Warning: this chapter's content is violent and might be triggering sensitive people.

Chapter 3

Damian was driving as fast as he could, Finn seated next to him, guiding him through the streets, feverishly holding the phone he used to give the directions. Rhea was shivering with anxiety and fear. Dom tried to soothe her by holding her hand and talking to her, knowing that it was useless. She had always been overprotective with her friends and family, being ready to anything to help them even if it was reckless. That was one of the reasons why he loved her so much.

- "Why is it so long?" she asked Damian, with an angry tone.

He didn't answer, focusing on the road, holding himself of pressing the gas pedal and driving recklessly. He had always been good at hiding his emotions, it was his way to keep it together in front of the others. The joints of his hands were yet white with the pressure he put on the steering wheel. "Faster!"

- "With all the traffic lights, we should be there in five minutes." Finn answered with audible worry in his voice. "Fuck!"

- "Hold on sweety, we are coming, please hold on." said JD, fear showing in his blue eyes. It was the first time he was actually worried for somebody else than himself. "Faster!"

The five minutes seemed endless to the group as the tension grew more and more unbearable. They were scolding and swearing at every traffic light, every slow driver and every walker who would cross the road in front of them, forcing them to stop. The last turn came eventually, Damian parked his car quickly, half on the sidewalk, stopped the engine and rushed out of the car with his friends, praying not to be too late. They entered the building by the door next to the shop and climbed the stairs as fast as they could.

They heard a desperate scream behind and old white door. Damian and Finn broke it down and dashed inside the apartment. Their eyes widened with horror as they saw what was happening inside. Mina was screaming and crying, arms and legs spread, tied up to the bed with four ropes around her wrists and ankles as Greg was still violently buried in her, holding a pocketknife he wandered on her body, leaving cuts here and there. Surrendering to rage, Damian and JD surged on the tall blond man to take him as far as possible from the young woman and started to beat him up, Damian's roar of rage echoing through the apartment. Finn took the knife and started cutting the ropes to free Mina as Rhea covered her with a blanket to hide her naked body before looking in the wardrobe for some clothes. Dom took his phone and called the police.

Rhea finally found an oversized black dress, she put it on Mina so her nudity won't be more exposed to everyone. Finn held the crying lady in his arms, whispering comforting words to her ears.

- "The cops are coming, going outside to wait for them!" Dom announced before leaving the room.

Rhea looked at the bed her dear friend had been assaulted on. Pieces of ropes were still laying on it, the sheets were covered in tears where Mina's head was, she dashed to Greg when she saw the blood. Dozens on blood stains smeared the once white sheets, testifying of what happened. She pushed Damian far from Greg and started to punch him as hard as she could.

- "How dare you! You filthy scumbag! I'll kill you!"

Damian did nothing to stop her, himself did free his anger on this monster he couldn't even call a man.

- "Damian! Come help me." Finn called. "Go find an emergency kit!"

He rushed to the bathroom to look for what was needed, pictures of what he saw coming back to his mind. Mina. Blood. Ropes. Cuts. Tears. "Not her…" He found a red emergency kit and went back to the bedroom. Finn was still holding her tight in his powerful arms, one hand stroking her long tangled black hair.

- "She passed out." He said. "We need to take care of her wounds".

Damian nodded and sat down to look for disinfectant and bandages. When his gaze came back to Mina and Finn, he saw the woman he couldn't stop thinking about unconscious, eyes closed but swollen with tears and bruises from the hits she had taken. Her bottom lip was dry and cut open, a light drop of blood running on her white chin. Even if she was kind of dressed up, he could see the cuts on her arms and legs; they were not deep, none of these could have killed her, but her body was covered in wounds, from her ankles to her throat; it was easy to guess that the monster had planned to kill her slowly. Without realizing it, he let his fingers run softly on her cheek, wiping away the tears with his thumb. "Please, wake up, smile at me. Please, hurt me with your smile." As to comfort her, he started to gently sing the first thing that came to his mind at the moment: "Stairway To Heaven" from Led Zeppelin.

Mina opened her eyes eventually, tensed and scared at first, she calmed down feeling Finn's warm embrace and began crying silently again.

- "You are wounded" Damian started, "Can I look after you?" he asked calmly, knowing that any physical contact could panic her with what she just went through. Seeing Mina's nod, he began to clean the blood on her arms, carefully applying the bandages on her cuts, trying his best to avoid hurting her more. He sang again to help her stay calm. Her arms felt so fragile in his hands he wanted to stop touching her, but at the same time wished to hold her tight and cover her whole body with tender cuddles. The tall Puerto Rican moved to clean her legs, also covered in blood, her ankles were blue due to the ropes being too tight.

He stopped as two police officers entered the bedroom, guided by Dominik. They led Greg out of the apartment and Mina buried her head in Finn's chest with fear as the monster walked towards her. Damian rose to his feet to stand between them.

- "You're dead bitch! You know my brother is in the police, I'll be out in two hours!"

- "Not with five witnesses, you jerk!" Damian responded, clenching his fists.

Then noticing nobody came back to ask any questions or asking about Mina, he felt rage growing within him again.

- "Finn, Priest, bring her to my hotel room, I'll stay with Dom and JD to gather some of her things. We'll meet you at the hotel." Rhea said, tossing her key to Finn.

The two men nodded and brought the young woman to Damian's car.

Mina was under the shower in Rhea's hotel room. Damian and Finn were waiting, still shaken by what happened.

- "I would never have imagined that" Finn said. "For how long did he treat her like that? What will happen after all this? Do you think she is ok in there?" asking questions was his way to let out the stress.

Damian didn't have the time to answer; the bathroom door opened and Mina came out. A white towel was wrapped around her slender body, letting guess her thin waist, her curved hips and generous chest. Her long hair was dripping on the floor.

- "Guys… I-I wanted to thank you. Without you I would not be here by now. P-Please, let me thank you as you want me to."

Her eyes went empty, her face darkened as she removed the towel, revealing her naked body covered in scars. She took a step towards them, opening her arms lowering her gaze, ready to receive the two men. She new what men wanted, every man needs sex and wouldn't do anything for free. If they saved her, they would want her body as a reward. At least, maybe these two would be more gentle than Greg.

Damian rushed out of the room, groaning "Oh God Fuck!". Finn walked towards her.

- "We are not going to touch you. We are not monsters. I don't know if any man actually treated you well but you won't have to give us your body." He told this looking in her eyes, grabbing the towel to cover her.

Damian came back in the room with gym shorts and a T-shirt he held to Mina.

- "Go dress up, please." He said with a sad tone. Mina went back to the bathroom.

The two men stayed quiet, looking at each other with infinite sadness and shock. Rhea entered the room with a suitcase, followed by Dom and JD.

- "We took her clothes and whatever we could find. She is going to stay with us as long as we don't know what this piece of shit is planning. She will sleep in my room, I'll go with Dom."

- "Is she ok?" JD asked.

- "I will be fine, thank you JD" Mina answered, going out of the bathroom, wearing Damian's clothes. The T-shirt was way too big for her, almost looking like a dress, hiding the fact that the shorts were way too loose.

- "Did you shrink in the washing machine?" Dom asked to try to ease her. A faintly smile appeared on her face.

Rhea grabbed her own suitcase and after hugging Mina goodnight, she went to Dom's room, followed by her boyfriend and JD. Finn helped her to lay on the bed, covered her with the blanket and held her hand.

- "You are safe now Rapunzel. My room is just facing yours, and Damian's is just next to yours. If you need anything just call us." He kissed her forehead before leaving the room.

- "Thank you" Mina answered.

Damian sat next to her, without touching her.

- "As he said, my room is just behind this wall, if you need anything, just punch it and I'll come, okay? Sleep tight." He rose up to his feet as Mina grabbed his hand with imploring eyes.

- "What is it?"

- "C-can you… S-sing again please? Your v-voice is rea-reassuring."

With a smile he sat back on the bed and started to sing Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven.

- "There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold. And she's buying a stairway to Heaven. When she gets there she knows, if the stores are all closed. With a word she can get what she came for. Ooh, ooh, and she's buying a stairway to Heaven…"

When he saw Mina's eyes closing and her breath going slower, he left the room to go to bed.