5. NIGHT PHONE CALL

The doctors arrived, a team of five, filling my room. None wasted time, all sorts of equipment as they observed me through and through. I just wanted to sleep, tucked on my stranger’s side as he stroked my arm softly. Too much had happened already. I did not need more people probing and touching my body. I did not even have the energy to speak so I just turned pale by each second.

I wanted everyone gone, everyone to just leave me alone except for one. There was only one person I wanted to hold me as I wept my heart out.

“Miss Ferraro, I am afraid to ask but I have to. While in captive, were you sexually assaulted?” One female doctor stepped up. The words bounced in my head, and suddenly I was back in the room with the man ripping away my underwear and touching my body. I felt so dirty, shrinking into my stranger even more whilst he wrapped his arms around me. I could hear his heart drum with such force, so much so his chest could do nothing but violently shake. My head shook, not only for myself but for him before he died right before me.

“Thank you, Miss Ferraro but we do need to observe you, it happens that sexually assaulted victims get scared to speak out. For your own health, can I please check so I can help you?” My head was buzzing. I did not want to be touched. I did not want them touching me in any way.

“Piccolino, ti hanno aggredito in quel modo?” Little one, did they assault you in that way?

The words were forced, hearing the pain as each word painfully escaped his lips. I wished for it all to just end, shaking my head quickly, not able to even speak.

“Can she check, it will be over soon?” A kiss was planted at the center of my head, my eyes closed. I knew I had no other option. All I could do was hold on harder then I nod my head. My legs were parted, shaking hard and I felt so drowsy. I had been given so many shots and pills after Mr. Stranger fed me some food which had been delivered at a point. Everything was mixing in, dragging me deeper to sleep yet each time I closed my eyes I could see myself pressed on the ground. I had never felt so scared, they could have done it to me, shuttered me so badly. There was nothing I was scared of than being sexually assaulted. It was a fear I carried from a very young age. Even thinking of it had tears burn. If Mr stranger had not gotten there in time, the worst would have happened. How could I have lived with myself?

My head shook, my eyes on fire as I tried to blink back the tears.

“I am done sir, ma’am. Miss Ferraro was not sexually assaulted as she has stated. Overall, there is no internal bleeding. There are a few fractures. Please stay in bed and take your medication.” The doctor stated. I did not care, I just wanted them all gone and when I heard the door close I could not help but sigh.

I could finally just let go. I could finally just drift away but even the darkness seemed to carry a memory of my nightmare.

The man holding me shifted lower into the bed wearing new boxer briefs his men had brought for him while a clean fresh suit hung by my arm chair. The feel of his skin just made everything better. My cheek was pressed on his bare chest with my whole body launched on his side. He shifted then I shifted to get comfortable, him my heat. The blanket was pulled up to bury us under. I wished the t-shirt I wore could disappear. I wanted to feel all of me on him. I wanted to feel every part of my body covered by his. My feet brushed against his legs up and down, feeling some hair there which I loved to no end. I could never snuggle close enough, needing more yet it was impossible for me to be any closer to him than I already was.

His fingers dug in my head and slowly gave my skull a massage. He kissed my hair and made me feel safe. He made me feel as if it was all right to close my eyes, chasing away my demons with the darkness not so scary anymore. His heart beat sang me to sleep, his scent calming and relaxing me down.

“Sleep little one, I am here,” he said out, just giving the last kick, his voice all I needed to drift away into nothingness.

***

My body was cold, shivering even with the blankets heavy on me. Something was wrong, shaking in my sleep with nothing but fear consuming me as my demons slowly crawled to me from the dead, bloodied with holes through their heads. A cry escaped, jerking from sleep with my body shooting up. I heaved out, sweat on my forehead as my eyes ran through the room. I had never seen such darkness. It crawled from the lowest and tallest corner of the room. I felt eyes on me, feeling as if someone was in one of the corners watching me. I felt as if someone hid in the bathroom and was about to jump out.

My body lowered back to my sheets, a cry very near.

He had left me. My stranger had left me alone.

I had never been so scared. What if the men who worked with my kidnappers came again to get me? I was suddenly hearing all the sounds around the house. It was so quiet which allowed me to hear the little creaks along the house, having my heart drum from my throat. My eyes kept running through the corners, waiting for someone to jump out. I shook so hard, fists clenched around the edge of the cover.

Why had he left? The tears peaked out.

I closed my eyes, not wanting to see it coming. I wished sleep could claim me again, begging it to come back and take me yet in that instance, a loud sound came blurring through the room. I jumped in fright, the scream left deep in my throat.

The room lit up, and my head turned to the side to see my phone which was not supposed to be there. I did not want to talk to anyone but just hearing someone’s voice would make me feel less alone.

I was scared to even grab the phone, finally deciding to risk it as I turned to grab the device. A name I had never seen on my phone, one I could not remember putting in was sprawled on my screen.

My heart drummed even harder, hope blossoming in my chest. I swiped the screen, my eyes wide open as if I was listening with them.

“Piccola.” Little one.

I sighed so loudly, never having been so happy to hear anyone’s voice.

“You left.” I accused, my voice, even I could barely recognize. I bit my lip, lowering back on the bed.

“I will never leave you, my love. I am always near, always there one way or another. Don’t be scared Amore mio.” He spoke, his voice and that strong Italian accent doing so many things to me. Mine was barely there, having left Italy when I was five. My mother left me with my father in Italy to go back to her home country in Eswatini. We never heard from her ever again.

“My driver and guard are there, along with a few men who had already been stationed to watch your house. Don’t worry my love, no one bad will ever even come near you again.” He said, me swallowing. I took the chance to slip from bed, my feet carrying me to the window and as said, Elio’s car was still in the driveway, his guard and driver outside. I could not see the others but I knew they were there.

A breath was let out.

“Go back to bed my love, you are safe.” His voice echoed as if he was underground.

I did not argue, my bare feet quickly tapping the floor as I slipped back in bed. I lay my head where he had lain his. It had little traces of him, inhaling and closing my eyes as I wrapped myself with the blanket. It was not the same without him, something evidently missing. My eyes trained to Mr. Bubbles but I did not want him. I wanted the man I had slept holding. Suddenly, my brain pitched in the memories of feeling arms wrap around me at night, images of skin I had never recalled before that night. I had so many questions but I was scared to ask them because then I would have to face the reality of the situation. I was in a bubble I did not want to burst. I wanted to continue being ignorant to the fact that he was watching me as we spoke even though he was not there which could only mean he had surveillance in my room.

A chill ran down my body, hugging myself tighter.

I could hear him pacing on the other end. He had tried to keep his voice low and gentle for me but I could just hear the anger slipping little by little. He seemed at the edge of insanity, sure he had been busy.

“Uhm…were you busy?” I asked, wanting to hear him speak again because only his voice made me feel better.

“When it comes to you, never.”

I bit my lower lip, feeling something in me melt. My heart drummed even faster for different reasons altogether. What could I say to that? I knew I should let him get back to his work but I just could not say bye.

My phone was lowered, seeing the time.

“But it’s so late Elio.” I said out like a child crying out in worry.

A hiss tore from him, my eyes wide. Maybe he was getting angrier that I was keeping him from his work and probing in his life.

“Say that again.” He literally rumbled out, hoarse, and raw. It was not a plea, it was a command. I felt myself tremble down to my toes which curled right after. He was at the very edge, just about to slip off. My brain was suddenly dumbfounded. I could not speak or think when he spoke to me like that, suddenly discovering new weaknesses as my breath got caught in my throat.

“Elio.” I whispered out, another hiss pulling from him.

“ Cosa mi fai amore mio?” What are you doing to me, my love? He rippled the words out and I never wanted him to speak anything besides Italian to me. I shifted in bed, suddenly so hot.

“Fuck, little one, it’s not the time.” He whispered out, me nodding my head. His voice got deeper, closing my eyes to try and see him pacing in a dim lit room underground while holding the phone, wearing his suit. The man was more than handsome. People like him did not exist in the world, seen by only a handful of people.

“Okay….. bye.” I said lowly, disappointed. I was sure I would begin shaking in fear as soon as he dropped the call. I did not want him to go. I wished he was right beside me, holding me, staring at me and kissing my head.

How crazy was that?

“Sleep tight Tesoro. I am watching, you are safe.”

“Okay, good night.”

“Sweet dreams amore mio.” He said back so sweetly I felt it run through my body. My heart was not taking it easy. The call was cut just like that, left clenching the phone in my hand. I lay in bed thinking of nothing but him yet as soon as I heard the creaking as if someone was slowly walking up the stairs, all colorful thoughts left my head. My eyes were wide. I stopped even breathing. The blankets were thrown wide open, rushing to the window and to my relief his men were still there. I knew they would come just from one scream yet I felt better standing near the window for them to hear me faster if anything happened. I watched the door handle only to jump as the phone in my hand rang again.

Shit. Elio had seen me.

“I am sorry.” I did not even know what I was apologizing for. I was keeping him from his work.

“Go to bed amore mio.”

I did not fight, he was there, he made me safe. I rushed to bed, quickly covering myself and not wanting to take a lot of his time. I decided to sleep on my belly. My head turned, getting comfortable.

“ I am in bed now, sorry, bye.” I said, sure he could see me but nonetheless said it.

“I will come over when I am done. Don’t drop. I will mute my side but I will hear you if anything happens. Is that okay?” He asked.

I froze. “Won’t I block incoming calls?” I asked then felt stupid after, it was two in the morning, who would call him?

“Don’t worry about that amore mio.” He said whilst I swallowed and nodded my head.

“Okay.” I said back.

“Good night little one.”

“Night Elio.” The hiss came right after and I could not help but giggle. I would call him by nothing else, I loved hearing that hiss from him.

“Lethu, don’t tempt me”

I clutched my legs so tightly and nearly groaned from my name passing his lips with that accent. His manner was rough and harsh yet there being this tenderness. He did not butcher my name as most did, he said it perfectly as if he had said it a million times before.

“Okay.” It was all I could afford, at a loss of breath.

His side of the line went silent, letting it be known he had muted me. I smiled, putting the call on loud speaker to lay the phone next to my head and close my eyes.

He was there, I was safe.