Pillow Talk

Dark Side part 2

"Okay, I got everything, even picked up a couple of clothes for her. You need to stop at the bank, I need one of those papers that Cece can sign so I can go back to the bank and empty her accounts." Roman glanced at Elena from the corner of his eyes as he drove out from the yard. She was talking scarily fast. Her left eye started swelling up, and her bottomlip had dried blood over it. She looked tiny in his leather jacket as she wrapped her arms around her middle. "You need to take me to the hospital then back to the bank or I can just take the bus. Do you have training? Never mind, I can go and do all of this."

"Elena, slow down," he commanded with a soft but firm tone. She needed to take a breath, literally because she was close to hyperventillating.

"I'll slow down when I made sure Cece is safe, has all her money and isn't going to crawl back on her hands and knees to... to that animal," she snapped at him with a glare. "If you don't wanna help then you don't have to, it isn't like..."

"Elena," he tried to cut her off but she just went on and Roman growled. He pulled the car to the side of the road before he turned to her. Normally, he'd have grabbed her by the jaw or hair but he didn't want to startle her or cause her any more pain. "Elena, look at me," he ordered with a tone, he knew she wouldn't be able to ignore. She turned her gaze to his face and his heart sank. With her big brown eyes she looked like a scared little deer, the swell now started taking up a deep purple colour and mixed with her now smudged dark smoky make up, it was a truly horrible sight. He really just wanted to go back and end that bastard for doing this to her. "You are crashing and in shock. I'm taking you home."

"I am not!" She exclaimed and wrapped her arms tight over her stomach. Roman closed his eyes and shook his head.

"Look at you, you are shaking like a leaf, and you talk gibberish..." Her entire body was trembling. Her legs shook up and down and he didn't miss how her nails dag into her palms. She was not well. How the hell could she be well?

"Every word I said makes sense, you know as well." Her gaze fell on his blood covered hands, the skin broke around his knuckles and her stomach turned uncomfortably again. They were lucky that Ramons hadn't wanted the police to be involved because it'd have put unnecessary obstacles in his way as well regarding his shady business plans. However, her father wasn't going to back off and let Cece get away like that. "You know what, I don't need you. I can walk," she stated and reached for the handle but Roman was faster and stepped on the gas pedal.

"Are you kidnapping me now?" She laughed without humour, her voice cracking as her teeth started chattering and he started up the heating.

"I'm taking care of you because clearly you're incapable of..."

"If only I went to the classes. Say it, I know you want to." The usual defiance was just a shadow in her voice now but for the first time since he'd known her, Roman was damn happy to hear it.

"I didn't want to say it." He sighed. She was driving him crazy. He thought about it but the last thing on his mind after seeing her under that bastard was to tell her 'I told you so'. He was just happy he'd gotten there in time.

"You didn't?" She snorted and tilted her head to the side to look at him.

"No. Believe it or not once I thought you were either dead or got raped, that was the last thing on my mind." She fell silent next to him, her gaze dropped to her lap. She ran her tongue over her lips and hissed quietly. That son of a bitch had really done a number on her. "Thank you," she said quietly and swallowed hard. If not for him... Don't go there, she thought and concentrated on her head pounding, and how her left eye pulsed like it wanted to jump out. She started feeling very tired as the trembling didn't want to stop. Roman was right, she was crashing.