Chapter 8

I was back in my room. The bloodied dagger was on my bed, mocking me of the crime I never committed. 

The door creaked open and my dad walked in. He looked murderous. There was a large slash on his chest and he was bleeding profusely but at the same time, he approached me. He was holding another dagger. It was bloody too.

I cried and jumped off the bed as I begged him not to hurt me. But he was furious, mad. His eyes were red in anger as he lunged at me. A cry tore through my lips when he stabbed me in the stomach.

There was so much pain as blood oozed out. I tried to stop the bleeding but it was impossible. 

That wasn't it, my father continued to stab me as he yelled. "Murderer. Murderer. Murderer." And then he slit my throat with that sharp dagger.

An agonizing scream tore through my lips as he abruptly sat on the bed. My eyes misted as I tried to find the source of such a painful scream only to realize it was me screaming.

I immediately looked down and threw the sheets away from my body. There was no blood on me. I wasn't bleeding. 

The door burst open and Damon rushed in. His eyes, were wild as he looked around the room hysterically for any threats, and when he found none his eyes snapped to me.

They widened slightly, finding me in this disheveled state. I was sweating badly yet my whole body was cold.

He ran up to me and crouched down on the floor right beside the bed.

"It's okay." He said in his deep voice as he cupped my face in his large hands, I stared at him scared.

I could still feel my dad stabbing that dagger in my body.

“M...my dad..”

"Breath, Riley." He instructed me and imitated the act and I followed his action.

"Just like that breath." And I breathed in deeply trying to relax my nerves. 

"A..am I hurt? There was blood. D...dad tried to kill me." I stammered incoherent words while searching my body for any wound but there was none.

"You are not hurt. You are safe." He said gruffly while cupping my face softly. It was as if he was stopping himself from hugging me.

I nodded my head in understanding. "I... I'm fine." I told myself.

My breath hitched when he wiped the tears away from my cheeks. He was so close that I could inhale his musky manly scent that was soothing to me. I wanted to hug him and hide in his arms.

“You’re fine. I’m right here. I won’t let anyone hurt you.” He rasped and I blinked at him and nodded my head.

He stood to leave and my hand instantly grabbed his ring finger and little finger in my fist. “P...please don’t leave..” I pleaded, I didn’t want to be alone after that horrible nightmare, it was as if my dad would come out of nowhere and kill me.

He stared at my hand and then at me as I instantly let go of his hand. “I’ll be right back.” He said and left the room.

I took in deep breaths to stay calm, the door opened and he walked in holding a mug of hot chocolate in his hand.

My heart warmed up at his kind gesture when he forwarded it to me. No one has ever made something like this for me. Hell, no one even cared when I used to cry the whole night after the nightmare of my father beating me but this time the nightmare was different. He was killing me this time.

“Drink it, You’ll feel better.” He said softly.

I took the mug from him. "Thank you." My voice was so small but he heard it. Damon walked towards the couch as he sat on it. I quietly drank the extremely delicious hot chocolate and instantly I felt relaxed and calm. Once I was done he took the cup from me, our fingers touched making me gasp in surprise as I immediately pulled my hand back and looked down.

I think I saw him smiling at my act as he placed the cup on the side table. "Go to sleep Riley." He said softly and I quietly lay down. He was about to leave when I stopped him. “Please can you...uh.. sleep on the couch?” I requested and he smiled at me. “Why not? As you say, Angel.” He whispered and lay on the couch, literally more than half of his legs were dangling down the couch.

“Y..you should sleep on the bed, I will easily fit on the couch,” I said and he cocked his brow at me. “Are you mocking me for my massive build and height?” He inquired seriously and I gasped, horrified.

“No no, I would never, I just…” I was blabbering when he let out a low chortle. “I'm just messing with you. I’m fine here. Go to sleep.” He said softly and I smiled, laying down feeling safe with him in the room as sleep consumed me slowly.

Little did she know, his true identity would be revealed soon.