Saved By Her

by Michelle Horst

  David’s face contorts in anger. “Get your filthy hands off of me, slave!”

  Hands grab me from behind, yanking me away from David.

  I pull against them, fighting to be free. David tucks his cock back in his pants and then zips up. I shake my head, rage setting my insides alight. I yank free and swing a fist at David. The impact of my knuckles against his cheek is loud.

  David takes a swing at me and I watch as the first blow slams into my jaw. I don’t pull away as he starts to throw one punch after the other. I get my own punches in and a few makes him grunt with pain.

  Hands claw at my back and arms, and I’m pulled away from David.

  He comes at me, his face dark and bloody. He starts to pound one fist after the other into me.

  In my warped mind I feel it’s only right that the one person I promised to protect from this life is the one to end it, seeing as I failed him.

  I failed David. My heart mourns because David is just like them. David is a monster. I tried to protect him from becoming a slave and instead he became a monster!

  My soul grieves because I’ve failed Momma.

  My vision blurs and I sink to my knees. Punches become kicks until the darkness drags me under.

  When I come to it’s dark. My hands and feet are tied and I’m spread over a bench. I’m naked and every inch of my body is alive with pain. Someone is slamming his cock into my ass, fucking me raw.

  I hear a whimper and I squint through one swollen eye. In front of me is Sophia, also leaning over a bench. David is fucking her hard, but his eyes are on me. “Thanks for all the money you made us you dumb fuck,” he sneers. “Sadly, every hole has an expiration date and you’ve reached yours. No use in pretending anymore. But hey, the money you made us came in handy. The new Ferrari I bought with some of the money they paid for the two of you drives like a dream.” He keeps pumping hard into Sophia as he tells me all of this. “I think I’ll get myself a yacht and a nice place somewhere in Europe. Yes!” He laughs hungrily, and that’s when I see it – he’s just like Cameron – he only cares about the money we can bring in.

  The person behind me comes violently and then they pull out. I know this night is far from finished. This was how I was trained. This is how they try to break you. A whip cracks over the back of my thighs and balls, cutting into my flesh.

  Every blow hurts more than the one before, tearing the very skin from my bones.

  I close my eye not even bothering to see who is doing the whipping and fucking. I’m ready to die. David was all I was living for and he’s gone.

  ~*~

  Chapter Six

  River~

  Sunday morning can’t come fast enough! I want to go home. Adam has already taken our bags to the car. Now we only need to collect Jack and Sophia and we’ll be on our way.

  As we leave the room Sven is waiting for us. “Master Cameron would like to speak with you one last time.” It’s not a request.

  We follow him to the same study we met Cameron in yesterday. I transferred the funds in front of him. I’ve paid for Jack and Sophia’s freedom.

  The same stale cigar smell hangs in the air. Cameron is busy with a call and I take a seat. Adam takes the seat next to me. I can feel how tense he is.

  When Cameron is done with the call he leans back in the oversized leather chair. He rests his hands on the armrests and crosses his legs.

  “There’s been a development,” he starts.

  My body tightens and I try to stay calm as I say, “I’ve paid for the slaves.”

  “Indeed you have,” he continues. “You will have them, but they are no longer in the same condition. You see,” Cameron clears his throat and taps his fingers on the leather as if he’s bored, “the male slave attacked my son.”

  My heart flutters with panic. “Both of the slaves had to be punished. It’s the law of my house.”

  I grind my teeth to cling to the slither of control I still have. “Just let me have my slaves.”

  Cameron nods. “They have been taken to your vehicle. I just thought it would be in good form to advise you of their condition.”

  I get up quickly and don’t even check if Adam is following. I don’t bother with the act anymore and as I head down the stairs I break out into a run. I can’t see anyone in the car as I approach it. I yank the back door open and the air is torn from my lungs. There is only blood. They are covered in blood! Dark chunks of either flesh or blood are all I can see.

  I feel hands on my shoulders and Adam directs my body until I’m seated on the passenger side. He closes all the doors and then jogs around the car. We don’t even bother with safety belts as we speed away from the hell hole.

  Warm tears spill over my cheeks. I can’t bring myself to turn around in my seat. If I see them beaten and bloody again I’ll lose it, knowing I can’t help them until we’re home.

  After we’ve left San Antonio where Cameron’s business operates from, we make our way to Houston. We stick to the main roads and busy cities. The more people the easier for us. We only deviate from the road once and that’s to stop in a small town near Jackson, Mississippi. We always change cars, dumping the one we used to free the slaves. The car waiting for us is an old station wagon.

  We carry all the bags over to the station wagon before we go to get Jack and Sophia. Adam opens the door and he doesn’t waste time hauling Sophia out from the car.

  “Be careful!” I snap at him. “She’s hurting,” a sob chokes my words, making them thick.

  “She’s out cold!” Adam snaps back at me. “The sooner we have them home the sooner we can ease their pain. I’m not going to waste time!”

  He’s as angry as I am. I watch as he places Sophia on the back seat.

  “We should leave the bags,” I say. “Then we can put Jack in the back and they don’t have to share the backseat.”

  Adam looks at the backseat and then the open space where our bags are. “You’re right.”

  He quickly removes the bags again and tosses them back in the car. “Make sure there is nothing in the bags that can help anyone track us down!”

  While I quickly search the bags and then the car, Adam carries Jack to the station wagon. Sweat is beading on Adam’s forehead and his shirt is soaked through with blood once he has them both settled in. While Adam searches Jack and Sophia for any tracking devices, I grab a clean shirt and hold it ready for Adam.

  He finds the tracking devices on their hips and I look away as he takes out a sharp pocket knife. I can never watch as he cuts the devices out, but I know it’s necessary to ensure our safety.

  Once he’s finished he drags the bloody shirt over his head and uses it to wipe his hands clean before he throws the shirt and tracking devices in the old car. He takes the clean shirt from me and quickly pulls it over his head.

  I get in the station wagon and drive a distance away. Adam sets the old car alight, burning all the evidence and then he covers our tracks before he jumps in the passenger side.

  Adam closes his eyes and rests his head back against the chair while I get us back on the interstate. The road is long and hard. We don’t stop unless it’s for gas. We drive for over twenty four hours before we reach home.

  I’m worried because Jack and Sophia have not woken yet. I hope they’ll pull through!

  It’s well after breakfast as we drive through the gates. I feel a slither of relief when I spot Landon and Kyle on horseback. They patrol the entrance. Both tip their hats to us as we drive by.

  I bring the station wagon to a standstill in front of the manor. It’s so good to see Miss Ella that tears flood my eyes. I jump from the car and run to her. She wraps me in a motherly embrace. “It’s okay, Darling. You’re home.” She lets go and starts to walk to the car. “Did you save anyone?”

  Adam opens the back door of the station wagon and that sets Tristan in motion. As he looks into the car his eyes widen with the same horror I’ve been carrying in my heart. “Are they alive?” Tristan whispers.

&n
bsp; “Yes,” I snap, pushing past him. “You can help Adam. Carry Jack to the room.” I look around and spot Ian coming around the side of the house. “Ian!” I call and getting his attention I wave him over. “Come help me.” I look at Adam. “We’ll put them in the same room. I don’t think they should be separated.”

  There’s an urgency in the air as we all work together to get them into the room. Miss Ella has quickly yanked the bedding off, leaving only the sheets. When both Jack and Sophia are each on a bed we run to get our medical supplies.

  Ian leaves the four of us to do our thing. Miss Ella brings two buckets of water and I quickly wet a cloth. I start to clean the blood from Sophia, while Adam cleans Jack.

  There are thick smears of semen all over her body and it yanks a chunk of my heart out just thinking what she must’ve been through.

  We have to change the water four times before most of the blood is washed off. It’s just horrible! I start to cry silently when I see all her wounds now that the blood is coming off.

  We spend most of the day cleaning Sophia and Jack. Adam has medical training and I leave it to him to stitch the gash on Sophia’s leg. When Adam is done with Jack and Sophia, Miss Ella and I get clean sheets for the beds.

  I pull Jack up gently, careful of where I’m touching him. Miss Ella slides the sheet under his back. I let him down slowly and then pick up his legs so Miss Ella can pull the sheet all the way over the mattress. I cover him with a light sheet, knowing anything heavier will just hurt.

  We do the same with Sophia and then Miss Ella talks for the first time, “I’m going to go make some chicken soup. The children will need food when they wake up.” She rushes from the room and I know that she needs time to herself in the kitchen to deal with what just happened.

  Adam takes hold of my hand and he pulls me against his body. We hold each other a long while before he whispers, “Go clean yourself up. I’ll take the first shift.”

  I nod and leave in a hurry. I go straight to my room. I strip the clothes from my body and get under a hot shower. I let the water pelt me. I wish it could wash the horror from my soul.

  I scrub myself a few times, until my skin is glowing red. I move faster and faster, an urgency to get back to them building within me.

  As I dry my body, hot tears sneak out. I’m hurting for Jack and Sophia. How could those monsters be so cruel?

  I dress in some shorts and a t-shirt. I never wear shoes when we’re home. I tie my wet hair in a low ponytail and then run back to the room. As I walk into the room I can feel the heat. “Adam,” I touch his shoulder, “go shower. I’ll sit with them.”

  As Adam leaves the room I go to set the AC colder. Miss Ella must’ve brought clean water again. I dip a finger in the bucket and feel that it’s cool. I rinse a clean cloth and start with Sophia, wiping her down again. We’ve dealt with cases like this before. We’ve had one death where the girl was too far gone.

  I start to wipe softly over Jack’s chest and then moving the sheet away, I keep wiping him down. Now that all the blood is off I can see his wounds clearly. The part that’s been beaten the worst is his legs. They even whipped his groin area! Tears well in my eyes. I remember how gorgeous they looked on Thursday night, now they’re nothing but welts and bruises.

  Adam returns quickly, bringing an extra chair to the room. “I told Mama to phone Doc. We’re going to need antibiotics.”

  I can only nod. Doc is our town’s general practitioner. He’s older than the huge tree we have out front. He helps us where he can and that’s all that matters.

  Doc doesn’t take long to come. I hear him down the passage, “That’s four dates you owe me now, Ella.”

  “I don’t owe you a damn thing, old man! If you don’t want to help these people then leave!”

  They are always going at each other. Why they don’t just get together, I’ll never know.

  Doc stops in the door, looking to his left where Miss Ella must be. “You know I love helping, but I’d love it even more if you were to give me the pleasure of your company.”

  “Oh hush! Just go fix them children.”

  Doc finally comes into the room and the smile drops from his face. “Oh! What happened to them?” He rushes to Jack’s side and quickly gets to work.

  “They were beaten,” Adam answers. “Check them for diseases as well. They were raped.”

  “It’s wrong,” Doc mutters as he goes about checking them. “Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.”

  I’ve never seen Doc so upset, but then again, I’ve never seen two people hurt so badly before. I’m worried that they won’t pull through.

  ~*~

  It’s been two days. Both their fevers have finally broken. They’ve been in and out of consciousness but this morning Sophia woke up and she was able to eat half a bowl of soup. Adam doesn’t take his eyes off her. I see the look of protectiveness in his eyes.

  My eyes go back to Jack and that’s where they stay. It’s late afternoon when Jack opens his eyes again. I quickly rush to his side and taking his hand, I hold it in both of mine.

  “Jack?” I whisper softly.

  He blinks a few times and then he turns his head to me. His green eyes are dull, there is no sign of the vibrant green they once were.

  I lean a little forward. “Can you hear me, Jack?”

  I feel a light tug and then he pulls his hand from mine. He turns his face away from me and he closes his eyes.

  Not long after Jack woke up, Miss Ella comes in with two bowls of soup.

  Sophia sits close to Adam, letting him feed her. She even allows him to hold her hand. It’s obvious she feels safe with him. I wonder what happened between them on Thursday night.

  I take Jack’s bowl of soup and move closer to his bed. “Jack, would you like to eat something?” I sit down next to him. “It’s Miss Ella’s famous recipe.”

  Jack moves fast, much faster than I thought he could with all his injuries. He slaps the bowl from my hands and it crashes to the floor, hot soup hitting my leg. Jack sits dangerously close to me. I’m aware of the fact that he can hurt me.

  His chest rises and falls with the hard breaths he’s sucking in through clenched teeth. His eyes burn on mine, and I see the challenge. He thinks he’s defying me. He thinks I’ll punish him.

  “You’re free, Jack,” I whisper softly. “You’re no longer a slave. You can stay here until you’re better and then leave, or you can stay and work here. You have a choice.”

  He pushes me away and I see the pain on his face as he stumbles out of bed. He uses the wall to keep himself upright.

  “Jack, you shouldn’t be out of bed.” He’s naked and he doesn’t seem to care.

  He ignores me as he stumbles out of the room and down the passage. I can see his muscles straining to keep him upright. Tears well in my eyes. I just want to hold him and make it all better, but I know there is nothing I can do. Jack has to heal on his own.

  Sophia limps past me and she grabs hold of Jack’s arm. He swings back and for a moment I fear that he might strike at her. His eyes roam over her and then finally it looks like he actually sees her.

  “Come rest, Jack. Eat something, get clothes and then you can leave.” She shakes her head at him. “Not like this. You won’t make it like this.”

  She takes his hand and pulls his arm around her shoulders. I get out of the way, letting her help him back to the room. Once he’s back in bed she takes her bowl of soup, or what’s left of it and goes to sit by Jack. I watch as she feeds him.

  I’m glad I placed them in the same room. They can help each other heal.

  “We will go get you some clothes today.” I look at Adam as I say this so he’ll know to get their sizes.

  Exhausted from the past two days, I leave them to eat with Adam watching over them.

  I walk out back and slowly make my way to the sandy beach that’s on the east side of the property. I love the surroundings here. Everything is so peaceful and green. The trees are old and huge, housing many different speci
es of birds.

  The manor was built in 1934 and it has settled in well with the nature around it. It has eight hundred and twenty acres of farmland, mature forests, restored wetlands and sandy beaches that stretch out around the lake.

  The manor is huge with eight bedrooms and six bathrooms, big enough to house eighteen people if we place three in a room. Only Miss Ella and myself stay in the manor with the slaves that have been saved. Adam, Tristan and the other men all share the four guest cottages out back. Each cottage has two rooms.

  It’s heaven here. Everything about The Sanctuary gives me an inner peace and I hope it will do the same for Jack and Sophia.

  ~*~

  Chapter Seven

  Jack~

  Every part of my body throbs with an aching pain. It hurts so much that I can’t sleep. I don’t dare put on any of the clothes Master and Mistress Ryland brought earlier in the evening, it will hurt my raw skin too much.

  Sophia managed to put on a light dress. She’s currently sitting on the side of the bed, staring at me. She tilts her head, thinking hard on something.

  Growing up with Sophia, I know everything about her. I know she’s lost much more of herself over the years than I have, and that’s saying a lot, seeing as there’s nothing left of me.

  I wait, knowing she’s about to speak her mind.

  She brings her feet up onto the mattress and folds her arms around her shins, resting her chin on her knees. She keeps her eyes on something outside the window, when she says, “It feels different here. Master and Mistress Ryland seem nice.” She looks at me and smiles. I don’t know how she manages to smile. I just want to die! “I think we’ll be happy here.”

  I turn my back to her and grumble, “In order to be happy I actually have to care about life.” I’m done caring. I cared about David and those feeling were used to control me. Caring for someone only makes you vulnerable. I’ll never place myself in such a position again.