Maelstrőm

by Michelle Love

  Caroline smiled nastily. “I don’t think we’ve met. I’m…”

  “I don’t give a shit who you are. I asked what was going on.” His voice was like ice and Caroline balked. She scowled.

  “I’ll tell you. Sarah, Sarah, Sarah Bailey, got all chopped up by her mo-ho-mmy,” she sang out of tune and cackled. Sarah lost her temper again and they all reached for her. Caroline turned towards her home. “Lock that bitch up. Oh actually,” she swung around again and spoke directly to Finn, “I’d like to press charges. Assault charges.”

  Molly gave a squeak of disgusted alarm but Finn winked at her. “For what?” he said calmly, looking at Caroline. Caroline waved at Sarah.

  “She attacked me, of course. Christ, how did I pick someone this stupid for my husband?”

  Finn looked at her steadily. “Attack you? I didn’t see anything of the sort.” He turned to the others. “You?”

  Various shakes of the head and murmurs greeted his question.

  Finn stared his wife down. “Go home, Caroline, no-one wants you here.”

  Caroline huffed in irritation, getting back into the car. George sighed and turned to Sarah, still locked in Isaac’s arms.

  “You okay, bubs?”

  She nodded, a strange expression in her eyes. “I’m fine, pops.” She extricated herself from Isaac’s embrace. “Thanks, baby. “ George saw Isaac smile down at her.

  “Anytime. Now, you going to tell me what’s going on?”

  ***

  Sarah looked out at the people on her lawn, in her barn. She could see Saul, Isaac’s brother chatting with Finn, his kids, Christopher and Rosie, running around with Molly’s kids, Becky and Mike Jr.. Molly and Maika were chatting and laughing at the food table, George playing host.

  “They’re basically doing my job for me,” she fretted but Isaac drew her into his arms.

  “They’re okay, baby. Now, do you want to tell me what happened?”

  She looked at him, a sad smile on her face. “I come from a very different background to you, Isaac. There was no family estate, no happy family. I grew up in a trailer park just south of the city. My mother was a prostitute. She was an illegal immigrant from Shanghai. Barely spoke English, didn’t bother to learn. I spoke Mandarin until I was five. Never knew who my father was, could have been any one of her clients.”

  “What happened to your mother?”

  Sarah sighed. “When I was six, I came home from school and found her happy. Believe me, it was unusual. She barely even noticed me anymore. But this one day, she seemed almost giddy. She had made dinner – just sandwiches and juice. We ate together. I started to feel odd. She was watching me, smiling all the time. I couldn’t keep my eyes open. Just before I feel asleep, I felt her take my arms. There was a stinging pain I didn’t recognize and then nothing. When I woke up, she was lying next to me. Dead. She had cut her wrists. And mine. What she hadn’t realized was that by giving me a sedative it had slowed down my pulse and the cuts on my arms weren’t deep enough. I crawled through all the blood and got help.”

  Isaac didn’t say anything just kept watching her. She looked away, over the field to the school.

  “George was the one who found me – he was the police chief at the time. Because of his age, his marital status, and his profession, they wouldn’t let him adopt me formally. So I went to live in the children’s home. No one wanted to adopt a damaged mixed-race kid. Not with that history. The children’s home was okay, food and lodgings. But lonely – George came most days and would take me out when he could.” Sarah was matter-of-fact.

  “Then when I was thirteen, a family moved next door.” She grinned at Isaac. “You can guess who.”

  “Molly and Finn?”

  She nodded. “It was the family I never had. They were funny and loud and argumentative. But the love, Isaac, man, I never knew what it was until the Jewell family came into my life. They taught me to trust again. Everyone except myself. It all caught up with me when I went to college, I went through some pretty tough times.”

  Isaac blew out a long breath, his arms tightening around her, his lips against her hair. “Jesus, Sarah. I’m so sorry. What a messed up start to life. It does explain one thing, though…”

  “How I ended up trusting Dan? Because he said all the right things?”

  Isaac looked down to see her smiling at him and he grinned good-naturedly. “Yep.”

  Her face clouded over. “It doesn’t change things between us, I mean?”

  He looked surprised then upset. “God, no, why would it?”

  She smiled but pulled away from him a little. “We can’t be naive. You’re a pretty high-profile guy. When it gets out, the press will eat it up. The billionaire and his psycho crazy girlfriend.”

  Isaac frowned. “You are not crazy, or a psycho or anything I could ever, ever be ashamed of. I love you. I’m in love with you, Sarah, the for-better-or-for-worse kind of love, the –til-death-do-us-part love.”

  Sarah froze. “What?”

  There was a pause. “You heard me.”

  “Are you asking…?”

  Isaac sighed. “No. Not yet. Not like this. But I will ask you that someday. Someday that’s happy and without all this stress. Some day when you’ll believe it’s out of love and not out of sympathy.”

  She smiled daily. “You know me so well already.”

  Isaac reached for her. “We’re meant to be together, I know that.”

  She tilted her head up to kiss him. “I know that too and later, I’m going to show you how much.”

  He grinned. “You bet your cute little butt you will. Now, before my trousers become something “tent-like”, let’s go meet my family.”

  ***

  Molly sidled up to Isaac as he sat back, relaxed in the porch swing. The party had died down, the sun was beginning to set. His brother and his family had left ten minutes previously, hugging their new friends. Saul had taken Isaac aside. “Sarah’s lovely, bro. I’m so happy for you.”

  Isaac was grateful to his brother for not holding the earlier drama against Sarah, but he knew he’d have to explain it to him Monday morning at the office. He smiled at Molly now as she slunk into the chair next to him. “So…”

  She grinned. “I may have a huge girl crush on your sister-in-law.”

  Isaac laughed. “Fair enough, but don’t tell Sarah you’re cheating on her.”

  Molly mimed zipping her mouth then her smile faded. “She okay?”

  She nodded towards Sarah – who admitted was being corralled by Becky and Mike Jr, who were clambering all over her.

  Isaac nodded. “I think so.”

  “She tell you about her mom? Crazy, huh?”

  Isaac nodded grimly. “I can’t even imagine.”

  She studied him. “You get the picket fence?”

  Isaac shrugged. “Not always but a lifetime better than what Sarah got. Our parents pretty much hated each other but they both loved us. I cannot imagine why a parent would do that to a child.”

  “Not every parent loves their kids, but no, me either. How far she’s come is amazing to me.”

  “How far who’s come?” A breathless Sarah staggered up to the porch, carrying a child under each arm. They collapsed in a giggling pile on the porch.

  “Hillary Clinton,” said Molly smoothly. She got up and dragged her kids of Sarah. “Right you monsters, go wash your hands and find your dad. George?” She called over to the older man who was tidying the food table. “Can we give you a ride into town?”

  George hesitated but Sarah waved him over. “Pops, leave that, I’ll clear up.”

  An hour later, Sarah and Isaac were alone and lazing in her tub. Sarah lay back against his solid chest and closed her eyes as Isaac’s fingertips drifted lazily up and down her stomach.

  “Did you have a good time today?” Isaac’s deep voice, low and sexy, rumbled through his chest, his lips at her ear. Sarah nodded slowly.

  “Despite everything, yes. I really liked Saul and Maika and th
e kids are adorable.”

  “They thought the same of you. We’ll get together with them again soon.”

  “Good.”

  They lay in silence for a long time before Sarah sat up and turned around in the bath, managing to straddle him. Isaac slid his hands around her waist and smiled at her.

  “Hey, beautiful.”

  She searched his eyes for a second. “Isaac, I want you to be honest with me. If everything that’s been going on with me is more than you signed up for, I’ll understand.”

  He frowned. “Are you kidding me? Do you honestly think that little of me that I’d run at the slightest hint of baggage?”

  She shook her head. “No, I didn’t mean that. At all. You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I just don’t want you to feel obligated to deal with my shit.”

  He kissed her fiercely. “I’m all in, Sarah, whatever comes our way.”

  She relaxed. “Thank you.” She slid her hands down between his legs and cupped his cock but he grabbed her hands, made her look at him.

  “Is anything scaring you? About the story, about the letters? Because you can tell me, no matter what it is.”

  Sarah considered. “Actually, all I’m concerned with is how this affects you. Now that I know it was Caroline who sold the story, I’m convinced she’s the one sending the letters. Yeah, it’s upsetting but no, I’m not scared.

  He released her hands and pulled her to him, his fingers sliding under her hair at the nape of her neck, as he kissed her slowly this time, deeply, savoring the feel of her. Sarah sighed into the kiss. Isaac nuzzled her neck, then with his lips to her ear, he whispered.

  ”Let’s get out of the tub, sweetheart, because you promised me a night of supreme fucking…”

  Sarah moaned at the honey of his voice and in a flash they were tumbled from the tub, sloshing water everywhere, onto the wooden floor of the bathroom.

  Isaac moved down her body, pushing her legs apart gently, and burying his face in her sex, his tongue lashing around her clit, along the soft peachy folds of her, feeling her labia swell and engorge. His teeth graze her clit before he bit down on it gently, grinning when he heard her sharp intake of breath, felt her fingers knot in his hair. He sucked, tasted, teased her until she was panting, begging him to fill her. His cock was straining painfully, so heavy it bobbed under its own weight as he climbed her body and scooped a hand under her buttocks as she wound her legs around him. His cock slid into her, filling her sweet cunt, and gratified, Isaac watched her eyes roll back with the pleasure he was giving her.

  “I’m gonna fuck you so hard, baby…” Her cry of ecstasy spurred him on and he slammed into her over and over and over until they were both crying and laughing.

  Sarah woke in the morning feeling so sick that she had to scramble to the bathroom to throw up. Afterward, she brushed her teeth and washed her face. Looking in the mirror, she saw the dark circles etched around her eyes, her skin yellow and sickly and the deep crease of stress between her eyebrows. Her eyes, usually so expressive, were dead and flat.

  “Hey, you. Are you okay?” Isaac, just in his boxers, stood at the door frowning then, when he saw her wan face, he stepped into the room and swept a hand onto her forehead. “Jesus, you’re burning up.”

  He made her get back into bed despite her protestations and brought her tea and aspirin. Despite herself, Sarah fell asleep for half an hour. When she woke, she heard Isaac on the phone.

  “No, surely someone else can deal with this? I need to be at home today. Saul, yes, yes, okay.” She heard him end the call. “God.”

  “Is everything okay?” She tried to sit up but Isaac pushed her gently back down.

  “You need to rest, beautiful. Look, I have to go into the city for a meeting, I tried to cancel it but Saul’s being a hard-ass.”

  “It’s okay, go. I’ll be fine here. I’m not working today anyway.”

  Isaac hesitated then nodded. “Okay, look, I’ll be a couple of hours tops. You need anything, you call me or Molly, promise?”

  After he’d left, Sarah fell back asleep, her head pounding. She was so soundly asleep that she didn’t even hear the front door open and the creak of the stairs outside her bedroom.

  He looked down at her, so still, so beautiful. Her skin looked damp, a flush of heat in her cheeks. Fever. He smiled. An easy reaction to manufacture if you knew the right drugs to hide in her vitamin supplements. Now, though, he needed to make sure she stayed unconscious. He flicked the plastic cover of the syringe he had in his pocket and eased the needle into the vein in her neck. She stirred at the quick pain but then settled. He waited five minutes before drawing back the covers. It all took less than a minute to snap the photos of her glorious body, so vulnerable. He smiled to himself. Let them know that they couldn’t stop him, that he would get to her whatever they did. He pulled the covers back over her body and left the bedroom. His next task would take a lot longer.

  Sarah woke just after three, just as Isaac’s helicopter landed outside. She heard him taking the stairs two at a time and then he was there. She smiled at him. Isaac sat next to her.

  “How are you feeling?”

  She sat up in bed. “Much better, although pretty sweaty and gross.”

  “Are you hungry?” Isaac started to take his tie off. “I’ll make you some eggs if you like?”

  Suddenly she was starving. “God, yes, please. I’m just going to take a shower, change the bedsheets.”

  He leaned over to kiss her. “See you downstairs.”

  After a blissful shower, she pulled the bedsheets from the bed and gathered them into a ball to take downstairs. She heard something fall from the comforter and bent to see what it was. She frowned as she picked up the small plastic cap. A syringe cover? She scanned her memory. She didn’t think she’d ever used a syringe in her life.

  “Yo, sexy, your meal awaits.”

  She grinned at Isaac yelling up the stairs, then, shrugging, she threw the cap into the trash and went downstairs.

  Finn had fallen into a routine of sleeping in his office at home, showering when Caroline was still asleep and then only emerging for meals and to change for work. Caroline didn’t object. They avoided each other; being together only led to rows. He could hear her watching a dumb soap in the living room.

  He dressed for work and went into the kitchen. Caroline was making herself some lunch.

  “Do you want some?” She indicated the sandwich fixings. He shook his head.

  “No thanks.” He grabbed his keys.

  “Finn?”

  He turned. Caroline gave him a half-smile. “Have a good day.”

  He blinked. This Caroline, he hadn’t seen for years. Conciliatory. Friendly.

  “Thanks.” He returned her smile. “You too.”

  She nodded and turned back to her sandwich.

  Finn walked around the block to the station but changed his mind at the last moment and headed over to the coffee house, In the Varsity, Molly was on her own. She looked up, grinned, and waved him over.

  ““Sup sis?” He hugged her and immediately reached for the coffee pot. She rolled her eyes and pushed the plate of muffins towards him.

  “An invitation. Mike and I would like to invite you and the Gorgon, I’m sorry, Caroline, to have drinks with us tonight. Nothing fancy, just at Hanks. I know Caroline does”t drink, perhaps they’ll have Virgin Mary’s – hey! She could finally, legitimately, have the blood of a virgin.”

  Finn grinned. “You done?”

  Molly pretended to think for a second then nodded. “I’m out. Well?”

  Finn picked at a muffin. “Yeah, sure. As far as I know Caroline’s free, I’ll have to check. What’s the deal?”

  “You mean apart from spending time with me, your wonderful sister? And the fact we finally have a babysitter we trust not to lead the kids down a path of devil worship and Taylor Swift fandom?”

  Finn rolled his eyes at his sister. “You are certifiable, you know that?”


  Molly grinned but then her expression sobered. “Look, I figure if we at least try to be pleasant to Caroline, she might lay off Sarah.”

  Fin shrugged. “Worth a shot.”

  Molly grimaced. “Mike’s idea. Do-gooder.” But she grinned. Finn got up, shaking his head in amusement.

  “So you’ll come?” She called after him.

  “Yeah, yeah what time?”

  “Eight. See you there.”

  Molly watched her brother cross the street to the police station. It has been the first time that she had seen him smile in quite a while. His face was drawn, his pallor pale, clammy. He looked so much older than a few months ago, she realized with a pang. Maybe tonight he’d relax, have some fun. A nub of guilt settled in her chest. She knew why Mike wanted this evening, this get-together – to make peace between them all. She’d happily gone along with it and now she questioned herself. Finn was her family and Caroline made him miserable. Still, if it helped… shrugging, Molly sighed and went back to work.

  The evening sun faded and was about to drop below the horizon. After a light supper, they sat outside, talking, listening to the quiet evening, the faint lapping of water from the beach at the bottom of the garden. Sarah, her feet in Isaac’s lap as he rubbed them, studied him. At work, in his exquisite suits, he looked every inch the powerful billionaire businessman but here, sitting on her porch swing, in his artfully faded t-shirt and his long, long legs in blue jeans, he looked at home. She told him that and he smiled.

  “I feel at home, babe. Anywhere with you would feel like home.”

  She flushed with pleasure, stroked a finger down his cheek. “Maybe we should talk about where we go from here?” she suddenly got nervous but Isaac leaned over to kiss her.

  “Sarah, would you be as kind as to move in with me?” He said in a formal English accent that made her giggle.

  “Sir, I would be delighted,” she replied, waving her hand in a flourish.