Chapter Eight

Something was touching Lotte's hand. Something was holding it. She didn't know where she was but she knew she wasn't on the beach. Wherever she was it was soft and comfortable. Her corset had been loosened and she could no longer feel the boots on her feet. Her mind felt foggy and god was she tired. 

There was a very quiet conversation happening beside her. She recognized the two voices. But it wasn't Everet, nor was it, Black Jack. 

Lotte opened her eyes to a brightly lit room. It stung, causing her to blink a few times to adjust her eyes.

"Good morning," Trigger said, getting her attention.

Lotte looked over to see Fitz holding her hand as he sat on the edge of the bed. The younger boy stood beside him. A look of relief fell over Fitz's face. Lotte didn't understand, but she also didn't care at the moment.

"You've been sedated," he explained. "But not the bad stuff."

Lotte didn't know what the 'bad stuff' meant. But she could only assume it meant good.  

Lotte was too tired to answer him. She just blinked. Around her were white bedsheets and pillows. Fitz had bandaged up his wound and changed into different clothes. 

After a minute of awkward silence, Trigger cleared his throat, " I've got something important I need to do."

Both Fitz and Trigger knew that was a lie. But Trigger wasn't going to submerge himself in awkwardness any longer than he had to. Once Trigger left the room Fitz dropped Lotte's hand and rolled up her sleeve. Lotte looked down at a scar she didn't even know she had. It was long and deep. Somewhat fresh. It had been stitched together with the stitches still visible. 

"You tried to stop them, didn't you?"

Lotte didn't know what Fitz was talking about. If anything Fitz probably gave her that scar. 

"Does it hurt?" He asked. Lotte stared at him. Mustering up enough strength to give him a weak glare. Fitz ran his finger over the stitches causing Lotte to flinch, giving him the answer he was looking for.

"How's your neck?"

"How the fuck do you think?" Lotte's response shocked Fitz. Her voice was hoarse and gave out for most of the words. But he was surprised she was talking to him at all. "Your goon nearly killed me."

"Trust me, I'm not happy about the situation either. But you did try and kill me. Trigger knew what he was doing and was nowhere near killing you."

Lotte doubted that. She had bruises around her neck from where Trigger had strangled her. Her throat hurt and even without the sedation, she wasn't confident she would be able to speak. 

"Black Jack is going to hunt you down. When he sees that the princess of the Dazzler is gone you and your goon will be tortured and killed." 

Fitz chuckled as he stood up. He faced Lotte with arms crossed against his chest, smugly. "Is that so, princess? I have every man patrolling the perimeter. Black Jack isn't going to get within one hundred feet of you. And I know a couple of things about how to withstand torture." 

Lotte wanted to deck him so badly. She sat forward but her body quickly gave out and she fell back against the pillows. Lotte didn't like that Fitz was trying to be intimidating. And she didn't like that it was working. She wanted to wipe the smug grin off his face before it infiltrated her mind. 

Fitz's grin grew wider, "If you'll excuse me I need to do some torching of my own. Sleep well, princess."

"If you kill any of them, It will be the downfall of you," Lotte let out a pathetic yell as Fitz reached the doorway. 

Fitz didn't turn to look at Lotte. With a dagger in his hand, he said, "Don't worry. I won't do anything yet."

Lotte's chest fell as Fitz left. He closed the door as he left. She stared at the empty room, bedsheets clenched in her fist. She was going to get out of there. And when she did she would make sure the rest of Fitz's life would be agonizing. 

Fitz walked with a dagger in his right hand. He knew he wouldn't need it. But he brought it in case he decided he wanted to kill and stab someone. And he very much wanted to stab someone. But stabbing them would be too easy, too quick. It wouldn't do justice. Fitz stopped in the middle of an open patch of ground with no trees.  He slid the dagger into its leather casing and reattached it to his clothing. He didn't have to wait long. 

As arranged Everet appeared out from the trees across from him. He stormed towards Fitz, his face fuming.

"Where is she? What have you done with her?"

Fitz didn't move, nor did he flinch, "safe from you." 

Everet walked right up to Fitz until their faces were inches apart. He could almost see the steam radiating off Everet's face, "and you're never going to hurt her again."

Before Everet had the chance to react he felt a powerful blow to the side of his head. It was enough to knock him to the ground. Fitz's fist was nowhere healed from the first time he had punched Everet. But that didn't matter right now. 

Fitz climbed on top of Everet as he pulled out his dagger and stabbed it viciously into Everet's leg. Everet let out a scream as he clutched at his leg, leaving more space for Fitz to hit him. 

"Your lucky I'm not a sick fuck like you," Fitz said. He stopped punching only so Everet could hear what he was saying, "or I would do to you all the things you did to her."

Everet let out a laugh as blood fell out of his mouth. "You think I fucked her? Why don't you ask her? Maybe I did fuck Lotte. Maybe I–"

Everet didn't get the chance to answer the sentence. He had already pushed Fitz over the edge. He grabbed Everet by the neck and pushed him so hard into the ground that it was making a dent. 

"Take her name out of your mouth!" Fitz shouted. "You don't deserve to say her name!" 

Everet's eyes looked like they were about to pop out of his skull. His face was a firetruck shade of red. Fitz's stared into his eyes as they rolled into the back of Everet's head. Fitz wanted his face engraved into Everet's memory. One that would stick with him past death. But Fitz stopped, he wasn't finished. He waited for Everet to regain his breath before punching him again. 

"Don't tell me you're too weak to finish?"

Fitz laughed out of insult, "Don't worry. You don't deserve to die this quickly."

"She wouldn't want you to kill me," Everet said. Barely getting the words out. 

"She won't care once she remembers who she belongs to," Fitz shook out his hand. 

"Is this how you kidnapped her?" Everet asked in the short moment of calmness. "Did you beat her until she was too weak to move?" 

"I didn't touch her," Fitz hit with the strongest punch yet. "Don't you dare even suggest it? You're the one who tied her down and drugged her." 

"Are you telling me she went with you willingly? I don't think so. If it weren't for me, she would be dead. Dead by her hand."

Fitz broke Everet's nose with the next punch. Causing Everet to let out a loud moan of pain. Fitz thought back to the scar on Lotte's arm that was still fresh. He pulled the knife out of Everet's leg, "I'll see you in hell."

When Lotte woke up it was dark out. Aside from some drowsiness, the sedation had mostly worn off. Her eyes darted around the dark room for her sword. Both that and her captors were gone. Lotte quickly threw the blankets off of her and stood up. The floorboards creaked but no one came up to attack her. After standing still for a few minutes Lotte saw her escape, the window. She walked lightly with each step and made it across the room without drawing anyone's attention. It was a far drop, but it was durable. It would hurt like hell if she didn't do it right. Lotte looked around for a bush to land in but she only saw dirt. Lotte steadied herself on the makeshift windowsill. Her legs straddled the opening with one leg already outside the house. As she pulled her other leg over, she stopped. Lotte could hear the sound of voices downstairs. She stopped. 

"She's not going to be very happy with you."

"I don't care. You should have heard what he was saying. What he did to her. That sick fuck was proud of it too."

"How much damage did you do to your hand?"

Lotte climbed back through the window. Without worrying about the noise she was making, Lotte stormed downstairs. Both Fitz's and Trigger's heads turned as she entered the kitchen. Neither one of them got a word out before Lotte punched Fitz in the side of the head. He stumbled as Lotte grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pushed him onto the table. Bending his spine in a way that shouldn't be bendable. Without worrying how this might look Lotte climbed on top of him. 

"You killed him! You killed him, didn't you? You said you wouldn't!" Lotte screamed in Fitz's face. 

"I told you," Trigger said as he wrapped his arms around Lotte, prying her off of Fitz. Causing Lotte to kick Fitz in the process. 

Lotte thrashed her head back into Trigger's nose causing him to drop her. She fell to the floor with a thud but quickly stood back up. Lotte grabbed a glass over the counter and smashed it over Fitz's head. Injecting glass into both of their skin. With Trigger still groaning on the floor, Fitz grabbed Lotte and pinned her on top of the table, away from all the glass. 

"I'm glad to see you doing well," he taunted the struggling Lotte. 

Lotte growled at him but failed to get Fitz off of her. Fitz was putting just enough pressure to contain her and it was frustrating. 

"Fight me, you coward!" Lotte yelled, leaving Fitz completely unfazed. Only pissing her off more.

"How's the medicine coming," Fitz asked Trigger who had just stood up.

"It's ready," said Trigger. "Give me a second."

Lotte continued to kick and yell at Fitz who looked oddly calm.

"Lotte it's ok. Lotte, look at me," Fitz said quietly so Trigger couldn't hear. " It's ok."

Fitz's voice was strangely calming. To both of their surprise, Lotte stopped struggling. Her chest heaved up and down, desperately trying to catch a breath. 

"I'm not going to hurt you. Lotte I—"

Trigger entered the room before Fitz could finish. He looked slightly annoyed but focused on the task at hand. 

Lotte turned her head to see a vile of liquid and a needle. She began to thrash again, nearly breaking out of Fitz's grip.

"Shh, shh, shh," Fitz tried to calm her, failing miserably. 

"Can you hold her still?" Trigger grunted. "I can't find a vein with her thrashing around like this."

"I'm trying!"

"I'm getting the others," Trigger said. "They can help hold her down."

"I don't want to traumatize her," Fitz said. 

"It won't matter once she wakes up," Trigger argued. But Fitz stayed silent. 

Trigger rolled his eyes and let out a loud sigh. He put the needle into his mouth and climbed on top of the table. He grabbed onto Lotte's wrist with one hand and used his foot to pin down the rest of her arm. 

As Lotte felt a sharp pain in her arm, her body immediately began to relax. Trigger quickly hopped off of the table and moved out of her view. She looked at Fitz who had let go of her and backed up. As Lotte's breathing slowed Fitz walked around beside her. Lotte's eyes followed him as he ran his finger through her hair. He gently tucked it behind her ear and creased her cheek with his thumb.

"I'll see you soon." 

Lotte looked away from Fitz and to the ceiling. Her body felt weightless. As her eyes slowly shut she felt Fitz's hand around hers. 

"Don't leave," she whispered.