I scrubbed myself thoroughly, cleaning every inch until I was certain nothing of Reed lingered. As I stepped out of the shower, I wiped the fog off the mirror and forced myself to look. I needed to make sure there wasn't anything else on my body that could incriminate Reed. On the side of my neck was a small bruise, edged by what I knew were teeth marks. Heat flooded my body as I remembered the feel of him biting me. It wasn't too deep though and I doubted it would be enough for any sort of proof.
I touched it lightly and closed my eyes, letting myself remember Reed's touch, the feel of him on me, inside me. I knew Tanek would be back soon. Taunting Reed would keep him occupied for a bit, but I knew it was me he truly wanted to make pay. I had absolutely no delusions about what would happen when he got back.
The memory of Reed and what we'd shared last night would keep me strong, keep me sane. I opened my eyes. I just couldn't afford to spend too much time in my head. I needed to dress and then try to figure out what I would do next.
I couldn't just be passive about this anymore. I had to do something to save not only Halea, but myself. It wouldn't be tonight. I knew that. I'd resigned myself to what was going to happen to me, but I refused to think about it. Instead, I was going to start being proactive.
I dressed simply, knowing no matter what I wore, Tanek would be pissed. At least if he drew blood, it wouldn't ruin something good. I sat in a corner chair so I could see the door, not because I thought I'd be able to escape when it opened, but because I didn't want to be caught off guard. Now, it was time to plan.
By the time the door slammed open, a couple hours had passed and I wasn't any closer to figuring out what to do. I'd gone through all of the protocols I knew, all of the passages in and out of the house. Every person who might help me. Every time though, I couldn't figure out a way to make sure Halea was safe while I came up with the evidence to show my parents.
When I saw Tanek's face, however, an idea popped into my head. It was a bad one. Possibly the worst one I'd ever had. But it was all I had.
“Come here, you little bitch.” Tanek was already moving towards me even as he spoke. He didn't want to give me a chance to obey.
I climbed off of the bed and, as he reached for me, I saw his knuckles were already bloody and bruised. “What did you do?”
He grabbed my hair, yanking my neck back far enough to make it hurt. “I did to him what I am going to do to you.” He added, “Except fucking. I am not a pervert.”
I didn't even bother to argue with the hypocrisy of a sadistic rapist referring to homosexuality as perverted.
He let go of my hair and I could see on his face that he was daring me to run, to try to get away. He wanted an excuse to hurt me more. I refused to give it to him.
He grabbed the collar of my shirt and tore it straight down the center. I was definitely glad I hadn't put Reed's t-shirt back on. I'd hidden it so it would be safe from Tanek's rage.
“Not even wearing a bra.” Tanek grabbed my breasts, squeezing hard enough to make me gasp. “How long did it take before you spread your legs for him?”
One hand moved up to my throat, not squeezing tight enough to leave marks, but enough to keep me in place as he shoved his other hand down the front of my pants. His fingers were rough as they probed between my legs.
“Was he the one who took your virginity?” His fingers found my clit and pinched. “Was he?” he shouted.
I shook my head.
“Did you offer him your cunt in exchange for him taking you and your sister?”
I shook my head, tears coming to my eyes as he twisted the delicate bundle of nerves.
The hand in my pants came out and made a fist before I could think. He drove it into my stomach, but I couldn't bend over, held in place by the hand around my throat. His fingers tightened.
“Careful,” I gasped when I finally had some breath. “Don't want to leave marks where my parents can see them.”
He grinned at me. “That is the beauty of this punishment.” His hand tightened again and I began to choke. “I can and will mark you wherever I please. I do not need to be careful. The doctor coming tomorrow will want to see all of them. After all, we must have a clear record of the injuries you sustained when you were assaulted by that horrible American.”
He released my throat a moment before I passed out and I fell forward, gasping and coughing. I'd thought if I could get him to beat me, I could show my parents the marks as proof and have Tanek arrested before he could get to Halea. Now, I saw he'd already thwarted my plan, even without knowing it.
I barely realized Tanek was pulling off the rest of my clothes until he was pulling me up again and throwing me against the dresser. I collided with the side of it, the corner driving into my ribs. I felt blood running down my side, but didn't look down to confirm that the skin had broken.
“The police, the guards, Halea, they all know I was unmarked.” I knew it was a stupid thing to say, but I had to try. I wasn't trying to avoid the beating, but reminding him that people knew the truth. I couldn't tell the doctor Reed had hurt me if there were those who could dispute it.
Tanek undressed as he stared at me, dropping his clothes to the floor. His belt, however, he kept in his hand. “Police officers and security guards can have tricky memories if enough incentive is given.”
My insides were trembling at the sight of that belt, but I didn't let him see it.
“As for your sister.” He cracked the belt. “If she knows what is good for her, she will keep her mouth shut.”
My eyes narrowed.
“And you will tell her that tomorrow when you see the doctor. You will convince her that she is to confirm everything you say.”
I didn't say a word or make a sound as he brought the strap down on my side.
“You should also know that, should you ever attempt to run again, you should remember that I employ a great number of people who are my eyes and ears.”
I turned as he brought the belt down two more times in quick succession, pain bursting across my back and ass.
Suddenly, he was there, pushing me against the dresser, his cock hard on my ass. He kicked my ankles apart as he grabbed my hair again, twisting my head so he could speak directly in my ear.
“And some of those employees are very well trained in finding missing people. Trust me, they would search to the end of the world in exchange for a piece of your sister’s virgin pussy.”
I froze, then dropped my head. It was over then. Even if I managed to get Halea away, we would never be safe. I barely flinched when Tanek thrust into my ass even though the pain tore through me. He was right. He could use me however he wanted without regard for how it looked tomorrow. In fact, the worse, the better.
He didn't last too long, but I knew that didn't matter. If he couldn't manage to go again, he'd use something else. He was far from done with me.
The belt came again, hard enough to leave welts. Once, he hit my cheek and I cried out. That's when I heard the door open.
“Princess...”
I barely had enough presence of mind to try to cover myself as Kai and Tomas stepped into the room. I watched their eyes go from me to Tanek and back again. The expressions on their faces, more than how I felt, told me how bad I looked.
“Leave,” Tanek hissed. “Return to your duties with Princess Halea, or I swear I will kill Namisa and claim I saw you two do it.”
They looked at me and I knew they would do whatever I said.
It wasn't even a question.
I needed my sister safe.
“Go to Halea,” I said. My voice was hoarse. “Keep her safe.”
They left, but not before I saw the anger in their eyes.
The interruption seemed to have taken the majority of Tanek's anger and he tossed the belt away. “Slut.”
I heard more than felt him spit on me, and then the door was closing and I was alone.
I wanted a shower, but I didn't want to move. I never wanted to move again. For the first time in my l
ife, I actually considered how much easier it would be to just kill myself. I could almost feel it, a razor across my wrists, up my forearms. Blood pouring down my arms, releasing me, freeing me.
But then I remembered what Tanek had said he would do if I wasn't there. If I died, he would take my sister.
A felt a new kind of cold spread through me, something I hadn't felt before. This wasn't like ice. This was steel, hard and unbendable. The kind of cold I would need if I was going to protect Halea. The kind of cold I would need to kill Tanek.
Not in self-defense, not in a heat of the moment kind of thing. I was talking something calculated. Planned. First degree, cold-blooded murder. The kind of thing that could get me executed if I managed it. But it would mean Halea would be safe and I would be free.
My entire body pulsed with pain, but I pushed myself up, first onto my hands and knees. I stood, first leaning on the wall for support, and then managing it on my own two feet. First, a shower, and then, I would start figuring out the best way to kill my husband.
Chapter 11
Reed
I would've written my bogus confession right away if the cops had brought me a pen and paper. As it was, I didn't get either until mid-day on Sunday. I was pretty sure Tanek had told them to make me wait until then, wanting me to have to spend at least one night in jail. If I hadn't been so worried about Nami, I actually wouldn't have cared. The bed wasn't the most comfortable thing I'd ever slept on, but it wasn't too bad. I was alone in my cell, probably because Tanek didn't want me talking to anyone about what had happened, and I was unselfconscious enough that I didn't care about taking a piss out in the open.
But here I was, and that meant I spent Sunday writing out the most miserable piece of filth I'd ever seen. I tried being vague, simply writing that I'd met the princess in Paris, come to Saja and when I found her married, I'd kidnapped her. Halea had walked in so I'd taken her too. We'd gone to a hotel and I'd forced Nami to have sex with me.
I was sick to my stomach when I handed the paper to the officer, and then even more so when he gave it back.
“Prince Tanek was very clear. You must provide a detailed motive as well as be specific as to what you did to the princess.” The cop looked almost as ill as I felt and I would've felt sorry for him if he hadn't been following the orders of a complete ass. At least it seemed like he thought he was doing the right thing.
I went back to the bed and sat down again. This time, I elaborated as to why I'd come to Saja, using at least some form of the truth in that regard. I said I'd fallen for the princess and wanted to court her. Then the lies started again. I said that when I found out she was married, I tried to make a pass at her and she rebuffed me. I was angry and decided that I would have her no matter what. I took her and Halea when the latter interrupted us.
I had to stop when I reached the part where I was supposed to elaborate on what I'd done to Nami. The moment I thought of putting pen to paper and coming up with lies as to how I'd violated her, my stomach heaved. I tossed the papers aside and barely made it to the toilet in time for my breakfast to come up.
I sat there for a few minutes, eyes closed, waiting to see if I was going to throw up again. I didn't want to do this, but I knew I had to. If I didn't do it exactly how Tanek wanted, he'd find some way to motivate me, and I didn't even want to think about what that would be. Plus, I knew the longer I was in jail, the more time he had to hurt Nami.
I stood, flushed the toilet then went to the sink and rinsed my mouth out. I splashed water on my face and looked in the mirror. One whole side of my face was swollen and bruised from where Tanek had hit me. It wasn't bad enough that I couldn't see clearly, but it wasn't comfortable either.
“Pull yourself together,” I told my reflection. “You know what he's doing to Nami, and the only way you can help her is if you lie. Stop being such a pussy.”
With that pep talk, I went back to the task at hand. As I began, I remembered how Nami had related Tanek's assaults to me, and I used what she'd said. When she and Halea were safe, I'd make sure this confession was brought out and the truth told about who had really done these things. Nami might not have filed a complaint against Tanek, but her experiences would be written down.
I finished and handed the confession over to the officer. He skimmed it and I watched the disgust and anger grow on his face. I wanted to tell him that it hadn't been me, that I'd never do anything like that to any woman, much less Nami, but I kept my mouth shut. My reputation wasn't important right now. Once the princesses were away from Tanek, I would consider everything else.
Finally, he nodded. “This will do. A car will be here in the morning to take you to the airport.”
Tomorrow. One more day and I'd be out of here and on my way to figuring out how to save Nami.
I went back to the bed and stretched out. I knew I wouldn’t sleep well tonight either. My brain was already buzzing with a thousand different plans, each more unlikely than the next. At least I had the rest of the day with uninterrupted silence to think.
When the cell door opened the next morning, I'd managed only a couple hours of sleep, none of it restful, and I wasn't any closer to figuring out what to do than I had been when I'd first started.
“Time to leave.”
One of the cops who'd arrested me came into the cell, the expression on his face telling me that he fully believed the charges. He looked like he wanted nothing more than to finish what Tanek had started, but I wasn't about to give him an excuse to hit me. I stood and put my hands in front of me, making sure he could see that I wasn't going to try anything.
He grabbed my arm and yanked me towards the door. I wanted to pull back, but I refrained. Just a little bit longer and I'd be free. A black town car was sitting in front of the station and the cop gave me a shove towards it.
“I pray you come back to Saja,” he said. “It will give me great pleasure to make you suffer.”
I was off to a great start, winning the hearts of Nami's people. I only hoped that when all was said and done, people like this police officer would understand why I'd done what I did.
I climbed into the back seat of the car, realizing for the first time how completely grimy I was. I was still wearing only the boxers they'd let me put on before leaving the hotel and I hadn't showered. I assumed this had been another way of Tanek trying to humiliate me. I grimaced at the smell. I couldn't get on a plane like this. If nothing else, I at least needed a shirt.
“Hey.” I tapped on the black glass separating me from the driver. “I need to go to my hotel room and get my things.”
No response.
“I at least need some clothes. They won't let me on a plane like this.”
The window didn't come down, but I felt the car turn and slow.
Oh shit. A stab of panic went through me. I'd really thought that Tanek had meant to let me go. Having me put on trial or killed while in police custody would've caused some serious international relations with America. My godfather was a retired Congressman who still had clout in Washington.
However, if I should happen to be found dead in a seedy part of the city – even in a place like Saja, there had to be some unsavory parts, right? – the victim of a robbery, it would be sad, but officials could say that they were doing everything in their power to bring the killers to justice. Even better, if they made it look like I'd been involved in something illegal – gambling, prostitution, drugs – they could almost guarantee that the US would stay out of it.
I heard both the front doors open and my heart began to pound. This was definitely not good. One person, I might be able to fight off, but not two, not on as little sleep as I'd had. Still, I tensed as the back door opened. I wouldn't give up without at least trying.
A familiar face looked in at me though it took me a moment to place it since the expression was actually friendly.
“Out.”
I climbed out of the car, wondering why Kai and, I saw as I straightened, Tomas, had been chosen to escort
me to the airport. Kai shut the door behind me and tossed me a shirt. My shirt, I saw with some surprise.
“Tanek has all of the family's cars under surveillance,” Tomas said.
I pulled on my shirt. I would've felt better with pants too, but at least this was something.
“We know you are innocent of what Tanek says.”
I stared at Kai. “What?”
“We have been assigned to Princess Halea, and she told us the truth of what happened,” Tomas said. “The night the princesses returned, we went to see Princess Namisa, to ask her what she wished us to do in regards to Princess Halea's claims.”
Kai's face tightened as he continued from where Tomas left off. “Tanek was beating Princess Nami.”
My hands curled into fists.
“We wanted to stop him,” Tomas said. “But he said he would kill the princess and frame us for the murder.”
“Still, we would have tried,” Kai insisted. “But Princess Nami told us to go to her sister.”
I didn't doubt that. Even if she was being attacked, Nami's thoughts would've been to keep Halea safe.
“We spoke with the police,” Tomas said. “And they told us you had written a confession. This was Tanek's doing?”
I nodded. “He said if I didn't, he'd make sure Nami had to testify to all sorts of horrible lies in front of her parents, and that I'd be waiting for a trial for a year, knowing that he was hurting her the whole time.”
Tomas and Kai exchanged a look. It was Tomas who spoke, “Will you answer us honestly?”
I probably should have asked what the question was first, but I nodded instead. I was starting to suspect that Kai and Tomas wanted to protect Nami as much as I did.
“We know that you slept with Princess Nami in Paris and in Venice,” Kai said.
“I did,” I admitted, hoping this wasn't the part where they decided to kill me to avenge her honor. I didn't think so, but I could've been wrong.
Exotic Desires: The Complete Series Box Set Page 28