Dark Flame - (Liam Payne AU)

Ch. 11

Juliet POV:

I woke up in my room screaming, around 3 AM. It was dark, and I was covered in my own sweat. It tooke me  a second to realize that I had been crying. Liam came bolting through the door with a baseball bat about one minute later.

"Juliet?! Juliet!?" He yelled. He sat the bat down when he saw that I was in my bed and no one was trying to hurt me. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Just a bad dream.." I said. "I'm okay, honest. I can go to sleep now I think."

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"I think so. Could you talk to me until I fall asleep?" 

"Of course. What do you want to talk about?" 

"Anything.."

"Okay..what was your dream about?" He asked, shifting himself on the bed.

"Well, I used to have this boyfriend...we dated for a while and he was abusive."

"Greg?" 

"Yes...wait how did you know that?"

"Uh, keep going."

"Okay....well, he used to hit me, yeah? Like a lot..and I let him because I was so weak. I always had terrible nightmares every single night that he was going to kill me. Each time he would always get so close, and then I would wake up. Well, I quit having the nightmares after we broke up, but then a few weeks later, he began to threaten me. I was so scared, Liam. I thought I was going to die all the time. I wasn't ready to die yet. Well, then I began to have the nightmares again. Except, he always ended up killing me. Every. Single. Time." 

"Is that what your nightmare was about?" he asked.

"Yes, I know he is dead, but I feel un safe. The dream was awful. The only thing I can remember is the silver from the knife with my blood on it"

"Listen to me Juliet," he said, "you are safe. Nothing will hurt you while I'm around."

I smiled and then hugged him. "Thank you Liam, now will you explain to me what you said earlier?" 

"Of course..well, I sort of killed him. Actually, I had him killed. He had choked you so badly that I thought you wouldn't make it. My friend, however, is a certified nurse. He made sure you were okay. That's why you are here, though. Greg, you see, was kind of a right hand man to one of our rival leaders. He is out for blood, and you're the first one he wants."

"Is he the one that..."  I began.

"That what?" He interuppted.

"The one that took your sister." 

He sat there for a minute and bt his lip. "You know about Essie?" I shook my head yes. "Yeah, well, he didn't. His men did."

"Tell me about her, please."

"Well, Essie was only 4 years old, about to turn 5. She was taken once my mom had turned her back. My dad started the gang as revenge, and to find her. He never got either." 

"Do you think maybe she is out there."

"Maybe. She would only be about 20, and she wouldn't look the same. I do miss her a lot, but I have learned to go through life expecting the worst."

"That's not a very good outlook." 

"I'm very pessimistic."

"I know." I laughed. I put my hand on his. His face lit up. "Liam, please let me know if you ever need me. I'm sorry to keep you up like this, I really am."