Craft II (The Craft Saga)

6 - The Visitor

After several more similar stops, and Ollie trusting me with the gun in my hand the whole time, we began the journey back to the factory. The dread washed over me as I began to recognise the way we had initially came when we'd left, knowing I was on my way back to my dingy cell to wait out the rest of my days until Roman decided it was time to kill me.

Sure enough when we got out of the car and headed to the doors, Karl gave Ollie a nod as he led me inside and immediately Karl was ready to lead me back to my cell.

'Thank you, Ollie,' I said, turning to the long-haired, blonde man I had just spent the day with and hoped for another with too. 'It was great to meet you.'

'You too, Cece,' he replied, smiling sideways as he took three steps backwards out of the door then walked away out of sight.

'Let's go,' Karl ordered, and we walked back to my cell where he let me inside and locked it behind me.

I immediately went and lay down on my bed, feeling slightly tired and my eyes drifted shut instantly.

Once again, I had the same terrifying recurring nightmare of my mother's death and woke up suddenly, sweating and breathing heavily. My neck was aching from the angle I'd been laying and I groaned as I sat up on the edge of the bed, wondering what time it was and hating that I'd lost track of it now that I had slept.

'Cece.' A soft, hesitant and familiar voice made me jump and my eyes moved straight to the bars of my cell where Junior was standing looking through at me.

'Oh my god,' I gasped, rushing to the bars to greet him. I clutched the bars in my hands and studied his face carefully. He didn't look mad or angry or like he was here with bad news. It was just so good to see his face. 'Junior, it's so good to see you, oh my god...why are you here?' Tears almost spilled onto my cheeks at the happiness of him being right in front of me. He had been so good to me during my time with the Cabreras.

'I don't know,' he replied, scrunching his nose in frustration as he shook his head, looked to the ground then back at me. 'I just have so many questions. I keep telling myself to forget them but they won't go away. I need to know!'

'I'll tell you anything you want to know,' I replied, clutching the bars tighter. 'Please ask me anything; I want to explain everything to you.'

'Is it true?' Junior asked me. 'Did your loyalties really turn to us or is that just an excuse?'

'Yes!' I cried. 'My brother assaulted me in the alleyway because he wanted me to come back and I didn't want to! Vinnie grabbed me that day we were out together and was going to force me to come home until I convinced him to let me go!'

Junior sighed and shook his head some more. 'I worry that I'm being foolish. I...I believe you but I know I shouldn't.'

'Just because Roman doesn't believe me doesn't mean you have to follow suit,' I told him. 'I know deep down Roman knows I'm telling the truth he just can't accept that I lied to him about who I was all that time. He can't accept that he let a Dagon into his inner circle and didn't see it right in front of him. He's battling with it but he knows I love him!'

'You love him?' Junior questioned, looking me in the eyes for the first time. 'You really love my cousin?'

'Yes!' I whispered, desperately. 'Although...I'm trying to stop. He hates me. I need to move on and get over these feelings I still have or it will just hurt forever. Or at least until I'm dead which I don't think is very far away.'

'He won't kill you,' Junior told me, his body slouching slightly. 'He couldn't do it. He still cares for you.'

'Did he tell you that?' I asked, hopefully.