, I swear!"
"Yes you were!" I yelled. "I remember." I whispered that bit, and then dissolved into tears, but Alex didn't come to comfort me. He was too busy with Dominic, so I grabbed my teddy and clutched him to me, holding him close, the ragged stuffy that had been my only comfort, so familiar to me.
I watched, both terrified and proud as Alex knocked Dominic out with one punch, then dragged him from the room.
Alex didn't come back in. I was left all alone, just me and my teddy. I didn't turn Netflix back on; instead I sat on my bed, frozen in fear.
It was probably only about 15 minutes later when I heard footsteps running up the stairs and Jack burst into my room, closely followed by Logan. Jack swept me up in a hug and held me tightly. I clung to his neck, holding on to him with everything I had but he didn't hold me for very long. Instead, he tucked me back up in bed and brushed my hair back from my face.
"I'm sorry I have to leave you sweetheart, but I need to go and help Damon and Alex. Logan is going to stay with you right now, and I'll come back and see you as soon as I can, all right?"
I nodded dumbly. There didn't seem to be much else I could do, because he was already hurrying away, pulling the door closed behind him.
Logan climbed onto my bed beside me and grabbed the remote for my TV and flicked through a few movies. We finally decided on The Lion King. We settled back on my bed together and I snuggled in close to him, with my teddy hidden snugly under the covers.
"What's going on?" I asked Logan. "Why did Jack go so quickly? Why hasn't Alex been back since he knocked Dominic out in my room? Where is Damon and the others?"
Logan sighed. I could tell he really didn't want to have this conversation with me, but he probably knew that I wasn't going to give up. And I was also fairly sure he was under strict instructions not to leave me alone. So he couldn't get out of it, really.
"They're all in the left wing," he told me. "Damon is interrogating Dominic, finding out who else hurt you. Alex is helping him. Nick is working his magic on the computer, trying to trace people. Rocco and Jack are there too."
I shuddered. None of that sounded good.
"But why?" I asked.
Logan looked at me as if I was mad. "Do you really need to ask that question? Why do you think? They're going to get the people who hurt you," he told me simply. "And they're going to make sure noone ever hurts you again."
"But what about Dominic?"
"You don't have to worry about Dominic," Logan assured me. "He will never be coming near you again."
I turned away for a minute and pretended to watch the movie, but that day in the mall carpark lodged itself firmly in my head and wouldn't leave.
"Is Damon going to kill him?" I asked.
"I don't know," Logan said. He was lying, I could tell, but I accepted his answer. "That's something you'll have to ask him. All I know is you'll never have to worry about Dominic, or anyone else, ever again. And the people who hurt you will be made to pay."