The Contracted Stripper

Mrs. Jessica sat on the edge of the bed, the soft hum of the night surrounding her.

She could feel the chill in the air, the silence of the room a heavy contrast to the turmoil inside her.

Once again, she had been rescued, this time by Luca, her unlikely savior.

The thought of how close she had come to death at Mrs. Rose’s hands haunted her like a persistent shadow.

For years, she had been running, hiding, and yet, her past – the very thing she had hoped to leave behind had caught up with her.

Her thoughts drifted to Iris, the daughter who unknowingly led her straight back into the claws of the woman who had once tried to end her life.

“Why now?” she whispered to herself. “Why did it all have to come crashing back now?”

The door creaked open slightly, and the nurse stepped inside quietly, holding a tray with a cup of water and a few medicines. Her voice was gentle and comforting.

“You should rest, Mrs. Jessica. You need your strength.”Jessica gave a weak smile and shook her head.

“I can’t rest. Not after everything. I feel like… like I’m being hunted like they’ll come for me at any moment.”

Her voice trembled with the weight of her fear. The nurse sat on the edge of the bed, placing a soft hand on Jessica’s. “You’re safe now. Luca made sure of that. He’s doing everything he can to protect you. Trust him.”

“I do,” Mrs. Jessica replied softly. “I just… I can’t shake the feeling that something terrible is about to happen.

Mrs. Rose won’t stop until she finds me. She’s relentless. And now, because of Iris… I’m exposed again.”

The nurse sighed, her gaze drifting to the window. “Maybe… maybe it’s time to stop running.

Face them. End this once and for all.”Jessica looked away, the fear in her eyes deepening.

“I’ve tried that before. You don’t understand what she’s capable of. Mrs. Rose has always been one step ahead, and if she finds me, she won’t leave anything unfinished this time.”

The nurse glanced at her phone and then looked back at Mrs. Jessica.

“Let me call Luca. He needs to know how you’re feeling.”

Jessica nodded in agreement, her voice barely a whisper.

“Please, call him. I don’t want to be alone tonight.”

The nurse quickly dialed Luca’s number, pacing the room as she waited for him to pick up.

After a few rings, she heard his deep, reassuring voice on the other end. “This is Luca.”

“It’s me,” the nurse whispered urgently. “Mrs. Jessica is worried. We need you here as soon as possible. She’s feeling unsafe.”

“I’m on my way,” Luca replied without hesitation. “Stay with her. Make sure she’s okay until I get there. I won’t be long.”The nurse hung up, giving Jessica a reassuring nod.

“He’s coming.”But just as she slipped the phone back into her pocket, a noise from outside the house made both women freeze.

The nurse’s eyes darted toward the window, her face going pale. She quickly walked over, pulling the curtain back just enough to peek outside.

Her heart raced as she spotted unfamiliar figures moving around the perimeter of the house.

They weren’t Luca’s men. Her voice trembled as she rushed over to Mrs. Jessica. “We’re not alone. There are people outside the house… and it doesn’t look like Luca.”

Jessica’s eyes widened in panic. “What do we do?”The nurse grabbed her hand and pulled her toward a hidden doorway behind the bookshelf.

“There’s a room back here. You’ll be safe. Hide, and don’t come out until you hear Luca’s voice.”

Mrs. Jessica hesitated, fear gripping her as the sound of footsteps grew closer outside.

“What about you? You can hide with me.”

The nurse shook her head, her face determined. “If they catch both of us, it’s over. I need to make sure they don’t find you. Please, just stay quiet, and no matter what you hear, don’t come out.”

Jessica clung to the nurse for a moment, her hands shaking. “Please… don’t let them find me.”The nurse gave her a sad smile and pushed her into the hidden room, closing the bookshelf behind her just as the sound of a door creaking open echoed through the house.

Mrs. Jessica crouched in the dark, her heart pounding in her chest. She could hear the muffled sounds of voices, then footsteps – heavy, deliberate.

Her breath hitched as she heard the nurse whispering something, her voice strained, followed by the loud, unmistakable sound of a gunshot.

Jessica’s hand flew to her mouth to stifle a scream as her heart shattered into a million pieces.

The nurse… she couldn’t be… Then another shot rang out, followed by silence.

A suffocating silence. Tears streamed down Jessica’s face as she sobbed quietly in the darkness. She was alone again, trapped in the very nightmare she had tried so hard to escape. Hours passed, though it felt like an eternity.

Exhaustion and fear had finally overtaken Mrs. Jessica, and she had drifted into a restless sleep. But the sudden sound of a familiar voice jolted her awake.

“Mrs. Jessica! It’s Luca! Where are you?!”Her eyes shot open, her body tense as she strained to listen. Could it be him, or was it a trap? But when she heard his voice again, more urgent this time, her heart dared to hope.

“Mrs. Jessica, it’s okay. You can come out now.”She hesitated, then slowly pushed the hidden door open, peeking through the crack.

There, standing in the middle of the room, was Luca, his face lined with worry but unmistakably relieved to see her.

She stumbled out of the hidden space, her legs weak from both fear and relief. “Luca… you’re here.”Luca rushed to her side, supporting her before she could collapse.

“I’m sorry it took me so long. I came as fast as I could.” He glanced around the room, his expression darkening.

“Where’s the nurse?”At the mention of the nurse, Mrs. Jessica’s face crumpled. She shook her head, her voice breaking.

“They… they killed her. I heard the shots.”Luca’s jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing with fury.

“Damn it.”Mrs. Jessica gripped his arm, tears streaming down her face. “She was just trying to protect me… She didn’t deserve this.”

“I know,” Luca said softly, his tone grim. “We’ll make sure they pay for what they did.” He looked around, his instincts kicking in. “We need to move. This place isn’t safe anymore.”Jessica wiped her tears, her voice trembling.

“Where will we go? If Mrs. Rose finds out I’m still alive-”

“She won’t,” Luca interrupted firmly. “Not if I can help it. I’ve arranged a safe house far from here. It’s off the grid. No one will find us.”

She nodded, trusting him completely. Luca had saved her twice now, and though fear still gnawed at her, she knew he was her only chance at survival.

Luca helped her to her feet, his strong arms steadying her as they moved toward the back door. The house was eerily quiet now, the air thick with the aftermath of violence.

As they stepped outside, the cool night air hit Mrs. Jessica’s face, but the chill that ran down her spine wasn’t from the temperature. She glanced over at Luca, her voice barely a whisper.

“Do you think they’ll come after us again?”Luca’s expression was unreadable as he led her to the waiting car. “They’ll try,” he admitted. “But we’ll be ready.”As the car sped away from the house, Mrs. Jessica couldn’t shake the feeling that something was still terribly wrong.

They had escaped for now, but Mrs. Rose was relentless, and Luca’s determination, though reassuring, didn’t ease the knot of dread in her stomach.