Haha, I just made some time to write the next chapter. I'll try and make the chapters longer, since I don't want to be responsible if anyone gets a heart attack while reading my story. :) So...thanks for reviewing and enjoy!
I woke up in my bedroom and rolled over on the bed, feeling nausea creep up my throat and oppressing the urge to puke. My fingers touched the cold steel of the shotgun in my pocket and memories came crashing back to me. Images flashed through my mind. The man that was following us. The dart whizzing through the air. Me blacking out. Nudge charging at the man, angry, furious. Terrifying. Nudge screaming Jeb. Jeb. My dad's assistant.
I sprang off the bed and stood there for a minute until my head cleared before I charged out of the door. I checked every room in the house, but Nudge wasn't there. I even checked the shed that we had in our backyard, hoping that she was hiding there. There was no trace of her.
"Dammit!" I growled to myself, throwing on my jacket as I headed toward the front door.
When my hand closed on the doorknob, the door swung open. I stepped back to avoid getting squashed and pulled out my shotgun, training it on the person that stood on the threshold. Charles looked coolly at the barrel and pulled out a knife from his coat, aiming it at my throat threateningly.
A bead of sweat ran down the side of my face and I lowered my gun a fraction of an inch. Charles smiled coldly at me and put the knife back in his coat. He stepped inside and I gave a start when I caught sight of Nudge, who had been standing behind him the whole time. She looked frightened as she followed and refused to meet my eyes. I noticed that she had a cut on her cheek and half of her tank top was ripped, revealing a lacy white bra inside. Her pants were completely missing. Anger swelled in my chest.
"What did you do to her?" I yelled at Charles.
"Nothing. Just thought I have some fun. It's been a while since I've been with a...member of the opposite sex." Charles responded and winked at Nudge.
Nudge turned her face away quickly, but I saw a tear wound its way down her cheek.
"I'm going to kill you." I promised.
I flung the shotgun back on the ground and took Nudge's arm, dragging her upstairs. Charles didn't stop us. I could feel Nudge trembling as I searched my closet for a shirt and pants that would fit her. The best I could come up with was a Linken Park T-shirt and navy blue jeans. I tossed them to her and left the room to let her change in privacy.
After a few minutes, I knocked on the door and called softly, "Nudge? Can I come in?"
"Yes." She replied hoarsely.
I opened the door and saw her standing in the middle of the room with tears streaking down her face. I crossed the room and wrapped her up in a hug. She stiffened, but after a while she relaxed and rested her head on my chest contently.
"Go to bed, Nudge. I'll go deal with Charles." I whispered against her hair.
Her hands tightened on my shirt and she clung to me, now sobbing harder than ever.
"No!" She begged. "Don't leave me. Please. Don't leave me. I can't...go through that again."
It hurt to see her so vulnerable.
"Ok." I replied reassuringly. "I won't. Go to bed. I'll be right here."
Nudge nodded and pulled away, making her way to my bed like a sleepwalker. She pulled the covers away and lay down, then turned to the wall and pulled them over her. I wheeled a chair next to the bed and picked a book off my bookshelf to read, letting her know that I would never go back on my promise.