A Leap of Faith (25 page)

His eyes darkened as the corner of his mouth turned up in amusement, “Lexi, I didn’t think you had it in you. You have certainly blossomed. This is going to be so much more fun than I had anticipated.”

The door flew open with a crack as he forced himself into the apartment, the startling movement throwing me off balance as I stumbled back onto the floor.

“Get out.” I hissed as I got back on my feet. “Or I’ll call the police!” I glanced at Alex’s phone sitting on the table, just slightly out of my reach.

He slammed the door shut behind him. “We won’t be interrupted, don’t worry little pet. How do you think I knew how to find you? Seems like someone believed you and I should have a reunion and I’m inclined to agree with her, even if she is a pretentious bitch.” He moved around me, stalking me.

Marcy? Marcy had orchestrated this? How? Why? My mind jumbled with the possible scenarios that could have led to this point. Sure, she had a strong dislike for me, possibly even hate and the feeling was mutual but what did she hope to gain from this? Alex? How would this bring him closer to her? The darkness in his eyes was so much more sinister than I had remembered. There was no light in them, as if any humanity had been extinguished long ago

“I’m not afraid of you and you
will
leave.” I moved closer to the coffee table in an effort to reach the phone. My body was purposeful and alert as I increased the speed in my stride. I would not cower, but his soulless eyes were making me increasingly uneasy.

He lunged, snatching the phone from the table, his body colliding with mine as I too tried to dive for it. His dark eyes glistened as he held the phone in his hand, taunting me. “You won’t be needing this.” He threw it against the wall and it shattered.

“I said, GET OUT!” I screamed as I pushed his body away. He was covered in the stench of whiskey and sweat, his close proximity was making my skin crawl. He revolted me and I could see he was unstable.

A smile crept on his mouth, he was enjoying this. “My, My. Feisty.” He grabbed a fistful of my hair and pulled me down violently. The sheer force sent me crashing downward, my head catching the corner on the coffee table as I crumbled. Pain ripped through me as I felt a warm tingling spread across my forehead.
My hand reached up and felt the moisture, as I smelt the rustiness of my blood.

“What do you want?” I leered, my head throbbing in agony as a small trail of blood trickled down my face. I stumbled backward, my hands protectively reaching out in front of my body as I tried to gain the balance to stand. He had me at a disadvantage and I needed to get back up.

“What we all want Lexi. An end to war, solving the world hunger problems, a cure for cancer...” He laughed. His heavy body immobilized me, he grabbed at my protesting legs and pinned me down onto the carpet “ ...and to fuck you again.”

“You are more delusional than I thought if you think I would ever even touch you, let alone fuck you!” The thought repulsed me. There must have been a time when he wasn’t so vile, where I saw something redeeming in him but now there was nothing... nothing but hate.

His body weight disabled me as he smothered me, my chest heaved with exertion as I pushed against him. He breathed into my face as his hand travelled up my leg. “You too good for me now? Now that you have your moneybags husband? Tell me does he know what a cheap slut he married?”

“Fuck YOU!” I bucked, trying to kick him off. My hands were immobile, twisted underneath his monstrous frame, so I tried to use my legs for leverage. I hoped I could get a good kick or two in, possibly having one hit him in the balls. I would not give in without a fight. He was physically stronger than me, there was no denying that, so I wouldn’t be able to get out of this based on strength, I would have to be smarter.

“Oh I intend to. I intend to fuck you the way you deserved to be fucked, like the worthless whore you are.” He sneered. My legs continued to struggle wildly as I managed to land a swift kick in his shin. He winced in pain, his teeth grinding in agitation.  He punched me across the face, his fist landing square across my cheek. I screamed as my head bounced off the floor.

I struggled to stay awake as an overwhelming need to sleep washed over me. The excruciating pain from my head was the only thing keeping me conscious. As my body went limp, his weight lifted off me and for a moment I felt relief. I focused on moving, trying to use the opportunity of my new found freedom as he stood over me.  His foot swung back and sent the wind gushing out of me as it made contact with my stomach. His jaw tensed as he drew back and repeated the action, this time finding his mark on my ribs. I groaned in pain as I rolled onto my side, desperate to move out of his path.  My limbs refused to cooperate as I begged them to spring into action. FIGHT BACK my brain screamed, yet my body stayed lifeless.

His face hovered over mine, his dark evil eyes excited as he grabbed my legs and dragged me onto the couch. I could feel how turned on he was, as his erection pressed against me through his clothes. He was excited. His hands were all over me as he positioned me flat onto my back, my body only able to muster up a squirm in protest. My head felt so heavy, I could barely lift it and my vision had blurred to be almost non-existent.

“Mmmmmmm you always were such a wild cat in the sack, Lexi
,” he breathed into my mouth. His hands pressed hard into my upper thighs in attempt to pry them apart. I struggled against the pain as I resisted, I could feel them bruising under his fingers but I wouldn’t give in.

My fingernails dug into the top of his hands. “You won’t get away with this.” My voice was strange, distant like it was coming out of someone else’s mouth. “You can’t just rape me and think you will walk away.”

The word hung in the air between us. He didn’t have my permission and regardless of our history that is exactly what this was.

I thought for a second I saw a change in his eyes, like maybe I had gotten through to him. What he had done in the past, while horrendous, had not been a crime. If he did this now, there would be no coming back. He couldn’t run forever. He released my thighs and my hands fell to my side, my body still held in place by his.

I felt the cold, smooth surface of my iPhone buried beneath the cushion, it had slid there during our struggle. I allowed my fingertips to touch it, bringing it closer, carefully keeping my movements small as not to alert him. He was looking at me intently and was not paying attention to my hands. I could see the faint glow of the screen in my peripheral vision, hiding safely behind the fabric of the cushion. I didn’t dare move my eyes from his, trying to keep him engaged. I swiped my finger gently along the screen and solely by touch moved to where the phone icon was. I saw the subtle transition in the light indicating the screen had changed. I moved my finger to the bottom of the phone and estimated where the number keys where. Everyone was always giving me shit about how I was constantly on my phone but consequently the keypad had been seared into my brain. I thanked my phone obsessed self as I hovered where I thought the zero would be and hit it three times successively and then pressed call.

I didn’t know if the call connected to the 000 emergency operator or if we could even be heard but I knew I had to keep him talking, distracted. My face burned with pain as I tried to speak, “Walk away. What happened in the past... I forgive you. Don’t do this now.”

“You forgive me?” He asked almost incredulously, “Do you think I give a fuck about your forgiveness you dumb bitch?!”

Keep him talking Lexi, keep looking him in the eye. “You walked away remember, you didn’t want me anymore. Why come back now?” I strained as my head throbbed, my brain scrambled from fear and pain.

“Because I can. I saw you on TV, your smug smiling face... thinking you were something special. I came back to reclaim what is mine. Look at you, giving hope to all the other dumb groupie sluts who think they might have a chance. Do you really think this will last? Being with him?” His menacing smile returned as he tried to chip away at me, using emotion as he had always done.

“Alex loves me, he knows about my past and he doesn’t care. He won’t leave me.” A tear rolled down my cheek as he put his hand around my throat.

“I understand why your parents didn’t love you, Lexi. You really are a disappointment. In time, your piece of shit husband will find out too, what a worthless little cunt you are.”

He tightened his hand as I struggled for breath, his other hand slid up my leg and under my skirt. “No!” I gasped as he grabbed at my panties, “NO!”

I tried to fight back but my attempts were futile. He removed his hand from my throat and grabbed my arms again. Pulling them up over my head, he slapped me across the face.  He then removed his belt from his jeans and used it to secure my hands, binding them above my head.

“I said I want to fuck you and that’s what I’m going to do. You don’t get a choice.” He sneered in my face, as he fisted my panties and tore them from my body.

Sleep... sleep... The world around me was going fuzzy. I wouldn’t close my eyes. If he was going to do this then he would have to look at me while he was doing it. Don’t go to sleep Lexi, don’t give in. My mind was fighting an internal war with my body, neither willing to co-operate, as I whimpered “No” over and over again.

His hands were back between my legs, I heard the noise of his zipper. Stay awake Lexi, stay awake. I felt him thrust and enter me.  Pain and pressure seized me as he pushed deeper. His eyes gleamed with satisfaction. My body shook as I felt an overwhelming urge to throw up. Stay awake Lexi, stay awake.

“Freeze - put your hands where we can see them.” A voice shouted in the distance. The voice pulled him off of me and the pressure was gone. I couldn’t fight it any longer. I had to close my eyes.

“Hey, are you Alex Stone?” Some random girl tapped me on the shoulder. As I sat in a corner of the club, it was hard to hear anything over the noise from the band. Jacks and the boys were already into their first set and the crowd were roaring in appreciation.  I really didn’t want to deal with the whole celebrity thing tonight but it’s not like I get a choice on when to shut that shit off. Besides, as far as crosses to bear, this one is a pretty sweet deal.

“Yeah, are you a fan?” I gave her my usual rehearsed smile.

It’s amazing how muscle memory works so well even if you aren’t feeling it. Truth is, I was worried about Lexi. I shouldn’t have left her. Her family were possibly the biggest bunch of pathological deadbeats I’d ever met. She’d tried to warn me about them but of course I thought things might have changed now she had moved away. I was wrong, dead wrong.  I should be home with her or at the very least I should have dragged her out with me.

“OH MY GOD! I am your biggest fan! I love you Alex!” The blonde in front of me was beaming, she adjusted her shirt so the peaks of her cleavage were spilling over the top. I smiled again politely, my eyes involuntarily flashing to her sizable tits. She twisted her hair around her fingers as she noticed my eyes dip down, her tongue sliding over her cherry colored lips. Yeah, I knew what she wanted. She wanted an autograph of a different kind, one that involved my dick.

“Well, it’s always a pleasure to meet our fans.” I took a long pull on the icy cold long-neck I’d been nursing. She didn’t stand a chance. Sure, she was pretty enough and judging my the way she was licking her lips, I imagine she had other talents as well but she wasn’t even close to what I had waiting for me at home.  No girl could even compare to Lexi. She was a lottery win, a one in a million lightning bolt. Not only was she off the chart beautiful, she exuded sexiness. It was in the way she walked, her glances - she didn’t even try, she just was. I could feel my cock twitching just thinking about her. The real attraction was more than just a physical one. She was truly an enigma. A lethal combination of book and street smart, with lightning quick reflexes. When she is doing business, whether it was in the boardroom or the bedroom, she owned you. I love her unpredictability. There’s no sugar coating - she tells it like it is.  She also isn’t afraid to tell you what she wants and how she wants it. Fuck! Just thinking of her smart mouth is giving me a wicked hard-on. I was thankful I was sitting behind a table - Down Boy!  

“Hey Ma’am. I’m going to have to ask you to step back.” DarNell stepped in to establish a slightly larger circumference of personal space for me.  He’d seen it all before and he knew I wasn’t interested in Blondie, tonight or any other night.

“Sure, it was such a pleasure meeting you Alex.” Blondie’s eyes rolled down to the front of my crotch, she lingered over the word “pleasure” like it was a promise rather an adjective and handed me a cocktail napkin.

Predictable. Name and phone number. Clearly the ring on my finger not a
n issue for “Kat.” I waited until she was gone before I bunched up the napkin and tossed it. That call would not be happening, not in this lifetime.

“Thanks D.”  I lifted my beer to him.

“I’m always earning my pay check with you, Alex.” DarNell laughed.

“Ha! Just doing my bit to keep you sharp! Any word from Lexi?” I hated that I had left my phone on the coffee table.

“Nothing. You wanna give her a call?” DarNell took out his Samsung Galaxy and handed it to me.

As big as the temptation was to call her, I hoped she was in bed getting some much needed Z’s. “Nah, I don’t want to wake her if she’s sleeping. She was pretty wiped out.”

I drained the last of my beer and placed the empty on the table in front of me.

Jackson’s band SALT was
tight. It had been a pleasure playing with them on the last tour, despite it having to be cut short by Jacks’ injury in the accident. They had obviously used the time to write some new material and gel as a band and it came across in their playing. I would love for them to come with us on the stadium tour Chris was planning. Take these boys on the road. Fuck knows they were good enough.

The crowd was jumping in unison as SALT played their final song of the set. It was like a trip back in time. We had played bars like this for years before we finally got a deal. Those shows were amazing! As much I fucking loved playing stadiums, the connection with the audience in these small places was unparalleled. Seeing their faces as they sang back the lyrics to you, that shit never got old!

D’s phone buzzed as he pulled it from his pocket. I couldn’t help but smile knowing it was probably Lexi. As whipped as I sounded, I just needed to hear her voice.

DarNell answered and after a few seconds, his voice turned serious.

“D, what is it Man?” His look was unnerving me.

DarNell waved me off as he continued to grunt into the phone, my impatience was getting the better of me. God Damn it! Why did I
have to forget my fucking phone!

“We’re on our way.” D snapped as he ended the call. “Alex, we need to go.”

DarNell moved and I followed behind. Whatever it was, I didn’t like the look on his face.  I didn’t get a chance to ask him as we pushed through the throng of people. D had the phone pressed to his ear so as we reached the door, the car was already waiting for us.

“D, what the fuck man?!” I asked as DarNell practically threw me into the backseat.

DarNell ignored me and handed the driver an address “Get there - now!” his voice reverberated through the cabin of the SUV.

DarNell jumped into the seat beside me and shut the door as we took off down the road. “Ale
x. I need you to stay calm and listen to what I’m telling you.” I didn’t like the way D was looking at me. I could sense it in my gut that whatever he was going to say it was about Lexi and it wasn’t good. “Lexi’s in the hospital, we’re heading there now.”

“WHAT?!” My brain was churning at a hundred miles a minute. She didn’t look well when I left but if she had gotten worse why the fuck didn’t she call me? “What happened? What’s her status?” I pushed myself out of my seat and yelled in the driver’s ear, “Drive faster!”

D shifted uncomfortably I knew the worst was yet to come. “Just tell me, whatever it is, tell me!” I eyeballed D as my hands tightened into a fist. I felt like I was going to explode.

“She’s banged up... some guy got into her apartment... She’s seriously injured and unconscious. He...” DarNell paused as I felt my anger spike. “...He sexually assaulted her, Alex.”

I punched the interior of the car door, the thud making the driver jump as my fist made contact. My stomach rolled as I thought about some animal with his hands on her. “We need to get there NOW!” It was like we were moving in slow motion. 

DarNell wisely didn’t bother making chit-chat as the driver weaved in and out of traffic. My fists were balled so tightly they were white and I needed to see her, be close to her.

We pulled up to the emergency entrance of the Royal Melbourne Hospital and I opened the door before the car even stopped.

“Alex, I know you are rattled but you got to rei
gn it in ok... for Lexi’s sake.” D grabbed my arm, before I had a chance to leap out the door.

I wrenched my arm back. Fuck him. He had no idea what I was going through. I should never have left her. If I lost her... no I couldn’t think about that. That shit was NOT happening. There was no way I was letting her go or allowing some fucking cock-sucker to take her from me. I wanted to choke the life out of him with my bare fucking hands.

“D... you might be bigger than me but seriously if you fucking try to stop me again, I’m going to level you. I need to see her. Now.”

DarNell shook his head as I bolted from the SUV, his heavy footsteps not far behind me as I burst through the doors of the ER.

There was commotion everywhere. Kids were crying and people were in varying degrees of pain and illness. My head swivelled as I tried to find someone to help me find her.

“Mr Stone?” I whipped around, hoping like hell this wasn’t someone asking for an autograph cause I was seriously going to lose my shit.

“Yes!” I barked back, surprised at the voice that come out of my mouth. 

The young brunette in the lab coat took a step back, anticipating another outburst as she stuttered, “Mr. Stone. My name is Mia, I’m one of the interns here. Please follow me. Your wife is this way.”

I followed her through the double doors and into the corridor, D keeping a safe distance behind me. He knew me well enough to give me room.

Mia stopped in front of a curtained off area and, as if sensing my volatility, hesitated before pulling the curtain back.

FUCK! My heart just shattered into a million pieces as I watched her limp body laid out on the gurney. Her arms by her sides were bruised purple/grey and her face was a mess. An oxygen mask covered her mouth but I saw her lips were swollen, the rest of her face was battered and blackened.

“Lexi?” I moved over to side of the bed and ran my fingers over her cheek, a cut just under her eye had been closed with little strips. This fucking animal punched her? “Lexi?” she didn’t move.

I pushed my head into my hands as I fell into the chair beside the bed. My brain couldn’t reconcile what I was seeing. It was like some fucked up nightmare. How could this have happened?

A large uniformed cop walked into the room and introduced himself.  “Mr. Stone, my name is Constable Walsh. I’d like to talk to you if you have a few moments. Would you like to follow me outside?”

“I’m not leaving her. Talk here” My eyes didn’t move from her battered body. 

“I think it would be more appropriate if we spoke outside Sir...” 

“I said. Talk. Here.” Whatever he needed to tell me, he was going to have to do it here.

“Ok.” Constable Walsh eased into the seat beside me, DarNell stood by the curtain.

“So there are no signs of forced entry and the perpetrator maintains it was consensual. Though clearly from the state of her injuries and the content of the triple zero call, we can conclude that it was not the case. Also given the position he was found in at the time of apprehension, I don’t believe there is a lawyer out there that can get him off.  He was known to your wife, he apparently had a relationship with her in the past.”

The details swished around in my head, someone had called the cops? Why hadn’t they helped her?

“Who made the call? Who called the police?” The words strained against my tense jaw.

“She did. Smart girl that one. She
dialled triple zero and left the phone off the hook. The operator was able to hear what was going on and by using the GPS chip in her phone we were able to trace the call and dispatch assistance.” Constable Walsh was clearly impressed.

I was tormented, guilt ridden - she had had to save herself. Yet even in the most horrendous of circumstance she had used her head.  I closed my eyes as I listened to more details. I fought not to lose the contents of my stomach on the floor as I heard what she went through. No one would ever hurt her again. Never. I made my silent vow to her as I held her hand.  “Don’t worry Baby. I’ve got you.” I wasn’t sure if I said it aloud or in my head.

“...He is remanded into custody until the trial... no bail set at this time... She won’t have to testify due to the overwhelming evidence...” I wanted him to leave, I’d heard enough.

“Thank you Constable.” I shook his hand and felt him leave the room.

“Ughhhhhhh.” Lexi moaned through the mask, her hand moving to her mouth.

“Come back to me Baby, You are ok.” I brushed her hair off her face. Open your eyes Lexi...open your eyes and let me know you are ok.

“No... No…” she winced as I moved my fingers across her face. She thought I was him... She thought he was touching her. “No... No…” she whimpered.

Something inside me snapped. Knowing what he did to her, the pain she was going through. My touch reminding her of that, the act of trying to comfort her brought her more pain.  There was no way I was going to sit still while this Asshole probably walked on a technicality. I didn’t trust anyone, least of all the law.

As I stood and turned, D grabbed me, “Easy big guy... easy”

“I’m going to find this sick motherfucker D. I’m going to fucking kill him.” My anger flared as Lexi sett
led back into unconsciousness, her body angled as far away from me in protest from being touched any further.

“Sit down Alex!” DarNell ordered, pushing me back and blocking my exit.

“No, You saw her! She is still living this fucking nightmare. I’m ending it.” I swung and D grabbed my fist before it made contact.

“You wanna go a few rounds? We can do that. But you aren’t leaving this room.” DarNell stood his ground.

“You fucking want to try me D? You think just cause I’ve been playing guitar hero the last few years, I can’t fuck you up or anyone else for that matter?” I went toe to toe with him. D might have had a good 3 inches over me and was easy two hundred and sixty pounds but I was willing to take him on or anyone else that stood in my way. 

I couldn’t stand to watch Lexi laying there and knowing the motherfucker who did that to her was still breathing.