True Control (4 page)

Chapter 10 HIM

“I think we’re done here for now. I have what I need for ViCAP and OC so far. Flash messages have gone out with your wife listed as Endangered Missing.” I’m walking Killaney towards the door. I raise my eyebrows to this. “That means we believe her disappearance may put her physical safety in danger. It puts her to the top of the list of adult missing persons.” Killaney glances at my Dad. I’m sure his contacts had something to do with fast tracking that too.

“Thank you, Detective.”

“You signed the report all ready?”

“Yes.”

“Good.” He looks me up and down. “Try to get some sleep. Hopefully, we’ll be able to resolve this quickly. Someone will be by later to check on the surveillance equipment.”

I close the door behind him.

I don’t move for a moment though. The color red is back and I need to breathe before acting.

Chapter 10 HER

He stops laughing abruptly. “Nice try.” He pushes off his underwear and I try not look at him at all. He moves to sit on the bed. I have a moment of picturing myself running, but that would be foolish.

I don’t know him. But I know myself and I know people. Instinct. He’d only like it more if I fight or run.

He pats the bed next to him, “Hop on.” I sit quietly next to him, willing my hands to stop shaking. Nope. They think they should be clawing his eyes out and they won’t stop trembling. I look at the red, raw skin under the rope.

He seems willing to talk, maybe that’s something I can use…

“Why are you doing this?” I try not to jump when his hand comes up and brushes my hair back. And why are you being so gentle now? Is this a new game?

“Because I wanted you the moment I saw you. Actually, before that even. Something in the way your husband talked about you. Something about him. I knew.”

I look down. I don’t want to talk about Max. I don’t want to hear this man talk about him. But something in what he says…clues or is he messing with me? “You knew what?”

With one finger, not gently, he pulls my face up to look into his eyes. I’m trapped in the darkness of the blue. “I knew little Lucy is used to taking orders.” He smiles, moving his finger to the left side of my face. I wince at his light touch. I can only imagine what I look like. “And I like a bitch that is already mostly housebroken.” He laughs at his own words.

Chapter 11 HIM

I stand with my hand on the door for a while. I hear Dad move a little more into the hall towards me, but he stops when I turn around.

I can finally release the anger I’ve been barely holding back. I move quickly down the hall to pass him, but he grabs my arm. His grip was always a vise. His voice calm, in control, commanding as usual. “You don’t want to do this right now.” Too many years raised under his belt, his complete power. I don’t move. “
I
will talk to Jake.”

I want to tell him to fuck off. I thought it plenty of times growing up. But he’s the reason I am who I am. He saved our family. I can’t disrespect him no matter what. Even now.

“Answer me, boy.”

“Yes, Sir.”

He lets go. And turns quickly to move into the dining area again. I follow him slowly.

Jake hasn’t moved from his seat. Jeff still stands next to him.

Dad nods to Jeff. “This is a family matter. You can go.”

I nod to Jeff when he looks at me before moving. He leaves quietly, but not before telling me to call if I need anything.

Jake finally looks up at Dad. It’s the same look he wore as a kid. Whenever Dad had The Look and Jake knew he was in trouble. In the beginning, I tried to protect Jake from our Stepdad. That never worked. I would get twice the punishment and Jake would still get his. By the time Ron adopted us officially, we were both toeing his line.

Now I don’t look with pity or sympathy on him. I want to beat him myself.

“Jake.” Dad takes a seat opposite him, hands on the table. “What were you thinking? Seeing your brother’s wife like that, in secret?”

That’s not where I would’ve started.

Jake shrugs. “I wasn’t thinking. It just happened really.” He always tried to get away with the innocent act.

“That’s not an answer, boy.”

Jake looks to me, but I only shake my head, fists clenched in my crossed arms.

“I came to see how Lucy was. That first time. I knew how angry Max was with her…for what she did. Hell,
I
was mad at her.” He tries to laugh, but stops at the look he gets from Dad. “But I also know what men do in this family when they’re angry. I just wanted to make sure she was ok.”

“That wasn’t your right, Jake.” Dad says exactly what I’m thinking this time.

“She
is
family, Dad. I have a right to make sure she’s fine…” But he isn’t convincing anyone, not even himself. He knew what he did was wrong. And he did it anyway.

Dad speaks so quietly that I almost can’t hear him, “But you weren’t checking on her as a brother would a sister.”

Jake swallows before answering. He was never a good liar. He learned a long time ago not to try with Dad. “No, Sir.” He looks at me, “But we were just friends. Nothing more. Nothing more than that ever.”

Dad nods. I have no choice but to nod too. I know he’s speaking the truth. It’s what he’s not saying that has me still clenching my fists though.

He wanted her.

“So what else weren’t you telling the police?” Dad could always read us. He knows as well as I do that Jake was holding back with Killaney not just about his being here earlier or the night I beat Lucy.

He looks at his hands while he answers, not wanting to see my face I guess. “She was struggling with everything. She…she didn’t know if she could live up to what Max demands of her.” He looks at me briefly, then back at the table. “I saw her when she got her last period...” He takes another deep breath. Hearing him talk about Lucy, about her so intimately. It takes everything not to shove the table away and choke him with my bare hands. “She was crying. Saying she didn’t want to tell Max. She didn’t want to disappoint him.”

“She told you all that?” Dad is sitting back. I don’t think either of us had any idea how close Jake and Lucy had become. We’ve hung out together plenty. We helped him celebrate buying a new building to make his new architectural offices and home. We’ve spent holidays together. But Lucy was confiding in him before me even. And I didn’t even have a clue about it.

I remember how sad and frightened Lucy had been the last time she told me started her period. I held her all night, reassured her with little touches and kisses. The next morning she said she felt like we were going to be lucky very soon…that she wanted nothing more than to have my child in her arms next year. I was so proud of her for not staying sad. For bouncing back so quickly. I had no idea that maybe that had more to do with her talking to Jake than me. I clench my jaw more at this thought.

“Yes. She also said she wasn’t sure how she felt about raising a kid,” he glances at both of us now, “the way we were raised.”

Dad doesn’t say anything for a long time. It takes longer for me to get this simple statement through my head. Lucy talked to Jake about this?! She never said anything to me. We talked about her fear of miscarrying, not being able to give me a child, but nothing about this…Of course, she would also know better than to question me.

So maybe she was questioning Jake because he was the next best thing? Or was she really afraid of her future with me? Could I have missed that?!

I shake my head. I can’t believe that. I know Lucy. I know what’s in her heart. I know she wanted to make me happy, to please me. But I also know that this is what made her happiest. She might have worried…but she never would have questioned our future. She had faith in me, in us. I have to have the same faith in her now.

Dad finally speak ups again, “Do you think she could’ve run away?” I hadn’t even thought this was a possibility until right now.

This weakness is not something I’ve ever felt. I am powerless.

Chapter 11 HER

He pushes me back and I don’t resist. “All the fight gone out of you already?”

I shake my head, but I don’t resist when he pulls my dress up and puts his hand between my legs. He stops and I squeeze my eyes shut, expecting to be hit again.

Instead he stands and pulls my legs roughly apart to stand between them. He pulls my dress up and yanks it over my head, my arms trapped in it. I can’t hardly see through the film, but I stay still.

I hear him spit and just make out that it’s into his hand. He puts this to my pussy. And drops both his hands to the sides of my head. The bed bounces and his face comes close to mine, the dress a welcome barrier now. He enters me hard. I’m still raw from before, but I don’t cry out. I’m oddly calm. Max’s voice keeps telling me I have to
stay calm, think
.

He doesn’t take long, grunting into me again, calling bitch and whore. He makes me say I like it. When he stands, I start to move the dress down, but he growls at me to leave it. I don’t know where he is. Still in the room? I can’t really see between the dress and the low light.

I hear his breathing above me and feel him pressed between my legs again. Oh, God. Not again. He can’t be hard again already!

I hear the rip before I feel it. The dress is pulled and giving way in front of me. The shiny knife again. He pulls my arms away from my chest roughly and cuts the ropes.

Stepping back. “Get that off.” I sit up, moving my arms and hands to get the ropes to fall. The skin burns in the air. I don’t stand, but push my dress and bra off my shoulders; he’d cut them in half already. I hiss at the belt marks and try to be gentle.

I move my head, so my curls cover most of my chest.

“Lay back down.” And I do.

He’s right. I’m a well-trained puppy when it comes to taking orders. My eyes fill with tears. The left burns.

I can’t believe I’m here. Like this. Naked before this man. Lost. Raped. I can hardly think the word. I hear Max’s voice. Hear him telling me to stay calm, to not cry. To hold on. But my body screams louder. The pain between my legs outshouts anything in my head.

I press my knees together. I shake with unshed tears and unvoiced screams. My hands shake with unyielded anger. With unyielding fear.

He’s hurt me so far. But he obviously intends to keep me…to keep doing this to me. I have to breathe hard to not throw up. I’ll be okay. Max will find me. I know he tracks my phone, my calls. He’ll know I’m missing long ago. He’s already looking for me. Max. I can’t help myself, I shake with silent tears at thinking of him.

I can’t picture him finding me here…like this. I turn my head and try to hide under my hair, covering myself with my hands as best as I can.

Chapter 12 HIM

“I…I don’t know.” Jake shrugs and shakes his head. “Maybe. I don’t know where she would’ve gone though.”

He may think he knows my wife. She may even have confided in him. She’s too trusting in people. But
I
know Lucy. I square my shoulders. “Lucy wouldn’t have left me. She had that choice once. She knows her place is here with me.”

I can’t see his face, but Dad nods once. Jake just looks down.

I know my wife. She may have felt that it’s okay to talk to Jake since he’s my brother. But she would never dare to leave me. She would never dream of stepping out that door without my knowledge. I gave her the choice once to leave or stay. With that first slap, I gave her the only choice she would ever have. And she made it then. She stayed. She does know that she belongs here, with me.

It’s Dad who finally breaks the silence again. “Jake. Not a word to the police about Lucy’s fears. That won’t help to get her back.” He turns to me, “And I think you’ve given them enough information about how your marriage works. You want them to eliminate you as a suspect and concentrate on who really has her…then you need to swallow your pride.”

I nod. He’s right.

“Take a shower. I’m going to arrange a car for your Mom. She’ll want to be here when Lucy’s parents get in.” He turns to Jake. “Why don’t you get some sleep in the guest room for now.”

And we both move to do what he says. No arguments.

Chapter 12 HER

I still my tears, breathing deeply, again listening to Max’s voice in my head. I have to turn my head to see what he’s doing. He has something metal in his hand when he returns to the bed, but I can’t figure out what it is. A small broken chain?

“I used this on Bitch when she was small.” His eyes twinkle in the light. He’s so happy with himself again. His own biggest fan. He almost looks nice, like someone I’d see…where?

I’m too drained to think anymore, Max. Just let me sleep. And despite my fear, despite my brain racing to figure out what is happening, who he is, where I am…I close my eye. I close off my brain from the pain and fear.

I don’t even open it when I feel cold metal on my neck. I don’t open it when I feel him shove me further onto the bed. Or when he puts more rope around my wrists.

I allow myself the one escape I can…I sleep.