Ruby jerked her head away in revulsion, and he grabbed a fistful of her short hair and forced her head down again. “Ow!” She braced her hands on the cushion beside his legs and struggled to pull her head back. He smelled musty and her stomach was heaving. “Stop it, Jeremy! No! Help!”
He squeezed the back of her neck with one hand and smacked her twice, hard, on the side of the face with the other until her head flopped sideways. “Don’t fuck with me, bitch!” he growled.
Grimacing and choking and crying, she snorted in air through her nose, refusing to open her mouth when he ground his now fully erect penis against her closed lips. He hit her again, and pinched her nose closed. When she finally gasped for breath, he thrust inside her open mouth, choking and suffocating her at the same time. He tasted disgusting and unclean, and she tore her mouth away from him and pulled a pubic hair off her tongue. Her stomach was like a ship in rough seas as Jeremy began moaning theatrically. He forced his penis back into her mouth.
She kept her mouth wide open and pulled her tongue away, gagging.
Her only option was to bite it off.
Then either make a run for it or finish him off with a knife from the kitchen. She summoned her courage as she imagined his blood pumping into her mouth from his wound as she spat out his…
He began climaxing into her gaping mouth.
She jerked her head back, and he continued spewing over her face and neck and chest. She spat and wiped her tongue on her shirttail and gagged and cried with humiliation and shame and rage.
Jeremy was too busy moaning horribly for Sean’s benefit, to notice. “That felt so goooood! Did you hear that, Sean? That was for you.”
Ruby grabbed her phone back, staggered to her feet, stepped back and vomited all over the floor.
CHAPTER 31
Jeremy got ready to leave. Ruby wept while slowly wiping and mopping up her vomit. “I’m picking you up at seven,” he crowed, pausing beside her front door, “Dress up. We’re celebrating.” He waved her tape. “Remember what’s at stake.”
She slammed and locked the door behind him and turned off her doorbell camera. She was shaking with rage. He thought he’d beaten her. He thought she’d been defeated. That there wasn’t anything she could do about this.
He was wrong.
He would pay.
She craved a shower, she felt so soiled. Instead, she hid behind the curtain and watched Jeremy walk over to his house and go inside without a backwards glance. As soon as his front door closed behind him, she started the timer on her phone, grabbed her car keys and went to sit in the window seat so she could watch Jeremy’s house.
When he left for work, she was going to follow him. Hopefully, he’d go there, but she needed to make sure he didn’t stop someplace and make a copy of the tape or put it in a safety deposit box or something. When she got that tape back, she wanted complete certainty that another copy wasn’t going to pop up later and fuck things up for her.
She checked her doorbell camera App, knowing there was nothing there—it would have alerted her at the time—but hoping to find footage for the police of Jeremy breaking in her front door. But there was nothing. He’d come in through the garage, he’d admitted it to her. Fuck.
But then the next clip showed her racing out the open front door and Jeremy tackling her on her deck when she’d almost escaped. He kicked her hard in the thigh and tossed her back inside the house. Watching herself go through that was surreal. She had never seen herself looking terrified. Being harmed. The look on his face would give her nightmares.
She turned the doorbell camera off and dialed Hilary’s number. She needed Hilary’s help, so she would apologize for her behavior the last time they’d talked.
Hilary answered, and Ruby began to sob again, completely overwhelmed. She heard Hilary saying, “Hello? Ruby? Hello?” And still, she couldn’t speak.
“Are you all right?” Hilary sounded more annoyed than worried.
Ruby shook her head, realized that Hilary couldn’t see her, and managed to croak, “No. I’m not okay at all.” She wiped her nose on her soiled, flannel shirt.
“Are you in jail again?”
“No! I’m not in jail. It’s just…well…” she almost couldn’t get the words out. “Jeremy broke in here last night and he beat me up and he forced me…” she cleared her throat. “He forced me to…sodomize him!” she broke into fresh sobs.
“He forced you to butt-fuck him?” Hilary said, sounding absolutely horrified. “What? Oh, honey!”
Ruby was confused for a second. Had she used the word sodomize incorrectly? “No! He forced me to give him a blowjob!”
She heard Hilary catch her breath. “Oh honey,” she murmured again. “I’m so sorry! Have you gone to the police?”
Ruby sniffled and wiped her nose again. “Not yet.”
“Would you like me to go with you?”
Would she? It would be nice to have a friend along for moral support. “Yes, I think I would. That’d be nice.” She hesitated. “I’m sorry about what I said before—”
“It’s forgotten,” Hilary said. Ruby heard keys jingling. “I’ll be right over to take you to the police station.”
“Wait! Come, yes, come now, but there’s more. …We can’t leave for the police station right off.”
“Why not?” Hilary asked. Her voice softened. “There’s nothing for you to be ashamed of. He beat you up and sexually assaulted you. You didn’t do anything wrong. He belongs in jail.” Ruby heard Hilary’s car start.
“It’s not that. It’s…well,” she was apprehensive about mentioning the tape to Hilary. She would lose her sympathy if Hilary knew the tape had been made without Sean’s consent.
“You can tell me anything,” Hilary said. But Ruby knew that wasn’t true.
“On our first date, Sean and I, we made a video of us making love. Last night, Jeremy found the tape.”
“Uh-oh,” Hilary said. “That must have been embarrassing.”
Ruby should have known that Hilary wouldn’t judge her about the tape. “It was. But that’s not the worst of it. He took it with him, and he’s threatening to release it to the media if I go to the police.”
Hilary snorted. “He’s bluffing.”
“I don’t think so. And what if he’s serious? Do you have any idea what that kind of press could do to my career? Even though my cartoon isn’t written for, nor necessarily read by, children, I’d still be dropped by lots of family-centered newspapers. I can’t afford that. Not to mention the humiliation—”
“Ruby, think. What reputable news organization would run a stolen sex tape made by consenting adults? And it’s not like you’re famous. Not like Pamela Anderson or, or…Kim Kardashian. There’s no story here.”
“I’m famous enough to be featured in ScuttleBUZZ Magazine this week,” Ruby said, stung. “And I’m not talking CNN, I’m talking revenge porn. Releasing it over the internet! You don’t have to be reputable on the internet!”
“Really? You’re really in ScuttleBUZZ?” Hilary squealed, and Ruby rolled her eyes.
“Focus, Hilary! You can read it later. Right now, we’re talking about my sex tape. Jeremy could ruin me.” Not to mention the fact that two consenting adults hadn’t made that tape, only one had, and that was the bigger problem.
“You’re giving in to his blackmail? No! Don’t give away your—Hey!” Hilary honked, almost giving Ruby a heart attack. “What’s wrong with you?” Hilary called. “Learn to drive!”
“Just don’t get shot,” Ruby said, “My plan is to get my tape back, then call the police.”
“He’s probably made two hundred copies by now.” Ruby gasped, and Hilary said, “Sorry to break it to you, but it’s true.”
“No.” Ruby shook her head. “It wasn’t a digital file, it was an actual tape, tape, like a VCR tape. I’m sure he will make a copy, but he hasn’t had time to make one yet.”
“He could’ve easily filmed the TV with his phone last night while he was watching. I would have. It
wouldn’t be the best quality, but you need to move forward knowing he’s made a copy—”
“No. Last night when I walked in on him watching the tape in my house, he wasn’t filming! Also, if he’d already copied it, he wouldn’t have taken the actual tape today! So, he needs two VCRs to make a copy, and nobody has those anymore—”
“You do.”
“I only had one to watch old workout tapes, and I broke mine last night. I’m sure he doesn’t have one yet. I bet he’ll call around today and make copies soon, if I don’t stop him. …Can we move on?”
“How’re you gonna get it back?”
“That’s where you come in. I really need you, Hil.”
“What do you want me to do?” Hilary asked warily.
Ruby filled her in.
▬▬▬
Jeremy left his house exactly thirteen minutes after he’d entered, which was before Hilary arrived. He’d cleaned up. He’d shaved, his hair was wet, and he was dressed in a dark fitted suit and carrying a briefcase. He glanced at her house and smiled triumphantly, but Ruby knew he couldn’t see her behind the curtain. She turned off her timer. Thirteen minutes. More than enough time to copy the tape or hide it or post it…
Fuck.
Hilary was supposed to follow him, but now Ruby would have to do it herself. She called Hilary’s cell phone as she watched Jeremy climb into his convertible.
She’d wait until she saw which direction he was headed on Shiloh Hill before she dashed to her car and followed him.
“Where are you?” Ruby bleated, as soon as Hilary picked up.
“I’m coming as fast as I can.”
“No! I mean, where are you right now? He’s on the move,” she said. Jeremy backed up and turned around in their driveway.
“I’m still about two miles away. I’m already on Shiloh Hill.”
That could work. Jeremy waited for traffic to clear and turned right on the road.
“Stop where you are!” Ruby shouted. “He’s coming right at you in his red convertible with the ‘Player’ plates. He should go by in a couple minutes. Just pull out behind him, casually, from someone’s driveway. Okay? Hurry!”
“Roger that.”
Ruby was on pins and needles until finally Hilary said in her low, spy voice, “Okay. I’m behind him now. Piece of cake.” Ruby breathed a sigh of relief.
She put the phone on speaker and took it into her bathroom so she could finally wash her face, brush her teeth, down four Aleve, and change out of her disgusting outfit that she was going to have to burn. The entire side of her face was swollen, and she had a black eye. She winced. pulled up her shirt, and ran her fingers lightly over the angry black bruise on her side. “Damn.”
“What’d you say?”
“Don’t let him see you. He’s met you. Remember.”
“I won’t,” Hilary said, sounding annoyed. “I know what I’m doing.”
Ruby went to brush at something shiny in her hair and realized it was dried semen from Jeremy hosing all over her. She shuddered, full body shudders, screamed, “I’ve got semen in my hair!” And turned on the water in the shower. She heard yelling, but she’d already shucked her shirt when she processed what Hilary was saying.
“—pictures! Ruby, no! Take pictures before you clean yourself up! Are you listening? Pictures! I know you need to shower, oh my God, you poor thing, but take pictures first and keep your clothes for the police. Keep them for the police! Ruby? Ruby! Keep them—”
“Okay, okay. Hold on.” Ruby swiped away tears and pulled her shirt back on, inducing another set of full body shudders. She couldn’t do this…
She took a deep breath and forced herself to take a burst of pictures, followed by a few careful close-ups of the semen in her hair and on her neck and shirt.
“Done,” she said, already convulsively peeling off her clothes. She jumped in the shower, expecting cold water, but it was already hot. “I’ll be out in a sec,” she yelled to Hilary as she began scrubbing every inch of her body and her hair, over and over again. She rinsed out her mouth, wishing she kept bleach in the shower. “Don’t hang up!”
“Take your time,” Hilary replied. “I’m just following the beast to Calua. I’m good.”
Ruby was toweling off and brushing her teeth at the same time when Hilary said, “Okay. He’s slowing down in front of a building in Old Towne. He’s looking for a parking space…I’ll just cruise by slowly. ‘Corbison’s Architecture and Landscaping.’ Hmmm. Looks pretty nice. Okay, he found a meter. I wonder if he’s got to feed it all day or if he gets a waiver? I bet—”
“Make sure he actually goes inside his office and not into some copy place next door,” Ruby interrupted. She tossed her toothbrush in the trash, followed by her shower sponge, rinsed her mouth, and took a big swig of mouthwash.
“Okay. I found a parking space too. I can see him perfectly. He’s put the top up but he’s still in his car. What’s he doing? Okay Mad Dog, he’s getting out. He’s got a briefcase, and…yes! He’s going into the firm. The cargo is delivered!”
Ruby spat mouthwash into the sink. “What? Who’s Mad Dog? What cargo?” Maybe she shouldn’t have trusted Hilary with such a big responsibility. She got distracted so easily.
“You’re Mad Dog. I thought we could use, like, nicknames or something. I thought it’d be fun, since we’re spying. And people in spy movies always talk in code. ‘The cargo is delivered,’ just means the beast made it inside safely. That’s all.”
Ruby decided to play along to keep Hilary happy. After all, she’d be watching Jeremy for hours, if not all day. “What a cute idea! I’ll be Mad Dog, and you can be…Jinxy. Okay?”
“I like it! Jinxy. Cool!”
“I’m going over to his house now. I know he had the tape when he left my house this morning, so it’s either still over there, or he took it to work with him. If it’s at his house, I will find it. Video tapes are big. Wish me luck.”
“Ru…I mean, Mad Dog,” Hilary said. “Are you sure about this? As soon as you go inside, you’ve committed a crime. You could go to jail.”
Ruby stifled a laugh. This was child’s play compared to other crimes she’d committed recently. “I’m not worried about it. I’m getting that tape back no matter what I gotta do. Just watch his office carefully. Don't let him leave and surprise me while I’m inside. I’m counting on you, Jinxy.”
“Don’t worry.”
“Maybe take a casual walk by the place and see if there’s a back way he could leave by. But please don’t leave his car for long. I don’t want him to get away. …Are you sure you’re up to this?”
“Of course! Jinxy’s on the job.”
“Keep your cell on you, and um, if you get a chance, please check his car for the tape—”
“You want me to break into his car?”
“Never mind. I’m going.”
“Good luck.”
Ruby swallowed hard. She was going to need it.
▬▬▬
Ruby was surprised to find Jeremy’s front door locked. He’d told her he never locked his doors, but he was probably worried she’d do exactly this. She knew in her bones he’d taken the tape with him to work. That’s what she would have done.
She heaved a big sigh. Oh well. There were other reasons to go inside. First things first.
She walked around to his back door, reached into her jacket pockets for her knit hat and gloves, and put them on. They were blue knitted mittens with red pom poms on the back. Latex or even leather would have been better, but she’d tossed her dishwashing gloves, and these were all she could find.
It took less than five seconds for her to open the door with a credit card. She stepped into his kitchen, closed the door behind her, and blew on the card like it was a smoking gun, before zipping it back into the inside pocket of her jacket.
If Jeremy had a silent alarm, which she doubted, but if he did, the police would arrive any minute. She’d have to tell them the truth, so she’d have extenuating circum
stances for being inside his house, or she could make a run for it. She’d probably run…
Ruby flipped on the light, stepped forward, and wrinkled her nose as a musty odor hit her. The kitchen appeared to be spotless. Unlived in spotless. The counters were crumb free and the sink was dry. If he was a neat freak, what was that smell?
This morning he’d pulled her tape out from behind her garbage can. That was the place to start. She opened the cabinet under the sink, braced for a disgusting mess, but his trashcan was empty. She pulled it out, shook it and checked behind it, but there was nothing there.
She checked the rest of his cabinets. He had a box of Cheerios, one mug with a broken handle, no plates, a handful of butter knives and a teaspoon. She shook her head. Bachelors. No tape, but no real food either. The fridge held four beers and a pizza box, and the freezer held only a half-eaten box of fish sticks. Where was his food? And where could her tape be?
She checked inside the pristine oven and microwave, stood on the counters, and looked above the cabinets and above the fridge. She pulled the appliances out and opened the dishwasher. Nothing.
The fact that his house was mostly empty made it easier to search. She’d go methodically, room by room, leaving no stone unturned.
There were two bedrooms. She’d do them next.
The first bedroom housed a cheap weight bench, and a drafting table. He’d mounted his gun cabinet from his old bedroom to the wall, and she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw it.
Thank God. She took a picture with her disposable phone. She’d been counting on it being here.…Now just let it be unlocked. She tried the door and silently cheered. Luck was in her favor.
Two rifles hung in the back with at least twenty handguns. He’d run out of places to hang his weapons, and there were…she counted quickly…six guns jumbled up together on the bottom of the case. Perfect. He probably wouldn’t miss it if she took just one of those. Which would he be the least likely to miss?
…One of which she recognized as hers. He’d taken her gun! She took it back and shoved it in her backpack. Motherfucker. She took a guess on the other one, choosing a small Smith and Wesson revolver from the bottom of the pile, which had been half hidden by the others. She made sure to grab it only from the tip of the barrel and hoped for the best. He probably didn’t check them nightly, and even if he did, he wouldn’t count them…hopefully.
Drawn To You: A Psychological thriller Page 29