I'm playing chess with my dad in the living room. He's teaching me how to play. I'm getting pretty good now, but he will never let me win.
I have to earn it, he says.
I've not beat him yet, but I will.
Mum is in the kitchen making us all some hot chocolate. It's around 8pm and it's quite cold outside. I think we are going to watch some new movie about vikings and dragons when she comes back.
"Derick darling, where's the cocoa power?" My mum asks from the kitchen.
"I think it's in the cupboard to the right, above the sink," he answers her, knocking my white bishop off the board in the process.
I frown up at him but it turns to a grin when I move one of my horses to take his castle.
He doesn't react just reaches to make his next move.
My head shoots up when I hear a bunch of cars screech into our drive. I hear a glass smash and look over to my mother who is frozen looking out the window to see who it is.
She takes a slow step back before snapping out of her trance and spinning around to us.
"Nirah you have to go in the hidden closet right now!" She says running over to me and cupping my face in her hands, "you don't come out of there whatever you hear alright baby?"
"Why mum, whats going on? Are you and dad going to be okay?" I ask shakily as she rushes me over to our hidden closet.
They told me to hide in it if there was an emergency, I dont know what they meant by that though. I guess it's what's happening now.
I get in the closet and she's outside it holding my hand, "We'll be fine my baby, you have to promise me to stay in here until either me or your dad gets you. You don't come out whatever you hear. Promise?" She says quickly, tears are running down her face.
I nod at her unable to talk.
"Me and your dad love you. You remember that darling, we love you so so so much," she says, before I can force any words out of my mouth she pushes the door shut.
I hear our door being kicked down and some footsteps walk inside.
"Derick, Annette. I hope you don't mind the intrusion," a deep voice says. "But I believe you owe me something and I want it, not to mention you've been causing some... problems for me."
"We don't owe you anything, get out of my fucking house," I hear my dad say. I can hear footsteps moving around.
I try to keep my sobs in so I can hear whats going on.
"Oh, no need to be so hostile, I'm just here to collect a little bit of dept Grey. But if you can't pay with money I'm sure you have something else..."
I hear a few bangs and shouting but I don't process what's said. After all the noice the multiple footsteps stop.
"Let us go, Get your hands off my wife!!" my dad shouts.
"I heard your daughter was quite the beauty grey, where is she? If you give her to me I'll let you both live," the same deep voice says.
"Shes 14 you sick fuck, you're not getting her," my mother sneers.
"Oooh come on now Annette. If you and her come with me I'll let you all live," I hear the same deep voice say.
I'm scared.
He knows me?
Who is he?
Is my mum and dad okay?
I'm scared.
I'm scared.
I'm scared.
"Don't fucking touch her!" I hear my dad scream.
"Last chance. Where. is. your. daughter?"
"You'll never get her!" My parents shout.
"It's really such a shame I have to kill you, such a pretty face," the man says.
I'm scared.
That's when I hear another car screech up to our house and one set of footsteps run through the door.
"Wait! Don't do this, please don't kill them. We will sort it out, don't kill them! I'll stay I promise," a female voice shouts.
I creak the door open a crack and I can just see whats happening in the living room.
There's a bunch of men surrounding my parents and they have them held down on their knees, I memerise a few of their faces.
My parents taught me to, I dont know why.
There's one man with a mask on. He's starting at the woman who just ran through the door.
"Get her to the car! NOW!" The man shouts. 3 men run up to the woman and grab her.
I know her.
It's my mums friend.
Mia.
I think mum and dad were going to help her and her son but I didn't hear much of that conversation, my mum told me to go to my room.
I've only met her a few times. How does she know this man?
The men drag her to the door, "PLEASE! Don't do this, you don't need to do this. They didn't do anything!" She shouts.
"SHUT UP! I'll deal with you at home," the man says as the woman is pulled out.
He walks over to my mother and harshly grabs her face.
"DON'T! GET YOUR-" my dad's screams are cut off by a gun shot. My mums body falls to the floor her blood staining the carpet.
My mum's dead.
I resist the urge to run to her and I put my hands over my mouth to contain my sobs. My vision blurs with tears.
"NO! no no no," my dad says trying to free himself but it's no use. Tears are streaming down his cheeks.
"You shouldn't have crossed me Derick," the man in the mask says before pointing the gun at my dad, he fires and my dad's blood splatters everywhere.
My dad's dead.
He killed them.
He killed my parents.
I bite on my hand to try stay silent and I can feel the metallic taste in my mouth after my skin is peirced with my teeth.
The man turns slightly and I see a large broach on his suit. It's gold with some red and black.
I close the door before he can see me.
"Go fucking find the daughter!" I hear the man shout to his men.
Footsteps scurry around for a long time but I don't take in anything that was said. My back sliding down the wall.
I can't breath.
It could have been hours or only minutes before everything went quitet, I can't tell.
"Nirah."
They're dead.
"Nirah!"
He killed my mum and dad.
I feel my body shaken, "Fucking wake up!"
I shoot up to a sitting position, my breathing is hard and rugged I can feel tears running down my cheeks. There's 2 strong arms holding either side of me.
Lucien.
"I need you to breath for me love, follow me. Deep breaths," he begins to take breaths holding onto my arms.
I try to copy him. He tells me I'm doing good and that it was just a nightmare. I'm safe.
After a couple minutes my breathing is nearly back to normal. My tears have stopped but my eyes still feel puffy and my face is wet.
The rooms still pretty dark, it must be the middle of the night sometime.
"You're okay now Nirah. You're safe baby," he says rubbing my tears away with his thumb.
He called me baby again. I like it when he says it.
I nod at him. He cups my face with one hand and continues gently rubbing his thumb over my cheek.
"He killed them," I say, my voice croaky.
"Your parents?" He asks.
I nod. Tears starting to spill from my eyes again.
I'm not usually this bad when I have nightmares, I think it's after seeing Brent and probably because we're meant to be catching Alexander Dean tomorrow, or today? I don't know what time it is.
"Who?" Lucien asks.
"The Silencer. He killed them," I sob. I wasn't meant to tell him that, but I can't stop myself I'm too out of it right now.
Luciens body goes rigid, "What?" He whispers.
"He killed them," I say again trying to control my tears.
"Come here love," Lucien says and he pulls me so I'm on top of him. His arms wrap around my waist as I straddle him. My head falls in the crook of his neck and I wrap my arms around him.
He's warm.
I feel safe with him.
"I'm sorry," he says to me.
"Not your fault," I manage to say.
The hand around my waist tightens and I feel his other hand come up to stroke the back of my head.
"I'm sorry, I don't know what's wrong with me lately," I cry into his chest. I've never broke down infront of anyone before and here I am doing it again with the man I'm meant to hate.
"Don't be sorry. There's nothing wrong with you, mi amore."
I don't know how long we stay like this for but I've calmed down now, I should probably move off him. This is embarrassing. But he's so comfortable and I feel calm in his arms.
"You need to get back to sleep love, you're safe now okay."
God this is so embarrassing.
I nod then go to move off of him but his hands tighten around me, "No stay. Please," he says.
I don't know why he wants me to stay close to him or why he's being so nice to me, but I need it right now. I wrap my arms around him again and squeeze up to him.
His hand gently stokes my head again and I eventually fall back asleep.
This time in Luciens arms.
A/N
My poor Nirah she's not had it easy :(
Who do you think that woman was they rushed in to try and stop the Silencer? Well... I literally told you her name was Mia butttt you know what I mean.
Thoughts or predictions? ---->