CPOV

I didn't want to think of that as an option, but I couldn't ignore it, because the way I found Ana only drove the nail into the coffin. No matter how much I want to deny that she wouldn't have fallen victim to such harassment, the evidence is mounting: her torn and tattered clothing, the rope burns on her hands, bruises all over her body, fucking fingerprints, the lacerations on her side, and fucking cuts on her thighs. She struggled, that's evident. My brave Anastasia fought.

"I don't know Elliot," I gritted out.

"It looks bad bro," he sighed.

"Do you think that I don't know that?" I snap back.

"Sorry, bro."

The rest of the drive home was in complete silence except for random rustling, I don't fucking care, but heads will roll for what they did to Ana, raped or not. If I find out that they had any connections to this…. I will not stop until they know that I was the one who took their lives.

As Ana's body laid close to me I could see the faint rise of her chest, this alone brought me some sort of comfort but that was short-liived. We were soon escorted out of the car and brought to the elevator. I was torn, I wanted to know what happened to her, but I know that I will have to let her go until they figure out what's wrong. I clench my fists as I held her limp body in my arms. Once we arrived at the penthouse, my parents with our doctor greeted us solemnly.

"Oh, Christian, is she okay?" My mother cried out.

I shake my head and walk past them, heading straight to our bedroom.

"Christian, maybe we should keep her in the spare bedroom while we clean her up. Then when we've finished we can take her back to your room," mom offered.

"Yeah, that's fine," I replied monotonously. I placed her in the middle of the bed, where my mother shooed me away so she could check up on her.

"Can you do a rape kit?" I ask quietly. Her eyes darted to me and filled with tears, she nods and gives me a tight hug. "But only you okay ma? I don't want Rick to touch her like that."

"Yes," my mother agreed.

I nodded and collapsed in a chair; I couldn't deal with it. My father eventually came in and patted me in the arm and handed me a drink.

"Good job, son," he said quietly.

I raised my eyebrow at him, "She still got fucking hurt."

"It could have been much worse, just think about that."

"I know," I groaned and ran my hands through my hair.

"Christian, you have a visitor," Elliot interrupted us.

"Who is it?" I ask, standing up and smiling weakly at my mother. She nods her head at me as we exit the room.

"Carrick, Christian," a broken voice greets me. Fuck. Vincent Luciano.

"What fuck are you doing here?" I spat out.

"My daughter was kidnapped," he seethed.

"Like you fucking care," I chuckle darkly.

"Shut the fuck up, I can crush you, don't ever question that."

"Oh really? How?" I goad him.

"Gentlemen, let's take this in the office," my father interjected. "How are you Vinnie, I haven't seen you in a while."

"Been busy," Vincent smiles and shakes my father's hand.

"Take a seat," I said gruffly, pointing at the chairs in front of my desk. "Now, what the hell are you doing here?" I spat out, no need for bullshit.

"My daughter is hurt you insolate prick," he seethes.

"Like you care what happens to Ana," I scoff.

"You don't know anything, I stayed away to save her. To keep her safe."

"Right and sending her into the eye of the storm?"

"Roberto and I agreed to keep her away, but she was too curious."

"Really? You blame her for finding out?" I looked at him in disbelief, "You kept her hidden for years. You know, if you wanted to keep her truly safe you should have told her. Ignorance would only have hurt her."

"She is my daughter; you don't know what's best for her."

"I beg to differ," I laugh humourlessly.

"While she was under my protection, she was never once harmed in the crossfire of your war."

"This is your family's doing," I replied calmly, I know he was trying to get a rise out of me.

"No, this is yours. You dragged Ana into a war where she has no place in."

"Her place is next to me," I said. "How dare you point fingers at me, for years she faced abuse in her own home. You never visited her, you made her feel like she wasn't wanted, you did more to fuck up her life." I paused then looked back up at him, "You may go now. She doesn't need you here."

"I helped you find her," he said agitatedly.

"Oh sorry, you chipped her," I shake my head at him. "I was the one who got her out. What have you done for her lately?"

There was silence throughout the room, Vincent looked annoyed, my father was trying to keep the peace between us, and Elliot was just sitting silently.

"I'm going to check up on Ana," I said standing up, "if you stay, you do it on my terms. I have to ask her if she's okay with you being here but know that what she wishes goes. If she wants you out, you're out."

Without another word or glance, I left the three of them to their thoughts to check up on my Anastasia. I quickly walked back into the guestroom and found my mother stitching up her side; I saw that she had bandaged her legs and arms as well.

"How is she?" I asked, sitting at the foot of the bed running my fingers along with Ana's slender ankles. I love this woman and the ache of knowing that she's in pain is making it hard to think clearly.

"I did the test after Rick took a sample of her blood; he's taking it to get it tested. I think she's been drugged because she's been out since you got her here."

"Ma, did they…"

"From the preliminary tests I did, no, but we'll have a definitive answer shortly," she replied, and with those simple words, a weight had been lifted.

"Thank god," I sighed and lay down, rubbing my hands over my face. "How long until Rick can get the results?"

"Another twenty minutes, he's doing it himself, so he'll get it quickly."

"What do you think happened?"

Ma sighed heavily, "She was definitely tied up, her right arm was dislocated so we had to set it back, and thank god she was completely out... She'll have to wear that sling for a while." How did I not notice that? "She was cut twice with at least a 9-inch serrated knife on her left side of her torso. She has 15 tiny slices on her thighs and too many bruises to count." My mother's tears start flowing again, "She also had to get five stitches on her hairline."

The words echoed in my head, my body went rigid and I tried to breathe evenly. I knew that I needed to keep myself in control, but the list of injuries was long and brutal. My Ana had gone through all that. I should have gotten to her sooner and I will always carry that guilt until the day I die.

I stood up and paced the floor. I know my mother was talking to me… well, at me since I don't know what she was saying at the moment. I was trying to focus on not hurling all the furniture and punching holes into the walls, but I was ready to kill something. Have someone pay with their life.

"Son, son," my father waves his hands at me.

"Bro, put your piece down," Elliot stands right in front of me, "I know you're mad, but don't lose your head."

I had no idea that I had even grabbed my Glock.

"Look at her," I grit out and push past them. He grabs my arm and pulls me back.

"Bro, she needs you in there. T already has his crew looking out for him," Elliot said reassuringly. "Ana's going to wake soon and she's going to want to see you. And if you go out there and shoot 'em up, she'll be fucking choked that you're not here."

Shit. When my brother starts making sense, I know I have problems.

"Fine," I put my piece back and excuse myself. I know I need to let some steam out or I will lose control of someone who doesn't deserve it. I quickly shake my clothes off and start throwing punches at my body bag.

Each punch and kick became harder. I was finally regaining some self-control.

Thirty minutes later and one torn down punching bag, I freshened up and headed back into the room where I found Rick quietly speaking to my mother.

"What did you find out?" I asked, making their heads snap up at me.

Rick looks at me, but his eyes never meet mine. "It's not a good Christian."

I grit my teeth together, "Tell me."

"Well there was a significant amount of flunitrazepam, and traces of MDMA and valium. It's clear that they wanted her knocked out; there aren't any signs of respiratory failure or anything lethal. I think the dosages were small, so she'll sleep it off. I just don't know what happened during the time she was unconscious. Thankfully, her rape kit results came back negative."

I breathed in and out. I can't beat Rick to a pulp, don't shoot the messenger. "Why hasn't she woken up yet?" I asked between clenched teeth.

"Her body is processing everything right now; she will come to soon."

"Thank you," I said quietly. I grab a seat next to the bed and hold her hand, "Can I move her?"

"Yes but be careful."

"Okay," I nod at them and gingerly pick her up to take her to our bedroom.

I laid her in the middle of the bed and sat next to her, gently running my fingers through her hair.

"I'm so sorry carina, I'm sorry for failing you," I snuggle next to her side, careful not to touch her.

xx

I feel Ana shifting next to me, I don't know when or how long I fell asleep, but I felt like it had only been ten minutes. I opened my eyes and saw the most heavenly sight, Ana's blue eyes.

"Anastasia," I breathed out, I sat up hoping that I wouldn't scare her by being so close.

"Christian?" she asked.

"Yes, baby, I'm here." Ana tries to sit up next to me, but she soon found out that she was hurt. "Don't move, baby, you're injured," I cooed as I shimmied back next to her.

I turned to my side and locked eyes with my beautiful girl. Her eyes immediately filled with tears and she quickly grabbed my hand next to her uninjured one.

"You found me, I told them you would," she whimpers, "thank you, thank you."

"Baby, I would have found you even if you were hidden underground 3000 miles away."

She cries harder and squeezes my hand, "Can you please hold me?"

"Uh- I don't want to hurt you, carina," I said uneasily.

"Per favore, tesoro, per favore," she begs. I couldn't stand to see her so sad, so I lightly placed my arm around her side. "I knew you would find me." She nuzzles her head on her chest.

"I love you, carina," I kiss her forehead. "Whenever you want and feel comfortable to, can you please tell me what happened?"

She shakes her head, "I don't know."

"It's okay, Ana."

"Thank you," she replied. We lay silently for a while, until she spoke again, "Did you see?"

"I did," I answered simply; she didn't need to get the list. I know that the act will be burned into her mind. "If you need to talk about anything I'm here, baby. Even if it's to cry on my shoulder or if you just want me to sit next to you."

"You won't want me anymore," she whimpers, "I blacked out and they…"

"You weren't baby," I shake my head before she could finish that sentence. That word will never be breathed in the same sentence referring to her, ever. I quickly reassured her, "I think we arrived just in time."

This only makes her sob harder.

"I will get them," I vowed to her.

"I know you will."

"I'm so sorry for being so fucking crazy," she whimpers, holding me tighter.

"No baby, I was being a stubborn asshole."

"I pushed you to it, I understand why you acted that way," she rubbed her head on my chest.

"It's over now, let's just move on."

"Okay, I'm still sorry."

"I know I am too. Carina, the only time this will ever come up in conversation again is when I get rid of every living person connected to this," I promised her.

"Christian, I'm not that fragile," she sighs, "I don't want any of you to tiptoe around me."

"I know you are, but I want to protect you from all of this shit."

"Thank you," she simply whispers.

"Oh uh…" I really didn't want to have to tell her, but she needed to know her deadbeat father is here. "Ana I don't want you to freak out, but your father is here."

"How…?" she looks up to me, her face in complete shock, "why would he even be here?"

"He had a tracker on you which helped us find your location."

"That fucking asshole!" she tries to get up but found that she couldn't place much weight on her arm and fell back down.

"Relax baby, you dislocated your arm, it's still sore."

"Fine, help me up," she says visibly annoyed.

"No, please relax, at least for now, when you're rested then I can take you to see him."

She gave me a small smile, which I happily returned.

Despite all of this shit, Ana's resilience and strength are evident. She's gone through so much and she's angrier about being tracked than of being kidnapped. I will admit she's probably still in shock, but at least she hasn't recoiled from my touch. Everything seems fine, but I know it will hit her eventually and I will be there to pick her up.

This woman is my life.

Holding her close to me I savour the quiet moment because once I step out of this room all hell will break loose. Once I get that phone call, I'm going to make sure that Danny's brain will be splattered on the floor.