The Bodyguard's Claim {manxman}

TBC: Chapter Twelve

Dr. Nicca James Alfarone

"Nicca, it is okay." The lady with white hair smiled in my face as she rubbed my cheek, much like a mother would. "You must accept that this has to happen." She nodded and I shook my head. "B-But it's not real!" I yelled and she chuckled. "Everything you have seen and will see is all real." She walked away, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "You can't deny that you desire to be with Mikhail." She clicked her teeth and I ran a hand through my hair.

"But I can't!" I said once again.  "Knowing that he's, he's l-like that!" I groaned and the lady looked amused. "What's wrong with the way he is?" She asked. "You have no place to judge when you dated someone for two months, believing everything he said. Unlike him, Mikhail actually loves you." She stated, a sigh in her tone.

"Don't break his heart now or you'll cause a feud."

I turned and fidgeted, clenching the sheets for relief of my terrors. I was next submerged into a dark dream where I was reliving my worst nightmare. "NO!" I screamed as if I was a bystander on the side of the road, watching as the car that I was in with Adrian flew across and smacked dab right into a tree. I could see my body rising forward as it was consumed by fire, a terrifying numbness within me when I realized I couldn't move from my spot. I was stuck and it was as if I heard my voice but no one else could. My muscles had me frozen and all I could do was hope that someone could hear my echoes.  "GET UP!" I cried, reaching my hands as I saw myself in the truck, dying slowly. It was if there was fire around us and we were slowly burning to a crisp.

"COME ON!" I screamed once again, watching as I faded away. I was dying, in a world all alone and I felt myself on the brink of insanity. There was nothing left, nothing to consume. All I could see was Steve cackling madly as he folded his arms, staring at me. "You're nothing without me, Nicca." He pulled out a gun and aimed it towards me. "NOTHING!" HE roared in a demonic voice, firing a round of bullets through me. "NO!"

I woke and sat up as fast as a bolt of lightning. I turned my head wildly around me to see where I was placed, in my bed.  Nothing had changed except for the position that I was in. My blankets were pushed to the side and my pillow was now knocked onto the floor as if I had been wrestling with it for some time. I ran the backside of my hand across my forehead and removed it to see beads of sweat streaked across the surface. What had happened? I looked around the room in a disoriented mode as I realized I was breathing all too rapidly and I forced myself to take quick, even, and deep breaths. "You're okay, Nicca." I put a hand on my heart to still the beating but that was no solution.

"Damn it!" I cursed, panting as a pool of sweat laid beneath me. What the hell? "What's happening to me?!" I screeched, flinging myself over the side of the side of the bed, content that I didn't wear a shirt to bed. I looked over at the clock and it read, 3:31 AM. It was always around that time that I woke up after the incident occurred. I guess I was still afraid that it could happen again. I was still afraid to get into a car if it wasn't Mikhail's. He had earned my trust so easily and I knew he wouldn't jeopardize that.

But why was Steve in my dream? I had never had those type of dreams before, especially not ones where Steve shot me to death. Those hadn't started to happen until I saw that mark on his shoulder. It had to have meant something because you don't get things tattooed on yourself without a reason. I was a little afraid of him but I knew nothing would happen.

I mean it couldn't. Not with Mikhail around, right?

"I need a glass of water to calm myself down." I sighed, standing up. I was still a ball of nerves and I was still so scared. I ran a hand through my hair as I walked over to the door, opening it. I could see as I stepped out into the hall, that Mikhail's door across from me was slightly cracked. I peered in to see that his bed was untouched. "Mikhail?" I called out but I got no answer. I looked further down the hall to see that there was a small light on downstairs. I made my way towards it, wondering what Mikhail was doing up this early.