Julia
Mario Deluca? You have got to be kidding me. How? I don't get it, it's too soon. My palms feel slick with sweat and I swear I could pass out at any moment but I try my best to hide it as much as I can, "Who?" I give him my best-confused face but I'm not sure if he believes any part of it.
He takes a step towards me as he tuts causing me to take a step towards his to keep him away from Nina. "Now, now Miss Willow. Are we really going to play this game? Yep, he's already got my number but I don't care, I'm going to keep playing it for as long as I can. I'm pretty sure that I'm not going to be able to convince him enough for him to leave but if I can distract him long enough then I can... well, I do not know what the fuck I'm going to do or how I'm going to get out of this but still, I have to try.
"I think you have the wrong person." His smirk only gets bigger and even more scarier. "Oh, you do, do you?" I nod while I try and calm my body but I can feel sweat starting to bead on my forehead and there will be no way of hiding that. "So your name isn't, Julia Willow? I shake my head as I take another step toward him. I'm now on the other side of the couch meaning that I'm now placed in between Nina and this guy and it makes me feel slightly better but not much.
He tilts his head to the side seeming to study me while I still try and hold myself together. He takes another step closer to me slowly making me panic, there are only a few more steps left between us before he'll close the gap, and aside from the fact that I do not want him that close to me, if he gets that close to me he'll see Nina and I can't let that happen. "I think your lying, baby girl and I gotta tell you, I don't take kindly to be lied to. So, with that being said shall we start again?
"I'm not lying." Within seconds he goes from looking like a psychopath to laughing so hard you'd swear that I had just told him the world's funniest joke. "Oh, baby girl, you're killing me." I scrunch up my nose at his apparent nickname while my stomach churns at the new look on his face. "My name is not baby girl."
"No? Then what is it?" He's challenging me and I'm going to play along. "Sally, sally-anne Anderson." I praise myself for my fast thinking. I was in school with a girl called Sally-anne but don't ask me why I thought of her name because I haven't got a clue. "You're creative, baby. The boss said that you are a fiery one but I don't think he realised just how much."
He has a sick grin on his face and I feel sick when I realize just how much he is enjoying this little game of his. Despite me trying my hardest he knows that I'm terrified right now and he's enjoying it. He takes another step towards me but because of the position that I need to be in to cover Nina I now find myself pressed up against the couch and there's barely any room between us.
"Look I don't know who your boss is but you have the wrong person and I want you to leave!" I raise my voice slightly but of course, it doesn't affect him in the slightest. "As much as I'm having fun with you playing this game baby girl, the boss has me on a time crunch, he's a killjoy like that so I need to get things wrapped up here Julia. So sweet girl we can do this the easy way or the hard way, ladies' choice."
"I don't know what you want from me. Is it money? Is that it? Because if you claim to know me just so you can rob me if that's the real reason why you are here then take a look around... You've picked the wrong house!" Yes, I'm clutching at straws here but I'm desperate.
His smirk is slowly fading and it's clear to see that I'm starting to piss him off which is the last thing that I want to do but what are my other options tell him he's right and that I know why he's here? No chance! He reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out a knife, it is long and sharp and I do not doubt that he is more than capable of using it. "It is your lucky day, Bella. I'm in a good mood so I'm going to give you one more chance and trust me not many people get that. So, let's try this again, shall we? What is your name, baby girl."
I'm sweating like a pig and not quite sure how I haven't passed out yet and even as I say my next words I already know that it's over... It's all over. "Sally-ann Anderson." He laughs and closes the last remaining step between us and I feel like my heart drops the moment that he looks behind me. "And there she is!" The next few moments go so fast that it's all a blur and I don't regain my focus until it's too late.
That bastard Reggie is standing on the other side of the sofa with my daughter in his arms while I'm being held back by god knows who. I don't even know where this guy came from but his hold is crushing and despite me using everything in me his hold is so strong that I can't even move an inch. "Momma, who's this?" I fight to hold back my tears but I can feel them lacing my eyes at the sight of my little girl in this man's arms, the knife still in his other hand and a threatening look on his face.
"Put my daughter down!" My fear is turning into rage and I'm struggling to control it. "No can do, Julia. You knew this day would come and as much as I'm impressed with how long you've managed to keep her hidden we both know that it wasn't going to last forever." Of course, I knew this but it's too soon. I mesmerized the date.. the date is seared into my brain and I've still got three weeks... three whole weeks so why now?
He starts laughing bringing me out of my trance and it only gets louder when I start trying to get free once more. The brute who's holding me brings me in tight to his body and I shiver with disgust when I feel his breath on my neck. "Unless you want the little girl to see you get hurt, I suggest you be a good little bitch and stay still." I stop straight away because as much as I want to fight right now I already know it's a losing battle which means that Nina will have to see me getting hurt and suffer those memories for nothing. There's no way I can fight my way out of here, there's no way I can win with these two so I need to be smart and figure out another way out of this hell.
"I've already told you that I do not know who you are or why you are here, if you want money then I have some, take it, I don't care but please just give me my little girl back." His smile widens as if he's having the time of his life making me want to take the knife off him and stab him in his smug face. I take a step forward but I'm instantly pulled straight back.
"You don't want to do that, Bella." I don't know what to do and it's breaking my heart, I just feel defeated. "Please, just give me back my daughter."
"Oh, Bella. Now come on. It's time to stop this game of yours and let us do our job. We both know that she belongs to Mario Deluca so here's what's going to happen. We are going to take this little cherub to her rightful owner and you can just run back to your little boyfriends and enjoy your life."
"Rightful owner? She's not a FUCKING DOG!" Any fear I had has now long gone! I'm mad... really mad! Wait, did he say boyfriend? "Boyfriend? What are you talking about?" He laughs that sickly laugh of his making my skin crawl. "Did you really think that the boss didn't know about him? He knows everything, Julia. Now as much as I've been enjoying this little chat of ours it's time for us to go so say bye-bye to Nina and we'll be on our way.
Panic sets back in because I know that my time is coming to an end here they are going to leave and I have no idea how I'm going to stop them so I go with the only thing that I have, I fight. I throw my head back in an attempt to hit the guy behind me but of course, I haven't actually seen the guy yet and fail to realize that he is at least a foot taller than me so by throwing my head back all I manage to achieve is a hit to his chest and to piss him off.
I grunt then cough when he hits me in my side instantly winding me but I don't give u up yet. I hear Nina start to call out to me and it breaks my heart, I didn't want to do this in front of her but it's all I have and yes, I already know that it's not going to make any difference but what else am I supposed to do... Just stand here and let them take my baby without a fight? Nope, not happening.
I kick my legs out kicking him but he starts laughing showing how poor my attempt really was. I've never been a fighter, I've seen enough of that growing up on the streets but even knowing that I'm going to fail, I still give it all I have. "Keep it up, bitch, and your daughter will see things that would make a full-grown man puke!"
I freeze at his words not doubting them for a second and he uses that moment to stop me completely as a sharp pain slams through my head and then my vision starts to get dotty before slowly going black. I call out Nina's name but then everything seems to fade away and there's only darkness...