Set Me Free

Chapter Nineteen

The deranged woman was stronger than she looked. Juno struggled to keep her wrist pinned. The woman brought her knees up between them, digging them into Juno’s chest and pushed throwing Juno off balance. Rolling to the side just in time as the knife came stabbing the floor next to Juno’s face.

Juno choked on a gasp at the closeness, her terrified expression reflecting off the blaes glinting surface.

“Ahhh!” The woman screams in hysteria as she stabs the ground over and over again. She completely lost it and is violently and erratically stabbing the ground trying to get Juno. Nix is downstairs somewhere, she needs to find him and get out of here away from here. Glancing to the side she saw a busted exit sign dangling from above a door.

The knife came slicing through the air again, this time catching Juno in the arm cutting into her skin cleanly. Juno was stunned for a split second before her brain came back to reality. The shock overrode any pain, the knife stabbed the wall getting stuck. Screaming like hell, and heaving and foaming like a lunatic, Juno sprinted away from her and towards the stairs.

Her feet were in pain, her head throbbed like a bag of bricks fell on her. She grabbed the door leading into the stairwell and flung it open, losing her balance Juno careended forward. Her toes felt the edge of the first step as her momentum sent her spilling over. Closing her eyes she waited for the loads of pain she was about to feel falling down the stairs.

“Oh, crap!” She felt herself fall, her feet left the ground and then she was airborne.

She felt the air breeze her cheeks and then she hit something hard, but oddly comfortable. Soft fabric brushed my nose, something tickled her cheek. Arms wrap around her, cracking one eye open, meeting a pair of emerald eyes, sparkling with relief.

“Nix…?” It was almost hard to believe. Nix came for her, holding her safely in his arms. Her heart stuttered because if it’s truly him…

She couldn’t hold back, shoving her face into the crook of his neck letting the tears fall. Seeing him, feeling him surround her was her undoing. She thought she was going to die and here she is. Holding a very real, a very hard, Nix.

“Are you ok? Juno, oh what happened?” His eyes traveled over her becoming more and more concerned as they took in the state she was in. Her bloodied bandaged feet, the bleeding gash on her arm, her torn clothes and dirt and dust covering most of her. She looked and felt like a train wreck. His thumb gently rubbed her cheek, her eyes closed at the sensation.

Then she remembered the woman, and like a bad premonition coming true, a light tapping echoed from above them. Nix and Juno both looked up to see the psycho tapping her knife against the railing, a murderous smile glued to her face.

Nix’s body hardened, he sucked in a breath and growled with hatred. “Vanessa…”

“Hello, Nixxy. I’m actually surprised you arrived so soon.” Being held in the comfort of Nix’s arms Juno felt safe and secure. Vanessa can’t hurt her anymore.

Taking a sheltered breath, she tugged Nix’s collar closer. Burying her face deeper into his neck, wanting to be free from all of this. She just wanted him to walk back down those stairs and take her home. A bubble of guilt and disappointment in herself surfaced and she truly felt ugly.

“I’m sorry I judged you the way I did…” Nix turned his head slightly, his lips pressed against hers, soft like a feather.

Instead of shunning her, telling her how he ‘should’ feel, he simply offers her the most reassuring  smile he could, looking at her like something precious. “Never apologize. You were being cautious, it’s one of the things I’ve come to love about you.”

Juno’s ears perked at the ‘L’ word. Maybe she hit her head harder than she thought. Looking away because no doubt her cheeks were scarlet underneath all the dirt, and knowing that he would somehow notice. 

Nix looks back up at Vanessa, he takes a wary step back down the stairs with Juno cradled in snugly in his arms. “Let’s get you out of here, Juno. Let’s go home.” Hearing the word home sent so many emotions through Juno. She wanted to see her sisters again, to be in her own home and bed. To be somewhere familiar.

“No!!! No!!!” Vanesssa screeched vehemently.

“She’s obsessed with you, Nix. She wants revenge for your brother, she blames you for it all.”  Juno whispers to him.

“That’s because she was speaking the devil's tongue in my brother, James’ ear. I should have noticed her poisonous claws but I was blind.”

Vanessa walks down the stairs, the knife scraping like a dying bird, filling the stairwell with a static echo.

“Vanessa, you don’t have to do this…” Venessa barks, she balls her hand into a fist and slams it down on the railing in anger.

“No? I shouldn’t kill you? Can I kill her then?” She points the knife at Juno. Nix’s body flexes protectively in reaction. Vanessa shrugs and takes another step down the stairs. “Silly. I’m going to kill you regardless.” She says matter of factly.

“I’m sorry, Vanessa. Just stop this! Please!” Nix continues the slow descending standoff. Juno wiggles out of Nix’s arms, he lowers her gently. Juno didn’t miss the grimace on his face when he looked at her feet. He must think she was in alot of pain, which she was, but at this point she’s been in pain for what feels like eternity that it no longer hurts as much, more like a dulling ache that just never goes away. Still, it made her hiss at the less than friendly searing burn. 

“I’m ok.” Juno tells Nix. She’s more than capable of using her legs despite the pain. Though, secretly she’d rather be carried. However, the looming danger of Vanessa kind of makes that difficult. Juno sighs as the warmth of Nix’s body vanishes that she almost had to stifle a whimper. But now Nix has full use of both hands.

Nix lowers his voice so only Juno could hear, he doesn’t take his eyes off of Vanessa. “The stairs will take you to the ground floor. You’ll end up in the lobby, just go through the doors and get outside. I’ll be right behind you...go!” 

Juno nods and carefully watches her step as she rushes down the stairs. A shrill screech came from above. Vanessa was running down the stairs after them. Picking up the pace which was really Juno just sliding down the steps like a drunken zombie, yet effective. Apparently not quick enough as Nix grabs her by the arm and literally pulls her along.

“We’re almost there!” Heavy pounding echoed behind us. Afraid to look behind her, Juno kept her eyes on Nix’s powerful broad back. They hit the bottom floor and push through the doors into the lobby.

“I won’t let you get away!!” Nix pushes Juno away, Vanessa jumps onto Nix’s back and brings the knife down in a stabbing motion. Throwing his arm up, NIx blocked the blow, the knife centimeters away from puncturing his skin. She wrapped her legs around him like a spider monkey. He struggled trying to pry her off and keep the knife at bay.

“Nix!” Nix was twirling trying to shake her off. Vanessa screamed trying to force the knife past his arm and into his chest.

Rushing over to them, Juno grabbed the woman's flailing hair and yanked as hard as she could. Vanessa howled reaching for her hair, her hold releasing on Nix as she fell to the floor. Balling up her fists, she threw a punch at Vanessa, hitting her with every ounce of strength she had. Juno’s fist, collided with Vanessa’s cheek, dropping her like a sack of flour. A sharp pain zapped up her wrist. Juno cradled her hand to her chest. 

The lobby was practically gutted. If Nix never mentioned this as the lobby, there would have been no way she’d know, save the single C-shaped desk in the middle, something akin to a reception desk. Some turned over chairs and empty flower pots.  The tile flooring was chipped and larger parts missing from various sections. The front doors were the revolving type, and the windows were covered in dust giving them a milky coat.

“Are you ok!? What were you thinking!?”

“Seemed like I was helping you out, making sure my savior wasn’t stabbed in the process. A thanks would have been more appreciated.” Juno says with snark.

Nix was immediately by her side checking her hand and wrist. His hair fell down over his eyes and for the briefest of moments she threaded her fingers through them brushing them out of the way. Nix’s eyes fluttered with a deep intake of breath for only a second. A second that felt like forever.

“It could be broken. Be careful and don’t do anything rash with it. You don’t want to make it worse. Let’s get out of here before the b***h gets up.” 

Vanessa was cradling her head, grimacing in pain while she sat on the floor. She seemed to have completely forgotten about them and was not muttering incoherently to herself. Juno almost felt sorry for the woman and some part of her wanted to help her. That was until red and blue lights flashed through the lobby windows. Vanessa finally raised her head and her eyes locked onto Juno’s.

Juno didn’t wait. She grabbed Nix’s hand and pulled him towards the lobby entrance and towards safety. “The police are here! We’re saved, let’s go, Nix!”

Pushing through the doors a cold gust of wind blasted her in the face. She’s been inside for so long that the cold was like daggers prickling the dirty and bruised skin. The fresh crisp air was a balm to her torn lungs with all the dust and debri from inside the building that she inhaled. Snowflakes fell on her like tiny kisses. The wind swept through her hair like a mothers caress. Her bare feet sunk into the snow, the cold biting into her torn flesh, but also relieving her of the pain of numbing the multitude of wounds her feet sustained from all the broken glass and less than friendly conditions of the interior.

“Freeze!!”

“On the ground!!” The police shouted at them with drawn weapons. Juno was hopeful and was running towards safety, but the officers had their weapons drawn and she came to a screeching halt . 

“What’s going on!?”  Juno screamed. Why were they pointing guns at them? Nix had his hands raised and linked behind his head, like this was routine. 

“The crazy person is inside and she has a knife! Nix didn’t do anything! He saved me!” Juno felt protective and rushed over to Nix wrapping her arms around him tightly. Never wanting to let go. Rough hands grabbed her around the shoulders and pulled her free.

“Stop touching me! Get off of me! Nix!” She shouted at the officers pulling her away and at Nix. Pleading with him but he simply locked eyes with her and shook his head. Mouth, ‘It’s ok.’

It wasn’t ok. Not for one bit and Juno was more confused than ever. Here is the man who came to rescue her from a deranged psycho but is now being handcuffed and pulled to the waiting police cars. 

“You’re going to be safe, ma’am.” 

“The hell I am! What the hell are you doing! Let me go to Nix, he’s the one who came and saved me! It wasn’t you guys in blue, you only show up at the end. Why are you arresting him?”

“It’s not safe! I need to get you out of here. This way.” Juno kicked and screamed. The officers holding her will definitely have bruised shins by the next day. Their grip was too tight and Juno couldn’ break free, no matter how hard she tried. Her arm, being twisted back to keep her restrained, started to go numb, leaving Juno with nothing to do but follow with wet eyes.

The officers cuffed Nix and dragged him towards the squad cars. A piercing shrill came from the building. It was horrifying. It sounded like a dying soul crying out in pain, it’s sound etched itself into Juno’s mind. She’ll never forget that sound. The sound alone had her knees buckle in terror. 

All the officers stop and look at the entrance to the building. Outside was the hunched form of Vanessa. Her long black hair cascaded down covering her face. Small jerking shakes twitched her limbs and in one hand was her knife.

“Drop the knife!” The officers raise their weapons, taking aim at Vanessa.

“Drop it lady!”

The officers barked at her, but she ignored their commands. Juno didn’t think she could hear anything outside her own shattered mind. Her tunneled vision for revenge has consumed her. The rage that feeds her heart drove her. Her head twitched and tilted, her hair shifting revealing her half her face. Her visible eye looked straight into Juno’s soul, holding her spellbound. With a huge grin slowly cracking her lips apart, she smiled and charged in Juno’s direction. 

“Shoot her!” Nix shouted from somewhere off to the side. Juno couldn’t take her eyes off of Vanessa. Her speed and determination was almost demonic. The officers kept yelling at her demanding her surrender. 

A commotion broke out out of the corner of Juno’s eye. Nix shouldered his way through the officers restraining him and ran straight for Juno with fear in his eyes. Vanessa was only ten feet away, Nix was too far and the police seemed too interested in demanding a surrender. But, as soon as Nix broke free, capturing Juno’s attention, the police discharged their weapons in a loud symphony. Juno fell to the ground with her hands over her ears and her eyes closed tightly. Her heart gripped in fear until a pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around her as the bullets kept their barrage all around them.

The gunfire stopped. Raising her head she looked up. Vanessa was laying in a pile, the snow beneath her spreading into dark shades of red. Blood absorbed into the snow, warm uneven breaths fanned against the back of Juno’s neck.

“Are you ok? I got scared. I don’t think I’ll ever get that image out of my head.” Nix had you buried into his body. His strong, protective arms held her firmly. Palming his cheeks Juno giggled. Her laugh was not from excitement, not from happiness, but from the combination of the days ordeals finally taking hold. She felt stiff, exhausted, but she had Nix and that’s what mattered at the moment. She knew they’d have to talk, but right now all of that seemed so far off into the distance. She pulled him forward and kissed him hard. His lips were careful at first, but after a careful exploration of the edges he gave way and opened himself to her. Her tongue delved into his mouth, tasting him and taking him all at the same time. A fiery warmth filled her frozen stomach, she felt lightheaded with it.

“I’ll be sure to replace all the bad images then. Thank you for coming for me. I’m so sorry. I...Can you ever forgive me? How I acted earlier was wrong, and It hurts thinking how bad I was to you.”

“Nix Steele, you are under arrest!” An officer grabbed one of his arms. 

A fierce protectiveness came over Juno. Smacking his hand away she seethed. “What the f**k for!? He’s the one that saved me! Where hell were you guys? Coming up at the last minute acting like heroes! Let him go!” Ignoring her more officers came and grabbed Nix off ground and tugged him away from her. It was like having her umbilical cord ripped out, she felt the tether snap and she snapped with it. She charged the officers wanting to break Nix free, to give the men in blue a piece of her mind. Juno needed familiarity right now, she felt like she could shatter just like those windows from before.

“It’ll be ok, Juno. They don’t have anything. I’ll only be questioned. With my past track record they love to see if I've been ‘bad’.” Nix winks, a sensual cue amidst the chaos around them. “Might be some time. I have a feeling they have ‘lots’ of questions.”

“You are incorrigible, but I’m coming with!”

“It’ll be fine. It’s just for some questioning. Besides, you need to go to the hospital and get looked at. Please, for me?” 

“Paramedics need to look at you right away. Right this way, please.” They pulled Nix away and Juno was led to the back of an ambulance. Juno watched as the squad car carrying Nix disappeared into the snowy night. The sirens loud and blaring, a shriek in the air. Blue and red flashes still highlighted the snow covered area.

Sometime later Juno awoke in bed. White linens covered her body in an equally white room. Monitors stood to the side beeping with intermittent chimes. She raised her arms to rub her eyes, a rough abrasive texture swatted her forehead. A white cast coated her hand to her elbow. Same had she punched Vanessa with. Also the same hand she draws with.

“Great. Guess I’ll be taking a mini vacation after all.” She groaned, not at all pleased with the prospect of the next few weeks. Juno lifted the covers to check herself out. A white gown adorned her body, her legs were bare up to her feet which had bandages wrapped around her feet and toes from the numerous criss crossing wounds that probably marked the bottom of her soles. Leaning her head back against the pillow she blinked up at the ceiling, the bright fluorescent lights hurt her eyes, but overall, the pain she felt before has diminished considerably.  A gauze wrapped around her head as well. Probably why her head hurt so much. She doesn’t remember falling though, or hitting it on anything.

“Mmmm…” Juno felt completely relaxed. She barely felt the numerous injuries she had.

Turning her head she gazed out the large squared window. Flowers and cards decorated the space in front of the window. Her mind drifted off as her eyes closed from the sudden exhaustion that hit. 

Behind her eyes she saw Nix. Standing there in his handsome form, his hand outstretched. It was sunny, the wind was just right and the grass tickled her feet. No more injuries, no more bandages. Echoes of children’s laughter surrounded them. Juno took his hand and smiled, taking her on a wonderful walk through the grassy knoll.