30.

Juliet Ferguson

"Hello Juliet, I'm Dr Linda, I'm a psychologist,"

I look at the short blonde woman before me and smile, "Hi doctor."

"Vincent here called me because he said that you had just been through something very traumatic and that maybe you need someone to talk to."

I nod, "Yes, I recently, well, more than 24 hours ago, I was kidnapped," I say, as a lump forms in my throat.

I don't want to relive this again.

We walk towards the couch in the living room, and I sit on the couch and she sits across from me, she puts her bag down and looks at me. Her sympathetic eyes and soft features are enough to tell me that she genuinely cared about my ordeal, I look over at Vincent, who is standing by the doorway, and he gives me a nod.

"Vincent, can you please stay?" I ask, he is the only person I trust right now, and I need him, he is the reason I am in this state, he might as well, relive it with me.

"Okay, so you said you were kidnapped, do you know who did it?"

I nodded, "They wanted to know where Vincent was."

She nods in understanding, "Did you tell them?"

I shake my head, "I didn't, even if I knew where he was, I wouldn't betray him like that again."

"What do you mean again, Juliet?"

I look over at Vincent next to me and he gives me a nod, "You don't have to talk about it if you aren't ready to, mi amore."

I sniff, "I used to work for the FBI as a secret agent, and my last assignment was to have Vincent and his associates arrested,"

I take a deep breath, "I portrayed myself as the damsel in distress, I earned his trust, and I betrayed that trust by handing him over to the FBI."

"How did that make you feel?" Dr Linda asks, I look at her, but I can't see her with the tears filling my eyes.

"Horrible,"

"So, let's talk about the kidnapping, what happened?"

My chest tightens and I feel the room closing in on me, I look around and the room feels like its spinning, what's happening to me?

"Julie, breathe baby,"

I take a deep breath and close my eyes and I mentally count to ten and then I open my eyes again.

"Julie, are you okay?" Dr Linda asks with furrowed brows.

"I think we can carry on another time, she needs to get some rest," Vincent replies.

Dr Linda reluctantly agrees, and Vincent offers to walk her out.

I let out a sigh, Trauma.

They taught us how to handle it but why am I failing to get over this, it's not the first time this has happened, I've been kidnapped several times and raped at least twice but I was on the job, and all the time it's happened I've managed to overcome it, why can't I do it this time around?

I slide to the floor and lay down on the soft faux fur carpet and I do my breathing exercises and I close my eyes, but I can see is images of what happened that night, the club, the guy I took home, the men barging in.

I feel a hand grab my leg and I start kicking at the person, I hear a thud and I open my eyes, sit up, and find Vincent curled up on the floor clutching his stomach.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry," I quickly rush to his side, and he groans in pain.

"I forgot you could kick ass."

I can't help but blush, "I'm really sorry, do you need me to call someone."

"No, it's okay," he croaked out and carefully sat himself up.

Shit, I can't believe I did that.

He looks over at me and smiles, "It's okay mi amore, I will be fine. It's my fault, I shouldn't have scared you like that."

I frown, is this how it's going to be now, he'll try and touch me, and I'll kick his ass? You need to get your shit together Julie, mama didn't raise any pussy.

"Mi amore," Vincent calls out and I look at him in response.

"Talk to me, I need you to talk to me,"

"I- I need –

"Vincent, we have an emergency," Angelo says as he walks into the dining room.

"Not now Angelo, I'm busy."

"It's important, it's about the Russians," he presses.

Vincent curses and bangs his fist on the floor, making me jump.

"I'm sorry mi amore. I have to go, I called Monica to come over with the baby to keep you company while we wait for Gio's arrival, I'll be back as soon as I can," he kisses my cheek, stands up, and leaves the room before I can say good-bye.

I let out a huff, stood up from the floor, and made my way upstairs to Vincent's room.

"Miss Ferguson?" I turn around at the top of the stairs and look down and find the woman that helped me, Sarah.

"Please Sarah, call me Julie," I smiled.

Her cheeks turn bright pink, "I just wanted to let you know that I am here at our disposal, anything you need, call for me."

I smile at her politeness, but I think she's done enough for me so far, "Thank you Sarah but I'm okay."

She nods, "Okay ma'am, I mean Julie, I'll send Miss Pareja up as soon as she arrives,"

"Thank you," and I walk to Vincent's room.

I need a hot bath, maybe that will help clear my mind.

I walk into the bathroom, walk over to the tub, turn on the hot water fossette and pour in the lavender bath oils on the side of the tub, that's why Vincent smells like lavender, I pour the whole bottle in, completely ignoring the instruction of just three drops, Lord knows I need more than that.

I take off my clothes and let the tub fill up to the top, I check the temperature and it's perfect, I get into the tub and sink myself in, I submerge my body in the water for a few seconds and come back up. I lean back, close my eyes, and let the oil do its work.

Time passes and I hear a knock on the door.

"Julie you in there?"

Monica.

"Monica?"

"Puta, the one and only," she laughs, and I hear the baby squeal.

I quickly grab a towel and get out of the tub; I dry myself and wrap a towel on my head and open the door. Within a split-second Monica and I are in a tight hug, we are both sobbing and laughing like a bunch of mad women.

"Dios Mio, I'm so happy to see you," Monica cries.

"Me too and AJ," I gasp, "You've grown so big baba."

He lets out the cutest giggle, "Aunty Juju,"

My heart bursts at the sound of his voice, he can talk now, and he remembers me, I can't help but cry.

"Girl you better put on some clothes, I don't want my baby to see you naked," Monica laughs.

My cheeks heat up, shit I forgot I was naked. I quickly rush past her into the walk-in closet and look for the duffel bag that Sarah put together for me and pull out some leggings and a tank top, I put them on and take out my hair spray, and a brush and I quickly brush my hair up into a high ponytail and I spray on some perfume and put on some lip-gloss and walk out.

Monica is sitting on the floor with AJ, she has already turned the bedroom into a play zone.

"Chicka, sit down, I heard what happened, are you okay?"

I sit down on the floor across from her and sigh, "I'm not okay Mona, I can't seem to get past it. Vincent hired a psychologist to come to talk to me, so maybe that will help."

Her eyes fill with sorrow, "I'm sorry chicka, what happened wasn't your fault, don't blame yourself, it came with the territory when we fell in love with these men," she chuckles, "But here is a piece of advice, everything takes time, give yourself time, talk to the psychologist, get everything out, feel it out. I'm here for you, Vincent is here for you, okay."

I nod, tears well up in my eyes and Monica crawls over to me and hugs me, "I love you, Julie,"

"I love you too Mona and thank you,"

She pulls away and kisses my cheek, "Wipe those tears girl, my man is about to arrive, and I don't want nobody crying."

I laughed and wiped my tears away, I needed to see her, and I think she needed to see me too, ever since we met, we've been each other's rock. I look down at AJ and he's looking at me with his emerald, green eyes with a smile.

There is hope for me.

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