Chapter 62

**Annika**

“Flavio!” I yelled when I saw him stroll into the kitchen wearing a mask.

"You’re way too easy to scare," he chuckled, making me roll my eyes as I stepped out of the kitchen.

"Come on, it’s almost Christmas! Lighten up a bit," he said.

"It’s not cool to scare me like that; I could’ve woken the kids," I replied.

"You’re such a worrywart," he sighed, plopping down on the couch next to me. "Seriously, you need to chill." I ignored him and switched on the TV, grabbing my popcorn. "Annika," he called.

"Yeah?"

"You good?"

I nodded. "I’m fine."

"If it’s about—"

"It’s nothing, Flavio. I’m fine," I interrupted, just as my phone buzzed with a call from Thea.

"What’s up?"

"Just checking in on you. It’s so boring here without you, Annika," she sighed.

"Is it because Flavio isn’t keeping you entertained?" I teased.

"I’ll admit, it’s nice to have the freedom to be intimate without worrying about a roommate overhearing," she replied.

"Like you’d care if I heard anyway," I shot back, and she gasped in mock offense.

"I totally cared!" she insisted, but then added, "I’m going to hop in the shower. I’ll call you later. Love you, sweets." Then she hung up.

"What happened with T.J.?" I asked Flavio.

"You really want to know?"

"D-did I kill him?" I asked, trying to push that thought away. I knew I had tortured someone before and found some twisted enjoyment in it, but I figured Raffaele would want to handle him.

"No, you didn’t stab him that deep; he was still alive when we found him. He’s in the basement at the warehouse," he explained, leaving me puzzled. "Raffaele told me what to do with him. He didn’t want him dead yet, so he’s just hanging out in a little room."

"Oh..." I trailed off.

"You good?" he asked, and I nodded. I settled deeper into the couch as we watched the movie, even though I felt myself starting to drift off a bit.

I'm checking the time on my phone and realize it's almost 11 PM, and Raffaele still isn't home, which is making me anxious. I try to push the worry aside and focus on the movie while Flavio munches on his chips.

*Flashback...*

*"Get off me!" I shouted, but they quickly covered my mouth with a cloth. I felt hands all over me as they lifted me up.*

*They propped me up to look decent and rushed out the back door, tossing me into the backseat of a car. "She's even hotter in person; you were right," one guy said*.

*I looked up to see Tony grinning at me. He brushed my hair aside while one of his guys tied my hands. I felt his hand creeping up my skirt, and I kept squirming, trying to get away from him.*

*I was completely lost. Before I could protest, he shoved the cloth into my mouth, silencing me as his men climbed into the front. The car started moving, and his hand was back on my skirt. He bit his lip, almost touching my underwear, but then he pulled back, which only made him angrier.*

*"Wow, you're sexy," he smirked. "I'll have my fun with you later." He kissed me, and tears streamed down my face. "Don't worry, I'm a killer, not a rapist, darling."*

*He grabbed my chest, feeling around. "Not much there, but it's nice," he laughed. He kissed my neck and squeezed my thigh hard, making me wince. I yelled into the cloth as he kept squeezing until he finally let go, leaving a huge mark and more tears falling from my eyes.*

*I glanced back at him when I felt his hand sneak under my skirt, brushing against my underwear. I instinctively tried to pull away, but he tightened his grip on my thigh with his other hand. I pressed my legs together, but that only made things worse.*

*"Already turned on, huh?" he teased, pulling his hand away. I caught a whiff of something as he placed a cloth over my nose, and then everything went black.*

*End of flashback...*

"Annika." The voice startled me, and I shifted on the couch. It was Raffaele, looking at me with concern. "Why are you crying?" he asked, gently wiping my tears.

I touched my face and realized I was indeed crying from the nightmare. "I'm not," I replied, getting up and tossing the blanket aside. "Where's Flavio?"

"He's out on the patio. I think you dozed off during the movie," he said, glancing at the still-playing TV. "You were shaking, so I woke you up. Bad dream?" he asked, making me look down. I still hadn’t told him the truth about what happened. When he asked if Tony had touched me, I lied and said it was just a kiss on the cheek because I was terrified.

I was thankful it didn’t escalate to something worse, but I was still haunted by the whole experience and hadn’t shared anything with him.

"Yeah... I'm heading to bed," I said, about to walk away when he grabbed my arm.

"You know you can talk to me about anything, right?"

"I know," I nodded.

"Come on, tell me what's going on. You think I haven't noticed you shaking in your sleep? This is more than just a bad dream, angel. Please, talk to me," he sighed.

"It's nothing, Raffaele," I reassured him.

"Thought you didn't like liars," he replied. I sank back onto the couch, pulling my knees to my chest to hold back the sobs, but it was no use. The tears started to fall. He sat beside me and wrapped his arms around me, letting me rest my head on his chest.

I sniffled, "I'm really sorry."

"What for?" he asked, looking puzzled.

"I lied..." I hesitated.

"Lied about what?"

"About that day... I was terrified, Raffaele. He touched me, and I felt so filthy that I couldn't tell you. I thought you wouldn't want to be near me anymore. I've been having nightmares about it ever since. I can't sleep, and you haven't been around. I only sleep well when you're here," I explained.

"Annika... did he—"

"No," I interrupted, knowing what he was about to say.

"He touched me inappropriately... He groped me. I can still feel his hands on me, no matter how hard I try to forget." He went silent, and I slowly lifted my head from his chest, noticing the anger in his eyes, even if he was trying to hide it.

"Raffaele—" I began, but he stood up and walked into the kitchen. I followed him, confused as he poured himself a drink. "I know you're upset—"

"Upset isn't the right word," he cut me off.

"I'm sorry, I—"

"Sorry for what, Annika? He assaulted you. You have nothing to apologize for. If he were still alive, I would have done much worse!" he shouted, interrupting me. I wrapped my arms around myself, hearing him sigh as he pulled me into a hug.

"I'm going to help you through this, okay?" he promised.

"Okay," I nodded. In that moment, I felt invincible. Whenever I was in his arms or just near him, I felt safe. I loved him, and I finally realized it.

And this is the first time I'm admitting it.

I love Raffaele.