Elemental Fear (23 page)

“Why do you stay with Elliott when you’re clearly in love with Dominic?” She asked.

I turned and looked at her, the words were on the tip of my tongue, the explanation was bubbling inside me wanting to burst free, but I simply shook my head and ended the conversation. I turned my attention back to the screen of my laptop.

****

As I bit into my warm buttery toast Tuesday morning, a knock
sounded from the front door, I looked across the dining table at Louise to see who our early morning caller could be. She simply shrugged her shoulders. I walked down the hall and pulled the door open.

“Good
morning me lady, your chariot waits,” he said in a ridiculously cheesy British accent, he bent at the waist bowing in front of me.

“Wrong accent for this county for one, and two what are you doing here?” I asked trying to hide

my laughter.

“I haven’t mastered the Yorkshire accent yet, it’s an art form. Although some time spent with your grandpa may come in useful
.” He smiled “I’m here to take you to work. Have you heard anything from Dominic?”

I frowned and shook my head.

He let out a loud sigh “The office has contacted me a few times and so has Alistair to try and get in touch with him. Apparently his mobile keeps going directly to voicemail and he isn’t answering the apartment phone.”

I shook my head worrying my lip with my teeth. “Who’s gone with him?” I asked.

“Liam, but he’s flying as we speak. So he’s been told to contact Emily as soon as he finds Dominic. I was certain you would have heard from him.”

“Urgh...what are you doing here?” snapped Louise from behind me making me jump.

“Good morning sunshine, it’s always such a pleasure to see you.” He replied condescendingly.

“Piss off
.” She snapped stomping up the stairs.

“Such a social butterfly
.” He laughed.

“You bring out the worst in her
.” I laughed watching Lou retreat. “Come on let’s get you to work, I need to stop for gas first.”

“Petrol Johan!” I laughed.

“Whatever.” He chuckled and walked towards his car parked at the curb. “I’m going Lou! See you tonight?” I shouted up the stairs.

“I’m watching Ellie tonight;
mum and dad are going out somewhere so if it’s late when they get back I will just stay there okay?”

“
OKAY. See ya.”

We sat in companionable silence after the petrol station.

“So are we going to talk about yesterday?” He asked keeping his attention on the road.

“I’d rather not
.” I said quietly.

“Look I can’t force you to leave him, or report him. I get that you have your reasons for staying

with him, I just...I suppose all I can do is say that...I’m here for you. I doubt I know all that horrific details but trust me...in fact I beg you to believe me when I say, there is nothing wrong with you. It isn’t your fault, you’re family won’t hate you if they know. They will love you, they will support you – “

“No
.” I shook my head “I can’t...it’s...no I won’t do it to them.” I said adamantly, I know Louise is older now and much feistier than I ever was at her age; I had to protect her and now an innocent child. And then there was Ellie to think about. I couldn’t face anything happening to either of them.

“I’m your friend and I will do anything to help you. Here..
.” He put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a single silver key.

“What’s this?”

“It’s a key to my apartment...for if...if you ever need to escape, hide or just...use this. I can leave if you need alone time, but just...promise you’ll use it if needed?” He appeared so nervous, but I just wanted to lean over and hug him.

“Thank you
.” I whispered.

“There’s sunshine outside of the dark scary cave Eve, you just have to believe and take that step
,” he said quietly. “Oh and the vacuum is in the second bedroom, and I have a huge pile of laundry...you know if you get bored while you’re there.” He laughed at me.

I slapped at his shoulder in mock outrage.

****

Work had been hectic; I hardly left my office due to all the paperwork and statistics needed. Alistair had sent out memos to all technicians that Domi
nic and Liam needed data sent over to Paris as soon as possible. Liam was a technician from the lab who had gone to Paris with Dominic to calibrate the new spectrometers, but the results they were achieving over there were completely wrong so over here our technicians were working furiously with that same test sending data back over to them. Dominic apparently was in total lockdown of meetings, it was near impossible to contact him. I had tried a few times and so had Johan but so far the only person to gain access to him was Alistair.

Johan had mentioned that Liam was struggling with the pressure and work load, especially seeing

as it was new equipment and he was struggling with the language barrier.

When I finally got off the bus and walked down the street to our house I was so relieved to see the front door I could have wept with joy, then I spotted his car in the driveway and I froze on the pavement. After a long day in the lab all I wanted was to take a long hot bath, grab a book and lie on the sofa with my feet up. Not spend the night with a ball of tension in my stomach.

I started walking again, slowly towards the house, with each step my pulse escalated so all I could

hear was the pounding of my heart.

I opened and closed the door quietly, took my coat off and hung it up. I turned and headed into the living room where Elliott sat with his feet on the coffee table, which I hated, especially seeing as he still had his shoes on.

“Hi
.” I said cautiously.

He turned his head and looked up at me and I gasped when I saw him.

“What happened to you?” I asked taking an automatic step towards him, but then stepped back when I saw the thunder clouds in his stormy eyes.

“Your hair looks a cunt
.” He sneered. I lifted my hand to my hair, pushing it behind my ear self-

consciously. “Sorry
.”

“I hate short hair
,” he said shaking his head in disgust. I wanted to remind him he took the scissors to it but I remained silent.

“What...what did you do to your face?” I asked my voice.

He let out a satanic laugh “Oh Angel, you do play the innocent act so well.” I frowned because I had no clue what he was talking about.

“So you’re telling me that you had no idea that little fucking yank paid me a visit yesterday. He decided to defend his precious whore. Thinks he can stick his nose in my fucking business
.” He seethed.

I stared at his bruised face. He had a deep purple bruise under his left eye, and his right eye was partially close with swelling. He had a cut and swollen bottom lip, small bruises dotting his chin and when I looked longer I saw marks near the collar of his shirt.

“I didn’t –“

“Doesn’t matter though, he sticks his nose in my business because you obviously can’t keep your legs or your mouth shut, so I will have to stick something in Lou.” His lip curled and his eyes flicked to mine “she is looking pretty damn tempting...although...we both know I prefer my women untouched...now Ell –“

“No! You can’t –“

“You know the rules you silly bitch, I warned you what would happen”

I put my hands in front of me in a prayer sign and begged him not to touch them.

He laughed again, and he stood up slowly. He arched his back stretching, and then bent his neck side to side as if limbering himself up. I took another step back and swallowed.

“Come here.” He ordered not moving from his position.

“Elliott –“

“Come. Here,” he said again through clenched teeth.

“I –“

“COME FUCKING HERE!” He shouted pointing to his side.

I swallowed and started shaking. My bottom lip trembled and my eyes filled with tears. My hands shook uncontrollably so I fisted them at my sides. I took a tentative step towards him keeping my eyes on the floor.

I didn’t see his hand reach out and grab my throat.

“What did you tell him
?” He asked nipping at my neck; I yelped out in pain and shook my head. “I warned you...I don’t give a fuck that he knows. You are mine and no one is taking you away do you hear me?”

I nodded.

“So we will just send him a little message. Make sure he understands okay?” He asked his voice calm and eerily happy.

I looked up at him ready to question him when I felt rather than saw his fist connect with my face. I stumbled back falling straight to my backside as pain exploded in my mouth and chin. I held my hand up to my mouth looking up in shock at Elliott; he had never hit me in the face before. He dived at me, holding me by the throat as his reared his fist back again; I closed my eyes tightly and cringed away from the intended impact. The crack of his knuckles against my chin and the pain exploding in my face created a flash of light in my vision and white noise in my ears. He released my throat and ordered me to open my eyes. I shook my head, but he gripped my hair pulling my head back.

“Open your fucking eyes bitch.” He ordered.

I slowly opened my eyes and immediately wished I had kept them closed when I saw he was holding my phone towards me. I instantly thought he was going to do that to me. My nether region clenched in absolute horror.

“Look at the camera.” He held my head in position and I cringed when the flash blinded me. He

tapped on the phone screen and then smiled.

He turned the phone so I could see the screen; there was a picture of my repulsive face and a message:

Touch me again you little prick and I will make HER pay

“No” I whispered as he pressed send to Johan.

He laughed, stood up and brushed his hands down his suit then straightened his tie.

“Keep your fucking mouth shut
.” He demanded then stepped over me, I heard the front door slam and that’s when the tears came.

*
***

I dreaded the backlash from that photo, but after a day passed then another and another without a word or response from Johan my trepidation turned to heartache that he had finally washed his hands of me. It was a week since Elliott sent him the text.

Work continued to be in slight disarray with part of the team in Paris, and more work being neglected in our lab whilst problems were trying to be solved through email and phone calls. Johan kept me up to date with all things Layton but other than that it was as if Dominic had disappeared entirely from my life.

Even Elliott had kept his distance, after the picture message he had not returned to see me. I had told people who asked that it was an extremely severe cold sore that had spread. With the magic of frozen peas I had prevented any swelling and bruising the only thing visible was an ugly cut that had scabbed over.

I wanted to know what Johan thought of the picture though; did I disgust him even further? Is that why I had had no contact from him?

“Hey, can you send those samples you made up earlier through, I need batch numbers and product codes for logistics. Thanks
.” Johan said in a rush from my office door. He made a move to leave but then stopped “Everything okay? You seem a little...down?”

“Yeah I’m fine just busy. It’s hectic around here without.
..” I trailed off.

“Yeah...you’re
okay though no more problems...” He looked to his left and right “with Elliott, he’s not –“

“No” I shook my head “It’s fine
.” I stared at my desk averting my eyes from his. I couldn’t face looking him in the face.

“I’m sorry, by the way. I didn’t mean for you to get hurt. I thought maybe he would back off.”

“It’s okay.”

“No it’s not but I really do need to go, so we can chat about this later
.”

“
Okay.” I said to empty space as he’d already left.

I sent out the necessary memos and required emails containing the data, I also went over the data Liam had sent over from Paris. I read and re-read the readings and something was irritating me because everything had been replicated perfectly so the readings should be coming out as expected. I search through previous data and noticed a slight variation in the readings over the trends. I pursed my lips and frowned.

“Hmm I wonder...” I jumped up and went through to the changing room, I grabbed my lab coat and safety specs and before I had even got my coat on I entered the lab.

“Eve! Hi...is everything
okay...where’s the fire?” laughed Rebecca, one of the analysts.

“Hi Rebecca, I’ve...do you want to give me a hand
? Is there any of the C563 sample prepared? I...I don’t want to jinx it but I have a theory and may have found a possible floor in the production. Or at the very least I may have found a starting point to correct the failed readings.”