farfalla

XXXIV.

"Mia?" My name was in a whispered as I scrunched my face from the quiet voice. I shifted in my sheets and began to peel my eyes open as it was spoken again.

"Mia."

A figure stood over me as I scrambled to the opposite side of my bed. Heart rate accelerating I automatically became defensive over this unknown presence.

"Mia, it's me." The figure said in a familiar toned voice. My heart still racing I reeled back to make out the accent of the voice.

"Louis?" I questioned not believing at all what I was hearing. If it weren't Louis it sounded exactly like him.

"Baby!" Louis whispered to me as I came closer to him and collapsed in his arms. With my knees kneeling on the bed I wrapped my arms around his neck instantaneous once I heard the nickname.

Feeling his body contact once again brought me comfort after laying on this bed all alone. Harry and I hadn't talked for a few days unless it was completely necessary.

"What are you doing here?" I asked still holding onto him as if I were never going to let go.

Within the next few seconds, a sharp pinch was inflicted into the middle of my back. I flinched and slightly went to pull away from Louis. Instead of getting completely away from Louis I fell into his arms and let the unconscious engulf me without a choice. My eyes rolled back into my head while I limply fell into Louis with no other recollection.

+

"She's been a tough little one. Always slightly out of reach." A voice that sounded deep and raspy spoke. I was drowsy and everything was meaning together. Everything I was hearing was echoing in my head making it hard for me to understand what was going on.

"Harry?" I questioned incoherently and very quietly. I didn't know who was talking before me but I knew there were two men conversing.

"I've been chasing her for some time, haven't I, Princess?" My eyes peel open onto a brightly lit room that stung my retinas. Trying to focus my senses, my blood runs cold once I realize I strapped tightly in a straight jacket. My breathing becomes more restricted when I realize I am restrained. Looking up at the two voices that had been talking about me from what I understood, my nerves pricked my skin.

"Don't be afraid little Farfalla." The man with icy blue venomous eyes spoke to me. It sounded that of.... a wolf.

"Louis?" I darted my eyes to the other man, I was too afraid to put a face to a voice after all these years.

"Hey, baby." Louis greeted with a smirk more sinister then I had ever seen. He sounded different and everything about him seemed to have changed with a snap of his fingers.

"Why would you?" I was unable to come up with sentences as I racked my brain to figure out how Louis was wrapped up in this entire thing.

"Baby don't be upset, it won't be long now before we get to reunite you with your mum." The ends of Louis' lips curled up as I shook my head and tears of fear spilled.

"I thought you loved me." I was hysterical now from the paralyzing fear I was feeling. I was vulnerable and unable to move my arms from the bondage of this straight jacket.

"I know baby and I'm sorry I let that go on for so long. Unfortunately, you were worth a lot more than love." Louis states stroking my cheek and catching a few of my tears along the way.

"What do you mean?" I questioned with a pit in my stomach growing deeper and deeper.

"Mia baby, do you understand why everyone is after you?" Louis continues to stroke my cheek with his thumb.

I shook my head genuinely not sure about anything. I was kept in the dark most of my time under protection. Harry had told me multiple times to drop the subject.

"You are worth a lot of money to my friend Mr. Ashby here. You were worth a pretty penny to him and a lot of people out there are motivated by money Mia." I closed my eyes not able to look at Louis any longer.

The people that were after me were purely money hungry.

"Why you?" I croaked out in between breathy gasps.

"Mr. Ashby has been a close friend of mine and I thought I would do a favor for him since I value my friendships," Louis answered as I quickly turned my face away from him.

"He killed my mum! He's a murderer!" I shouted in a shaky afraid tone of voice. Looking back at the pair of eyes that had traced over me. He disgusted me just looking at the nicely dressed man, he breathed danger.

"Don't be so quick to jump to assumptions darling." The wolf from my childhood spoke to me. When he spoke the nightmares resurfaced and brought me back to a heightened state of fear.

"You killed her!" I shouted as I backed into the corner of the bright white shaded room.

"Louis, I think the little Farfalla is a bit stressed why don't you take her to distress and await further instruction?" Ashby instructed Louis as I backed further into the corner not liking where this was headed. I didn't know what his idea of distressing was but from where I stood, it wasn't good.

Heartbeat kicking against my chest I began to scream and thrash when Louis picked me up. I was limited in my movements since this jacket took away my mobility. I was defenseless and thought how useless my combat training was. I had learned those things to protect myself and now I was restrained in a jacket that took away ways to defend myself.

"Let me go!" I screamed out as Louis carried me to another bedroom that held a tub full of ice cubes. "Please don't put me in there." I shook my head frantically.

"Shhhhh...." Louis trailed as he lightly sunk me into the freezing bath of cold water and ice. My skin stung as the cool temperature set in, I trashed around doing what I could to keep in the heat.

"Harry!" I yelled out knowing that even though I was screaming for his help he wasn't anywhere near me. I didn't even know where I was.

"It burns!" I screamed with tears profusely running down my cheeks. The seconds felt more like minutes with each one passing. Minutes were feeling like hours and I was slowly being drained of energy. "It burns...."

My body was frozen after so long of not receiving any heat at all. My body heat was nonexistent as I began to sink further into the tub. My toes I saw were a purple under the clear liquid surrounding me. At a point my eyes began to close and I let myself fall and completely submerge my face into the icy water.

-October 28, 2016