Chapter 21

That night, Aless dreamed of Jᴔnsa. He stood next to her bed, his captivating smile and cool demeanor driving her crazy. Throwing a pillow at him, she told him to get out of her room. Shaking his head, dream Jᴔnsa came closer.

"I want you, lassie," he whispered.

Unable to speak, Aless's dream self just watched him. His left hand caressed her cheek then he bent and kissed her. Against her will, Alessandra's body responded and her arms wrapped around his neck. The kiss deepen and Jᴔnsa leaned her back as he pressed his warm mouth to hers.

You're mine," the dream Jᴔnsa always told her wistfully. "I'm never, ever going to let you go."

His lips would then close over hers yet again then he was everywhere and all she could do was smell him. She couldn't escape. Trying to pull away, Aless started. His eyes had changed colors. Now they were two different colors; the left eye was a bright, pale green and the right eye was bright, pale gray. Aless knew those eyes. Opening his mouth, a sound like a jungle cat's roar poured out. Panicking, Aless couldn't move her body. Suddenly Cahan was hybrid of human and jungle cat. Her arms were still wrapped around his neck. The slamming of her heart against her chest made her feel sick. He didn't attack, maul, or kill her. He just stared with his cat-human eyes at her. Among her terrified thoughts, Aless had an even stranger one. His eyes were kind.

"I am coming, Alessandra," the cat-Cahan purred. "And I am never, ever going to let you go."

Bolting awake, Aless felt confused and angry at herself. The dreams made her feel excited and passionate, which made her angry and disgusted. Why did she dream of Cahan like that? Rolling over, Aless tried to forget about the dream, but couldn't. As soon as she closed her eyes, it began again, repeating throughout the night and for the next several days every time she closed her eyes.

Kayla returned to work two days later, needing one day to rest after all the morphine and stitches. Remaining at the restaurant, Aless did her best to help out, allowing Kay to take it easy. While working at the restaurant could be fun, Aless realized that being a server was not for her. Her temper was too short and customers, on average, too demanding. The letch came in a few times that week, but he did his best to avoid Aless like the plague. She appreciated that. Whether he had been drunk or not, he didn't have an excuse for his actions. She was just sick to death of men who thought they could do whatever they wanted.

It didn't help that her dreams of Cahan continued. Every morning when she woke, Aless questioned herself about why she was having such dreams. Did they mean anything? The question weighed her down so much that Alessandra would brood over it for hours without even realizing it. Kayla teased her, saying she looked like a pre-teen in love, not knowing what was going on inside her best friend's head. Unable to stop herself, Aless would reply with a nasty comment or two. Each time Kay's face would fall, and she would avert her gaze. Instantly, Aless would be consumed with guilt.

"I'm a mess," she sighed to herself.

It was closing four days after Kay's return. Cleaning tables, Aless was alone. Kayla had been let go first, so she could go home to clean and rewrap her cut. Now it was only Aless and Jesus, who was scrubbing down the kitchen. Aless took it as a sign of trust that she and Jesus could close the restaurant. It also gave Master and Madame Wes time to themselves.

"Are you almost done, Aless?" he called.

The scrapping of steel wool against metal told Aless he was cleaning the grill.

"Yeah, I have one more table."

"If you like you can wait for me and we can go get some ice cream together."

"Naw, I don't feel like ice cream. How about I go pick up a movie to watch? That way when you're done we can be set to just relax upstairs."

Renting a movie and vegging out had become a weekly tradition for Jesus and Aless. They would sneak into the living room upstairs while everyone was asleep and watch old movies that they found at the local movie rental place. The movie rental place only carried movies that were ten years old or older. Some of the movies were so obscure, Aless had never even heard of them. Yet, whether the movie was good or not, Aless and Jesus enjoyed watching them, even if it was just to make fun of it.

"Okay. Sounds good. Just be careful. Convention is still in town and some of those guys like to drink."

"I'll be fine."

Finishing her last table, Aless clocked out and waved to Jesus as she headed out the door. She was in the mood for a comedy and was trying to think hard of the movies that the stored had. She vaguely recalled a black and white movie that wasn't even a holoprojection. It was an extremely old one that was only in 2D. The cover had a woman dramatically lying in the arms of a man with heavy make-up. That may have been a comedy and if it wasn't, it looked cheesy enough to be a comedy. Reaching the store, Alessandra found the movie and left.

Realizing that the errand had taken no time at all, Alessandra decided to stroll for a bit, giving Jesus time to finish closing the diner. It was boring to watch him close and it was a beautiful night out. Life was good, she concluded, walking among the squat buildings that hadn't changed in a hundred years.

She followed the stars as she meandered through the alleys. They shone so bright as if trying to tell her something. One star in particular caught her eye as it shone brightly then dimmed, flickering like candle in the distant sky. Changing her direction to find a place where she could more clearly see the star, Aless wandered south towards the river. It seemed to be running from her dodging behind buildings and trees, always just slightly out of her view. Picking up speed for an unknown reason, Aless felt like she had to see it clearly, even if for a moment.

Rounding the corner, she gasped in surprising joy as she broke out from the buildings to a clear sky. The star danced feverously in the dark. For moment Alessandra just stood there, observing the heavens. A crack like twig snapping against a rock retrieved her attention. Refocusing on the world around her, Aless froze seeing a large man smashing his fist into something that looked like large potato sack. It wasn't a potato sack though. It was another human.

Holding her scream back, Aless felt her feet stick in the ground. The large man stood and brought his fist back down onto what she assumed was the face of the smaller man. Something spurted and there was another crunch. This time Aless couldn't help herself. She screamed. The brutal figure looked up and Alessandra only saw darkness. Dark circles and triangles. Brightly different colored eyes. It was as if the monsters that haunted her childhood dreams manifested in front of her. The figure smiled, chillingly and tenderly.

The smaller man fell to the ground with an odd squelching sound and the monster-man seemed to only take one step towards her before his hands clamped around her arms. Her scream was stuck again, lodged somewhere in her throat.

"Aless," the voice chuckled playfully. "Hello, Aless."

The voice brought recognition to Alessandra like a rock to the skull. Cain. It was Cain.

"Cain…what…what are you doing?" her voice was shrill and unlike her.

"I'm just teaching a gentleman some manners."

"What…what gentleman?"

"I'm sure you know, Aless, if you think about it."

"N…no…this is wrong, Cain. Let me go! Stop all of this."

"I can't stop now, Aless. I've already got going. So wonderful that you found me now. It's just so perfect."

He rolled his tongue when he said perfect, sounding as if he was imitating a cat. Shivers ran down her spine as Cain's hands caressed her sides, pulling her in. His touch was a strange combination of pain and sensuality. It confused her senses and all Alessandra knew was that she was scared.

"This will make this night perfect," he growled.

His hands wrapped around her body, so she pressed against him. His heart was racing as if he had too much coffee. Somehow his arms wrapped around her back and then up to her neck. His hands were around her neck and there was nothing she could do. Panic flooded her mind and body as she struggled to no avail. His fingers played with her neck as they slowly added pressure. With his arms encircling her, Aless could not move her arms. He had incapacitated her. All Aless could think of was the apple. How easily he had sliced it in two as if it were butter. Her neck was nowhere as strong as an apple.

Stars exploded in her vision as pain and suffocation started to occur. His tattooed face swam in front of her as he chuckled with joy. This is what he had wanted. He felt excited now. Nothing would stop him. Cain wasn't sure he could even stop himself from going too far the first time. The beating had been exquisite…of course he hadn't finished but Aless had appeared. She was better than some drunk. She was perfection in his eyes.

Cahan sat on his private jet, studying the clouds. He had been dreaming soundly when he had bolted up, sweating in his sleep. His gut felt twisted and he couldn't understand what was wrong. No matter how hard he tried, Cahan could not calm his racing heart. It was as if he had been shocked with electricity. Of course, he kept his composure. No one even suspected that he felt as if he was going to lose his filet mignon lunch.

He couldn't imagine what was causing it. Everything was going smooth. He had just made a new acquisition at work. His men had caught six of his ten slaves and it had only been a brief period of time, a couple months. His family was healthy. Donovan, his younger brother, had just had his first child, a bouncing baby boy, and his sister Elena, was expecting. Cahan had never had the fraternal urge to settle down and have children like his siblings, but that was why he was the new head of the family. He wasn't swayed by familial feelings and obligations like his brothers and sisters. His mother had always claimed that it was due to him never meeting the right girl, but she had passed away years ago after a family falling out with her brother. The memory made his temper rise.

Taking a deep breath, Cahan enjoyed the movement of the clouds as his jet whizzed by them. They were light and airy, made of condensed water and particles, he knew, but they always amazed him with how solid and soft they looked. As a child he had wanted to catch a cloud in his hand if only briefly. What had Alessandra dreamed of as a child?

Stopping, Cahan closed his eyes in abhorrence. He had been having these Aless questions pop in his mind a couple times a day lately. It annoyed and vexed him. She was a child. A simple, stubborn child and he didn't know why he kept thinking about her. It was bad enough he had saved her father. Now Cahan thought of her constantly, though he'd never admit it. It was hard enough to admit that he thought of her period outside of a business mindset.

Yet his mind was drawn back to her now and it both calmed and agitated his heart. Something was wrong, but he didn't know what. It didn't have to deal with Dominic. Whenever something involved Dominic, Cahan felt as if he needed to bath due to the invisible slim that appeared. This was a much more terrifying and horrifying sensation.

Closing his eyes, Cahan tried to imagine something peaceful and relaxing. Aless was there. She smiled at him coly and had a come-hither look. She was in lingerie and Cahan felt a comfortable peace run over him. This he could enjoy. This he did enjoy.

"Cahan," she said sweetly, taking a step forward. "You need to find me, Cahan. Find me, please."

Grinning, he adjusted in his seat. His heart was settling and he knew this was a wonderful waking dream. She was approaching him, her lips pouty, her eyes inviting.

"Cahan, I need you," she moaned then her voice cut short.

Her face became scared and desperate.

"Cahan, I need you! Help me!"

Her face went pale and her hands clawed at her neck as if something was strangling her. Gasping sounds emitted from her mouth as she rose to her toes, some invisible force holding her up, asphyxiating her. She was clawing and screaming his name. Help. Aless needed help! Cahan ran towards her, but he couldn't reach her. She was dying. He could see that. She was dying!

"Aless!" he roared, reaching for her.

Cahan lurched forward in his seat, his heart racing again. Breathe hurt his lungs as Cahan kept hearing Alessandra screaming in his mind. Standing he strutted to the cockpit.

"Head for the Frying Pan," he barked, startling his crew.

They quickly nodded and called him sir. Complying without delay, the plane's direction changed. Cahan paced back to his chair, yet he couldn't sit. Cain was in the Frying Pan, he knew that. He had to find Cain and then find Aless. Something was terribly, terribly wrong.

Aaron Yᴔsin snapped his eyes open in the private bed his company was now paying for. His heart attack had been severe and a terrifying experience; however now he felt as if he had no heart. He had been resting, sleeping in his warm bed, recovering when he heard his little girl crying. She was scared and crying somewhere, begging for help. This had woken him but there was no one in his room. He was alone and Alessandra was nowhere near him.

There was a hole in his chest and he started to weep against his will. The emptiness and sense of wrongness felt worse than his heart attack. It wasn't something a person grew accustom to. Often over the last six months or so there were times when he felt ill or terrified for no reason and could only think of his daughter.

When his wife had been alive, she claimed that she always knew if Aless was okay or not because she could sense her.

"Aless is my daughter and I love her more than life itself," Sydnee had smiled one time as they watched a young Alessandra sleep. "So I guess I've become in tune to her. I always know when something is wrong. I can feel it in my chest, no matter where she is."

Maybe this was the sensation she had been talking about, Aless's father pondered. The feelings had become stronger as time passed. Yet nothing before had felt as bad as this. His heart no longer beat in his chest and his throat hurt as if he had been screaming. Everything in his body was protesting even breathing.

"Aless," he croaked just to hear her name.

A flash of pain shot through his chest. His child was in pain and suffering. No worse than that. She was dying. He could feel death settle over him as if the death blanket was lying on himself. The terror and horror that engulfed him made his phantom heart race at an alarming speed. Yet he was helpless, stuck in a hospital bed with tubes and drips medicating him, holding him hostage. Nothing he could do or say would release him in time. No matter what he knew he would be too late.

Too late. Too late to do what? Save his daughter? Aaron didn't even know where she was! She was a needle in the world, a speck of dust among a field of dandelions. Air became strained to his lungs. His throat closed against his will as if someone was clamping their hands around his throat.

Eyes rolling back in his head, Aaron pulled at the invisible hands. Was this what his baby was experiencing? Was she dying like this? Flailing his arms in an effort to free himself from his nonexistent attacker, Aaron tried to scream for help, but his words became lost in his throat. The machines monitoring his heart rate shrieked for him as his heart galloped, making his head swim even more.

Instantly nurses and doctors surrounded him. They were calling for an air tube and sedatives. A pretty nurse talked to him, but it was as if he were under water. Nothing sounded right. It sounded garbled and watery. She touched his face with genuine concern.

"Not me," he thought desperately as the physicians worked. "Aless…help Aless."

Danny huffed as he worked on his car's engine. Piece of crap. It had stalled again, and he knew that he had just replaced the spark plugs, filter and brakes. Everything seemed to be in order, but something always gave him issues. He just had to find the problem. It was a good excuse to be busy anyways. The new girl he had been seeing turned out to be clingy and needy. It was driving him crazy.

She was the fourth girl since Aless's disappearance. They were all good lays and fun for the first couple weeks but afterwards Danny found them to be tiring and annoying. It's not like he wanted anything serious anyways. Hell, he hadn't wanted anything serious with Alessandra. It had just happened. His vision blurred, and he swiped at his eyes. The fumes had to be getting to him. Standing up straight, he cracked his back by arching backwards.

Late summer nights were beautiful. The stars twinkled and smiled down at him. Everything felt right in the world, minus the hole that was in his chest. Nothing filled it. Even his mother was starting to comment on his behavior.

"Baby," she sighed, hugging him as he sat at the kitchen table eating. "You don't have to pretend like you are okay. You miss her."

"Who, ma?" he inquired between bites of food.

"That Ali girl."

"Aless, ma."

"Yes. You miss her. I can see it on your face."

"She's gone, ma. Just like dad. She's gone and she ain't coming back."

"You don't know that. If you pray, she may be returned to us."

"That's your thing. I don't pray."

"Maybe you should give it a try."

Danny hadn't replied of course. There was no point in arguing with his mother about the Deity. She could sense his stubborn position though and kissed the top of his head.

"Fine. I will pray for the both of us."

Now as Danny stood in his garage door, watching the night sky, he felt the compulsion to pray. Closing his eyes he directed his thoughts to the Deity or whoever was in the sky.

"Please protect Alessandra," he thought as a burning sensation pricked behind his eyes. "She is a good girl. Don't let her suffer due to me. Don't let her die and be taken from her family more than she already is…"

He paused for a moment.

"Please return her to me. I need her. I made a mistake. Forgive me and return her to me."

Warmth spread through his body as if he was being hugged by his mother. Danny knew that everything would be alright. Aless would return home. He could feel it. He just knew that where ever she was, Aless was safe and comfortable.