Lexi's Justice

by Renee Shearer

  Disoriented, I laid there trying to catch my breath for a second, how the fuck did I not notice he had three other people living inside of him all this time?

  He hid his crazy very well, that’s how.

  I realize that now. Thanks inner me. Still I should have sensed or seen something.

  You did. You started to avoid time alone with him, you stopped sleeping with him… should I go on?

  No, I get it. Doesn’t fucking help me now though does it?

  No, but hold on a little longer.

  Great. I wonder if this was how it started for Christian. Him getting abused and broken, he retreated into his own mind to get away from it. Soon the ones he heard in his head turned real for him and he had to give them true voices.

  Cold metal searing across my naked back brought me back into the moment. Fuck, I had spaced out so long that he had moved and stripped me. Now I was lying on top of the terrifying table that I had seen earlier with the plastic surrounding it. My arms and legs were now tired down.

  So much for my escape attempt. This is it; I’m going to die here.

  I flinched as a hand softly brushed against my temple, I blinked to clear my blurry eyes, only now realizing that I was crying. “Don’t worry Little Lexi, it will all be over soon. But I had to let Charlie have his fun too, or he would have rebelled and it would be so much worse. You understand, don’t you?”

  “G...go to h...hell, y...you as...asswipe.” I could barely talk I was shivering so bad. Fuck, it was colder than I thought in this basement.

  "Now, now, that's no way to talk to your father." Charlie’s childlike voice slithered across my skin, and I bucked trying to physically dislodge the feeling.

  "AHHHHHH!!!!" the scream ripped from my throat without my permission. The pain was so intense my body arched up off the metal slab. Wave after wave of excruciating pain flowed through me, it felt like an eternity before I could think clearly. I lifted my head and looked at my chest.

  I dry heaved when I saw the 3 inch long slice on the top of my left breast. I saw a hand with a scalpel reaching for my right side.

  "NO!" instead of the scream I wanted, only a whimper came out and I tried to shift my body away, the drugs no longer in my system. It occurred to me this wasn’t the first time they had done something like this, it was too precise, too well planned.

  A hand patted my head, and my father's voice cracked like a whip across the room, “See you’re weak! You should have a higher pain tolerance than that if you are going to bear his children! We need to cut the weakness out of you! We already took care of the weak people surrounding you. Roxy, Your mother, Your grandmother, that purple haired witch, your boss.”

  Wait, what? My father is more cray, cray than I thought. They both have to die.

  Charlie’s voice tried for soothing, but fell flat. “Don’t blame her just yet, I soak all of my knives in a stinging nettle liquid. The plants needles secrete a very painful liquid, burns like holy fire and only lasts a couple of minutes. The worst of the pain fading after a few hours. The fact that she stopped screaming before she passed out is a testament to how strong she is. Let’s see how fast she stops screaming this time, shall we, Tom?”

  His hand snakes out so fast I barely saw it. “FUUCC--AHHHHH!!!!”

  Five separate places on my body bloom with pain. I turned my head to the side and vomited, my body was stiff with pain. My vision and hearing dimmed, and came back, like an ocean wave kissing the sand and retreating. Only this wasn't pleasant at all.

  "Isn't it wonderful? All the things you can buy on the internet and have shipped right to your door."

  "Fu...fuck y...you." My voice was tight with pain, but I fought through it to shoot daggers at him with my eyes. If looks could kill he would be dead a million times over.

  "Hold on a second, Charlie." My father's face swam into my vision. "Willingly submit to his domain over you. Say you'll marry him, bear and raise his children and this will all stop."

  “Never!”

  “So be it.” My father brushed back my hair from my sweaty scalp, “You would have made strong sons for him.”

  "Hey, Dickbag, she's ours."

  "Step the fuck away from our girl."

  "Fuck this shit."

  I thought I was hallucinating, or had retreated into a daydream to escape the pain at the sound of my guys voices.

  Shots, cries of pain and thuds rang out. The sounds of heavy breathing and whimpers filled the air next. The whimpers were from me.

  "Cupcake? Lexi, can you hear me?"

  "Thorny?" I whispered his name not wanting to believe that he was really here only to have my perfect dream shattered.

  Through my blurry eyes I saw his beautiful face come into view, followed by Shane and finally Connor. My eyes rolled around looking for Colt, please let him be okay.

  "Colt sends his regards, love. he's out in the truck." It was like Shane read my mind. "Colt, bring the truck to the house."

  I couldn't focus, everything around me was swirling in a chaotic pattern. I knew my body was going into shock.

  The straps holding me prisoner went slack, "I'm taking her away from this shit storm. Make sure there's no one else in the house."

  I cried out as I was jostled slightly. Everything hurt, even my teeth hurt. But the quick stab of pain helped me focus. "Shhh… I know, Cupcake. I'm sorry but I have to cover you."

  Small whimpers escaped my lips as a warm blanket or jacket was draped over my nakedness. Even though I was grateful for the warmth, the pain was growing with each slide of the fabric across my cuts as we started to move.

  I vaguely heard Connor ask, "Is she going to be okay?"

  Blackness was creeping in on my vision again, but had I to know something. "Thorne?" My voice cracked.

  "Yes, Cupcake?"

  "What exactly is a dickbag? A bag full of dildo's or like a bag Lorena Bobbitt would have?"

  The last thing I heard was Thorne's chuckle and him saying, "Yeah, I think she'll be just fine."

  A light kiss to my forehead followed me into the darkness.

  Thirty-Nine

  Thorne

  It's been hours since we rescued Lexi and I could still hear her gut wrenching screams ringing in my ears.

  We were no more than 20ft from the house when the first one had ripped apart the silence. We had taken off after that, we were lucky there wasn't any more combatants in the house. Our entry was sloppy and loud, only her screams muffled the sounds of our footsteps.

  Seeing and hearing that man tell her to submit would haunt me forever.

  I jumped and whirled around as a heavy hand landed on my shoulder. "Easy son, it's just me."

  I grunted at John, the twins' father, and in many ways a second father to Hawk and I. His eyes were weary and sad as he solemnly looked at Lexi lying on the hospital bed. The rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor, my only solace.

  She had 3 broken ribs, a collapsed lung, a broken nose, a hairline fracture in her skull and 103 stitches from all the cuts and gashes that bastard had inflicted on her. Not to mention the ring of bruises around her neck from being repeatedly choked. I wished I could bring the bastard back so I could kill him all over again.

  My heart stuttered as the image of her lying on that table restrained, covered in so much blood you could barely see her creamy milk white skin, flooded my mind, causing me to shiver.

  I stared at her on the bed, looking so frail and small. Colt was in a bed of his own, right next to her, he made the staff push the bed flush with hers so he could hold her hand. He was hooked up to An IV of fluids and had to have his own stitches re-done.

  Shane was sitting at the foot of her bed, his hand on her feet, and Con was sitting in a chair next to her holding her other hand. I was standing vigil between her and the door, no one would get past me to hurt her ever again. I wouldn't be letting her out of my sight for a long time.

  I slid a glance to John, “Any news on who the fuck they were?”

  “Yeah, just
came from talking with the chief. It’s bad, Thorne. She’s going to need help processing everything, and she may not want you all there for it. If you catch my drift.”

  My eyes went into slits, “If she needs space, then space she’ll get, but only for a little while. I know I can’t live without her, and looking at my brothers they feel the same. Are you okay with that, Pops?”

  The twinkle in his eyes as he slapped me on the back with a wide grin told me everything I needed to know. Just from spending time with her and talking to her I know she would be devastated if we lost our families over her. But what she didn’t understand was in time our families would come around, we could do without them for a few years if needed. We couldn’t live even a week without her.

  “Who was the other guy with Christian? What the fuck was wrong with that guy anyway? Also are they going to press charges against us?”

  “No, you four are in the clear. Based on your accounts, and her condition the chief decided there was no other choice you could have made. As for the other gentleman,”

  “He was my father.”

  Gasps sounded around the room, and all eyes flocked to the bed where Lexi was awake and gazing at the ceiling.

  Before I knew what I was doing my feet were moving me towards her, she was the yin to my yang, the magnet that drew all of us in.

  “Your father? Oh, mi pequeño guerrero, I am so sorry. How are you holding up? Is there anything we can do?” Shane’s gaze was concerned, which was good, Lexi wasn’t the type to handle pity well.

  She shook her head and looked at all of us with tears in her eyes, “Just tell me Britt is okay?”

  I heaved a sigh and ran my fingers through my short, brown hair, I hated that I would be the one to shatter her. But as leader of the group, it was my job to deliver that hard news. “Cupcake, I’m so sorry. She didn’t make it. We found her at your house and tried to save her but she didn’t survive the trip to the hospital.”

  My soul shuddered as I said the words. Britt was our friend too; we had gotten to know her very well over the weeks. Life would be just a little bit duller without her around. She was always so bubbly and spoke her mind.

  I have never in my entire life seen anyone check out, that was still alive, but that is what happened to our girl. Her eyes dimmed, then went blank before gut wrenching sobs wracked her body. Her grief was so intense that she curled in on herself, she pulled away from all of us.

  Please don’t ask us to leave, cupcake. Please don’t ask…

  My heart plummeted to my toes at her whispered, “Please, leave me alone.”

  I glanced at Colt, ensuring that he would still be here for her. Poor guy wouldn’t be able to get away from her sobs and wouldn’t be able to comfort her either. He gave a sharp nod, I mouthed I’m sorry as I rolled his bed back across the room to his side and slightly shut the curtain.

  We trudged from her room slowly, the sound of her breaking apart following us out. I glanced back one last time before the door shut, she looked so small curled up in the middle of her bed crying. Colt was staring at the partially shut curtain silent tears tracking down his face.

  I rested my head against the door as soon as it shut, resisting the urge to rip it back open, scoop her into my arms and take away her pain.

  Connor’s ranting pulled me away from her to the private waiting room we had wrangled.

  “What the fuck? That sick fuck telling her to submit to Christian and bare his children was her own fucking father!? And just what the fuck was Christian doing? I mean I only had the pleasure of meeting him once before I put a bullet between his eyes, but she never once hinted that he was as deranged as he seemed in there!”

  “Calm down, son. Yelling won’t solve anything.” Con snarled at his father, I flinched I remember Pops laying down the law when we were being disrespectful idiots growing up.

  I rocked back on my heels, a small smirk breaking free of my somberness.

  “You’re not too old for me to back hand you across this room young man. I suggest you sit your ass down and shut the hell up so I can answer your questions. Or would you rather snarl and pace like a wounded bear?”

  Con stopped short and did an about face to stomp over to the couch. Throwing himself down onto the plush cushions, he scrubbed a hand down his face, “I’m sorry, sir. I just can’t imagine what she went through. I’m scared for her, how is she going to come back from this?”

  Shane and I sat down on the couch ourselves, quietly waiting for the answers we so desperately craved.

  Pops started to pace, “So this is what I know. Her father was a therapist. He became Christian’s therapist when he was 12 years old after years of abuse and killing his other therapist. He nurtured and even encouraged Christian to let the others out more.”

  “Wait, Dad. I think you skipped a step. Let the others out? Who? What others?”

  Pops stopped and looked us dead in the eyes, “Christian had Multiple Personality Disorder. They found the doctors notes in the house you took her away from. Seems he was writing a paper and waiting for the right time to publish it. He was waiting for Christian to get caught, would be my guess. Anyways seems Christian was the only documented case of MPD, or rather DID, to have 3 active serial killers, each with their own signature kill, living inside himself. His death and all the papers they found in the house is going to close a lot of open cases. Help get some justice for those families.”

  We all shuddered, it was hard for me to imagine that Lexi had been with that guy for a year and not notice.

  “How the hell did he keep that a secret so well? How did she not know?” Shane voiced the questions I didn’t have the nerve to ask.

  Trust him to get right to the heart of the matter.

  “Same way no one suspected Bundy or Ramirez, he was charming and charismatic while as Christian. Basically boys, he hid his shit well. We may never actually know what happened or what was going through their minds.” He stopped and pointed a finger at us, “But I will tell you this. That girl in there is stronger than y’all give her credit for. However, this is ten times a load of fucked up shit that no one would ever dream of. She is going to need y’all in the next coming weeks and months, so don't you dare think of abandoning her now. I will kick all of your asses. Hear me?”

  “John! You will do no such thing! Besides it’s not their call don’t you think? It’s up to Lexi now.” Pops winced as Mama Sue came up behind him and slapped him lightly on the ass. Connor rolled his eyes and groaned, while Hawk and I stifled our chuckles any way we could.

  “You don’t have to worry about that Mr. and Mrs. Jones. If they still want me, I still want them. All of them, I can’t imagine my life without them.”

  We all jumped up from the couch and made our way to our girl, standing awkwardly in the doorway. I knew she was in pain; she was breathing heavy and leaning on the doorframe for support. I tsked at her and gently took her into my arms. Carrying her back to bed where she belonged.

  “I’m insulted that you would ever think we wouldn’t want you, Cupcake.”

  “Remind me when you’re better to punish you, Cariño.” Even I could hear the heat in Connor’s husky voice. I shook my head and smiled, leave it to him to bring something like this back to sex. Not that I'm complaining or anything, the stolen moment in the hallway we had together wasn’t enough. I needed her like I needed to breathe.

  Colt’s voice filled with elation ripped me from the dirty fantasy I was having, “I told her to stay in bed, but she’s about as stubborn as I am. Which should make things very interesting in the future.” He held out his arms for her and I reluctantly settled her onto his bed, careful of her IV lines.

  He wrapped his arms around her gently and whispered, “M’ionmhas, I am so sorry about Britt. We all are. She was our friend too. If you need time or space we’ll give it to you. But please don’t push us away again.”

  Tears rolled down her cheeks, a silent testament to her feelings, she sniffled and rubbed her cheek against
his chest. “I won’t. I promise. But are you sure you still want me? I mean, what does that say about me ...about my family...that m..my own father orchestrated everything. The death of my sister…” Her eyes grew wide and she started to breathe heavily, gulping in lungful’s of air. “Oh God! I slept with my sisters killer! I think I’m going to be sick.”

  This must have occurred to Hawk already as he had a bucket ready for her, he calmly held it and stroked her hair back while I stood there helpless as she puked her guts out.

  “Mi pequeño guerrero, was it Christian that killed her?”

  Lexi hiccupped and flushed her mouth with mouthwash Con brought her, shaking her head, “No. They said it was James. He liked to poison people; it was also him that cut the brakes on the car.”

  I squatted down so I was eye to eye with her, cupping the back of her neck I made her look at me so she could see the sincerity in my eyes. “I know it’s hard to think like this, but technically it wasn’t Christian. He happened to host 3 different...”

  “Four, if you count himself.” Colt chimed in, I shot him an annoyed look but Lexi was smiling slightly when I brought my eyes back to her beautiful sky blue eyes.

  I huffed “Fine, four different people. So you slept with Christian. Not James, not Roxy’s killer. Okay?”

  I let out the breath I didn’t even realize I was holding when she nodded her head slightly and closed her eyes. Laying her head back down on Colt’s chest, she looked so lost, my heart broke all over again for her.

  “It will be a long road ahead, but you’re mi pequeño guerrero, my little warrior, and you will survive this.” Shane’s eyes were fierce as he looked at our girl, refusing to believe anything else.