by Bry Ann
I grabbed the lamp next to me and threw it at the men by the door. They flew to the side as the lamp shattered. I quickly scrambled to the floor and tried to sneak out. I was almost at the door when a pair of hands painfully grabbed my short hair and jerked me back. It felt like my hair was being pulled from my scalp.
“Ow!” I cried as I was pulled to my feet. “Let me go!”
I tried to kick him but one more tug at my scalp semi stilled me and I was forced to look at the younger man. I knew he was the young man from the tattoo I saw on his calf when I was on the floor. The older men must have been the ones hurting Gunner all these years, this young guy was new. As my head was jerked back I looked in the eyes staring angrily at me and immediately recognized them. They were green, piercing green. He looked different, very different. His body was different, his hair was different, his skin was even different, but I would never forget those eyes. It was Tanner.
My body shut down, and Tanner felt it. I saw him smirk and he released me.
“Now go sit on the bed like a good girl.”
I immediately scrambled to the bed and sat the same as before. I couldn’t blink, move, think. I knew some of the other men were looking at Tanner in shock, because I heard him say something about us “having a little fun years ago”. That made my eyes sting with tears. My heart was going to explode.
Then I felt him. Gunner was here. Angry. Menacing, but calm as could be. In his element.
I looked up. His gaze was steady, trained on the me and the men surrounding me. His gun was held steady in front of him, and I knew he had a knife in his boot.
“We meet again,” Gunner said calmly, even though I knew his protective instincts were on full alert.
The man with the gray eyes took a step forward as the other two older men went to stand around him protectively. Tanner was keeping an eye on me.
“Gunner, I am so glad we can finally do this face to face.”
Gunner’s jaw ticked. He was so controlled, it astounded me. I’d be flipping my shit if I was in front of my parents’ killers… and I hated my parents.
“Let Dana go. She has nothing to do with this.”
He let his gaze flicker over to me. I tried to look strong, but I was so afraid. Then Gunner went back to the man with the gray eyes.
“I think she has a lot to with this,” the man said calmly as another one of the older men headed towards me. I whimpered and tried to scramble away on the bed, but Tanner rolled his eyes and grabbed my ankle pulling me back to the same spot I was before.
The older man then grabbed my neck and lifted me up to my feet. He didn’t squeeze but it was a warning to Gunner.
“Now,” the man with the gray eyes said, “You come with us, and we will let your little play thing go.”
“No Gunner I…” the man squeezed my throat and I coughed unable to talk anymore. I tried to grab the guy’s hand and pull him off, but I was too weak. Gunner’s grip tightened on his gun, but his voice remained calm and steady.
“Now we both know that’s not true. We work in the same business.”
The gray eyed man looked thoroughly amused by this.
“How could I forget? However, big and famous Gunner isn’t exactly known for his killing, is he? You’ve made a name in other ways.”
“I did yes. I don’t need to kill young girls to prove I'm capable,” Gunner said calmly. Taunting him.
“This is your third rescue mission in the past few months. You lost your spot with Tim because of it. That’s very unlike you, and I’d know. I’ve been, let’s say, keeping up with you since you were a boy. You hate everyone. What is it with this little blonde?” the older man asked as the guy holding me pushed me to my knees. I flipped my head up and looked at Gunner apologetically. He had warned me about all this. This was my fault. I hated myself so much.
“We knew you’d been meeting someone because you’d go places we couldn’t track you. We thought it was business but now I think it was this chick.”
He really did make sure I was safe this whole time. It’s a shame I’d only ever caused him trouble.
Gunner looked thoroughly and completely pissed off now. As if he wasn’t before, but his control was lessening.
“I have my reasons. Let her go.”
There was this moment of undecided tension before the first knife was thrown. I don’t know who threw it I just know there were weapons being thrown. I froze for a second before realizing I had to check on Gunner. I went to my stomach to try and avoid the flying knives. I looked up from my army crawl position. Gunner was fighting brutally, but it was still four against one. Gunner was holding his own though. He was winning.
Then, I saw his loss before I could do anything. Tanner snuck out of the fight and grabbed a knife. I tried to yell but my throat closed up, because it was Tanner. Tanner took the knife and quickly ran it along Gunner’s dominant arm. It wasn’t a severe injury, but it was enough to disarm him and allow the other three men to take him down. I tried to help. I grabbed a knife next to me and threw it at Tanner. Gunner looked at me with concern etching his features as Tanner dodged it and the same other older man picked me up of the floor. I struggled and fought until I heard Gunner’s voice, it was softer. He was talking to me.
“Dana listen,” I couldn’t process it as I was dragged down the hallway. We were so quiet no one would have heard us in the room. I should yell, but my instincts told me it’d get me killed now.
“Dana stop fighting,” Gunner said again.
I immediately stopped and nodded. We were being pushed to the emergency exit side by side. He shot me a look and then turned to see if the men were distracted and talking amongst themselves. They were.
“Dana, listen to me,” Gunner said quietly. “When I say so run, run. Don’t stop for anything. I don’t care if one of them grabs you, you break a leg, I get shot…” he saw my face at that last one and sighed. “Dana, I can handle myself. Don’t play hero. Fucking run no matter what. Do you trust me?”
I nodded.
“Then you will do this?”
Reluctantly I nodded, with tears in my eyes. Why did I feel like this was goodbye?
“Good. Remember what I taught you. Back when we hid at Logan’s house to meet. Remember that?”
I did. The memory came back in a flash.
“I can protect myself!” I said with my arms crossed over my chest.
“Oh really, where would you go if you were in a building or a house and someone was chasing you?” Gunner asked amused.
“The closet or under a table or something. I’ve seen the movies. I’d look for a small spot.”
“Dana NO!” Gunner grabbed my shoulders and gave me strict eye contact. “If someone is chasing you, you hide in the vents if you can’t get out of there. Everyone will look in the closet. It’s like the first place I’d look. Do you hear me?”
I swallowed and nodded. I never thought I’d need this knowledge, but it still sent chills down my spine.
I shook my head to snap out of the memory and turned to Gunner.
“I will, I promise. I Love you,” I spit out quietly before I could think better of it. “I’m sorry I do.”
“Don’t be sorry. Now remember what I said… run.”
My head was still whirling from what he said, but I snapped out of it fast when Gunner kicked the guy behind him knocking him down the emergency stairs. Like Gunner said I bolted off. I heard a punch and stopped to worry, but Gunner yelled for me to keep running. So, I did. Trust. I ran and ran until I found a staff break room. I heard footsteps behind me, so I ran in there. No one was there. I locked the door and grabbed a chair, so I could climb into the vent. I moved the little vent shaft and somehow pulled myself up. Then I leaned down and moved the chair away, shutting the vent behind me. Just as I finished the door was kicked down and in walked the four men with Gunner bound tight being pushed along beside them. Gunner. My heart burned fire. He saved me again, but now he was in trouble. I debated leaving the vent, but what
could I do, and Gunner would be pissed. I had to trust him. He’s one of my best friends. I owed him that.
“Where is she?” one of them asked, roughly jerking him forward.
“I was with you. How would I know?” Gunner said calmly, but there was a hint of pride in his voice. Even with an injured arm and bleeding lip he held power. The man with the gray eyes practically growled.
“When I find that little slut I’m going to tear her limb from limb!” the man yelled. I tried to stifle my gasp. Usually threats like this were empty but coming from this man it was anything but. He would completely do it just to see Gunner’s reaction. I understood Gunner’s paranoia now. Too little too late. While I was internally panicking I looked down and saw a hint of a smirk on Gunner’s bloody face. He turned to look the man directly in the eyes.
“I’d never let that happen,” he said calmly. “Never.”
Dana- 21 Years Old:
Logan wasn’t kidding six years ago when he told me he’d get me help. Not that Logan ever joked about stuff like that, but I would have never guessed the lengths he would go to help me.
That night he went to my parents and told them he was using some of his money, that they had placed in a savings account, to pay for my treatment. My parents vehemently refused. I’ll never forget what they told him, because I don’t think I’d ever experienced shame or heartbreak like that before. My mom turned to Logan and in a serious tone said, “It’s not our fault she decided to date a rapist”.
I felt my heart rip out of my chest. Suddenly all the work I’d put into my recovery didn’t matter. I ran into the restroom and grabbed a razor. I wanted to kill myself, but I remembered the desperate look on Logan’s face when he asked me to never do that again and I knew I couldn’t do that to him. However, the pain was still so raw and so real, ripping me apart from the inside like a fire spreading. I grabbed the razor and ran it down the length of my arm. This time it wasn’t about erasing the pain necessarily. It was more about punishing myself… for being so naive, so stupid, for bringing this all on myself. What my parents said bothered me so much because it was how I really felt.
Suddenly I was zapped out my thoughts when I realized how deeply I’d cut myself. Blood was running down my arm and dripping all over the floor.
“Shit!” I cursed as stars crowded my vision. Shit, shit I was dizzy. I grabbed a towel and tried to wipe off the blood but all that did effectively was turn the towel bright red.
“Shit,” I cursed again, throwing the towel to the side and cradling my arm. I looked around trying to decide what to do. The only good to come of this was that I had effectively forgotten what my parents said and the guilt and shame I felt.
“Dana! Dana!” Logan’s worried voice sounded from outside the door. “Please answer me I’m freaking out!”
“I’m, uh, going to the restroom,” I shouted back.
“Please open up. Are you okay?... I… I know you heard.”
I actually was starting to feel really nauseous now. I threw the bloody towel to the side and continued to cradle my arm.
“I’m just peeing,” I said weakly.
“Dana! Please let me in. I’m begging you.”
If Logan hadn’t sound absolutely on the verge of crying I would have never opened the door. However, Logan sounded devastated and sick with worry. I couldn’t leave him out there like that. Besides, I was bleeding all over everything. I had messed up bad and I needed help.
“Don’t panic,” I said biting my lip as I walked to open the door. I kept my arm tucked in tight, so I didn’t drip blood everywhere.
I opened the door and Logan’s eyes widened and he immediately sprung to action. He kept his word though. He tried not to make me feel bad about what I did.
“Okay, um,” he said, his hands shaking, “Someone else can clean the blood… that doesn’t matter. Let’s get you to the hospital. Okay?”
I nodded weakly. Logan’s eyes watered as he gave me a nod back. He was trying to be strong. He grabbed the second towel off the rack and gently wrapped it around my arm. He winced when he saw how deep the gash went but didn’t say anything. I was rushed to the hospital where I was cleaned up, stitched up and given IV’s. I suddenly became very scared I was going to be locked in the psych ward. The only reason I had gotten out of it the first time was because my brother is Logan Prescott. However, I doubted that would get me out of this twice. I tried to block out all the horror stories I’d heard about psych wards but wasn’t very effective.
Logan gave me space to think and I suspected to deal with whatever he had to deal with to help me. I remembered his promise and wondered what exactly he meant by helping me. My questions were soon answered when Logan came in the room two hours later.
“Hey,” he said standing in the doorway looking downright exhausted. His blonde hair was tangled and dirty. Dark circles were more than evident on his usually handsome face, and overall the brightness he usually had was just plain dimmed. It made me sad to see him that way, but I knew I looked no better. In fact, I probably looked way worse.
“Hey,” I responded.
“How are you feeling?”
Logan walked over to my bed and paced around anxiously. I really wished he’d sit down. His pacing was making me nervous.
“You know, I’ve felt better but... I’m not bleeding anymore,” I said with a fake attempt at happiness as I lifted my arm to show him my wrapping.
“Yeah. That’s good I guess.”
“Yeah.”
“Day, I got you help. The people are great. The first place is in the mountains outside of LA. It’s inpatient and intensive. They focus on PTSD and self-harm. They only accept ten girls at a time. I’ve spoken with them extensively and I really feel they can help you. You will have privacy as well. After that, I’m speaking to a place in Nashville. I’m going to go up there and visit, check it out but I feel that’s the best next step. You will be eighteen by then and it’s a great place for adults. You’ll have freedom but also support…and you’ll be away from mom and dad.”
Logan carried through on all his promises. I didn’t find out until I got out of impatient that he never spoke to my parents after that incident. Apparently, Logan begged my parents for help when he saw the gash on my arm and they downright refused to help again. That was it for him. Honestly, until that moment I had no idea he loved me that much. Our relationship had strengthened. He’s my best friend, and I'm his. I know that now. The thing is Hollywood still pulled him away. He called and texted me frequently, but I only really get to see him when he took a break in between major projects, or obviously when I saw him on TV, which was rare because his whole television persona just downright annoyed me. I hated the whole LA/Hollywood thing and it always took Logan a few days to acclimate to that. It was the only thing we fought about, but we did fight about it a lot.
Now I was here in the treatment center Logan told me about in Nashville. Even though it was driving me crazy right now the place really was great. Each room looked sort of like the room to a fancy hotel. There was several groups, therapists and psychiatrists on hand, and the amount you are required to go to each of them depended on you. I was at a very low level of care. I’d been working on my issues for years and had all but gained my independence, which I was grateful for. Logan had just finished up a bunch of movies and his TV show, so he was coming back to Nashville for a quick break before he went to work on his album. Excited to see him didn’t even begin to cover how I was feeling. I was ecstatic. This was the longest I’d been without seeing him and I was so lonely. Because I had spent most of my life in treatment I didn’t have many friends. Well, I had none actually, and I was supposed to be leaving this treatment center soon. That scared me. How was I supposed to live on my own? Hold a job? Deal with leasing managers? Not lose my mind? Without group or therapy, I would have no human interaction and I was just starting to get good at talking to people who aren’t Logan. Anytime I thought of all this ahead of me it sent me on the verge of a panic
attack. Especially because I knew Logan would be out of town, and I’d be alone to do it all. I was grateful to Logan for paying for everything I just wished he was here more, and I wished that when he was here I didn’t have to wait a solid twenty-four hours for him to stop acting like a complete asshat. Damn Hollywood people.
Logan was coming to visit me today and in anticipation of it I put on my favorite creme sweater and a little bit of makeup. I got the notification from the front desk he was here and bolted towards the lobby as fast as I good. Partly to see Logan, but mostly because I knew Anette would be briefing him and I hated knowing people were talking about me behind my back. As soon as I got to the lobby I ran straight for Logan. Logan gave me a huge hug, but even wrapped in my brother’s arms after months apart I could feel he was distracted. I instantly lifted my gaze and came face to face with a plain looking brown-haired girl. She had on a sweater that complimented her beautiful hazel eyes. That wasn’t what intrigued me about her though. It was that although she looked slightly uncomfortable, she had this air of self-confidence and self-respect that just clung to her effortlessly. She shot me a very small friendly smile, but also was extremely hyper aware of how much she was letting show. She seemed intent on not letting her face show too much of what she was feeling. She was weary, just like I was. I suddenly became semi shy and unsure. I mean although this girl didn’t look the part, how could I be sure this wasn’t one of Logan’s LA sluts. Mean, and I shouldn’t say that but… for lack of a better word.
I tried to ask about this random girl, but Logan seemed more uncomfortable than usual about us being out in public and quickly ushered us to the elevator. I was curious about this change in him but didn’t ask. Instead I decided not to waste time giving Logan crap about his Hollywood persona. Logan hated that with a passion, but I felt it necessary to keep him grounded. Plus, the random girl in the elevator with us seemed highly amused by it, which I liked. I didn’t want to get my hopes up, but I had a feeling I was going to like this girl.
