by Suzy Shearer
“Ah, awake again. Good. I want you to enjoy this.” With that he swung the whip and it landed across her stomach. She tried to scream, tears running from her eyes as he swung it again harder this time. It cut across her breasts and she tried to draw a breath as the pain lanced across them. Repeatedly, he swung the whip until she passed out from the agony.
Slowly she resurfaced into a land of pain. She looked and saw John sitting on a chair waiting. She looked down her body and gasped. Her stomach and breasts were crisscrossed with bloody welts.
“Welcome back. Now if you ask me nicely I will not use the whip on you again, instead I will fuck you. If you scream, you will be sorry. Think you hurt now? Think again, slut!”
He leaned forward to untie the gag. “Ask me not to use the whip.”
As soon as the gag was out of her mouth, she took a deep breath and screamed as loud as she could. He slammed his fist but she turned her head and it grazed the side of her temple, leaving her dizzy.
“I warned you, bitch!” he snarled. He grabbed the whip and hit her clit with the handle. She screamed again. “I know you like it rough, slut. I know you want your fat cunt filled. I've been watching you since you brought that man home and let him fuck you.”
He thrashed her again with the whip, and she writhed and screamed with the pain.
“Ready to ask me nicely to stop now, bitch? Or maybe you like it?”
Lisa nodded, crying, “Please, please, John, don’t hurt me anymore please.”
“That’s better. Now ask me to fuck you. Ask me nicely.”
Lisa was sobbing. “No, please don’t. Please.” She was in such pain. How long had he been here? Would Paul come soon before he killed her?
He swung the whip again and she felt it tearing into her flesh. Again and again he swung, while she screamed and screamed. He picked up the gag again, pushing the cloth into her mouth.
“I’m sick of hearing your voice. I’m sick of you.” He lifted a knife and she felt it grind into her shoulder.
“Why, Lisa? Why? I would have been good for you, but you rejected me. Did he fuck you till you screamed? Did he hit you like this and make you come?” John hit her where the knife had entered. “Did he fuck your arse while he whipped you?”
Lisa screamed in agony. Where was Paul? John lifted the knife again as she felt the darkness threatened to descend once more, she thought she heard other voices.
Suddenly there was thumping at the door and a loud voice shouted, “Open up, this is the police!” at the same time she heard the front door shattered.
John roared, “No!” He held the knife above her, aiming for her heart. She watched it slowly descend as police charged into the room. John stopped just as then knife was about to enter her flesh. He leapt across the room, knife raised toward the police.
“No! She's mine, no!”
He charged toward the first officer who had no choice but to draw his gun and shoot. John fell to the ground, arm outstretched. He turned his head, his eyes catching Lisa's.
“But I love you,” he gasped, puzzled. “Why?”
An officer knelt at his side then shook his head to the others. He stood and came over to Lisa. He gasped as he looked at her torn body, and she saw in his eyes that he did not think she would make it.
Gently he removed the gag. “It will be okay, miss, the paramedics have just arrived. They will take good care of you.” Lisa could not speak, the pain was intense.
“Let me in!”
“Get out of my way. I have to see her!” Lisa heard Paul shouting, she tried to call to him but all that came out was a croak. She looked at the officer trying to tell him she needed to see Paul. She tried to move but the pain overwhelmed her and finally the darkness descended.
Chapter Eleven
Slowly Lisa surfaced again. She could feel his arms around her. She refused to open her eyes. Let him kill her. The pain was only just bearable. She could feel another scream coming from the depths of her soul. She realised he had removed the gag again and was even more terrified for what that meant. She did not want him to know she was awake. Nevertheless, she could not stop the scream.
“Hush, little one, hush. You are safe. Ssh.”
No it could not be. It could not be Paul. She opened her eyes. Paul’s face swam in her vision. She felt his arms tighten around her. She gasped in pain but looked in wonder at him.
“Paul?” she croaked.
She tried to lift her arm to touch his face but it hurt. He took her other hand and kissed it. “You are safe. He is gone.”
“Excuse me, sir, but we need to get her to hospital now. The sedative should be working soon. You have to let her go.”
Paul nodded his head. “They are going to put you on a stretcher and get you to hospital, little one. I will be here with you. Okay?”
Lisa was filled with questions but she was suddenly feeling groggy and things were blurring. The last thing she heard was Paul telling her he loved her. When she opened her eyes again, she was in a hospital bed. Paul was on a chair beside the bed, holding onto her hand. His head was on the bed and he was asleep. She had no idea how long she had been here or what had happened.
She heard the door opened and saw Fleur tiptoeing in with Richard behind her, carrying an enormous vase of flowers. Fleur burst into tears when she saw Lisa awake and that in turn woke Paul.
“Lisa. Oh, Lisa,” Fleur cried. She mumbled incoherently as she reached the bed and took Lisa’s other hand. Lisa looked at the three of them. Paul had dark circles under his eyes and looked as if he had aged twenty years. Richard did not look much better.
Paul squeezed her hand and stood to drop a light kiss on her mouth. “Welcome back, little one.”
“What happened? The last thing I remember was…was….” She burst into tears.
“Ssh, you’re safe now. It’s all over.” Paul tried to take her in his arms but it was awkward with the wires attached to her body. A nurse came bustling in.
“Ah, you’re awake. How do you feel? Can I just ask everyone to leave for a moment while I check Ms. Day?” Paul kissed her cheek and the three left the room.
The nurse checked all her vitals and removed a couple of the wires attached to her. She lifted the sheet and checked the bandages. Lisa looked down and saw most of her torso was covered with gauze.
“How is the pain, Ms. Day?”
“Bearable.”
The nursed smiled at her. “If you feel it is too much let me know. Don’t put up with it unnecessarily. You have been through an ordeal I know and we can help you recover. How does your face feel?”
“Thank you. My face feels like I ran into a brick wall.”
“The doctors said nothing is broken but you will be black and blue for a while. Your lip was split so it will be tender for a while. We have cream that we have been rubbing on to help with the bruising.”
“How long have I been here?”
“You came in yesterday in the early afternoon. It is close to six at night now. That man of yours hasn’t left your side since you came down from theatre.”
“Theatre? What?”
“Some of your wounds needed stitches and they all had to be cleaned. The doctors thought it best to do it under a general anaesthetic. Now you rest, you will be out of here in no time. Are you hungry?”
Lisa realised she was. She also realised that she had not eaten since she and Paul had dinner prior to going to The Club on Sunday night.
“Relax. I’ll let your visitors back in and get some food sent up for you.”
Lisa thanked the nurse. The others came in and Paul kissed her forehead, he was crying as he spoke.
“I thought I had lost you. Oh, little one.” He put his head on the bed.
“What happened? I mean, how did the police know?” She looked confused.
Richard spoke up. “Apparently some man who was walking his dog passed your house and heard screams.” Lisa shuddered. “He saw your front door was wide open and thought it strange but didn’t want
to get involved. He walked to the end of your street and his conscience got the better of him so he rang the police. Told them he heard screaming but wasn’t sure if it was just someone on the television.”
Lisa remembered how much she had screamed and pleaded with John to stop before he gagged her.
“Anyway the police sent a car over to your address. They walked in and caught John as he was about to stab you again.”
Lisa gasped. “I remember. He went to stab that policeman.” Paul squeezed her hand.
“We can talk about this later.”
“No. I want to know.”
Paul took up the story. “When they arrived, John and tried to attack them with the knife you know they shot him.” Lisa nodded. “He was killed.” She felt a grim satisfaction at that news. “I arrived about five minutes later.”
His voice caught. “I saw the police cars at your house, as I pulled up and so did an ambulance.” Tears were running down his face. “I was terrified. I raced in. They tried to hold me back, I was shouting at them. When I saw you there, you were covered in blood, I thought you were dead.” He could not continue through his sobs.
“I heard you. I tried to tell them I wanted you but I passed out.”
Fleur was crying, too, and Richard looked like he was not far from it. He reached over and squeezed Paul’s shoulder.
“The rest you know. They sedated you at the scene and brought you here. Paul rang me, he sounded crazy. I could not understand him for a moment. Anyway, I finally realised what he was saying. He rode with you in the ambulance, and Fleur and I met him here. They took you up to surgery to repair the damage. They kept you sedated until this afternoon.”
Just then, the nurse came in and said the police wanted to speak with her if she was able. Lisa grabbed Paul’s hand and nodded to the nurse. She led two men into the room.
“Ms. Day. Sorry to have to do this but we need to know exactly what happened while it is fresh in your mind. Can we ask your visitors to wait outside please?”
It might have been a requested but it sounded like an order. Richard and Fleur left the room, but Paul did not want to leave Lisa to face this alone.
“Sir, could you please wait outside?” Lisa spoke up. She did not want to tell what had happened but knew she must. She also felt Paul deserved to know and she could not face repeating it all a second time.
“Please. I want him to stay. This is my partner.”
The officers looked at each other and one nodded. “Okay, but, sir, realise that this is not going to be nice.”
“I understand.”
“I want him to know. I don’t think I could tell it all a second time, so thank you.”
They took seats alongside and one opened a notebook.
The next hour was the hardest she had ever faced. It was only Paul’s quiet strength that enabled her to tell it all. Reliving all that had happened brought back all the fears and pain. By the end of the hour, she was exhausted. She was sure she had no more tears. The officers had been thorough but they had been sensitive and gentle in their questioning, for which Lisa was very grateful.
Finally they stood.
“Thank you, Ms. Day. I know how hard this has been for you but it is better all round to tell what happened. For your information, the assailant was obsessed with you. We found pictures of you everywhere in his house. Apparently he had been watching you for a long time, but when he saw you had become involved with Mr. Rowley, it tipped him over.”
For a moment Lisa wondered who Mr. Rowley was then realised it was Paul’s last name. She giggled and he smiled at her knowing what she was thinking.
“I thought I saw his car a few times lately then figured I was mistaken. I thought he followed us the other night.” Lisa shuddered when she realised that he really was following her.
“If there is anything we can do for you just let us know.” One of them gave Paul a business card. She thanked them both and they left. Paul looked at her. His heart was breaking after hearing all that she had endured.
She played with the sheet covering her. She was frightened to look at him, would this have changed how he felt toward her?
“Lisa, look at me.” His voice was rough with emotion, she kept her eyes downcast.
“Please, Lisa.” He took her hands in his as she slowly lifted her face to look at him.
“I love you.” She was surprised to see tears on his cheeks. “I should never have left you yesterday. I should have taken you with me.”
Of all the things she thought he might say this was not one of them. She was stunned. “Paul, you could not have known, and none of us could.”
“I still should have taken you.”
“Yes and he would have come another time. Paul, it happened. No one could have predicted it, least of all me. I should have told you that I thought someone was following us.”
“Promise me you will come home to my house now. I can’t bear to have you away from me.”
“You still want me?”
He looked at her with a puzzled look.
“Why on earth wouldn’t I? Silly girl, I love you. None of this was your fault. If I had arrived ten minutes earlier he would still be dead because I would have killed him for touching you.” He sounded vicious. “When I think of what he did to you.” His voice broke and she tried to lean into him but it hurt too much.
“Lie back, sweetheart. Let me take care of you.” He pulled her pillows under her head and settled her into them. The nurse came back in with a tray.
“Ms. Day, I put this in the warmer so it should be still hot. I thought they would never go.” She pulled the bed table over and placed a tray on it. “Make sure she eats it all, Mr. Rowley.”
He winked at her and she blushed and giggled. “Think you’ve won a heart there, Mr. Rowley.” Lisa ribbed him and he smiled.
“Okay, Ms. Day, time to eat. Do you want Daddy to feed you or can you manage?”
Lisa rolled her eyes. “Next you will be making choo-choo train noises. I think I can manage.”
It was difficult with her sore mouth and her arms ached so but she managed. She was so tired after eating that it was an effort to keep her eyes open. Their friendly nurse came in and took away the tray before giving her some pills. She injected something into the drip.
“This is an antibiotic. The pills will help you sleep. I think they are taking the drip out in the morning. “She recorded her blood pressure and temperature then left.
“Try and sleep, little one. You look like it is an effort to stay awake.” Paul leant over and kissed her gently, then helped her settle. He held her hand until she fell asleep.
The next morning, the doctors checked her over and removed the drips, telling her if all went well she could go home the next day. She would need to have her stitches removed in another week. They also offered her counselling in view of what had happened. She thanked them for all their care but was not sure about the counselling.
When she told Paul, he told her that they had a very good friend at The Club who was a counsellor and if she liked he could get her to come and talk with her. In the end she decided that she would see how she felt after a few days. Being in the hospital meant she was continually being poked and prodded, and once she was home she could relax.
* * * *
Paul took her to his home the following afternoon. She was speechless when they pulled up. It was gorgeous. The front of the house looked like it was all glass, looking down into the valley. It was on a large block, secluded from the other house, with a security fence all round. He helped her out of the car and into the house. She went from one room to another, never speaking. She was overwhelmed by how lovely it was. He took her into a large room overlooking the valley. She drew a breath. It was nothing short of spectacular. He seemed to be holding his breath waiting for her to speak.
She turned to him. “It’s…It’s beautiful.”
He let out a breath and relaxed. “So do you think you could live here?”
Sh
e grinned and nodded. “Could I ever. I love it.” He took her hand and held her gently in his arms.
“Come, there is something I want to show you.” She let him lead her through the house. He opened a door to a very large room with a wall of glass on two sides. One side overlooked the valley while the other had a grassed area leading to the trees and forestland. It was lovely.
“This is lovely, look at those trees and it is so light and airy.” She looked around. It was empty except for a sofa.
“Would this do as a workroom for you?”
Her eyes widened and she went to throw herself in his arms but grimaced as it hurt. He was at her side immediately. “Sit down, little one.” He helped her to the sofa.
“Guess I will be taking things slow for a while.”
“So will you move in here with me, Ms. Day?”
“Of course I will. Not sure when I will be ready to pack my stuff, but yes, I want to live here with you.”
He grinned as he kissed her torn lip gently.
“Richard and Fleur will be here soon. Do you think you can trust us men to pack your clothes and work stuff? You and Fleur can sit down and talk about us while we are gone.”
She blushed a little but then figured why not!
“My work stuff is okay for a while. I haven’t anything at the moment. I packed off my last commission last week and my agent is sending new stuff next week. Really as long as my clothes come now. The rest we can sort out later.”
“Okay. Sounds like a plan.”
“Actually, any chance you can bring my car, too?”
“Want to escape already?”
She laughed. “No, I have a full art kit in the back. This lovely view is calling to me to paint. Maybe it would be good to just relax and paint while I heal.”
Paul looked nervous.
“What’s wrong, Paul? Is something the matter?”
Paul knelt before her. “I’ve wanted to do this since that first night.” He took both her hands in his. “Lisa, will you marry me?”
Lisa gasped. She loved this man with all her heart and was content to live with him but now he wanted her to be his wife and she was stunned.