naked without my weapon. It was in the bedroom
with Lori Ann, but I wasn’t about to leave that door to go get it.
“Il mio amante,” My lover. “I know you are in this
room. Come out now so that I can take you home. This is between us, and your
friends can’t save you.” His thickly accented Italian voice was just as slimy
sounding as you would imagine. The sound of footsteps behind us had Craig and
I turning to see Lori Ann moving toward the door. She still had her pajamas on
and didn’t hold her suitcase in her hand, which I was glad to see. I was
afraid she’d try to leave to protect Craig and me. I turned and walked the few
feet to stand in front of her as Craig walked closer to the door.
Cupping her face, I whispered, “Go back to bed, Legs. You’re
not going anywhere, and neither are we. He’ll leave.” I kissed her nose, and
she leaned her head on my shoulder as she stepped up next to my body. “Come
on. I’ll go with you.”
“Craig?”
“I got this,” he said. “Go get her settled.”
But before we could walk away, we heard The Italian say, “Lori
Ann, you have until the morning to say goodbye to these friends of yours. Do.
It. Johnny will be around to collect you at 8:00 am. You know you have no
choice.” What an arrogant prick! No. Fucking. Way.
Craig continued to watch for several long seconds as Lori
Ann and I just stood still. “He’s walking away. Shit, girl. Where did you
find this asshole?”
Lori Ann sighed, then rested her forehead against my chest. “I
swear to you he wasn’t like this until a year ago. Or maybe he was, but kept
it hidden. Hell, I don’t know anymore. All I know is he never hurt me, never
said a cross word to me until that night . Then, it was like he couldn’t
or didn’t want to go back to the Antonio I knew.”
“Well, we need to get out of here, but now isn’t the time.
Let’s try to get a few hours of sleep. You know he isn’t just going to
disappear and come back in the morning. He’ll have someone watching all the
entrances. So, what do we do?” I asked.
“Right. You two go sleep. I’ll stay up for a bit, think up
something, then wake you up so I can catch a few hours.”
“Sounds good.” I walked with Lori Ann back into the bedroom
and sat on the edge of the bed as she lay down. “Hey,” I said, placing my hand
on her cheek, “it’s gonna be okay.” She closed her eyes, took a deep breath,
and reached to cover my hand with hers. Had I not been watching closely, I
would’ve missed the subtle shake of her head. An intense heaviness settled in
my chest. She was considering that bastard’s words—considering going back.
Rage consumed me, and I had to walk away before I pushed back so hard she’d run
for sure. “I’ll be right back,” was all I could force out of my mouth as I
pushed off the bed.
Eyes shot open to look at me before, “Okay,” slipped from
her lips.
My fucking jaw felt like I was going to grind my teeth to
nubs as I made the twenty steps out of the bedroom and into the living room
with Craig. Glancing up from his computer, he asked, “What? You look like you’re
about to rip someone’s head off.”
“She’s fucking considering going back to him ! I saw
it on her face. She’s actually considering it! After we came all this way
here to help her. What. The. Hell.”
“Wait, are you sure?”
“Yes.” I raked my hands through my short hair and spewed
out a few more curse words. “I don’t even know that person in there.” I
whispered as I pointed to the bedroom.
“Just calm down. You know we aren’t letting her do that.
She can’t sneak past both of us to go back to him. Do you think it’s because
she’s trying to protect us?”
“Yes.”
“Well, calm your shit, then. That’s exactly the Lori Ann we
know.” Craig was right. She’d always been the ultimate
with Lori Ann, but I wasn’t about to leave that door to go get it.
“Il mio amante,” My lover. “I know you are in this
room. Come out now so that I can take you home. This is between us, and your
friends can’t save you.” His thickly accented Italian voice was just as slimy
sounding as you would imagine. The sound of footsteps behind us had Craig and
I turning to see Lori Ann moving toward the door. She still had her pajamas on
and didn’t hold her suitcase in her hand, which I was glad to see. I was
afraid she’d try to leave to protect Craig and me. I turned and walked the few
feet to stand in front of her as Craig walked closer to the door.
Cupping her face, I whispered, “Go back to bed, Legs. You’re
not going anywhere, and neither are we. He’ll leave.” I kissed her nose, and
she leaned her head on my shoulder as she stepped up next to my body. “Come
on. I’ll go with you.”
“Craig?”
“I got this,” he said. “Go get her settled.”
But before we could walk away, we heard The Italian say, “Lori
Ann, you have until the morning to say goodbye to these friends of yours. Do.
It. Johnny will be around to collect you at 8:00 am. You know you have no
choice.” What an arrogant prick! No. Fucking. Way.
Craig continued to watch for several long seconds as Lori
Ann and I just stood still. “He’s walking away. Shit, girl. Where did you
find this asshole?”
Lori Ann sighed, then rested her forehead against my chest. “I
swear to you he wasn’t like this until a year ago. Or maybe he was, but kept
it hidden. Hell, I don’t know anymore. All I know is he never hurt me, never
said a cross word to me until that night . Then, it was like he couldn’t
or didn’t want to go back to the Antonio I knew.”
“Well, we need to get out of here, but now isn’t the time.
Let’s try to get a few hours of sleep. You know he isn’t just going to
disappear and come back in the morning. He’ll have someone watching all the
entrances. So, what do we do?” I asked.
“Right. You two go sleep. I’ll stay up for a bit, think up
something, then wake you up so I can catch a few hours.”
“Sounds good.” I walked with Lori Ann back into the bedroom
and sat on the edge of the bed as she lay down. “Hey,” I said, placing my hand
on her cheek, “it’s gonna be okay.” She closed her eyes, took a deep breath,
and reached to cover my hand with hers. Had I not been watching closely, I
would’ve missed the subtle shake of her head. An intense heaviness settled in
my chest. She was considering that bastard’s words—considering going back.
Rage consumed me, and I had to walk away before I pushed back so hard she’d run
for sure. “I’ll be right back,” was all I could force out of my mouth as I
pushed off the bed.
Eyes shot open to look at me before, “Okay,” slipped from
her lips.
My fucking jaw felt like I was going to grind my teeth to
nubs as I made the twenty steps out of the bedroom and into the living room
with Craig. Glancing up from his computer, he asked, “What? You look like you’re
about to rip someone’s head off.”
“She’s fucking considering going back to him ! I saw
it on her face. She’s actually considering it! After we came all this way
here to help her. What. The. Hell.”
“Wait, are you sure?”
“Yes.” I raked my hands through my short hair and spewed
out a few more curse words. “I don’t even know that person in there.” I
whispered as I pointed to the bedroom.
“Just calm down. You know we aren’t letting her do that.
She can’t sneak past both of us to go back to him. Do you think it’s because
she’s trying to protect us?”
“Yes.”
“Well, calm your shit, then. That’s exactly the Lori Ann we
know.” Craig was right. She’d always been the ultimate
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