CHAPTER
FOUR
"Ready?" Nikolas asked
as Elizabeth switches off the lights.
"As ready as I’m ever going
to be," Elizabeth shruggs as she locks the door and side by side her and
Nikolas continues down the street. "Thanks for agreeing to walk to the cottage.
It’s just that, there’s so much to take in and I need this to clear my
head."
"I know what you mean. Never
in a million years did I think Lucky was still alive, being held by my
grandmother of all people. And this Faison guy…who is he?"
Elizabeth shrugs, staring at the
ground. "I don’t know. But from what Luke told us…he’s a dangerous man. Oh
God Nikolas…what if they’ve hurt Lucky? What if he’s already dead by now? I
don’t think I can stand losing him again."
"We’re not going to lose him
again Liz. Luke’s gonna make sure of that," Nikolas reassured his friend.
"In the meantime, we go on with everyday life and I look after you. Just
what Lucky wanted me to do."
"You really don’t mind this?
I feel like I’m intruding,"
"I don’t mind. Like I said,
this was what Lucky wanted. And besides, wouldn’t it be great if Lucky decided
move into the cottage as well, then all three of us can live together."
"Yeah and Emily. We can move
her in too. It’ll be the four musketeers all over again," Elizabeth
laughed.
"All for one," Nikolas
grinned.
"One for all,"
Elizabeth sighed. "I just want him back Nikolas. That’s all. I want him
back with me safe and sound and hopefully unharmed."
"Nikolas?" Lily appears
out of the shadows and throws a glare at Elizabeth. She knew all too well how
Nikolas felt for Elizabeth Webber and she wasn’t about to lay down and let the
girl take him away without a fight. "Elizabeth."
"Lily what are you doing out
this late?" Nikolas asked, surprised to see his girlfriend.
"I was on my way to the cottage.
It was such a beautiful night that I thought that we could take a walk. Just
the two of us. You don’t mind do you Liz?" Lily possessively wraps her
arms around Nikolas’s waist.
"Well actually Lily…I
do," Nikolas pulls away from her embrace. "I have to help Liz with
something."
"Oh really? And what may
that be?"
"I’m moving into the cottage
temporarily. You see, my apartment is being fumigated and Nikolas here has
offered me a room at his place for the time being. He’s such a great
friend," Elizabeth quickly explains.
"What?" Lily glares at
them both. "Over my dead body are you moving in with Nikolas."
"Lily, this is really none
of your business. Elizabeth is my friend, she needs a place to stay and my
place is available. She’d do the same for me. Now if you excuse us, we have to
pack her things for her and get them moved," Nikolas takes Elizabeth’s
hand and begins to walk away from Lily.
"Wait one minute Nikolas
Cassadine! We have to talk about this! Right now! Without the little webber
girl there," Lily glares openly at Elizabeth.
Nikolas rolls his eyes at Lily’s
jealousy. Why can’t she see that Liz and him were just friends and that’s all
they ever were going to be? Why did she have to make a big deal out of
everything. And besides, he didn’t want to leave Liz by herself, not with
faison’s men out there somewhere. He had a promise to keep.
"It’s okay Nikolas,"
Elizabeth reassures her friend at his hesitation. "You two need to work
this out. I’ll just be right here ‘til you’re finished."
"Elizabeth…"
"I’ll be fine! What could
happen in a couple of minutes. Now go. Talk to her," Elizabeth urged.
Nikolas sighs in defeat.
"Ok. Fine. But I’ll be back in a couple of minutes. If you need anything
just yell."
"I will," Elizabeth
smiled bravely for her friend and watched as he disappeared into the darkness
with his girlfriend. She rolled her eyes. Lily was such a fake. Nikolas
deserved someone a lot more sincere and a lot more sweeter…like Emily. But no
matter how hard she tried, she just couldn’t get Nikolas to see that. So when
Emily had begun to see Juan, Elizabeth letted it drop and resigned herself to
the fact that her two best friends would never get together.
Elizabeth sighed as her toughts
turned to Lucky. She couldn’t believe he was alive. That soon she’ll be able to
hear his voice again, feel his arms around her, gaze into his beautiful deep
blue eyes. She still remembered the song he made for her and still listened to
it whenever she felt especially lonely. She closed her eyes and she could
almost feel his breath on her neck and hear him whisper her name in her ear.
"Lucky," She whispered.
"Not a word," a hoarse
whisper came from behind her.
Her face turns pale and she opens
her mouth to scream when a gloved hand clamps over her mouth. She struggles,
but the person is so strong, she’s unable to get away. Tears spring to her eyes
as she realizes that it was going to happen again. This bastard, whoever he was
was gonna rape her again and there was nothing she could do to stop it.
Nikolas sighs irritably as he
heads back towards Elizabeth. He just couldn’t believe Lily’s jealousy. He’s
gotten so fed up with her. He told her either she trusted him or it was over
and she had remained silent. So having had enough, he headed back, not wanting
leave Elizabeth alone any longer then he has already. He returns to the spot he
left Elizabeth and pales. She was gone, but her purse was laying on the
sidewalk. Picking up the purse he begins looking for any clues to where he
could find her. If anything happened to her he wouldn’t be able to forgive
himself. He had to find her.
"Liz!" He called.
"Elizabeth where are you?!" He’s halfway down the street when hears
some rustling in the bushes. Pushing the bushes aside, his eyes widen when he
sees the strange man pinning Elizabeth to the ground, her eyes wide in terror
as he holds a knife to her throat and he begins unbuttoning her blouse.
"Liz!" Nikolas angrily
pulls the man off her and begins beating him, causing the man to drop the
knife.
Ten minutes later, Nikolas had
beat the man to a bloody pummel and had him pinned to the sidewalk. "Who
sent you."
The man remained silent.
"Who sent you and where’s my
brother!!! I know you know or you wouldn’t have attacked her! Tell me
or…," Nikolas picks up the knife the man had held on Liz. "Or I’ll
cut you up real bad. Now tell me who sent you and where’s my brother!"
The man’s eyes widen in horror.
"Okay fine! I’ll tell you! Faison sent me. He told me to go ahead with the
plan! But I don’t know why he wanted me to do it! I didn’t ask. I needed the
money to pay off the loan sharks. Please let me go!"
"Where’s my brother!"
"I don’t know anything about
your brother! Honest! Please!"
Nikolas sighs in frustration and
throws the knife away. "If I ever see you anywhere near her again I’ll
kill you myself. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes," The man eagerly
nods. "Very clear."
"Good. Now get out of here
before I change my mind," Nikolas let’s the man go, who immediately gets
up and darts off into the night. Nikolas turns to his sobbing friend, her knees
pulled up to he chest, rocking back and forth. "Elizabeth? Are you
okay?"
"He was going to do it again
Nikolas. He was going to rape me," Elizabeth sobbed as Nikolas pulled her
into his arms. "He was going to do it again."
"Shhh Liz, It’s okay. He’s
gone now. I stopped him. I’m sorry Liz. This is all my fault. I should never
have left you alone," Nikolas sighed. "I’m sorry."
"It’s not your fault,"
Liz withdraws from the hug and wipes away her tears. "I’m the one who told
you it was okay to leave for a few minutes. I had no idea that he was out
there."
"Well we do now and I’m
never letting you out of my sight again. I promise," Nikolas helps her to
her feet. "Come on. Let’s go home and get you cleaned up."
Elizabeth just nods and lets Nikolas lead her back to the cottage