*Lucia*
He sensed me coming with the rope, but it was too late to duck as I wrapped it firmly around his neck. He wiggled, trying to turn the table, and sure, he was strong, but I didn’t want to give him the pleasure of seeing me weak or thinking he was stronger.
The light dimmed.
“How do you feel now?” I asked.
He was low, and his hand was on the rope. I held him tighter. If I allowed him to overpower me for just one moment, I didn’t know what he would do.
He stopped wiggling. “Having fun?” He asked. His hands were still on the rope. “You bet,” I responded. “You may have to tighten this rope to kill me,” he says, struggling a bit. I liked the fact that he was struggling.
“Okay, fun time is over,” he said. His hands moved to mine, and he pressed my hands. His grip was tight and solid. Then, one of his hands moved to the rope, and he easily moved it over his head.
I put up a fight. I wasn’t going to allow him to get away so easily. So, I quickly wrapped my hands around his neck. He was in front of me, his big body pressing into my breast and my arm hooked around his neck.
He hit me on my stomach with his elbow. Once.
Then again. I groaned. His brown hair pushed into my mouth. And again, I felt his elbow collide with my stomach. I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I released my grip on his neck. He turned and raised his hands to slap me, but I spat on his eyes before his hands could come down. “Bitch,” he chased.
The gown was my problem. I may be weak, but I wanted to put up a fight. I knew my chances of winning him in a fight were low, but I would try anyway.
I watched him wipe the spit off his eyes. His chest heaved up and down, and his teeth clenched tightly. “Did you think you could strangle me?” He asked.
He spat to the side. His eyes shone with anger. “But that was strong, I must commend,” he says. I raised my hand, setting a blow. He wanted to know how strong I was. That was why he had allowed me to hook the rope around his neck.
“And you think you got a chance with that gown you are wearing?” He asked me. One side of my lips curled up. “you think this would become an obstacle for me?” I stood straight, and before his eyes, I grabbed the dress slowly while maintaining eye contact with him.
“Then watch me,” I said.
I ripped the gown, tearing off the first layer, then the second and then the third. I felt a tug on my chest after I ripped everything to remain a gown which stopped on top of my knees. This was a gown Bruno picked. It was beautiful.
When I saw it that morning, I promised to keep it with me forever and maybe pass it to my daughter. I was never going to ditch it or throw it out, but here I was ripping it out.
Steve stared at me with a smirk.
I felt a hick in my breath, and I tried to push the pain away. I may never be able to wear another wedding gown. Wouldn’t it have been better to die in a dress Bruno picked? Was deciding to fight a wrong choice?
Different thoughts kept coming to mind.
I mentally kicked myself.
I would buy time. I am sure Bruno would come for me. He may be here already. I was sure of it. “You look happy seeing me rip the gown off. If I had known it would bring you this much joy, I’d have ripped it out a long time ago,” I said to Steve.
“Stupid,” that was his short reply.
I shrugged my shoulders. I looked down on myself. With the dress holding my laps together, I may be unable to fight him. “Do you think I should rip out a little more?” I asked him.
“Do you need help taking off the entire dress?” He asked.
I felt disgusted. He knew what he was doing. “I’ll pass,” I said.
I would fight in this. I dragged one leg back and set my blows, ready, waiting for him.
“Bring it on,” I challenged.
“I don’t fight girls,” he said.
“Don’t be a chicken, Steve; Sarah would not be pleased,” I said. I know I shouldn’t have said that. It would make him angry. But I couldn’t hold it in. Maybe I love to see him rile up.
“Don’t mention her name with those lips of yours,” he says.
“Come shut me up then,” I said. He charged forward. My heartbeat accelerated with every step he took.
When he got closer, I put my hands forward, “wait,” I said, and he did. He stopped. “Alright, you can hit me,” he then lifted a hand, ready to leave a blow on my face; I went down instinctively, avoiding the blow that would have dislocated my jaws.
I moved back. He was big, and I was small. I had an advantage. I could move faster and more easily. “Come on, idiot, is that all you have?” I asked, taunting him.
He walked to me. “Stay right there and don’t move if.” He said.
“You think I’m stupid?”
“Aren’t you?” He asked. I stopped putting two hands in front of me. The only way to beat a psycho was to be a psycho. “Let me catch my breath,” I said, placing one hand on my waist and the other on my chest.
“You think this is a joke?” He asked, looking all serious.
“This may be the last time I get to play; why won’t you let me? Don’t be a grumpy fool,” I chased.
“I like the fact that you have accepted your fate.” Said Steve taking a step forward. I raised a hand to stop him. “Don’t come closer for now,” I stood straight. “It’s not as if I have any other choice than accepting this fate of mine,” I said.
“But you know, I like it more when the prey are scared.” A pure nutcase.
“Of course, I am scared.” I held myself together. From the corner of my eyes, I saw a rat running across the room. I jumped into his hands, and the fool caught me, stopping me from falling.
My eyes opened, and I pushed him before taking five steps back. That was purely unintentional.
“See, even the room scares the shit out of me,” I said.
“You are wasting time,” he said and rushed towards me. He landed a blow on my face this time, and I couldn’t dodge it. It came too fast. I felt a sharp pain in my jaw.
He raised his leg to kick me, but I sucked easily this time and landed a blow on his face. He stopped, his face falling to the side, “What? Didn’t expect a girl’s blow to be so painful?”
“You are stronger than I thought.”
“Stop whining like a baby,” I said.
“So there’s no reason to go easy on you,” he straightened his neck before cracking it. “You call that blow easy?” I could still feel the pain in my jaws. My mouth had a mental taste. I spat to the side.
Blood.
“he rushed towards me, and before I knew it, his hands collided with my face. He is a strong opponent, but I will not give up. I was always sure to return his blow. But he seems to get stronger with every blow he receives.
“Wait, let me catch my breath,” I paused. He stopped. “What? Tired already?”
“Can we just end this already?”
“Why? Realized that you are no match for me?” He asked, his chest puffing out.
‘Bruno please come. I was losing my mind and I was really tired for real,’ I couldn’t concentrate anymore, and my stomach wasn’t settled too.
“I just…” I didn’t have time to complete my sentence as he was close to me in seconds. His hands wrapped around my neck, and he threw me to the wall. I fell with a thud. My body cracked with pain. I heard footsteps, and in less than three seconds, his hands were around my throat. He squeezed it.
My hands flew to his, holding his hands, wanting to stop him. “This… is how you suffocate someone,” he says. He seemed to be enjoying what he was doing. “Le…let me … go…o,” I struggled with my words as I fought for air. He lifted me from the floor.
“Now, this is what I want-fear,” “You psychopath,” I cursed.
“I am not disputing that fact. Let’s see who will save you now, but I’ll advise you to say your last prayers,” he said.
I closed my eyes. If Bruno doesn’t walk in through that door, this would be the end of it-the end of me.
~~~
*Bruno POV*
I flung the phone to the side. “Was that Steve?” Jason asked. I nodded.
He gritted his teeth. “Let’s get going; at least we know where he is,” I said. If only the fool knew I was one step ahead of him. I hurry out of the room with Jason following beside me.
Cold air hit my face through the window of the car which was wound down. I drove as fast as I could. Beating traffic and horning hysterically at any car in front of me. I don’t trust Steve. No matter how I threatened him, I doubted Lucia would be safe with him.
Three cars filled with men followed behind. I was glad Jason was with me. At least he knew the house and should know his way around. He had his men on the ground close to the house already. When we got closer, he made a call to his closest man. The one he called Micheal, who he praised to be very meticulous.
I pulled the car to the side when we got there. The three cars behind us pulled over too. I flung the door open like a madman and ran inside the house. The house was dark like it had not been inhabited for a long time.
Not a sign of light or any human around.
I took two steps forward but was soon stopped by Jason. “Wait, Rave should come out first; he is the only one who knows the way around,” he said.
“How about you? You spent some time here,”
“Well, I never knew I would need information on the house, I’d have a snoop around.” He said.
Rave came out from the side.
“Where is he?” I asked.
“There seems to be a house behind the forest. No one is in here,” he said.
“There’s a forest?” Jason and I asked in union before looking at each other. I shook my head at him. His man was meticulous, my ass. If I were to live anywhere other than my home, I was very sure Rave would start by carrying out his investigation on the house and its surroundings.
“Lead the way,” I ordered, and immediately, Rave began to walk down. We followed behind him, keeping our steps hurried but light.
It took over ten minutes to walk to the middle of the forest. I held my gun close and looked around. We all had to be alert. Rave pointed to the house some steps ahead. It was ignited. That was where Steve was holding Lucia.
Before we could go further, we were attacked.
We did all we could to defend. Rave and Jason cleared the way and covered me. I took the opportunity to run to the house. They’ll come over when they are done with the men, though that may take a while as the men keep pouring out of the forest as if they were planted there.
I opened the door, breaking it in the process, and what I saw almost took life away from me. Steve’s hands were wrapped around Lucia’s neck. I rushed there and kicked him to the side. Lucia fell to the ground, holding her neck.
“You are so dead,” I growled.