Becoming Maddie (The Casterhouse series Book 1)

by Hannah Gittins

  Already her face was swollen and Maddie knew that she must look bad but it felt so much worse. As she had showered Charles had stayed in the room and belittled her body. Told her how awful she looked now and how much she had let herself go since he had been gone. He pointed out every single flaw he thought she had and any curve he thought was too big. Little did he know that Maddie had only been so very thin before because she hated her life.

  Happiness had come with food that she enjoyed and a table full of people she loved.

  Trying to put a hand over her mouth to cover the next sob, it didn’t reach but instead rattled the cuff against the radiator. Turning to look at the offending cuffs she gave a useless pull. After Charles had first left she had pulled and yanked on the radiator. Honestly she didn’t know why she had bothered. Even if she had managed to get free there was no way she would have left this room, not if it meant risking Aiden’s health, his life.

  Maddie was not going to let anything happen to Aiden. He deserved so much better than this mess. Hopefully after she was gone Aiden would let her go and find himself a nice normal woman.

  So really breaking free was just Maddie asking for a beating.

  Bringing her head up she rested it gently against the wall behind her. Maddie’s scalp hurt from the hair pulling. It was strange, the pain that she had managed to forget. It wasn’t just the big painful punches that brought her low. It was the constant nagging pain from hair pulling and the cuts she got inside her mouth. When Charles punched her it slammed the inside of her mouth against her teeth making loads of little cuts, each of which turned into ulcers. The scrapes on her knees and hands from being on the floor or dragged around. The big pains were the worst but it was stuff like this that really wore down your soul.

  When she next showered Maddie knew her body was going to be covered in bruises. It wouldn’t be long till her face was so badly beaten that she would be unrecognisable. Charles had two years to make up for and Maddie doubted he would be wasting much time.

  A knock on the door made her sit bolt upright.

  Her heart, that had just managed to calm slightly, went back to beating so hard and so fast it almost hurt. Her breath was coming short and fast. Who was on the other side of the door? Was it someone from reception?

  If Maddie didn’t have Aiden to protect she would have screamed at the top of her lungs. She would have cried for help till her throat was raw and she could barely whisper. She would have made so much noise they would have heard her on the moon but Maddie did have Aiden to protect.

  So instead she made herself breath as quietly as she could and froze like a statue.

  There was another knock on the door.

  Surely Charles would have fully paid up for the room. He was a smart man and wouldn’t have left her in a room that he didn’t think was secure enough for a couple of hours. Not to mention poor Craig.

  Instead of another knock there was the sound of keys in a lock. Someone was unlocking the door. Could it be Charles testing her? What if he was just checking that Maddie was doing what she was told and not giving him away?

  Maddie knew that he really wanted any excuse to get to Aiden. If she had to put up with a life with Charles to keep him safe then she would do that. It was her fault that Charles was threatening his life anyway.

  Slowly the handle turned and the door opened. It stopped after an inch or so. Maddie guessed it was the smell.

  Still sitting flat against the wall she took a deep breath and held on. Surely Charles wouldn’t have been surprised by the smell. Although whoever was behind the door seemed to not like it, or hadn’t expected it…Maybe it wasn’t Charles testing her.

  Maddie lifted her free hand and put it on her chest. Her heart was beating so hard she was scared it was going to come right out of her chest.

  As the door opened wider she felt tears stream down her face. Maddie wasn’t ready for more. She hurt. She wanted to be free, to live a good life. A life free of pain. The tears kept falling as the door kept opening.

  “Fuck.” Detective Miller said under his breath as he looked into the room.

  Maddie couldn’t believe it was him. It couldn’t be. She had to stay with Charles and protect Aiden. Maybe it was Charles dressed as Miller. Although it was a totally crazy idea she wouldn’t put it past Charles and his ways of testing her loyalty.

  “Maddie.” Miller said carefully walking into the room a bit. “Is that Craig Chambers?”

  She couldn’t answer, her heart had stopped working and she was shaking so much her brain couldn’t think straight. Was she going to be okay?

  As the newcomer walked around the dead body and to her, Maddie kept her eyes on the open door. Charles could come back. He could walk into the doorway. He could do so much damage to Miller. Then somehow it would be her fault and she knew she would carry that with her always.

  The Detective knelt down next to her and gently checked the cuffs she was attached to. Still Maddie said nothing but instead kept staring at the door, waiting for this to all go wrong.

  “I think my key might work in these.” Miller muttered as he reached into his pocket for his key.

  As he pulled them out and unlocked her hand. Instead of stopping it, Maddie let her arm fall to the ground. Her eyes were still focused fully on the door. A warm hand took a soft hold of her jaw and moved her head so she was looking straight in Miller’s eyes.

  “I am really here.” He whispered. “There are police officers watching the door, car-park and surrounding roads. Wallace will not get in this room or to you. Now I need to focus on you. That means getting you out of here.”

  Maddie’s mouth opened and closed. The tears that had stopped with the shock of seeing a friendly face in such a horrible place, started up again.

  She was still totally unable to move, fear still held her in its firm grip.

  “Aiden is waiting in his truck just outside for you.” Miller whispered the magic words.

  Before she could talk herself out of it Maddie moved quickly to her shaky feet and started to move towards the door. But her legs were not strong enough, so much had happened in the last couple of hours and now it was taking its toll. Her legs started to give out and she couldn’t make proper steps.

  Seeing this the Detective moved quickly and put her arm over his shoulder and together they made it out of the room. Standing on the threshold she blinked trying to get her eyes to adjust. It wasn’t just her eyes that needed a minute it was her body as the warmth from the sun and the Detective’s body penetrated.

  Next to her Miller waved his arm and straight away the sound of two car doors opening and slamming shut could be heard in the quiet evening. Then running feet. Looking towards the noise she watched Aiden, Eddie and Marvin run towards her.

  Maddie’s legs finally gave out as Marvin barked at her and Miller had to take all her weight to stop her from falling. Aiden reached her and took her from the detective’s arms in one smooth move. Holding Maddie tight he walked back to his truck Eddie on his heels and Marvin running ahead.

  “Take her to the hospital.” Miller called out.

  Maddie could feel panic start swirling in her body. She didn’t want to go to the hospital again. Maddie just wanted to go home, be surrounded by familiar things and feel safe with Aiden.

  “No.” She croaked.

  Aiden’s arms tightened on her, acknowledging her plea, but didn’t stop his fast pace.

  “No.” Aiden shouted back to the Detective. “We will go to the police station.”

  As they were just about to reach the truck Miller shouted again. “Straight to the station.”

  Maddie had no idea if Aiden replied or not as she had caught a look at Marvin. The dog stopped at the truck, ears flicking around and alert, his eyes watchful. It seemed that Marvin would be pleased to be home too, his Mistress finally safe.

  The chest around her and the arms holding her seemed to be shaking but that could have been Maddie. Her eyes were locked to Aiden’s face. It was set in s
tone and determined. There was something else but she wasn’t able to make it out. More than that she just wanted to take it in. She had honestly thought that she was never going to see Aiden ever again, never see those caramel eyes.

  “You drive.” Aiden barked to Eddie. “Straight to the station. There is no way we are fucking up the case against this evil son of a bitch.”

  Following his orders, Eddie jumped into the front of the truck and started her up. Aiden took himself and Maddie to the back of the tuck. He opened the door and got in without letting her go. Giving a short, sharp whistle, Marvin jumped into the foot well. The dog’s eyes were on his Mistress.

  Aiden pulled a seatbelt round them both and held onto her so tight. Was this real? Was this really happening or was she still daydreaming inside her head? Maddie was so scared to blink in case she opened her eyes only to find herself still cuffed to that radiator. This was all happening so quick. She needed something stable.

  The truck was moving but she really didn’t care where it was going. Maddie eyes were still on Aiden’s face. She could tell now that it was both of them that were trembling.

  Why wasn’t he looking at her? Why hadn’t he spoken to her?

  Maddie’s head was running through a million thoughts but never landing on one. Right now she didn’t want to run through everything that happened, she didn’t want to talk and share it all. Instead she needed to feel connected to the present, connected to Aiden.

  As she watched Aiden she could see he was swallowing over and over again. What was he thinking? Maddie needed to look into his eyes, needed to be read the emotions there. His eyes never lied and she could work out what was going through his head. God knew, she really, really needed to connect right now.

  Raising the hand that had been cuffed she tentatively laid it against his cheek. As soon as her palm touched his skin Aiden sucked in sharp breath and looked down at her.

  Maddie gasped at the swirling, out of control, emotions she could see in Aiden’s now deep, dark caramel eyes.

  “I…Maddie…”Aiden gasped trying to speak and swallow what he was feeling. “You….I love you.”

  Then his head fell and he held her tighter still as he cried. Maddie cuddled her head under his chin, filled her senses with Aiden, and let go too.

  Maddie took all the heat from his body, as much as she could, and for the first time since she had been taken she was warm.

  Everything that happened to her in her life, every feeling of guilt Aiden felt and everything that Charles and Jessica had done to them, it all seemed so big. At the end of the day though it was nothing compared to what they had with each other.

  Love.

  Aiden was her future, her happiness, her love. Maddie was all of that for him too.

  This really was real, this wasn’t a daydream inside her head. This was not the life that Maddie had lived for years because now she had people that cared, cared that she had been taken, cared that she was found and cared that she was coming home. People that would do everything they could to get her to safety again. Maddie had everything she had ever wanted in her life.

  Pulling her head back Maddie put one hand to his cheek again and looked him straight in the eyes. Everything else had shrunk away, it was just the two of them.

  “I love you.” Maddie mumbled back.

  Aiden swooped down and kissed her.

  Aiden tucked her into his body again and looked out the front window. It was like nothing more had to be said for now. Maddie didn’t have to share what she went through, for now she could just warm her body from the heat of his and feel the safety that his arms gave her.

  Looking down into the foot well Maddie held out her hand for Marvin to lick frantically, her husky had been worried. She scratched at his ears and under his chin. The husky loved it but wanted more. He jumped up onto the empty seat next to them and rested his head on her leg.

  Aiden looked down at him and scratched his ears too.

  “Good dog.” He muttered before looking out the window once more.

  Taking a deep, free, breath Maddie settled into her man and looked out the window too. It wasn’t all over yet but the end line was there. Maddie was going to make it but she wouldn’t be totally free until Charles had been caught and put behind bars again, hopefully forever this time.

  Knowing that Charles was still out there doing whatever he had left her to do, made Maddie feel sick. They were on the way to the station where they would be surrounded by police officers. That and Aiden would not be leaving her alone again for a long time.

  Maddie’s part in this mess was over. It was someone else’s turn to deal with Charles and bring him to justice.

  Chapter 31

  “It’s over.” The male voice said down the phone.

  Aiden slowly let out a breath that he hadn’t really been aware he was holding since he answered the phone.

  “You have him?” Aiden asked the Detective.

  There was a pause on the other end of the line. It didn’t make Aiden nervous though. If Miller said it was over then it was over. He was curious to know how it had all ended. Aiden also wanted to know what was in place to stop anything like this ever happening again.

  Especially not to Maddie.

  Finally Miller spoke again, “Charles Wallace is dead.”

  It was over.

  Closing his eyes Aiden let his head fall forward. It was over in a way that it would never, ever, happen again. Sighing he wondered how he was going to tell Maddie. Breaking news like this was not going to be easy and not for your typical reasons.

  Maddie would not be lost in grief at the loss of an old partner or somebody she loved. Instead she would be thankful that he was gone and so gone that she would never have to fear him again. There lay the problem she would have. Aiden could already see her fighting over the pleasure of knowing he was gone and really free against being pleased that a person had lost their life. Her happiness would be coming from the death of a human being.

  Aiden on the other hand had no problem what-so-ever with being happy that that waste of air was worm food. You are given one life and he lived it inflicting pain on others and taking lives.

  Leaning on the breakfast bar, phone to his ear, Aiden looked across to the sofa. Maddie had her back up against one arm rest and her legs up on the other seats. Jean was sat in the arm chair having covered Maddie in blankets before she sat. Sarah sat on the floor on a big cushion. She was the other side of the coffee table so that she was looking right at Maddie. Claire sat on the floor with her back to the sofa. Fiona was sat on the last free arm chair across from Jean. The woman all talked and nattered with each. There was the occasional laugh. Maddie just mainly watched them all with a look in her eyes that said she never thought she would have that again.

  Aiden hated that look and hoped that she would lose it soon.

  John and Richard had headed out not too long ago to get a takeaway and collect the kids from Betty downstairs on the way back. Eddie had gone to the local shop to pick up some wine and beer. Although Aiden was going to make sure Maddie only had one glass. Waking up with a hangover on top of everything else she might be feeling was probably not a good plan. They were going to sit round the table, eat the food and laugh. The aim was to keep it low key so that it didn’t become too much for Maddie but at the same time her family would be around her.

  “Aiden?” Miller called in his ear.

  Looking back down at the breakfast bar Aiden tried to focus on the call and not on the news he had to share with Maddie.

  “Yeah, I’m here.” Aiden replied. “How’d it happen?”

  He didn’t even feel bad when he hoped that it was extremely painful. That would be a thought that he wouldn’t share with Maddie though.

  “We put a female officer in the hotel room, me in the bathroom and had swat surround the building.” Miller informed him. “3 hours later he turned up and walked into the room ready to….well… ready to play. There was a struggle when he realised it wasn’t Madd
ie. Tried to hit the female officer, I came out of the bathroom and he went for me. As I was protecting myself, and before the swat could come in, the female officer shot him.”

  Aiden nodded even though Miller couldn’t see him. Somewhere along the journey he had bonded with the police officer. In extreme situations, shit like that happened.

  “Pleased the fucker got taken down by a woman.” Aiden muttered into the phone feeling comfortable to say what he was really thinking.

  “There is a sick kind of poetry to it.” The other man agreed. “How is she?”

  Turning his gaze back to the sofa he took in Maddie’s face. There was swelling around her eye and she looked like she had been in a war. Her skin was pale and she had big bags under her eyes. It may have only been a long afternoon that she was gone but her body had faced an awful trauma. Just thinking about what had happened to her made Aiden’s fist clench.

  They had been several hours in his life that he never wanted to relive ever again.

  When they had gotten to the police station Maddie had wanted him in the room when she had given her statement. To start with he thought it was because she only wanted to tell the story once. That hadn’t been it at all. Maddie had wanted him there to give her strength.

  As she had told her horrid tale Aiden had found himself getting more and more wound up. He had wanted to hunt fucking Charles down and show him what it felt like to be punched in the face, show him repeatedly. Then when Maddie told the woman officer about the shower scene…Well that had been too much. Aiden had had to stop the statement, pick Maddie up and walk outside the police station. He found a bench, put her carefully down on it while he paced back and forward trying to contain himself.

  When a couple of officers came running outside after them Maddie had told them she was okay and that the two of them just needed a moment. The two men looked between them before leaving slowly.

  Aiden knew that they should be grateful that nothing more had happened to Maddie but it didn’t stop the pain of what had happened. That asshole had threatened Aiden’s safety knowing Maddie would never do anything to risk that. Sick to his soul, Aiden picked up the speed of his pacing.