A Life Less Broken

by Margaret McHeyzer

  “Dominic, you have to think about what you just said. This will affect you too. Your name will be tarnished and you’ll be investigated.” He’s beginning to panic now, because he knows I meant every word.

  Are you fucking kidding me?

  The only word I can really use at this instant is, stunned.

  Stunned at his audacity in asking me to remain quiet.

  Stunned at how he would rather his rapist son go free to harm more innocent women.

  Stunned at how little remorse he’s showing.

  But mostly, stunned that he thinks I’m that sort of man.

  I may have my flaws, but I won’t hide behind money in fear of retribution.

  “They can investigate anything they like. I have nothing to hide and nothing to be ashamed of.”

  “Really? You’re screwing one of your head case patients.”

  I can’t help it. I really can’t. I just do it.

  I leap over the table and land a couple of punches to his face.

  “You don’t talk about her,” I yell as someone pulls me off that useless, lying piece of garbage that I was once proud to call my father.

  “Get the father out of here,” Sweeney yells at one of the other officers.

  I sit back down and try to stretch my right hand out but wince in pain. Nope, something’s definitely broken.

  “What the hell happened?” Sweeney asks.

  “I found out my so-called family is based on lies,” I grind out between clenched teeth.

  “Does this have anything to do with your brother?” He sits down.

  “Yeah, it does, and you’ll need to record my statement for evidence.”

  A paramedic comes in to look at my hand, wraps it, and says I’ll need to go to the hospital soon to have it x-rayed. I choose to fight though the pain and give my statement first. Sweeney leaves the room and a tall, nondescript man enters.

  He introduces himself as Detective Harrison. Harrison turns to look at the one way glass and gives a small nod that must be their signal to start recording.

  The initial identification questions give me time to calm down and think about what I need to tell them.

  “Tell me about Oscar,” Detective Harrison starts.

  “I just learned that this all began when he was seventeen years old.”

  And now the world will know, too.

  Chapter 29

  I can hear a beep, and people talking close to me. My eyes flutter open and immediately close, in protest against the brightness and glare.

  “Sweetheart.” I know immediately it’s Dominic. His hand is covering mine and he gently squeezes it. I feel his warm, slightly moist lips carefully touch the back of my hand with a sweet kiss. “Can you hear me?” he asks and kisses my hand again.

  “Hmmm,” is the only sound I can muster. My throat’s dry and it feels like it’s been rubbed with gravel. It’s painful to swallow.

  “I’m here, my beautiful Allyn. I’m here.”

  My eyes flutter open again and slowly adjust to the brilliance of the room. The room is small and sterile, with plain white walls and a big window that overlooks the parking lot. The pane is tinted but the sun outside is quite bright, and looks happy today, touching everyone with its magnificent rays.

  I look over and see Dominic’s brown eyes examining me with concern and love.

  “How are you feeling?” he asks in a soft, serene tone brushing my hair away from my face.

  I swallow again until my mouth has a little moisture and start to say, “I’m alright.” My voice is weak and cracks, but at least I’m talking. “What happened?” I ask hoarsely.

  “We were at my parents’ house, remember?” Dominic starts, pouring me a cup of water and handing it to me.

  That’s all he’s said and every second rushes back.

  My body stiffens and shakes as I recall hearing him on the phone.

  I’m panting so quickly that the rate of my heart beat seems unhealthy, even to me. A panic attack hovers, waiting to swoop down on me. Dominic takes the water cup from me to prevent it spilling. He raises it to my dry lips and I drink greedily.

  “One, two, three, four, breathe in through your nose.”

  I look over to Dominic and let his deep baritone begin to calm me.

  I take a breath in through my nose and close my eyes.

  “Five, six, seven, eight, nine and breathe out through your mouth.”

  I open my eyes and reach out with my free hand to hold onto Dominic, and I don’t let go. He’s been my absolute anchor from the moment I met him. He’s been incredibly supportive and has never let me fail.

  Now is no different.

  “What day is today?” I say as I try and figure out how long I’ve been here.

  “It’s Tuesday. You’ve been out since Sunday. The doctors said that you went into shock, and your brain shut down to protect you.”

  I let go of him and rub my hands over my face.

  “What happened with your brother?” I ask. But suddenly I notice a bandage on Dominic’s hand as I look over at him. “What happened to your hand?” I cry, fearful that he was hurt because of me.

  “I beat Oscar, that’s what happened to my hand. And he’s no longer my brother. As a matter of fact, I’ve disowned all of them. I’ll never go back there again. They’re no longer my family. You are.” Dominic stands and starts pacing the length of the room, back and forth. With every step, he gets angrier.

  “What happened?” I ask carefully, not wanting to trigger any further anger. I know he won’t hurt me; he’d never hurt me. But I can tell that this conversation is not going to be easy for him. He stops pacing and takes a deep breath.

  “Alright. First of all, Oscar’s been arrested for your attack and rape.”

  I take a huge breath and my heart hammers against my chest.

  “It was the bite mark on your shoulder that put him at the scene.”

  I look toward where the bite mark is on my shoulder, but of course, it’s covered by the hospital gown and I can’t see it. “I don’t understand. How?”

  Dominic comes to me. He lifts his hip to sit on the edge of the small hospital bed and takes my hand. “When you were first found, 911 was called. The police took impressions of the bite marks, along with other evidence. The case went cold, but the evidence was kept.”

  “Alright,” I acknowledge Dominic’s words.

  “Then when you passed out Sunday night, I knew from your reaction that Oscar was involved. Doris took care of you, while I beat Oscar until he was nothing more than the scum he is.”

  He called his mom Doris, not mom. I wait patiently as he continues his recollection of events. “Doris and John asked me what happened and I told them.”

  “Okay, but I don’t understand why you’re not on speaking terms with them any longer.”

  “Allyn,” he whispers and shakes his head. “This is seriously fucked up. It’s actually beyond being fucked up, it’s just completely wrong on so many levels.”

  He looks so stressed and it’s causing me to worry, because I really don’t know what the hell is going on.

  “Just tell me,” I say as I reach for his face and lightly run my palm down his cheek.

  “Your touch makes everything better.” He leans into me and kisses my forehead with a precious small kiss.

  A small rumble comes from him and I crave his warmth, the power of how I feel when he’s holding me. I just want to be held in his safe, protective arms, and never leave them.

  He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. When he opens them he looks so, sad.

  “I love you,” I say as I stare up into his eyes. “But, please tell me what happened.”

  “They knew all along what sort of person he is, and they paid off two of his past victims in exchange for their silence. They used their money to keep him out of jail. They both knew, and he told them that his victims liked to be slapped around and enjoyed rough sex. After the second time, John and Doris told him they’d disown him if it ha
ppened again. That’s when he started killing his victims so they couldn’t come back to accuse him.”

  I wince at his words, and remember the brutal, vicious, sadistic way they hurt me. They gave no thought to me at all, like I was nothing more than a waste of air.

  Laughing at me.

  Urinating on me.

  Forcing their disgusting cocks into me.

  Forcing a knife inside me while they had me spread open and tied down.

  I shiver, remembering what they did to me. “Why would they protect him?” Bile is rising in my throat and I exercise all my control not to gag.

  “Two reasons, and neither of them are justifiable in my eyes. Their name and their money. They didn’t want their name splashed across every major newspaper in America, and they didn’t want to lose their money. They thought if they could buy his victims off, they wouldn’t have to face the consequences. They tried with you, but I wouldn’t allow them to keep protecting him, to let him free to ruin anymore lives.”

  “But there was at least another one with Oscar. There was a Mick.” I remember it like it was yesterday.

  “When I laid into Oscar, he was talking to someone on the phone, but I took it and smashed it. I told the police everything, Allyn, including that he was in the middle of a phone call, and they’re doing what they have to, to find this Mick.”

  “And what’s happened to Oscar?”

  “He confessed earlier today. He’s working with police to identify the others that he and his friends took.”

  I feel my forehead crinkle and I’m overwhelmed by the questions crowding my brain. Right now, though, I need to keep my head in the right space, and hopefully everything will be revealed in time.

  “He’s talking to the police about the other girls that were taken, but he hasn’t told them who was with him? Why?”

  Dominic shrugs his shoulders. “I don’t know. I haven’t spoken to Oscar, and I’m not going to. I’ve washed my hands of all of them.”

  I lean into Dominic and wrap him in a hug as he holds me close.

  It feels like only a moment passes before there’s a knock on the door and it creaks open.

  A tall man comes in, closes the door behind him, and moves to the opposite corner of the room, essentially as far away from me as possible.

  I hide behind Dominic and look at the man sideways, not knowing who he is or why he’s here.

  “Detective Harrison, how are you today?” Dominic says to the man with cropped, light brown hair. He’s a little pudgy around the middle, but he carries it well and it doesn’t diminish his intimidating stance.

  “Good, Dominic, thanks.” The detective looks at me and I move so I’m hidden from him.

  “Allyn, this is the detective that took my statement. He won’t hurt you, and I won’t leave your side.” He strokes my hair with the palm of his hand and pushes the strands behind my ear and down my back.

  “Hi Allyn, I’m Simon. Is it okay if I take a couple of steps toward you?” he asks as he holds his hands up in surrender to show me he’s not a threat to me.

  I peek around Dominic’s shoulder and nod to him. I watch as he takes one small step and waits for me to approve another.

  I nod my head and he shuffles two steps closer to me, then stops a few feet away from the bottom of the bed. I shake my head and he doesn’t move any closer.

  “You’re doing so well. I can’t tell you how much I love your strength,” Dominic whispers and pecks me on the lips.

  “Allyn, I’m sure Dominic has filled you in with what’s been happening?”

  “Yeah, he was just telling me.”

  “Oscar will be going to jail, most likely for the rest of his natural life.”

  “He deserves hell, not jail,” I say with the scorn in my tone.

  “You’re right, he does. But I’m here to ask you some questions to make sure we can put him away.” He looks at me warily, like I’m fragile and about to shatter.

  I look at him and wait for his question.

  “Do you know a Michael Greene?” he asks.

  I look away from him. Michael is the name of Faith’s boyfriend, but I can’t remember if she told me his last name.

  “The only Michael I know of is my friend Faith’s boyfriend, but I don’t know his surname,” I tell Simon.

  “What’s your friend’s last name?” He takes a little black notebook out of his back pocket and flicks through the pages.

  Dominic’s fingers tighten around my hand and I look at him noticing how tense and angry his face is. He’s scowling and he looks like he wants to say something, but is waiting for me to answer Simon’s question.

  “Um, Faith’s last name is Collins.”

  Simon looks at his pad, and then looks at me.

  “Where can I find Miss Collins? Do you know her address?” He takes a pen from his shirt pocket.

  “When I spoke to her she said her boyfriend had asked her to move in with him, but she wasn’t sure about it. So she’d probably still be with her parents. Lemongrove Road on the other side of town. But I don’t understand. What do you want with her Michael? Do you need his help with the investigation? She told me he’s a police officer.”

  “Not exactly, Allyn. We need to question him, but when we went to his apartment he wasn’t there and called in sick today.”

  Dominic looks at me, then over at Simon, then back at me. “Is he the crooked cop that asked John for money?” he asks Simon as he moves his body to support me.

  “I believe he is, but Oscar just indicated that he’s one of the other men that raped you, Allyn. There’s one more too. A low-life drug addict named Rocky Adams. He was the one who chose the victims.”

  I feel my mouth fall open and suddenly the thunder crashes down within me. I’m sent into oblivion, and I can’t parse all this fucked-up information pelting me. I sink into bed and cover my entire body with the blanket, and turn toward the wall, just shutting everything out and not wanting to listen anymore.

  Faith wanted to bring that beast into my home and introduce us, and it turns out he was one of them. There were three, a police officer, an attorney and a junkie.

  “How many?” I ask from beneath the blankets. I don’t want to ask but I have to know. “How many girls?” I question just a little louder.

  “You don’t need to know,” Dominic says as he strokes long gentle movements up and down my back.

  I flip the covers down and turn back to look at the two men. Suddenly I burst into angry tears and can’t help but feel sorry for myself and all the others. “How many?!” I shout.

  “Thirty-six girls that we know of,” Simon says then quickly averts his eyes and looks down at his notebook.

  Thirty-six.

  What a horrific and utterly devastating number.

  My mind goes completely numb. My eyes droop closed, and I turn off the world.

  Chapter 30

  “Allyn, they’re discharging you. We can go home.”

  I turn over in the bed and look up at Dominic. His handsome features smile down at me and he tilts his head to the side to look into my eyes.

  “Will you stay with me?” I plead with him.

  “I’m not going anywhere if you aren’t beside me, in this life or any other.”

  I smile at Dominic and sit up in bed.

  “I feel so tired, Dominic. My body, my mind, and my soul. They all just need to rest.”

  “Come on. I’ll take you home and we can stay in bed for as long as you want.” Dominic reaches his hand out to me in a welcoming gesture, and I look at it and consider pulling the blankets back over my head and shutting the world out again. “We can heal together at home where we’re both comfortable, not in this tiny bed where I can’t even hold you in my arms.”

  I lower my gaze to the floor and I take a deep breath.

  He’s right, of course. This hospital isn’t a place for me to heal. I’ve been here for six days and all I get is nurses coming in and bothering me with stupid questions and feigned concern
. I understand they’ve got a job to do, but I also know that I’m not going to get better care here than what I would at home with Dominic by my side.

  “Okay, let’s go home,” I reply to his heartfelt words. “Let me change first.” I throw the covers back and go to the overnight bag Dominic brought me. I didn’t have an overnight bag before, but Dominic went and bought one, filling it with new clothes, a toothbrush, and everything else he thought I might need.

  “I’ll be right outside. Take your time.” He leans down and kisses my forehead before turning and leaving the small, stark hospital room.

  I quickly get changed and when I open the door, Dominic’s standing guard on the other side.

  “You ready?” he asks as he comes back into the room.

  “I’ve just got to get my toothbrush and toiletries.”

  “Leave them, I’ve already stocked up on everything at home. Come on, let’s go.”

  He takes my overnight bag and loops his arm around my waist, pulling me close to him as he opens the door.

  “Wait, I have to make arrangements for the hospital bill,” I say as I turn toward reception.

  “It’s been taken care of.” Dominic pulls me in the direction of the parking lot.

  “No, they haven’t come in to see me yet. I need to give them my insurance details and organize a payment plan.”

  “I paid for it,” he says confidently.

  What?

  “You don’t have to do that.” I look up at him as he guides me through the maze of hospital corridors.

  “No, I don’t have to. I choose to. Because I love you and I want you with me forever. I fully intend on supporting you, whether that be financially, emotionally or physically.”

  “Thank you,” I whisper, surrendering to his generous and protective nature.

  When we get to the car, Dominic, as usual, opens the door for me.

  We drive home in silence, and I watch as dark, angry clouds seem to follow us. It’s not raining, but the threat seems imminent. I know, deep down inside, that the dark clouds are waiting to strike, determined to keep me in my old, fear-based mindset. Never letting me move on or truly recover. So much has changed, but this remains the same.