Chapter 11

The smell of pancakes roused her from her slumber, she stretched and rolled herself out of bed. She made her way into her bathroom running the shower. She jumped in the shower enjoying the feel of the water drumming against her skin. She scrubbed herself until she felt clean once again, finished up and went to change before heading down ready to gorge on some pancakes, she was starving.

She walked into the kitchen, breathing in the comforting scent of her mom's famous pancakes. "Hey sweetie" her mom greeted her as she took a seat at the table.

"Hey mom, it smells so good in here" she smiled, salivating as her mom placed a pile of fluffy pancakes in front of her, along with some honey, chocolate sauce and fresh fruit.

"Shame the boys are sleeping, they are totally missing out." Gemma stated around a mouthful of pancake.

"Mmhmm, I'll cook up something for when they wake up. They'll be starving." She fussed, taking a seat with her own plate of pancakes and tucking in.

They discussed what had happened whilst Gemma was in Santa Carla, the main focus of her moms questions being centred on her and David's relationship. She told her mom how he made her feel, leaving out their more x-rated encounters but she was sure from the look on her moms face she knew something more had happened between them.

The rest of the morning Gemma helped her mom around the house, she needed to keep busy to pass the time until she could finally be with David again, she missed him. She smiled at the warm feeling in her heart when she admitted to herself she missed him, she wondered if this is what love felt like?

It got to 5pm, just a few more hours until the boys would be up, her and her mom were sat watching a movie when their was a violent pounding on the door.

"Mrs Sandino are you home? I need to speak with you." She heard Angelo shout. Gemma looked at her mom in horror, did he know she was here? Her mother must have read the terror in her eyes as she held her close.

"Go and hide, I'm going to speak with him. I'll act surprised to see him without you, like I don't know what's going on." Her mother whispered.

Gemma shook her head, she didn't want to leave her mom alone with Angelo, she knew hoe dangerous he was. "I never play the mom card but right now I'm gonna. You listen to me now and go and hide." She urged in a sharp whisper. Gemma nodded dumbly, slowly creeping her way out of the living room and up the stairs. She crept into the quest room and into the closet, it was the biggest and was empty, it was the best spot she could think of. She pinned her ear against the door and listened.

She heard the front door opening and her mom greeting Angelo,

"Good evening Angelo, what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be with Gemma?" she asked imitating a worried tone.

She shuddered as she heard Angelo's voice, knowing he was only metres away made her skin crawl.

"We got separated, she was hanging around with some guys down in Santa Carla. She never came back to the motel, she won't answer my calls, have you heard from her?" she heard him reply sounding generally distressed, the bastard could win an Oscar she thought to herself sarcastically.

"What? Why haven't you called the police Angelo I told you to keep her safe! You're only just telling me now?" her mother mock panicked, in full actress mode.

"I thought she was just punishing me, we had a... a disagreement." He replied, anger edging its way into his voice.

"Oh I'm sorry Angelo but I haven't heard from her. I think we should call the police. I can't believe my daughter is missing" her mom stressed.

"Mrs Sandino we don't need to involve the police, I think we both know exactly where she is." he hissed.

"Angelo what are you talking about?" her mother asked him feigning ignorance.

"Nothing, I'll come by later." He told her.

"Oh okay." Her mom replied. "I'll need you to speak to the police."

Just as she heard Angelo agree and begin to leave a stray dust particle made its way up her nose causing her to sneeze loudly, banging her head against the door in the process. "Ah fuck" she hissed.

"You lied to me!" she heard Angelo growl as a scuffle broke out downstairs. She heard her mom shouting at him to leave then a loud thump as something slammed against a wall. She heard heavy footsteps making their way quickly up the stairs.

"Come out come out wherever you are." She heard Angelo snarl as he made his way down the hall. She covered her mouth trying to make as little noise as she could but she knew he'd find her, it was useless hiding.

She opened the closet door, making her way out into the hall, she peered down the stairs and her heart stopped. Her mother was slumped against the wall bleeding profusely from her head. She started to run down the stairs only to be tackled from behind, both her and Angelo hurtling down the stairs, crashing in a heap at the bottom. Pain shot from her ribs but adrenaline kept her going, trying to scurry out from underneath him and get to her mother.

She was almost out from under him when she felt his hand grip her ankle, twisting and flipping her onto her back. He climbed on top of her pinning her arms by her side with his legs. He slapped her hard across the face,

"You little bitch. When are you going to learn your place? You are mine, your little fuckboys aren't here to save you now." He sneered his eyes completely black were devoid of anything but hate and anger.

He pulled out rope from back pocket and quickly tied her ankles together, she tried to squirm and wriggle out of his paralyzing grip but he was much too strong, inhumanly strong. Next he pulled her arms from under his knees and bound them tightly, she winced as she felt the rope cutting into her flesh. As much as she wanted to scream she didn't want to give him the satisfaction, she knew that's what he wanted and no way was he going to get her to beg and plea.

All she could think about whilst Angelo rendered her unable to move was David and the fact he was only a few feet away from her in the basement. She wished he'd wake up but if the crashing and loud noises hadn't roused him nothing would. She remembered what Dwayne had told her back at the cave, something is going to happen to her but she shouldn't lose hope. Maybe this is what he saw in his vision? She just had to try her best to do what he said, maybe that was her only option.

She whimpered as Angelo picked her up, her ribs singing the ode of a painful torment. He carried her out to his waiting car, throwing her in the back seat where she cracked her head against the opposite door causing her to cry out in pain and shock which only served to make Angelo chuckle wickedly as he hopped in the driver's seat and slammed the door.

She had no idea in which direction they were heading but if her nightmare she had back at the cave was anything to go by she had an idea of where she'd end up and what was likely to happen. Hot tears rolled down her cheeks, she squeezed her eyes shut and tried to imagine she was with David back at the cave, nestled into his chest, breathing in his unique scent. The image just made her weep more, thoughts of never seeing him again made her heart ache, she had to survive, she needed to, she had to tell David she loved him too.