“Wasting fuckin’ time! Let’s go!”
Creed took one last look at me before returning to the violence that had always been his life. I understood it now more than ever. Everything he warned me about, all those times he pushed me away, his words repeating themselves over and over in my mind like a broken record.
I watched them leave with hooded eyes as they ascended back up the stairs, locking me in.
Where was I?
My grip tightened on my stomach, trying to steady the stabbing pain coursing throughout my entire abdomen. The pressure intensified with each second that passed, lying curled up on the concrete floor. Not only was my baby girl’s future hanging on the line, her daddy’s was too. Along with the man I couldn’t live without. All I could hear above were sounds of rapid gunfire, bodies hitting the floor with a thud, bullet casings littering the ground, and loud voices echoed in the air vents above, but I couldn’t make out what they were saying. My heart beat uncontrollably in my ears. Pounding against my chest, taking over every last inch of my body.
I don’t know how much time went by when I felt a sudden rush of warmth seep beneath my dress, in between my legs.
I sucked in air until there was none left for the taking. My lungs feeling as though they were collapsing. There were no more tears for me to shed, no more prayers for me to plea, there was nothing left but darkness.
I didn’t know how long I was out when my eyes flickered open. The pain returned with a vengeance as I was being carried away.
“Creed?” I softly spoke, blinking away the haze and tears. Willing my eyes to stay open. “Please... save... her...” was the last thing I said.
I swear I could hear Creed yelling, he was coming for me, closing the space that separated us. It’s only then that I realized the strong arms that were holding me weren’t familiar. They weren’t Creed’s.
I couldn’t fight.
I couldn’t move.
I couldn’t speak.
Everything just faded to black.
I jerked awake, sitting straight up in the bed gasping for air. Immediately gripping my head between my hands, noticing the blindfold was no longer in place. I closed my eyes, desperately trying to catch my bearings. The dizziness had washed over me. Where was I? Who had taken me? Creed and Noah never talked to me about the MC, why was I dragged into something that had nothing to do with me?
The questions were endless.
I protectively placed my arms around my baby girl, when the realization hit me like a ton of bricks, I didn’t feel any pain like I had before. It was gone, replaced by my body’s own drowsiness holding me down. How much time had gone by since they took me? Was my baby okay now?
Nothing made sense.
As if sensing my panic, she kicked making her presence known, and I breathed out a huge sigh of relief as I stared around the bedroom. Taking in my surroundings, thinking I would find the answers written on the walls or something. There were two black nightstands, one on each side of the bed with a lamp placed on top. A long dresser in the corner of the room, and a chair strategically placed by my bed as if someone had been sitting there, waiting for me to wake up.
An eerie feeling swept through my body, like a cold gush of water hitting my overly-frenzied skin. I swallowed hard, continuing to let my eyes wander. The black curtains were closed, keeping the light from shining through, making the room have a soft, dim glow. It was easier on my eyes to get accustomed to the brightness, and for some reason, I knew someone had done that on purpose.
There wasn’t anything hanging on the white walls other than the flat screen TV in front of my bed. The room was small, but not entirely unpleasant. Under any other circumstances, I probably would have loved it in here. It reminded me of a bed and breakfast I’d seen in movies.
I shook off the thoughts, peering down at the bed, feeling the plush fabric of the duvet comforter under my fingertips, and comfy sheets beneath me. Pushing through the lightheadedness, I guided my legs to hang off the side of the bed. Setting my feet on the cold wood floor, I slowly stood, holding onto the bed as I made my way toward the door. I knew it wouldn’t be open, but it didn’t hurt to at least try. I turned the knob back and forth, wiggling it and just as I presumed, it was locked. I made my way over to the window next. Pulling back the curtains, causing the vivid sunlight to shine in, assaulting my sensitive eyes.
The windows were locked as well, with steel bars secured all around them. There was no way in hell I was getting out of this room unless they allowed it. That realization was the hardest pill to swallow.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed another door slightly ajar. Making my way over to it, I slowly pushed it open, revealing an en suite bathroom. Complete with all the toiletries I would need, laid out on the counter. I didn’t think twice about it, I rushed in, roughly tearing through the cabinets and under the sink, needing to find anything I could use to protect myself.
It was fight or flight time, and I refused to be a victim in this situation. I had to try to save my life and most importantly the life of my unborn child. It wasn’t just me anymore. I had to protect her at any cost.
“Yes!” I breathed out when I found a pair of scissors behind the toilet paper.
They were a bit rusted and not as sharp as I would have wanted, but they would do. I securely placed them in the back pocket of my jeans, noticing for the first time that someone had changed my clothes. I was wearing a tan, wool sweater with a white tank top underneath it. My jeans fit perfectly, accommodating my swollen belly.
I abruptly stood up on trembling legs, confused by the turn of events. Taking a good hard look at myself in the mirror in front of me. Turning my head side to side preparing myself for the worst. To my surprise, there were no bruises on my face, neck, or chest. I ran my hands through my hair and took a closer look at my face. I was paler than usual, but I didn’t look any different than before. The fact that no one had harmed me was mind-blowing and too much for me to take in at that moment, but I continued to stare at the girl in the mirror.
Me.
I splashed some cold water on my face, brushed my teeth and took one last look at myself before I went back to bed. I couldn’t mentally or physically do a damn thing about the situation, but at least I was prepared to fight back when the time came.