Escape (N.H.)

Chapter Fifteen

Niall POV

" Son of a bitch." Groaning, I stretched out my stiff muscles.

Fuck, I felt like someone was bashing my head in with a hammer.

With another groan, I slowly squint my eyes open instantly making the throbbing in my head worse. Slowly sitting up, I take in the unfamiliar room in front of me, this sure as shît isn't my house, fuck if I managed to get kidnapped because I drank too much and couldn't defend myself I'm going to be fucking pissed.

No, I'm just being paranoid, I wouldn't be able to move if I were kidnapped. Nobody would be dumb enough to leave me unrestrained. Turning my head to the side, I rub my tired burning eyes, only now realizing my hand is touching a smaller familiar one. Scarlett's.

I definitely wasn't kidnapped, I must have just fallen asleep in Elius' room. I didn't realize how exhausted I really was after not more than an hour each night for the last four nights, between the voices and Scarlett not being around I hadn't been able to shut my brain off.

I still couldn't believe how much I let that kid stay at other peoples houses, knowing the only way I ever got any sleep was if she were with me. Despite how much I trusted my sister and knew she would do anything to protect Scarlett I couldn't help but be terrified and worried out of my mind when she stayed at anyone's house sometimes even my own.

But, despite the constant fear I had for Scarlett's safety, knowing the world I lived in she would always be a target, I wasn't unbearably worried when she asked night after night if she could stay at the guest house with Eli. Valeria had proven she would protect Scarlett without a second thought. I just missed her more and more each night that passed without her. I was so fucking attached to that kid.

With one last glance at Scarlett, I slowly got up from the chair, despite the protest in my stiff muscles.

I couldn't have been asleep very long, it was still dark outside, the full moon illuminating Elius' room.

God, I was enraged with myself, I knew how much of a chatterbox I was when I drank and yet I still came over here. I wasn't lying when I said Valeria was the only person that could get the voices to shut the fuck up.

I couldn't even explain why or how she was able to, all I knew that since that day, seeing her in that position with Angel changed something for the voices, they wanted to protect her the way I wanted to protect the people I cared most about.

If she wasn't where they could see her, where they knew she was safe, they freaked out, driving me fucking insane until I gave in and took them to her.

Mine were never really little whispers, they were always louder and present, but since her, they had become unbearable, I control I once had over them completely vanishing. And god, the silence that her presence alone brought was so fucking relaxing.

I knew I affected hers just as much though, I didn't even need to piss her off in order for hers to come out, my presence alone did that. Though, she didn't have that crazed look in her eyes when they did, instead she looked at peace with them.

Despite how much she managed to get my voices to shut the fuck up, I still felt like a complete fucking moron. My drunk brain didn't even hesitate to tell her all about Katia and what that stupid cunt did to me. I was just glad my stupid ass hadn't spoken of Vera, Harry was worse than me with Katia when it came to that woman.

I had barely spoken about Katia over the last five years, each time I did making me lash out in a rage and yet I told Valeria, calmly, even though it physically hurt to talk about that bitch, the only way I knew how to deal with the pain was to lash out and destroy everything in sight.