I shrieked, wheeling around and throwing punches and kicks as terror drowned me. The female officer gasped, trying to hush me and another ran forward, restraining me as I thrashed and snarled at them.
"Jesus Christ," the man holding me muttered and I realised he was the one who’d brought me here. "It's alright, love. I've got you."
"No one's going to hurt you," the woman vowed and I fixed my gaze on her, my heart rate starting to slow. She was middle aged with almond eyes which were warm enough to give me a little bit of hope. I opened and closed my mouth, trying to speak, to beg, to demand that they free Nicoli and return him to me. But my treacherous lungs wouldn't fight for him.
I shut my eyes, my teeth clenched, my body shaking violently.
Say it. Tell them. You have to do it for him.
"He's innocent," I forced out in a ragged breath, my voice strained and immediately closing up again.
The woman helped me to my feet and the guy backed off to give us some room. "Here, sit down. Tell us what you know."
I dropped into the seat, my hands still trembling as I rested them on the table and I tried to focus for Nicoli's sake. I couldn't let him down now. He needed me.
"I'm Sergeant Lovette," she said gently. I glanced over my shoulder at the man lurking behind me and she looked to him too. "Take a break, Havers, I'll call if I need you."
"Yes ma'am." He strode from the room and silence fell again.
"What's your name?" Lovette asked and I opened my mouth to give it, trying to squeeze it out.
I pointed to my throat then shook my head and she frowned, realising my struggle before heading out of the room and returning a moment later with a notepad and pen. She pushed it across the table and I took it, my fingers tightening on the pen as I steadied it above the page and wrote Nicoli is innocent. He rescued me.
"From who?" the officer asked as she read the words.
I was being kept by five men. Jax, Farley, Quentin, Orville and Duke. They tortured me. Nicoli found me. He saved me.
Her eyes widened as she read it then slowly nodded. "We need your name, miss."
I don't remember anything from before they took me. But I go by Winter now.
A knock came at the door and Lovette tutted. "I'm busy," she called.
"It's about the girl, miss. It's important."
Lovette apologised, standing and heading out of the room. The door shut behind her and I strained my ears, but whatever conversation they were having, they'd moved too far away for me to catch it.
I chewed on my thumb as I waited for her to return, rereading what I'd written and knowing it didn't encompass my story nearly well enough. I had to tell them everything, then they'd understand. They'd release Nicoli, they'd send out officers to hunt down Duke.
Lovette returned, her eyes swirling with some thought as she surveyed me. "Ma'am, there's someone here to see you. Officer Havers tells me you were recognised back at the restaurant and it seems word has travelled..."
I scribbled furiously on the pad. The only person I want to see is Nicoli.
She moved forward, slipping into her seat and I realised she had a phone in her hand. She read the words then nodded slowly. "Winter, I need you to be honest with me. When you say you remember nothing before your time with these men -" she tapped the page where I'd written their names "- are you entirely sure that is true?"
I nodded furiously, anger flaring up inside me. I hurriedly wrote down an answer when she didn’t look convinced, my strokes growing bigger with my rage. All I know is how I received every one of my scars. I was tortured for information I have no memory of. I managed to get free. Then Nicoli found me. I don't want to see anyone from the restaurant. I only want to see HIM.
"Okay, I believe you," she said gently. "But this person isn't from the restaurant." She placed the phone down, pushing it across the table so I could see an image on the screen.
I blinked hard in surprise as I recognised myself in a beautiful white gown and a veil, laughing as a man kissed my cheek. The officer flicked it onto the next photograph and I saw his face clearly. It was the same day,