Three Hearts Left Intact

Chapter 88: Heart Ache

Mallix took one step forwards nearly falling to his knees as the largest smile appeared on his red and sweaty face. He gulped harshly trying to keep tears from pooling out of his eyes. The kitchen was empty apart from one other.

Sat in the middle of the room was a woman covered in a light blanket from the waist down. Her hair was tangled and messy as some stood by itself in the air, while other parts hung in front of her face. From the glimpses Mallix caught of the woman between her hair, he could see her face was covered in blood. However, it didn't drip. The blood wasn't fresh or new but stained into her skin as deep blue bruises could be seen. Looking down he noticed her clothing was in shambles.

Part of her shirt was torn and ripped beyond repair as more stains of a red substance could be seen in patches. She didn't move nor flinch the entire time. Instead she just sat motionless looking into her lap anxiously. She got nervous hearing how forcefully the door was flung open and shut.

Mallix wobbled his way over to the woman as he tried to keep his balance. Grabbing her chin into his hands eagerly she nearly pulled away whimpering before peering up. Finally as they stared into one another's eyes everything in the room seemed to vanish. All they noticed was the way one another's eyes twinkled at the mere sight of the other.

"Lain..." Mallix whispered out in shock to finally see his wife again. Before she even had a chance to speak, Lain was pulled into a tight loving hug.

Mallix rested his head right above hers as he wrapped his arms securely around her back letting his held back tears come falling down. "I've missed you so much!" He dragged out as he pressed a long kiss on her head not giving one care about her messy look.

"I've missed you too..." he could hear her sobbing into his uniform as she threw her arms around his waist. "What's...what's going on?"

"I'm getting you out of here. And Kaila. We're all going home tonight." He said with absolute certainty. While he didn't hear a response he could feel her hold on him becoming stronger as a plead. It ached his heart to see how broken his wife had become.

Nothing could break up a moment like this. Finally having one of his girls back in his arms was a feeling indescribable. His heart was overfilled with joy and sorrow all at the same time. Having her back with him was one of the best moments he could have asked for, but seeing what a state she was in couldn't have been more devastating. He let more of his silent tears drop knowing that his constant fear of something terrible happening to them, was true.

Breathing in her natural scent Mallix pulled away brushing the lose hairs out of her face. "What did these monsters do to you?" His voice was filled with sorrow and hatred seeing the aftermath of their doing. On her cheek laid an outline of a rather large handprint with bruises scattered around.

"It doesn't matter. What matters is that your here now with me." She rested her forehead against his as they stared at one another's eyes. Looking long fully at her dark shimmering eyes he rushed over to a nearby sink grabbing a paper towel and soaking it in cold water.

He stood holding Lain's chin as he gently stroke the towel down her cheek taking away whatever filth he could. She squirmed slightly by the feeling of the cold water running along her skin, but with her husbands loving hold on her she knew she was safe. By the time he had moved it all over her, she was almost back to how he remembered. Aside from the remaining splatters of blood to the deep bruising, she was as clean.

By the time he was finished and throwing the towel to the side he noticed Lain shifting uncomfortably looking back down in her lap. "Hey babe what's wrong?" He comforted as he wrapped his arms around her.

"M-mallix...I-I'm...s-sorry." Lain started to sniffle between her words as she leaned further into his missed embrace.

He was calmly breathing as he tried to relax her before pulling out and giving her a long passionate kiss on the lips, which she didn't hesitate to return. "Don't you say sorry. You have absolutely nothing to be sorry about." He ran his thumbs over her cheekbones as he held her face softly. "I'm sorry it took me so long to get here."

He tried to go in for another hug but Lain pushed him away. He just stood confused as she frantically shook her head.

"No...no not that!" Her tears got worst as did her breathing. "Kaila!" She managed to get out between her sobs. "I...I wasn't there for her! I don't know where she is...or...or who has her! Or if she's even in this building at all!" Her face hid into her hands as she cried loudly ashamed of not being their to properly take care of their baby girl.

It broke Mallix to see her so in so much distress. Lain has always been there to help him through his dark times, now was his turn to repay that favor. "Babe stop, you did as much as you could for Kaila. Trust me she's here and she's well." He kneeled down to meet her eye level rubbing his hands reassuringly on her thighs.

"She...she is?" Lain sounded hopeful for the first time in days as her tear soaked face looked back at him.

"Yeah..." he chuckled with a small smile. "Yeah she's alright...and we're going to get her now. The both of us." He grabbed her hands not breaking eye contact.

"How did you even get in here?" She wiped away her tears on her upper arm cringing when it rubbed against her fresh bruises.

"Alex is here too. He's called in so many favors to make all this possible." Raising a suspicious eyebrow up he looked at his wife. "Weren't you escorted out of...uh, well wherever you were and brought here?" She silently nodded.

"That was Alex's doing, he made sure you were safely brought here so we could easily get to you." Her eyes were wide realizing their attention to detail.

"What about Kaila? Is she going to be here too?" Her eyes were even wider having hope that their little girl would soon be joining this wondrous moment.

But from the way her husband shifted on his knees looking down she knew that wasn't the case. "No, Kaila's somewhere else. But she's being guarded as well." Noticing the time on the oven behind Lain he saw ten minutes had already passed them by. "We've got to hurry though, we only have a little under an hour before their alarm system turns back on. If we don't get out on time both you and Kaila won't be able to leave because of this..." he pushed her hair over her shoulder revealing a tattoo on her neck.

Placing her hand over it she gulped fearing not her life, but for Kaila's. "Let's go then." She stood up weakly. Her entire body looked awful as she stood on her own. With the blanket gone he could clearly see she had lost a lot of weight and looked unhealthily pale, unlike her naturally flawless tan color.

Watching how she stepped forwards he saw the effects of how her body was holding up. The way she shook with every step crushed him. "Babe this isn't going to work." He grabbed a hold of her waist supporting her body, but was shoved away.

"No, I can do it. Like you said we've only got less than hour to get Kaila and then get out of here. I need to be able to support myself if we want to make it out on time." She said not with strength, but with the determination that filled her heart and soul.

He sighed knowing he wasn't going to win this argument and instead locked arms with her to help her continue on with him.

Slowly the two of them we're making ground close to the door when it suddenly bursted open as two Hounds ran in exhausted. As one fell to his hands and knees he heaved removing his mask, while the other pressed their back against the door roughly.
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Let me know what you think about Lain's return. Thanks Lexx signing off