Disappearing Dove

A/N- Hi everyone! I've always wanted to put down on paper some of the story ideas I've always had running around my brain, so here we are! Its my first time publishing anything like this, so please feel free to leave any tips that could help me better myself as an author. I hope you enjoy!

Prologue

   She ran as fast as her legs would let her. Her hazel eyes darting around to make sure no one was following. Lungs greedy and burning for as much oxygen as they could inhale. She slows, not being able to endure much more on her bare feet. With a shaky breath, she takes another glance around herself before falling onto her knees. The cold wind whips through her hair as if pulling her brunette strands like children teasing one another. The thin nightgown she wears does very little to protect her from the freezing temperatures of the forest air. The crunch of her feet startles her, not realizing she has gotten up and started walking again. As if fear were controlling her every movement, down to how quickly she blinks her eyes. 

   “Please, whoever is out there, I haven't done anything! Please! I promise i'll never say a word to anyone” she sobbed while whipping her head around, trying to find the source of her torment. The forest was eerily quiet as she stood in a small clearing. It seemed the wind had even grown tired of mocking her. With the moon being her only source of light, it's no wonder she never saw the shadows creep behind her, nor the hand that wrapped around her face. Suddenly struggling to breathe, she panics. Kicking her legs in every direction while flailing her arms, her vision grows hazy, and then eventually dark. The headache she will feel in the morning will be the only evidence that this wasn't all a terrible dream. With her last ounce of consciousness, she forces herself to pay attention to her surroundings. 

   With her body limp, she feels herself pressed against a warm body. Being carried bridal style to what she assumes is a car from the feeling of leather beneath her when her body is laid down. Her last few minutes of holding onto reality before letting her slumber overcome her was filled with the most delicious cologne she had ever smelt, and the mumblings of “You’ve put my men through quite the trouble, my Dove.” Rough fingertips surprisingly glide over her cheeks, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “But I've been searching for you for so long, I wasn't going to let you get away so easily. We’ll never have to be apart again, I promise.” He all but whispered into the top of her head where he placed a kiss. Then, sleep finally came. 

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    Three things had greeted her after opening her eyes. First was the sun, which was as normal as any other morning. However, the arm she saw slung around her waist, and the gun sitting atop of the nightstand next to her head, was what woke her up and sent her brain into overdrive. The scream that left her mouth made the owner of her current restraint suddenly shoot up, pushing her behind his body while he reached for the object of her terror. Breathing heavy and now facing the door, her captor quickly scanned the room for his eyes, searching for the danger. His tense shoulders relaxed once he realized there wasn't a threat at all, to him at least. Hers, however, seemed to tighten more if possible. He lets out a breath he was holding and turns towards the woman in his bed. “You scared me, Dove. Are you alright? Did you have a bad dream?”

   The sincerity within his green eyes clashed with the knowledge that he was ready to kill someone for her. The pistol was still firmly grasped within his hand, sending her brain into a frenzy. “Please,” she begged while springing out of bed, “I won't tell anyone I swear.” Her head whipped around the room in search of the nearest exit. “Please let me go home. I didn't do anything, I don't even know who you are!” she exclaimed while taking small steps backwards towards the door. 

   She felt fear seize her when he began to take long strides in her direction from the bed. In a split second, she scrambled backwards, but only to slide against the wall. God, wasn't the door just right behind her? With her mysterious man still stalking towards her like she was prey, she rushed out her words in a hushed whisper. “Please...I...I don't even know who I am”, she heard his steps slow to a halt, so she continued. “I don't even know my name, or even my own age.”

   After a tense moment of the two just looking into each other's eyes, another “please” was barely spoken above a whisper, but loud enough for the man to hear the pain and desperation. It was almost humorous how quickly he dropped to her feet in order to see her face. His hands hovering over her thighs, seeming to almost be scared to touch something so delicate. “I promise you, Darling, I'll answer all your questions, but please sit back down on the bed. You've been through a lot the past 24 hours, so please, get back on the bed.” The hesitance must have been written all over her face, because the man then stood and slowly walked backwards towards the bed in question. She stands with her back against the wall for another moment or two, and then she begins to head towards the satin sheets. 

   When she reaches the bed, she sits as far away from the intimidating man as possible. Feet tucked beneath her, she takes a deep breath and finally looks at him. I think I forgot how to breathe. For the first time since waking up, she gets a good look at him. From his broad shoulders covered in layers of muscle, to his lean torso, it was no question that his body was attractive. However, when she reaches his face, that's where the beauty really comes in. The specks of hazel within his green eyes captivated her and stole her breath once again. His olive skin seemed to glow within the sunlight shining through the curtains, which only added to the ethereal aura he had about him. His high cheekbones and chiseled jaw only seemed to enhance his attractiveness by tenfold. Too busy undressing her kidnapper with her eyes, what the hell is wrong with her?, she failed to notice he was appreciating her beauty just the same. 

   Eyes roaming over the edge of her nightgown that was just barely reaching the tops of her knees in the position she was sitting in, his hands twitch. Wanting to sweep his fingers under the hem to feel the soft heaven that is her thighs, he takes a deep breath to steady himself. Traveling upwards, her soft breaths catch his attention. Her chest rising and falling quickly, his eyes shoot up towards hers, hoping to calm her down. Instead of finding fear in her gaze, he finds curiosity. He can work with that, he thinks to himself. “My name is Vincent Romano. I took over my fathers business when I was 18. When we were younger, we used to play together in the gardens. Our fathers were friends before...well, I'll explain that to you later. But what matters is that you and I are not strangers. You may not remember me, but I've always dreamt about the girl in the lilac dress who stole my heart every summer as a child.” he began. Her heart thumped particularly hard when he mentioned being in love with her as a child. A man she doesn't even recognize dreams of her still? “What happened?” She hears herself say, surprising both herself and Vincent. Vincent, she thinks, it suits him well. 

   The intensity of his gaze caused a shiver to run down her spine. His mood immediately shifting into one of hatred. “They stole you away. Your father had made a deal with mine, and had broken his end of the contract. He was a greedy man who wanted to use his own daughter to further his gain. He had you taken and locked away, but I've never stopped looking for you, Dove.” By the end of his short explanation, he was staring into her eyes with what could only be explained as pure loyalty and dedication. She's going to need an inhaler if he keeps looking at her like that. “But...why would my father do that?” she looks down into her clasped hands. “I always knew I wasn't their child, but they never spoke about my real parents,'' she whispered to herself under her breath, but he heard enough. “Who, my darling? What are the names of the men who dare keep you locked away all these years?” he rushed forwards, grabbing her hands and holding them in a firm grip atop her thighs.  

   “I don't know their names. They've never told me, but I know that they live near the woods. I used to sit and listen to the owl hoot through the vents in the attic. The only time I've ever been outside of the attic was when I escaped. I don't know exactly where the house is, but it has to be near here. Otherwise, I would have died before anyone found me” she said. His hands tightened around her own, almost too tight for her liking. “I will make sure you never have to go through anything like that again, my darling. I promise you'll never want for anything ever again, and you'll never be locked in a room to be hidden from the world.” he spoke with passion, leaning closer to her face in the process. She took another deep breath, and finally asked the most important question on her mind. 

   “Do you know my name?” she cautiously asked, not sure she was ready for the emotions that would come with a single word. His eyes softened, adam’s apple bobbing when he cleared his throat. “Alessia Vitali” he softly answered. Body tensed as if preparing for a physical impact from his words, but she felt nothing. No memories of her supposed childhood with Vincent, no familiarity with her surname, nothing at all. “It will take some time to get used to all of this, and I know you probably have more questions that you'd like answers to, but I can't give them to you right now.” He all but sighed while rising from the edge of the bed. “I have some work that needs my attention, but I promise as soon as I am back we can sit down and you can ask me as many questions as you'd like”. 

   Now standing at the door, he turns back to look at the object of his affection from his childhood, awaiting her response. “When will you be back? Am I allowed to leave?” she timidly asked while pushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. He sighed once again, and walked back towards the bed. “I’m not sure, Dove. But you're free to roam anywhere you'd like within the boundaries of my home.” he points towards a window that shows a glimpse of the gardens that she had supposedly played in as a child. Her heart soared thinking of finally feeling a flower beneath her fingertips. “Thank you” she rushed to say before Vincent took his exit. “For taking care of me, even though i'm not really sure of who you are, or even who I am, but I know that I've had more freedom here in the past 24 hours then I've had in the past 10 years of my life.” He kissed the top of her head and held her hands in one of his. “I would do anything for you Alessia. You will never want for anything ever again. I promise”. 

   He stood, said goodbye one last time, and closed the bedroom door softly on his way out. Blowing out a breath she didn't realize she was even holding in, she laid back down under the covers and closed her eyes. Hoping to dream of a better place, maybe even a house of her own in the future with as many flowers in her garden as stars in the sky. With one last thought of how unusually safe she felt around Vincent already, her world faded to black. The only sounds were of her light snores and the birds greeting the sun from the trees outside. The wind was calm, but the fury within Vincent's mind was enough to darken the world near anyone who dared to enter his path. 

   He strode through the front gardens down towards his garage. His right hand man, Steve, quickly matching his stride. “What do you need, boss?” Steve questioned. “I need a name and an address. She was locked in an attic for her entire life.” A sinister laugh escaped his lips. “Imagine that, Stevie. Being locked in a room for 20 years? I wonder if they’d like to be locked in a cage for the rest of theirs.” He took a step forwards and leaned towards Steve's ear. “Do it quick, and do it quiet. I don't want anyone else to know that she is alive. Do you understand?” he asked his henchman while gripping his shoulder.

 “Yes, boss.”