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Chapter 47
Dean felt as if his world had stopped spinning as the line went dead. The room was frozen in stunned silence as Scarlett's voice echoed across. He was the first to make a move as he headed for the door.
"Dean wait! We don't know where she is!" Seth yelled.
"She's out there! She's with Punk and I can bet anything that she's not there by her own choice," Dean growled back at Seth.
"Dean," Hunter finally spoke up and Dean stopped to turn to look at him.
"I think you and I need to talk," was all he said.
~oOo~
Scarlett was still holed up in the hidden attic upstairs. Night had fallen and the moonlight streaming in from the window was her only light source. She could hear Phil thundering around the house, yelling and cursing. His phone was clutched tightly in her hands and there had been eight missed calls from the same caller, "Boss". Scarlett waited patiently as the ninth call finally finished ringing before she pulled up the call log and sought Roman's number.
The moment she was about to press the call button, the door to the room outside swung open and Phil strode in with Rico following behind. The other male looked grumpy and annoyed as he followed Phil.
"Take this room, it's the biggest one here," Phil said to Rico.
Rico's eyes surveyed the room and Scarlett sunk low onto the ground when his gaze fell on the vent. But it slid past with no worry and Scarlett inched closer to the vent to see him shrug, then dropping his bag onto the old bed he swung his legs up.
"The girl must be important if Boss and you are so obsessed with her," Rico grumbled.
"Boss wants her for his own means, I want that body of hers," Phil responded. Rico chuckled and turned to face Phil.
"Why her? I've seen her face and her arms, she's like an overcooked piece of chicken," Rico said before he huffed out a laugh. Phil growled at him and crossed his arms in front of his chest.
"I don't care what she looks like. I've seen the compassion she has and her ability to open up her heart. She has a heart of gold and she's got a warm body with ample breasts," Phil said. Scarlett looked away from the two men in disgust as they discussed her body. Rico was clearly not interested in her but Phil made it a point to let him know just how much he wanted her.
Scarlett waited, keeping an eye on the time on Phil's phone, for the two men to vacate the room so she could make her call. She cursed her luck when Phil left but Rico stayed behind. Her face bloomed crimson when the man pulled his shirt over his head and Scarlett looked away, hiding her face in her hands as he unbuttoned his jeans. She was no Peeping Jane and she wouldn't start now. She heard the door open and looked over to see Rico head out the door with a towel around his neck. This was the opening she needed!
Scarlett unlocked the phone and quickly dialled Roman's number without waiting for anything. She didn't know how long Rico would be gone but with him in the room, she wasn't going to be able to talk to Roman or anyone for that matter. He picked up on the first ring and Scarlett almost sobbed from relief.
"What the hell have you done to Scar, you bastard?" It was Dean's voice and Scarlett's heart squeezed tightly.
"Dean?" She whispered, her voice was cracking.
"Scar? Holy…thank fuck! Where are you? Are you okay? Did he do anything?"
Scarlett bit her lip and shook her head, the emotion choking her up as she heard the worry, relief, and anger in his voice as he spoke to her.
"I don't have much time, Dean. Phil brought me back to the B&B, he's staying here with his friend and I know he's looking for me," Scarlett choked out.
"Where are you right now?"
"I'm in the attic, on the second floor in the room at the back. I don't know how long I can stay here," she continued.
"Dean, I'm so sorry. I should've told you about Phil…about what he wanted with me. I'm so sorry!"
"Don't worry about that. Scar, baby, I need you to listen to me," he said to her gently.
"Nothing's going to happen to you, okay? I won't let anything happen to you. But I need you to be strong for me, alright? I'll come and get you," he continued, his voice was firm but gentle at the same time and Scarlett felt the familiar tug of strength pull at her.
"I'll be there soon but I need you to be strong, Scar. I need you to hang in there while I get there. I promise I'll be there soon!" He said to her. Scarlett heard footsteps coming back to the room and she quickly focussed back on Dean.
"He's coming back. Dean…I'll wait. I'll wait for you," she whispered.
"End the call and try to save the phone's battery. I'll be there as soon as I can," he replied.
"I lo-."
But the line went dead just as the door swung open and Rico sauntered back inside. Hugging the phone close to her chest, Scarlett lay back against the linens she was using as a bed and tried to calm down. Her wrists were raw and protested with every move she made. The blood had soaked through the table cloth she'd tied around it earlier turning the once white fabric into a nice shade of red.
With tears sliding down her cheeks, Scarlett waited for the man she loved to hold true to his promise.
~oOo~
"I was suspicious of Punk since then, even more when the magazine article came out but the call only confirmed it," Roman told him. Dean was seething as he listened to Hunter and Roman explain their suspicions about Punk and Scarlett knowing each other from beforehand and the tattooed superstar's obsession with his girlfriend. He would be lying if he said that the fact she hadn't told him had stung but comparing her hiding the truth to Punk continuously trying to make a move on her, Dean found Punk to be the bigger culprit and focussed his anger on him.
"I don't know if Punk has anything to do with AJ's situation but I won't be surprised considering he has Scarlett right now," Hunter said. Seth poked his head into the empty room that the three had been talking in to ask about Scarlett.
"We'll find her," Roman said, heading over to Seth and thumping him on the back. Seth looked unconvinced but he didn't say anything. Dean turned his attention back to Hunter and the COO pinched the bridge of his nose before waving him off.
"Dean, you're one of our best superstars. I brought Scarlett on the road so that you could finally get your own happiness. I didn't know it would lead to this," he sighed. Dean blinked before his shoulders drooped.
"I don't blame you or anyone, Hunter. Right now, I just want her back," Dean said before he turned around and followed Roman and Seth back to AJ's room. They met Sami who was standing outside the door and upon inquiring, they found out that AJ had fallen asleep and Randy had opted to stay the night.
Roman's phone began to ring and one of the nurses passing by looked at him sourly, but the big man flashed her his charming smile and her face turned pink as she hurried forward. Dean saw the name flashing on the screen and he snatched the phone out of his hand.
"What the hell have you done to Scar, you bastard?" He growled into the receiver. There was a momentary silence before he heard her voice whisper his name. Relief flooded through him and Dean felt his knees buckle, he leaned against the wall next to himself to support his weight.
Throughout their conversation, Dean's heart was thumping loudly in his chest. He was surprised no one around him was covering their ear from the noise. He heard the fatigue in her voice and hoped that he could reach her in time. When she mentioned Punk and his friend, Dean had an unpleasant feeling course through him and he hoped that the two hadn't done anything to her.
"End the call and try to save the phone's battery. I'll be there as soon as I can," he said to her. She started to say something else but he ended the call, his focus solely on getting her back.
"The asshole kidnapped her and took her back to her old B&B," Dean said to the rest of them.
"No wonder she didn't get on the plane," Roman muttered.
"I'm going to get her. She's hiding in an attic and I want her out before anything else happens," Dean said over his shoulder as he began to make his way to the exit. Seth and Roman flanked him immediately and he stopped.
"What?" He asked.
"What do you mean what? We're coming with you!" Seth said to him as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Look, she's hiding from two fully grown men. It could get dangerous," Dean said.
"Careful, Ambrose. Keep that up and I might think you actually care for us," Seth joked.
"You said Chicago…might be a long shot but does your Scarlett wear a scarf over her face?" Sami's voice interrupted them. Dean turned his attention to the dark haired man and nodded. Sami grinned and then shook his head.
"Go and get her, Ambrose. And tell her I said hi," Sami told him, punching his shoulder lightly as he went past them.
"You know her?" Dean asked incredulously.
"We're acquainted. Now hurry up and get to the airport or you'll miss the next flight to Chicago," Sami said before he disappeared around the corner.
"No you won't," Hunter spoke up. "Take the jet. It'll get you to Chicago in half the time. Head to the airport, I'll let them know you're coming and to get you there as soon as possible."
Before Hunter strode off, he pulled Roman to the side and the two conversed under their breaths quickly before Roman returned to join Dean and Seth while Hunter left them.
"She's waiting," Dean said before he sprinted towards the exit. The clock was ticking and he had to get to her as soon as possible.
~oOo~
It had been almost an hour since she'd called Dean and Scarlett was in pain. Her wrists were giving her a hard time and every time she moved them, she could feel the wounds tear up again and the tablecloth would soak with fresh blood once more. She fought through the pain, hoping it would die down soon enough.
Scarlett jerked when the door to the cupboard opened beneath her. She heard Rico put his bag into the cupboard and then turn around. The phone buzzed where she'd placed it and the buzz echoed against the wooden floor making her go stiff as Rico stopped in his tracks. He turned to look at the cupboard and Scarlett held her breath when his eyes flew past the vent. She plastered herself against the wall and wrapped her arms around her knees. She heard Rico begin to knock on the wall around the cupboard and Scarlett prayed that he didn't find the loose board.
"What…"
She heard the floor board move but the latch inside kept it from sliding further and Scarlett's heart was racing. Rico pounded the loose board and the latch inside jingled.
"Interesting," she heard Rico say before the board stopped moving and the cupboard door slid shut. Scarlett waited as she heard him in the room walking, the door opened and shut before all was silent. She slowly let go of her breath and waited a few seconds. Scarlett scooted close to the vent and then peeked through the vents
"Gotcha," Rico grinned at her through the vent and Scarlett let out a scream as two loud gunshots rang out. The vent cover fell loose and Rico made a grab for her. Due the limited space, he was easily able to grab a hold of her wrist and he tugged her out. Scarlett screamed as she toppled out of the vent hole and Rico shoved her face down onto the mattress.
"What the hell's going on?" Phil burst through the door just as Scarlett screamed when Rico gripped her wrists tightly.
"Where the hell did you find her?"
"She was hiding up there," Rico motioned towards the hole in the wall and Phil headed over. Scarlett yelled again when Rico increased the pressure on her wrist and he pulled her back. Scarlett felt his fist connect with her nose and with an audible crack, warm blood burst from her nose.
"Watch it, Rico! Just because you're allowed to touch her doesn't mean you can do whatever you want," Phil snapped at him. He reached into the attic and withdrew the phone.
"What ever were you doing with this, Scarlett?" Phil asked, coming close to her and waving it in her face.
"Id's doo lade," Scarlett said. Phil raised an eyebrow and then looked through it. An ugly expression came over his face and Scarlett moaned in pain when his arm shot out and he grabbed her hair, tugging her head back.
"Who else did you talk to?" He hissed dangerously at her. Scarlett felt a dribble of fear as she looked at Phil's face. It was the first time she was seeing him so angry and Scarlett prayed that he didn't do anything to her.
"Dean knows I'm here," was all she could get out before Phil roared and tossed her across the room. Her shoulder popped and Scarlett crumbled near the wall; her entire body was aching in pain.
"Why don't you understand? Why? You're mine! MINE!" Phil yelled. A kick landed against her ribs and Scarlett felt the wind get knocked out of her. Gasping and crying for safety, Scarlett endured the beating Phil, and eventually Rico, bestowed upon her.
It was pure torture. Her muscles were screaming in protest and the pain was firing up all over her body. She could feel the pain from her dislocated shoulder and her ribs that she suspected were cracked with the amount of pain she was in. The two men continued their brutal assault and Scarlett was just about ready to pass out before Phil crouched down and lifted her head by grabbing her neck.
"If I can't have you, no one can," he whispered before he shoved her head and motioned Rico to follow him. The two men headed out the door and Scarlett wheezed as she tried to gather herself. Breathing hurt, moving hurt, everything hurt. But she had to find a way out. She had to save herself, Dean was coming to get her. He'd promised.
Reaching out, Scarlett grabbed the foot of the old chair and hauled herself up. Her knees buckled under her weight, walking was a herculean task right now. Latching on to whatever she could find, Scarlett dragged her body towards the door. With every drag, her wounds flared and Scarlett had to take a moment to regroup before pushing on. Eventually, she reached the door; using the doorknob, she hoisted herself onto her feet and pushed the door open.
Her eyes widened as she saw a very familiar sight. Black smoke was rising up in the house and Scarlett saw the angry red flames come charging around the hallway downstairs. She saw Rico slip out the door and Phil climbed up the stairs, emptying a jerrican of gasoline as he went.
"This is the end Scarlett. You and I, we'll meet our end together. Like a true tragic love story," he yelled at her over the flames. He tossed some of the gasoline close to where she was standing and Scarlett dodged out of the way just as the flames followed. Smoke was building up, getting thicker and thicker.
Run, Scarlett! Run! Her mother's voice resonated in her head and Scarlett looked around herself. Phil was blocking the stairs and she had to get down and find a way out but her body was breaking down.
"We'll have our own ending, Scarlett. You and I, the love that never came to fruition," Phil yelled at her over the flames. Fire slowly began to envelope the walls around her and Scarlett hugged herself.
"Mom!" She yelled as tears began to run down her cheeks. Memories were flashing through her mind, the same situation all over again. Hot flames inching closer to her, the heat slowly licking up her body.
"Mommy," she whispered as her legs gave out from the pain. After the beating she'd taken, she had no strength left. Her mother's face flashed before her eyes and Scarlett let out a loud sob.
~oOo~
"No. No! NO!" Dean yelled as he threw the car's door open and jumped out without waiting for the vehicle to come to a full stop. The house was up in flames and there was no sign of Scarlett or Phil anywhere. Dean ran forward but a strong arm gripped his shoulder and yanked him back. Roman's dark eyes were icy as he looked at him.
"Call 911 and stay here!" Roman yelled at him before he shoved him into Seth as the two toned man climbed out of the car and raced through the door into the flames.
"What the fuck?" Dean yelled, getting ready to chase after him.
"Dean, no!" Seth took a hold of his arms and held him back. Dean struggled against his grip but Seth didn't let go. Dean was numb and he fell to the ground on his knees.
"Please, save her. Save my Scarlett," he whispered to no one in particular. He heard Seth conversing with a 911 operator but couldn't register what he was saying. His focus was on the house that was engulfed in the fire.
~oOo~
Phil was close to her and Scarlett tried to shove him away but to no avail. She didn't have the strength left.
"Get away from her!"
Scarlett's eyes snapped open just as Phil was shoved to the side and she crashed against a muscled chest.
"Dean?" She whispered.
"Hang in there, babygirl. He's outside. I got you," Roman's baritone voice whispered in her ear.
"What are you doing?" Phil screeched at Roman. "You're ruining everything! We were supposed to die together!"
Roman glared at him as he shrugged off his shirt and wrapped it around Scarlett. Sweat immediately broke out on his skin and he turned back towards the stairs to take her out before the foundation gave way.
"You want to take her, fine! But before you go, Scarlett, you should know something," Phil yelled from where he was standing. He ignored Phil but Scarlett had stopped and had turned her attention to the man standing at the far end of the hallway.
"There's no need to speak of anything, Punk!" Roman yelled as he swept Scarlett off her feet and clutched her close to his chest.
"You're father's alive, Scarlett! He's alive and he's been watching over you since your mother left him!" Phil yelled. Roman kicked the chair out of his way but Scarlett beat at his chest.
"The heart of a father is the masterpiece of nature!"
"What?" Scarlett whispered in shock.
"He's alive, Scarlett! I could've taken him to you but now you'll never see him again! The man he assigned to protect you will never reveal himself to you and you won't ever know your father!" Phil continued yelling. Roman kicked open the main door and rushed out before the front porch collapsed.
"We have to go back! Roman, stop! He knows my-."
Torturous screams cut across her and Scarlett looked over Roman's shoulder to see the glass shattering and in the glass window, she noticed Phil's body being engulfed by the flames. He flailed around before falling and that was the last Scarlett saw or heard of Phil as the ceiling of the house collapsed.
She felt Roman begin to sprint and began to scream when her shoulder and ribs let out a violent protest from the motion. Her body writhed in agony in his arms and she barely felt it when another pair of arms hoisted her close; soft and familiar lips pressed against her forehead as incoherent words were whispered into her hair. Something wet landed on her cheek and Scarlett blinked against the pain but only saw two azure orbs.
"You came," was all she said before the pain pulled her under.
~oOo~
Dean held her close to his chest and when she lost consciousness, he pressed his ear against her chest to make sure her heart was beating. He could hear the soft heartbeat and he let out a cry before holding her closer.
"I will never let you out of my sight again, ever," Dean whispered into her hair. She smelled of smoke and her body was battered, seeing her in this state caused something to stir within him. He wouldn't let her go, she was his and if anyone tried to take her from him, he'd kill them.
"Dean, let go," Roman said. He snarled at Roman and shoved him away from Scarlett.
"Dean, come on. We have to get her to the hospital or she won't make it. Come on, let her go," Roman pried his arms away gently as the paramedics stepped in and the firemen began their work on dousing the flames. Dean remained on his knees with Roman and Seth beside him, offering him their silent support, as always.
~oOo~
They'd brought her to the hospital without further wait and Dean had ridden in the ambulance with her while Seth and Roman had followed in the car behind. Once they'd reached the ER, the hospital staff took over and he had been forced to let go of Scarlett's hand that he'd been holding.
And now they were waiting. It was the second time in the span of four hours that Dean found himself in the waiting room of the hospital; this time awaiting the news on the fate of Scarlett Rayer. Roman was nursing his arm that was wrapped up in heavy gauze; the Samoan had gotten away with a minor burn after the ordeal. Seth was the quietest of them all, opting to sit quietly in the corner of the room with his knees pulled up to his chest.
"Are you Scarlett Rayer's family?" The female doctor asked as she poked her head into the room.
"Yes?" Dean asked immediately standing up to look at her.
"She's suffered from two broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder, a broken nose, and heavy lacerations on her wrist. Not to mention the heavy bruising all over her body," here the doctor hesitated as she looked between the three men.
"What? What is it?"
"There's a lot of bruising on her body. It's no doubt she's been in an accident before judging by the scar tissue, but this bruising and the broken bones, it can lead to a slow recovery. I'm not talking about a physical recovery but rather a mental one," she explained.
"We've put her under heavy sedatives for now and hopefully by the time she comes around, we can make further diagnosis," she turned her attention to Dean.
"Are you her husband?" She asked.
"Her boyfriend," he responded immediately. The doctor nodded and gave him a small smile.
"Then she'll need your love and support. I'm not seeing any signs of sexual assault but the trauma she's suffered, she's going to be very vulnerable for the coming months," she added.
"Don't worry, Doc. I won't let anything happen to her," Dean promised. The doctor nodded before she asked them to follow her as she led them through the hallway and eventually into the room that the nurses had just rolled Scarlett in. Dean felt emotion clog his throat as he looked at her lying against the white sheets. Her face was swollen and bruised, every inch of her skin that was visible was littered with bruises and cuts.
Dean's feet wobbled but he made it to the chair next to her bed and dropped into it heavily. Reaching for her hand, he lifted it and threaded his fingers through her fingers; pressing his lips to their entwined fingers. The room was silent save for the steady beeping of the heart rate monitor in the background.
He'd come so close to losing the woman he loved.
Dean jerked violently at the thought then looked up at her battered face, letting his eyes soak in every inch of her.
This was her. This was the woman who Dean Ambrose had fallen in love with. He'd let the world know he was in love, hell, he'd scream it at the top of his lungs while standing atop the highest peak in the world.
Love. Warmth spread through him all the way to the tips of his fingers and he squeezed her hand gently.
"Thank you for coming into my life. Wake up and I'll tell you exactly what you mean to me," he murmured against her fingers.
He'd tell her. He'd tell her and he would make her his. The only thing she had to do was wake up.
You know what I love reading? All your reviews. My apologies I wasn't able to get back to the reviews on the previous chapter prior to posting this but I promise I'll reply as soon as possible. So yes, leave me your thoughts! I love reading them since they spur me on.
Cheers!
- K.