Without You I Have Nothing (67 page)

_{The dancing continued
until the early hours of the morning and the kookaburras had begun their
laughing welcome to the new day before the last of the revelers found their
beds.}

_{Days of showing their
guests around the property followed. The Board Members outlined their plans
that had now been in place long enough to start showing signs of coming to
fruition.}

_{Dinners in Deep
Springs and dinners at Rocky Springs helped make time fly.}

_{Finally, the guests
left.}

_{They were alone and
the day-to-day routine became settled. Parties of students stayed at the
Shearing Shed Motel and Jennifer had learned the names of the workers, their
wives and their children.}

_{Elizabeth took pride
in noting all birthdays, and there was always something special from the
company on special days.}

_{-Christmas Eve was
busier than ever before. The Christmas Service at the church was even more
wonderful than ever as Jennifer walked up the aisle on Peter's arm.}

_{Christmas Day was
just as joyous, but the family gathered around the Christmas Tree included two
new men, Blue and Tiny, their fiancées, and of course, Nicolette. Jennifer
marveled at how her mother managed to control her extended brood, especially
after driving Santa around the workers' homes with his bag full of presents for
the children and their parents.}

_{'Friends of the
Sydney Symphony Orchestra request the pleasure of Mr. &  Mrs. P. O'Brien…' 
The invitation had arrived weeks earlier and reluctantly Peter had accepted.}

_{Immediately after
Christmas, they flew to Sydney and Jennifer went shopping for an evening gown
by herself. She adamantly refused to tell Peter what she had purchased or to
model it for him.}

_{He tried to entice
her to reveal her secret as he stood with her on the balcony with his hands
slowly massaging her neck and shoulders, pleading that he really needed to
know.}

_{WEEK  1}

_{That Fateful Sunday Night}

_{Peter had at last
mastered the art of dressing in his white tie and tails as he waited for
Jennifer. He stared out over the Opera House sails, musing that in his whole
life he had never before dressed himself in such formal wear. Even for the
night he had danced with Jennifer on the stage at Die Fledermaus a tailor had
dressed him, fussing over him making certain Peter was a walking advertisement
for his business. Then a polite cough interrupted his thoughts.}

_"Well?"

_{As he spun to look,
Peter's quick reaction was, "Wow!  Turn around."}

_{Jennifer could feel
his eyes roaming over her as she turned and displayed her new gown. Peter's
breathing became more and more ragged as she preened herself like some human
female version of a peacock.}

_{The subdued dark gold
gown with its triangular handkerchief-shaped, plain bodice with absolutely no
back hung from a diamond-studded dog collar to drape down the sides of her
breasts clearly revealing she was wearing no bra. The skirt began low at her
hips, flowing from a soft gathering of fabric to flare at her ankles, joining
the bodice at the front and leaving her back bare of any straps.}

_{Open- toed gold
sandals with diamante straps and stiletto heels accentuated her dainty feet and
her red painted toenails.}

_{"I sure hope the
Hollywood tape is strong enough to hold everything in place,” Peter commented
with frivolous amusement, "or should I follow you around all night with my
hands supporting everything. That would be my pleasure. Can I practice
now?"}

_{Jennifer responded
with a giggle as she whirled about to make her way to the elevator. She turned
to speak to her husband and was surprised to notice that Peter was still
standing there, staring at her.}

_{He was having second
thoughts of his wife flaunting her charms in public. "Jennifer, don't you
consider you are showing too much flesh and the men might genuinely believe you
are hunting or available?"}

_{Obviously, he was
worried and jealously wanted to protect his wife.}

_{Jennifer walked to
her husband and lifted his hands to her lips. She kissed each hand.}

_{"Peter I'm yours
and I was once called 'The Ice Maiden'. Well any man who tried anything funny
would find this iceberg would sink his Titanic."}

_{"I'm yours and
yours alone and I am dressed like this for you only."}

_{Smiling she stood on
her tiptoes to reach up and kiss his cheek. "Your worry makes me feel
proud of you as my loving loyal mate. Come my love, enjoy tonight and don't be
jealous. I'm yours forever."}

_{The chauffeur-driven
limousine halted at the entrance gate of the Hunter's Hill Mansion.}

_{Two burly guards with
six guard dogs investigated them and their invitation, carefully shining their
torches over them.}

_{Jennifer shivered.}

_{The guards paused in
their inspection of her and this inspection was much more intense than their
inspection of Peter. They were stripping her naked under their gaze.}

_{Clinging to Peter's
hand, she wished she had been conservative in her dressing. However, it was far
too late for second thoughts as they stepped into the mansion.}

_{Peter held Jennifer
close to him, fending off the lecherous looks of other men, but as the night of
partying progressed, the wife of the host dragged him away.}

_{Jennifer watched a
tall, willowy, incredibly beautiful Asian take Peter's arm.}

_{She had no time for
her jealousy to build as a handsome young man - addressed by one of the guards
as Pretty Boy - immediately handed her a glass of punch and demanded she dance
with him.}

_{Pretty Boy became her
constant companion never leaving her side, dancing with her and keeping her
glass well filled.}

_{Many drinks later,
Jennifer was no longer wondering where Peter had gone. She offered no
resistance to this handsome man, Pretty Boy, as he led her to the quiet
surrounds of the swimming pool where they continued dancing. Seeming to be
blissfully unaware that he was pulling her obscenely close to his body, she
just moved to the music.}

_{Jennifer didn't
object when he made her wrap her arms around his neck while his hands wandered
across her bare back and dived below the waistband of her dress.}

_{Unaware of Pretty
Boy's interest in Jennifer, Peter followed the hostess into the far reaches of
the mansion where he suddenly realized that not all was what it had seemed. He
stared at the Thai woman and suddenly his mind slipped back to his lessons in
the brothel at Bukit Mertajam and he knew.}

_{Her eyes confirmed
his suspicion. This was no true woman but a Thai Katoey, a lady boy.}

_{The Asian woman tried
leading him into a bedroom.}

_{Screaming, "No!”
in perfect Thai, Peter threw her to the floor. He was not interested and the
Thai Katoey looked strangely apprehensive as she struggled to rise.}

_{Suddenly fearful that
he had left Jennifer alone, Peter turned away. He became more and more
perturbed as he thoroughly searched room after room to no avail. Distraught,
his heart pounding, he feared what had happened when he left Jennifer alone.}

_{Finally, he stepped
outside into the pool area in his frenzied hunt.}

_{Incredulous, he
watched two figures dancing, his wife wrapped around Pretty Boy as if he were
her beloved and Pretty Boy's hands sliding down inside her dress to cup her
bare buttocks.}

_{Peter, catlike,
stalked his prey certain that his approach was silent, and Pretty Boy remained
unaware of his presence.}

_{His hands flashed
before Pretty Boy's eyes to clutch him by the throat.}

_{Gasping for air,
Pretty Boy found himself flying high through the air to splash fully clothed
into the deepest section of the pool. When he struggled back to the side,
Peter's hand reached out to yank at his hair. No matter how hard he struggled,
down he went until he believed that he was about to drown. Three times, he went
down before Peter allowed him to breathe.}

_{Staring into the
hate-filled eyes of Peter, he heard the warning, "Touch my wife again and
you're a dead man. Anyone who touches Jennifer is a dead man walking."}

_{Peter gave a
demonical laugh striking a chord of fear in Pretty Boy as he added viciously,
"and he won't be walking long."}

_{Only then, did Peter
rise from his knees and turn to Jennifer who was just swaying to the music,
staring into space, blissfully unaware of the commotion around her.}

_{Laughing, Peter
folded himself into her arms. "Sweetheart, you've had too much to drink.” 
Looking into her eyes, he recognized that drugs not alcohol affected her. He
led her away, knowing it was useless to explain anything to her while she was
in this state}

_{"Now it's my
turn to look after the drunk in the family,” he said, with a touch of wry
amusement in his voice.}

_{As they walked to
their waiting limousine, Peter could feel tension, hatred and lust enveloping
them within a thick cocoon of emotion. He had interrupted something evil and he
didn't know what it was.}

_{Mysteriously, guards
and their dogs appeared to escort them, but the fierce glare in his eyes and
his military bearing made them fall back. They sensed he wasn't the least
intimidated by their attitude and presence, even though they were heavily
armed.}

_{In the car, Peter
shuddered. A clear image of the old man of the jungle seemed to materialize in
his mind, repeating, "The gods demand a payment and a harsh reckoning it
will be!"}

_{Shaking his head to
clear his mind and yet feeling perturbed and apprehensive, he held Jennifer in
the tight protection of his arms with his face in her hair.}

_{Silently he prayed
that the gods would give them the emotional resolution necessary for the
payment that he sensed was about to be demanded.}

_{Safely back home, he
remembered his drunken binge before they had married. Carefully, Peter
undressed Jennifer and disregarding his body's needs to love her put her to bed.
Instead, he cuddled her and realized that she was asleep long before her head
hit the pillow.}

_{He wasn't prepared to
tell her that 'Pretty Boy' had drugged her.}

_{WEEK   1}

_{That Fateful Monday}

_{Work called and
Jennifer watched Peter rise.}

_{"My head is
splitting!” she exclaimed. "Sweetheart, I believe I made a complete ass of
myself, as I can't remember anything about last night.}

_{"Yet I'm
positive I had only one fruit punch. Everything's a complete blank after that
first drink. That handsome young man demanded that I dance with him after you
had gone off with that beautiful woman."}

_{"That was no
woman. That was a Thai lady boy.”  Peter's lips curled in extreme distaste.}

_{"But at least
we're both safe. Now you'd better get to work, as you're due in court at 11. Are
you okay, because I really have to rush?"}

_{When Peter arrived to
open the workshop, he considered it strange that one of the security guards was
standing at the shutters, but perhaps he was suspicious after the happenings of
the previous night. He was even more mistrustful when he saw a black Mercedes
parked up the road.}

_{"Open up.” 
Peter sounded happy. The guard seemed to hesitate until Peter added, "I've
left my keys behind.”  He backed his car away from the driveway.}

_{What happened next
was unbelievable.}

_{A sudden blast
reverberated in Peter's ears as a fireball belched from the workshop through
the half-opened shutters. A scream tore at the guard's throat. The crash of his
body through the shop front across the road cut short his shriek.}

_{The force of the
eruption hurled Peter's car into the air and onto its side. Bleeding, Peter lay
stunned covered in glass from the shattered windscreen and windows.}

_{The sudden roar of
flames broke the silence following the blast. Hammered into Peter's brain was
the screech of tires, as the black Mercedes fled.}

_{Peter couldn't
believe the hell that had broken out around him}

_{Then he could hear
the harsh scream of sirens - more and more sirens as he struggled free of his
car. On his feet but dazed, he charged toward the main office door that opened
from the street.}