Perfection Is Just An Illusion (Swimming Upstream Series Book 1)

by Rebecca Barber

  “At this stage she is refusing to say anything. Maybe you can talk to her. I understand it was you that they originally wanted anyway. Would you consider talking to her?” It was three in the morning and the officer was tired. He’d been hoping for a quiet night to get through the backlog of paperwork, but now he was wide awake and ready to solve this problem.

  “If it will help get Anna back I’ll do whatever it takes.” After a quick security check, James was ushered through the station towards the interview room.

  He froze as he looked through the window. The young woman who he was about to interrogate looked scared and fragile. Her red hair covered most of her face, but it couldn’t hide the stains from the tears she had shed. He received his final instructions from the overweight constable and strutted through the door.

  The young woman saw him coming and jumped to her feet. “I am so sorry,” she sniffled apologetically. “I had no idea what they were going to do.” She begged for mercy but James had no interest in giving it.

  “Look, Miss…”

  “It’s Young. Janelle Young,”

  “Miss Young. I will be honest with you. I really don’t care what you did or didn’t do. Right now all I want to know is where she is. Please tell me so I can get my girl and take her home.” James was doing remarkably well at keeping control of his emotions. “Please, tell me where she is,” he asked softly.

  “She’s…she is in a flat. You were never supposed to get involved. It was always about her,” Janelle began to explain.

  “I don’t understand,” James said, obviously lost. His accusing face had faded and now he was trying desperately to understand. Why would someone go after Anna? he asked himself, bewildered.

  “They both knew Anna. Before you. He said he fell in love with her at first sight. But she wouldn’t give it up. She was determined to hang on ’til she was married. Then you came along. And he knew. He knew that as much as she loved you, you loved her just as much. And his obsession grew. Then when he met you in Canberra he saw firsthand just how connected you two really were. Then you went to England and it was like something inside of him snapped. Even from the other side of the world, he said he saw that something had changed. And that’s when he lost it. He was convinced that Anna gave you the one thing that he wanted. The one thing that he had convinced himself was rightfully his. And that’s when his scheming started. He planned on taking her. I was just the bait. He threatened my son’s life if I didn’t help him, and my son, Ben—he’s only six. He didn’t deserve to die, so I helped him.” Janelle was sobbing uncontrollably. James understood why Janelle had helped this maniac, but now she had to help him find Anna.

  They sat in silence for a few moments. Janelle sobbing, James madly processing everything he’d learnt. After a few minutes James refocussed and blurted out, “You said ‘they.’ Who the other one? What did he want?” James needed as much information as possible. He didn’t care how much it hurt to know the truth, he needed to know.

  “He met her a few weeks ago. He was obsessed with her right from the very start. But she didn’t pay him the attention that he thought he deserved. She was too caught up in her own little world. Too caught up in you,” Janelle hiccupped between sobs.

  “Please, Janelle. Please help me? Where is she?” James’s eyes told the truth. His heart was breaking for this poor young woman, but that would have to wait. He had to save Anna and Janelle was his only chance.

  “His name is Grant. Your fiancée, Anna, I think he said her name was…she knows him. You met him in Canberra a few months ago, just after you announced your engagement. When you find her tell her that I’m sorry. And James, be careful. He’ll do anything to get what he wants.” Quickly she rattled off an address and then slumped to the floor.

  ***

  Anna

  Grant clambered off Anna and for the first time she saw him. He was still that attractive young man that she had fallen in love with what seemed like a million years ago now. His hair was a mass of dirty, uncombed browns. His wide brown eyes were rimmed red. Anna knew she shouldn’t feel anything, but she had once loved this monster. She thought she knew him but now she didn’t even recognise him. She had never seen him like this before. His tall muscular stature, which had once made her feel loved and protected, was now animalistic and intimidating. Leaning over the top of her, he whispered into her ear seductively, “Now don’t go anywhere, sweetheart, I’ll be right back.” With one last lick of her face, he turned and left the room.

  Anna watched as he strode confidently out the door. After a few quiet moments, Anna heard an argument break out. It was then that Anna finally realised that, as much as the other man wanted to save her, he wasn’t going to. He was going to leave her there. Leave her there alone with Grant. He was going to walk away and leave her at the mercy of Grant’s whims. Then the realisation struck Anna like a sledgehammer. If she was going to survive she was going to have to do it herself.

  The arguing got louder and louder before coming to an abrupt halt, quickly followed by the slamming of the door. The man who didn’t want to see her hurt was gone and all of Anna’s worst fears were confirmed. Now it was just her and Grant.

  Less than five minutes later Grant sauntered back in, a sly smug smile covering his face. “Now, Princess, where were we?” Grant smirked, sliding onto the bed beside her. Slowly he undid the buttons on his shirt, revealing his perfectly toned chest. He threw his shirt across the floor and kicked off his shoes. He stood up proudly and unzipped his pants. Beneath his baggy blue jeans he wore a pair of black satin boxer shorts; Anna could see his erection straining the fabric. “I forgot something, Princess, I’ll be right back. Don’t miss me too much,” and with a wink he walked briskly from the room.

  Anna gave up crying, she’d accepted that it was no use. She figured the quickest and safest way out of this wasn’t to annoy him but instead just concede. The idea repulsed her but it was her only hope if she wanted to get out alive. The door creaked open once again and Grant stalked in, one hand behind his back. He was carrying something but Anna couldn’t see what it was.

  He reached out and twisted her nipple through her bra. Anna bit her lip, trying to ignore the pain. He saw the disgust etched into her face and just grinned. “You’re going to get everything that you’ve ever wanted but would never let me give you. God knows, that pretty boy fiancé of yours can’t give it to you.” And that’s when Anna saw red and lost control of her tongue. She’d put up with him abusing her both verbally and physically but now he had crossed the line. No one said anything bad about James and got away with it. Not on her watch.

  “Shut the fuck up, Grant!” Anna spat. “You obviously don’t know him. Leave me alone! You know you can’t compare to him. Not now. Not ever. That’s the real reason you’re doing this. So why don’t you just let me go and save yourself the embarrassment? You’re nothing, Grant.” Anna’s words were so harsh and unexpected that she saw Grant physically recoil at her words.

  His hunger for her body was overtaken by the hurt and anger she’d evoked. He slapped her again before revealing the knife he’d been hiding. He showed her the long, stainless blade. Anna froze. She’d come to accept that he was going to abuse her body but she’d never stopped consider the fact that he might actually go through with it and kill her. “Shut up. I have more in my jocks than that pathetic attempt for a man could ever dream.”

  Anna felt the cold blade press against her skin. With a few quick movements he had cut her bra to enough pieces for it to fall off her shoulders and reveal her plump breasts. He stepped back and admired his handy work. “Well, aren’t those beautiful? I never did get the chance to meet them before. God knows I deserved it. I put up with your crap long enough!” Anna tried to kick him, but her legs were still bound. He swept the remaining bits of bra from her chest and Anna watched on, horrified, as they fluttered to the floor like confetti. Anna’s chest lay exposed in the frigid air, her nipples puckered from the coolness, and she was mortified by her n
akedness. A few more swift moves with his knife and her underpants were gone. For the first time, Anna believed he was capable of murder.

  ***

  James

  James sat in the front seat of the police car as it raced across town. Sirens were blaring, the lights flashing as they ran every red light they’d come across but it still wasn’t fast enough for James. “Come on, man. Please step on it,” he begged. Joel and Ian were following behind them in Joel’s car. All three fully-grown men felt as though they were superheroes on a mission to save the damsel in distress, Anna, who was at the mercy of the maniac.

  ***

  Anna

  Grant lowered himself on top of Anna with a lick of his lips, careful not to squash her under his weight. He rubbed his long, muscular body up and down on top of her, his excitement digging into her. Turning her face away from him, Anna refused to meet his gaze. Grant’s infuriation bubbled to the surface. “What? Aren’t I good enough for you? Whore! Look at me!” he spat angrily as his fingers dug into her thighs.

  Summoning all her strength, Anna turned her head and glared at him. The repulsion in her eyes showed exactly what she thought of him. Now she couldn’t contain her fury and revulsion. Instead Anna told him exactly what she thought of him and didn’t hold back. “Yes, Grant, you’re right. You aren’t fucking good enough for me.” Anna’s harsh words cut right through him. “You’re a monster! Look at what you’re doing to me. You’re not even half the man James is. You make me sick. This isn’t right, Grant. And you know that.”

  Anna saw him clench his fist and knew what was coming but she was powerless to stop it. He released his fist and landed a blow to the side of her head. Instantly Anna’s eyes watered and her face swelled.

  “I’ve had enough. Now I’m going to get exactly what I earned. And I don’t give a fuck what you say. I am taking what is rightfully mine,” he snarled directly into Anna’s face. She watched in horror as his face turned red and his nostrils flared. Moments later he was wriggling about, trying to remove his boxers without dismounting. A wave of nausea filled Anna’s mouth and she was forced to swallow it back down.

  Straddling Anna’s hips, Grant wrapped his hand around his erection and stroked himself with a satisfied smile. Anna turned away, repulsed. With one hand he grabbed Anna’s chin and turned her head to look at him. “Like what you see?” He grinned. “You’re about to get up close and very personal. He’s waited a long time to meet you.” He smiled.

  ***

  James

  The police car pulled to a halt with a screech of the tyres at the front of the block of flats. It was exactly as Janelle had described it. James leapt out of the car and raced across the street. A pair of arms reached around his waist, pulling him to a grinding halt. A burly policeman held him, telling him to wait until the officer assured him that as soon as they could, they would let him go in and get Anna. But first they had to get Grant under control. Four police ran up the staircase, taking the steps two at a time. James was never more than one step behind.

  By the time they reached the landing outside the apartment James thought his heart was going to break through his chest. Leaning up against the door, the officers could hear Grant’s disgusting words. They could hear his deep, slurred voice and they could feel the same repulsion that Anna was enduring. James was pushing them, urging them to hurry up and go in.

  “We can’t just barge in. What if he’s armed?” one officer asked, sticking to protocol.

  “Can’t you hear what’s going on? The only thing that he’s armed with is his dick. And it sounds like he’s waving it in my wife’s face,” James countered as he pushed his way to the front of them. “If you aren’t going to go in, I will.” A wave of apprehension fell across them. They knew James was right.

  They forced James backwards before turning their attention on the door. “Police! Don’t move!” one officer boomed to an empty room. Forgetting about any possible danger, James led the others down the hall towards the moaning. Nervously he pushed open the door and saw something that made him want to gag. Grant was straddling Anna, rubbing his thick, veiny cock up and down Anna’s quivering body. He was masturbating on top of James’s wife.

  “Get the fuck off her,” James bellowed at him. As three of the police grabbed Grant, throwing him to the floor, the other detained James. James would have killed him on the spot without batting an eyelid. He looked over at Anna who was still lying there, naked and shaking uncontrollably, with tears streaming down her face. James’s heart broke when he saw the damage that had been done. Between her split lip, the black eye, the burn marks around her wrists and ankles and the cut on her cheek, James didn’t know where to look. Anna, his precious Anna, looked like she’d been to war. James fought free from the officer’s grip and was at her side in a single step.

  James sat down on the bed next to her and removed his shirt. Quickly he untied her bindings and pulled his shirt over Anna’s exposed body, giving her back what dignity he could. Anna forced an appreciative smile. “Thank you,” she mumbled between sobs into his shoulder. Carefully, James pulled her into his lap and examined her. Her wrists had begun to swell and bleed again where he had removed the tape. After only a moment’s hesitation, Anna snuggled into James, as close as she possibly could and let go. The dam burst. Anna couldn’t help but cry her heart out, the violent sobs reverberating through her body. James just held her tighter and let her fall to pieces. He knew she’d never hit the ground. He’d always be there to catch her.

  “Mr. Thompson, we’ll take him down to the station. We’ll need a statement from your fiancée as soon as she feels up to it. I’ll wait for you downstairs. I’ll take you two to the hospital so she can get checked out,” one young officer said, shaking James’s hand.

  “No!” Anna squealed, wrapping her body even closer around James.

  “It’s okay, Anna. No one’s going to hurt you now,” James promised, knowing that it was a promise he could keep. No one was getting near Anna without his say so. “I’ll take you home,” he mumbled softly into her hair, looking up at the officer.

  “Thanks for everything. I really do appreciate it.”

  Anna shrugged her arms through the sleeves of James’s shirt that hung off her body. She was thankful James was so much bigger than her, his shirt looked like a dress. Without breaking contact, James scooped her up and her arms wrapped around his neck so tightly it almost cut off his oxygen supply. “I’m sorry. I am so sorry,” Anna cried, squeezing even tighter. Right now, it was the only place that she truly felt safe.

  “Shh, it’s okay. I’m going to take you home and put you in a hot bath and then to bed. I am exhausted and I know you must be,” James assured her. He carried her down the stairs and put her into Joel’s awaiting car. Silently, Ian covered them in a blanket and Joel pulled out into the traffic.

  By the time that they pulled into James’s driveway Anna was snoring softly in James’s lap. Diana ran out the front with Michael following closely behind and met them on the driveway. James tried not to wake her as he carried her inside. James was terrified. She was deathly pale and silent. Diana had disagreed with James when he decided to bring her straight back to the house rather than taking her to a hospital, but James was adamant all Anna needed to survive this was unconditional love and support and time. All of which he planned to give her. Personally.

  Although he had seen it with his own two eyes, James still couldn’t believe it. When he’d met Grant he’d been the one who seemed so supportive of their relationship, but after seeing the monster that he truly was, James was more confused than anything. Was he still in love with Anna? Or was it just physical? Or was he really just fucked up?

  James placed Anna into the hot bubble bath, yet she still said nothing. As he turned and attempted to leave the room, Anna refused to let go of his hand. She refused to let him break the contact. So instead, James stayed beside her, sitting on the cold tiles, just holding her hand. For what seemed like forever he just kept repe
ating to Anna, and to himself that she was okay. She was safe. When the water went cold, there was still no movement from Anna. James lifted her out, dried her off, dressed her in her pyjamas, and then tucked her into his bed. Anna winced in pain as Diana applied some anti-bacterial lotion and bandages to her wrists and ankles.

  Not wanting to leave her side, James crawled into bed beside her and immediately she nuzzled into his arms. Anna had never been clingy before but now after all that had happened she wasn’t letting him go. James was still stroking her hair when she fell asleep.

  Carefully James edged out from under her, taking his time to make sure he didn’t wake her. Downstairs, he swallowed the bile that filled his throat and made the call he never wanted to make. He rang Kathryn and Brandon. They were on their way before James could even finish explaining.

  James was sitting at the kitchen counter, looking for answers in a glass of juice when Diana walked in. “How is she?”

  “Sleeping,” James sighed wearily.

  “Looks like you should do the same. Go on! Go and get some sleep. She’s going to need you, now more than ever, and you’ll be no good to her if you are tired and grumpy.” Diana was right. It made complete sense to try and get some sleep.

  “I can’t. I just keep seeing her. Lying there with that asshole…” James’s voice trailed off. He had gone deathly white.

  “Try not to think about it. You saved her. You got to her before anything happened. You’re her knight in shining armour. I’m sure once Anna has had some time, she’ll be fine. And it’s all thanks to you. Now, bed!” Diana commanded. After giving his mother a hug James walked back upstairs, climbed in next to Anna, and went to straight to sleep.

  Kathryn, Brandon, Lachlan, Kate and Kelley arrived within hours. Diana and Michael had waited up for their arrival knowing they would want details. Diana explained the best she could, skimming over some parts deliberately. This was hard enough to hear without the imagery. Brandon was sent into a state of overwhelming shock.