Lisa's P.O. V.
Chris very reluctantly placed me back on my feet. His cold eyes met mine before he pulled me by the hand back to the door.
"Not a word Lisa, or it's going to be a lot worse," he warned me.
My mind was racing, trying to find an escape. Maybe I could pop my thumb out of its socket and slip my hand out of the cuff. I've seen them do that in movies, but this isn't a movie and I don't know that I can do that. Chris pushed me to the side so I wouldn't be seen when he opened the door. He plastered a fake smile on his face before he turned the doorknob and opened it, letting it the moonlight. Next thing I knew there was a fist in Chris' face hitting him so hard he fell back. It pulled at the cuff roughly as he dead weighed against it. I let out a yell of surprise, covering my mouth as Chris' eyes looked at me before they snapped back to the person at the door.
"You laid your hands on her again!" his voice boomed through the house in an accusatory tone.
Davis.
"Who do you think you just hit?!" Chris snapped, standing back up and eyeing Davis down.
"Lisa!" I heard Davis call me, not having spotted me yet. I pulled the door open more, immediately feeling safe as I laid eyes on him.
"Davis," I cried his name out as the emotions flooded out of me through my eyes.
He came to save me.
"I'm here now. I've got you. I shouldn't have let you go." He ignored Chris completely, taking a step towards me.
"You're going to regret this," Chris threatened, but Davis paid him no mind. He had frozen in place when he saw the cuff around my wrist. His fury turned on Chris again.
"Let me make something clear, boy." Davis' voice was low and threatening, sending a chill down my back even though it was not directed at me. "Lisa is now under my protection. You touch a single hair on her head again and I'll rip your arms off and beat you with them. You're a small man, running around with Daddy's money. You're not the only one with money around here, only I have the muscle to back me up."
As he spoke Carter entered the room along with Liv. My heart froze as I stared at the three of them side by side. I couldn't look away from Liv, her fiery hair tied up in a high bun with curls poking out in many directions. Her eyes were fixed on Chris in a deadly manner. As happy as I was to see them all, they shouldn't be here. This will only make things worse. My stomach twisted at the thought of Dad coming after Liv.
"You shouldn't be here." I shook my head, feeling the tears flow freely now. "He'll come after you and Abi."
This wasn't supposed to happen. Davis wasn't supposed to tell them.
"You promised," I looked at Davis.
"I kept my promise. I didn't tell Lucas."
Clever fox.
"Get out of my house before I call the cops!" Chris threatened, seemingly forgotten by all of us.
"And say what? You're literally handcuffed to her!" Liv yelled, gesturing with her hand to my wrist. "I can't stand men like you!"
Her eyes held a murderous intent as she stared down at him. Despite her shorter stature she seemed like a giant. She held so much power in that small body of hers.
"We're taking Lisa, and your sorry ass won't bother her again."
"If you do that, the contract will be broken. My dad will take half your company," Chris reminded me, making me grow pale. Dad would make all of our lives hell.
"No, don't," I begged.
"Send your friends away, Lisa. Stay here and I won't tell my dad anything."
"Lisa, don't. We can handle ourselves. You don't need to do this," Liv swore, but she doesn't know. She doesn't understand what Dad is like.
"You don't get it Liv. He'll take away your job. He'll come after your marriage and then he'll come after Abi. He'll take your house, your money, and your happiness."
"My happiness is Lucas and Abi and he can never take that from me."
"But he can, and he will. He'll place Abi in foster care when you have no place to stay. He'll annul your marriage to Lucas and probably send him overseas with the promise of leaving you alone. There's no getting out of this now that the contract is signed, Liv."
I shook my head feeling the tears flow out of me like a river. I wanted nothing more than to run out of this house with them. There's no going back now. I have to stay, and they have to go. My heart was breaking into a million tiny pieces inside my chest.
I have to send them away and accept whatever Chris is going to do to me.
"Lisa, I swear to God if you send us away and stay next to him I won't let you in my house again. I'm telling you flat out that we can take care of your Dad without you doing this. Trust me, Lisa. Stop being scared."
Liv was absolutely furious, but this time it was at me. It surprised me as I've never once seen her mad at me. She looked like she could slap me across the face for saying what I did. She kept those icy blue eyes fixed on me as if to show me she meant every word she said. She wouldn't let me see Abi again.
Maybe that's for the best.
Abi shouldn't be around me if I have to be with Chris. She shouldn't be around a weak woman like me. The only influence she should have should be Liv. I dropped my head, unable to stare into those eyes of hers any longer. I swore I would protect them, and this is the only way I can.
"You should go," I whispered, feeling myself break inside. I couldn't look at any of them as I spoke these words. My eyes were fixed on the floor before me.
"Damnit, Lisa. I thought you were smarter than this."
Her words stung, but I understood why she was so upset. She spent most of her childhood seeing her mom be abused. Then her dad's new girlfriend, who she helped escape, was beaten by him as well. Liv doesn't understand why a woman would choose to be with someone that hurts them in this way. She would never allow herself to be in a relationship like that. She helped me out the last time I was in an abusive relationship and told me if I ever got back with him again that she wouldn't help.
I'm going to lose her and Abi over this, but at least they will be safe. At least Dad won't be coming after them. They can all live happily in that house Lucas built for them. In the house straight out of a fairy tail with their love as bright as the sun. Their home will stay filled with love and warmth, making all this worth it.
"I'm not leaving without you," Davis' voice pulled my eyes from the ground. I stared at him longingly, wishing he could take me, but he can't.
"She made her choice. She told you to leave," Chris reminded him with a smug smirk.
Davis marched towards us. I was worried he would punch Chris again. If he keeps this up it will only make Chris hurt me more once they leave. I stepped in front of him, causing Davis to look at me like I stabbed him. His eyes softened when he noticed my tears multiply. He continued his way towards us until he grabbed the chain of the cuffs with his hands. I heard the snap of the chain, freeing me from Chris. Davis had broken the physical, and metaphorical, chain that bound me to Chris with nothing but his powerful hands.
"You're coming with me, and I don't want to hear a word otherwise," David told me sternly, lifting me up and throwing me over his shoulder.
He turned and punched Chris again for good measure. Just as Davis said earlier in the night, if he wanted me, Chris would be on the floor and I over his shoulder. He wanted me and he wasn't taking no for an answer. Liv smiled as she watched us leave, only she didn't follow. She turned and faced Chris with Carter.
"We'll handle this," Carter told Davis as he closed the front door behind us. I could see Chris' face pale with fear.
"Davis, what about Liv and her happy life? Dad will ruin it." I tried to get him to see reason.
"Your happiness is important, too."
I grew silent, hit by the weight of his words.
My happiness is important too.