by M. G. Morgan
I didn’t make a sound as he rolled me over onto my back and sat down across my chest. He raised his fist, smashing it down on top of me again until I was sure I would simply pass out.
He wrapped his hands around my throat and squeezed, the pressure building in my body rapidly. I scrabbled at his hands, clawing at him, trying to make him release me. I needed air and if I didn’t get it soon then I was going to pass out. Deep down I knew what would happen to me if I did. It wasn’t something I wanted to think about, but the reality of the situation was suddenly all too real.
He released me as suddenly as he’d grabbed me, the look in his eyes wild and frightened. He hopped up from the floor and paced away from me, his hands brushing back through his blonde hair.
“No, no, no, no, not again. I won’t let you beat me again.”
His words filtered through the fog in my head. I could breathe again and the air I was dragging in past my bruised throat burned, but it felt wonderful.
He turned back to me and I expected the abuse to begin all over again. I cringed into a ball, huddling in on my body but he didn’t touch me.
“Rebecca ran just like you did. She found my keys in the desk and she got in that car. She was barely fit to stand… Couldn’t even see straight and do you know what she did? She drove straight off the cliff you tried to take a swan dive from this evening. She didn’t even slow down…”
His voice broke in a choked sob. He buried his face in his hands and when he finally looked up at me again, I could see the tears that streaked his cheeks.
“She left me, she preferred death over me… Why? WHY? Why would she do that?”
He crouched down on the floor next to me, his hands stroking softly through my hair before he pulled me up onto his lap.
“You’re just like her. But I won’t let you go… I’ll look after you, keep you safe.”
I didn’t like the sound of it, but it was something I could use to my advantage.
“You don’t want me to kill myself… Not again…”
He nodded and continued to stroke my hair.
“We need to fix you up, get you cleaned up…”
“But you can’t touch me, Christopher.”
His hands froze on my body. I fell silent instantly, waiting for the blows to come, waiting for him to fly off the handle again and kill me. But he didn’t.
Instead the sound of moaning drew my attention to the darkest corner of the room. I wasn’t sure what I was looking at and the sound it was making didn’t sound human. I pulled out of his grasp and he let me go so I took it as a positive sign. I crawled across the floor towards the corner. The moaning had taken on a gurgling sob and I could feel the hairs standing on the back of my neck.
The girl was strapped naked across a wooden horse. Her hands and feet were bound and she was spread across it like a piece of meat. Her back was a criss cross of cuts and bruises. But that wasn’t what worried me, it was the sound she was making. I knew that sound. I’d heard once as a trainee nurse in the hospital and it frightened me more than anything else. The sound had kept me awake at night for weeks. It was the sound of someone drowning in their own blood. Her lungs were filling with blood and she wouldn’t last long.
I stood and ran the last few steps to her side. She wasn’t conscious and for that I was grateful. And I knew as I stared down at her, my numb fingers fumbling with the straps that if I had the chance to kill Christopher then I would. There would be no hesitation, I would simply do it.
“What are you doing? She needs to learn a lesson.”
His voice boomed behind me and I jumped but I didn’t stop what I was doing. I had to help her, I couldn’t stand by and watch her die.
Christopher’s hand closed around my arm and he jerked me away from the prone figure on the horse. He spun me around to face him and he was back to his usual self again.
“I said, leave her.”
“I can’t.”
His eyes glittered with cruelty and I could see him devising some form of torture just for me.
“Unless you want to take her place. I advise leaving her be.”
“If I do that she’ll die.”
He seemed surprised for a second, his eyes narrowed.
“You’re lying.”
“I’m not, you know I trained to be a nurse and if she doesn’t get some sort of medical attention immediately then she’ll die. She’s drowning in her own blood, and I’d be surprised if she didn’t have some other sort of internal bleeding.”
He studied me for a second, his gaze darting between me and her before he finally made up his mind.
“I’ll let her get help… If…” He paused as if for dramatic flare.
I waited, a pit opening up in the bottom of my stomach. He was a cruel bastard, and what was worse was he seemed to enjoy inflicting such pain on people.
“You take her place.”
I waited, my mouth going dry and my breathing panicked and shallow. Give myself over to him in that way. I’d be opening myself up to him torturing me. But he was going to torture me anyway. Would I be able to live with myself if I allowed some other poor girl to die, all because I wasn’t strong enough, wasn’t brave enough to face him. I couldn’t have that on my conscience.
“Fine.”
“No, I want you to beg me to allow you to take her place.” He smiled, a cruel twist of his lips.
The words turned to ash on my tongue. I didn’t want to beg, I didn’t want to ever beg him for anything. Closing my eyes I imagined Aidan bursting through the door and sweeping me up into his arms. The cool touch of his lips on mine as he kissed me. The comforting embrace of his arms as he cradled me.
One small tear slipped from my eye as I imagined him coming for me. I just needed to hold onto the image of him. He would come for me. He would save me. And if I could then I would help as many girls trapped here as I could.
“Please, Christopher.”
He wrapped his hand around my throat, the look in his eyes suddenly intense.
“Call me Master.”
I coughed, the words struggling to leave my lips.
“Please, Master, let me take her place.”
He smiled, but it was more a barring of his teeth.
“Your wish, is my command.”
My eyes felt heavy, as though they were made of lead as I struggled to open them. The cold stone beneath my cheek told me I was back in the cell and for that I was grateful. My scalp tingled and as I sat up I couldn’t help but run my fingers through the now black locks. How twisted was Christopher that he felt the need to dye my hair?
At first he had seemed to enjoy it, pinned over the horse there was no way for me to even attempt to stop him from dying it. But then something had changed. The frightened look had returned to his eyes.
When he reached out to me, his hand coming closer to my face, I couldn’t stop myself from cringing away from him. I didn’t want him to touch me, he was repulsive. But whatever he saw in that moment, whatever his twisted mind showed him was enough to send him running from the room.
I wrapped my arms around my knees, curling my body in on itself in an attempt to stay warm. The cell was freezing and most of my clothes were ripped. Running through the woods and being chased down by a psychopath wasn’t exactly conducive to keeping clothing intact.
I let my mind wander, my thoughts taking on a life of their own. I thought of Aidan. I wanted to be in his arms. If the power of thought alone was enough to wish me into his arms in that moment, then I’d have managed it.
Tears tracked down my cheeks. Would he ever be able to find me? Would I live long enough to see him again? Christopher wasn’t exactly the type who kept girls around for very long. There would come a time when he grew bored of torturing me and when he did then my time would be up.
Closing my eyes once more I remembered lying in bed with Aidan, the feel of his arms around my body, protecting me. I had so many regrets, so many things I didn’t get to tell him. So many answers that I wish had
been different.
“Bella, marry me?”
My body froze in shock, my heart skipping a beat as I tried to catch my breath. It wasn’t something I’d expected but it was exactly what I wanted. He was perfect for me, everything I wanted in this world. Everything good and happy about my life and I wanted him there always.
Most people would consider me stupid. They’d try to convince me I was rushing into it. But they hadn’t lived my life. They hadn’t seen and experienced some of the things I had. They hadn’t watched as their lives were almost ripped to shreds right in front of their eyes, while they were forced to watch on, helpless to stop it.
I swallowed hard. Aidan’s eyes were trained on mine. Watching my every movement, probably expecting me to say no.
“Yes…”
His eyes widened in surprise. “You mean it?”
“Yeah, but…”
He froze, his smile slipping a little. I pressed my fingers against his lips. “It’s not a bad thing. I’ve said yes… but not yet.”
Aidan watched me his look a little suspicious. “I don’t understand. Are you trying to say you might change your mind?”
I laughed and kissed him quickly. “No. But we need some time. We need to just be with each other. Enjoy each other. I’ve said yes and I mean it. I won’t change my mind. I’m just saying I don’t want to rush past what we have right now either? Does that make sense?”
Aidan nodded slowly, “I suppose. I wasn’t trying to rush you if that’s what you’re worried about?”
I shook my head. “No I’m not worried at all… I’m just saying that I want to experience a little bit of this happiness that we have right now, before we move onto another form of happiness…”
He smiled and ran his fingers across my stomach. “I can live with that.”
I shivered again and he wrapped his arms around me, pulling my body tight against his chest.
If I had my time back now I would have told him straight up, yes. No strings attached. I wouldn’t have bothered worrying about what others thought of me. Life was far too short for that, Christopher had shown me that. I had been a fool and now I was paying the price.
“Aidan, I’m sorry… I should have said yes.”
My words came out in a whisper. I wanted him to hear me, I wanted him, needed him to know how I felt about him. And now he never would. Maybe I was just feeling sorry myself, I needed to be strong. I had to believe that I would see Aidan again. Giving up now only meant that Christopher had won. And I didn’t want that arrogant bastard to win. I wouldn’t let him get the best of me, I wouldn’t let him break me. I was better than that.
There were so many girls here, so many girls that were in the same situation as me. Some of them were probably in a far worse situation. Christopher seemed to be spooked by me, and maybe, just maybe that would work in my favour. The others weren’t that lucky, so maybe I could do some good. Helping others would help me stay sane, and it would stop me from losing all hope. The hope that Aidan would come for me, that he would still love me. The hope that I would live to see him again. I had so many wishes, hopes and dreams that I needed to cling to. Helping others would just keep me on track. And I would do whatever it took to get there in the end.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Aidan
Two Years Later
The time since Bella disappeared seemed to stretch on and on. The more time that passed, days, weeks, months, years, the less likely it seemed that I would find her. Desperation was beginning to set in, but I would never share that with anyone else. I couldn’t, the loss of her was my burden to bear, it belonged to no one but me and it would stay that way.
I was starting to forget small things about her. Did she tuck her hair behind her left ear, or was it always her right? I knew what perfume she favoured and yet, when I smelled it, it wasn’t the same as her. Or at least I didn’t think it was. I couldn’t be sure of anything anymore. The reality of Bella was slipping away from me and it was taking a piece of my soul with it.
I glanced over my reflection in the mirror, my hand drifting over the new haircut I’d given myself. The hair was cropped so close to my head now that it felt more like stubble than actual hair. I’d even considered taking a razor to what remained. It felt better this way. If I was forgetting her, then I needed to change. I wasn’t the young desperate detective anymore. I was harder. I knew it within myself.
At first I’d fought the change but not anymore. Now it was apart of me. Losing her had taken the softer side of me. All that was left was a hard shell of a man who was desperate to get her back. And struggling to come to terms with the fact that I might never find her.
So much time had passed, and Christopher had never been known to keep girls past a certain amount of time. The thought of Bella’s body buried somewhere, an unmarked grave… Her final moments a blur of terror and pain and pleading… Pleading for the man that had failed her, it almost crippled me. Agony ripped through my gut and yet outwardly the only sign of my anguish was a slight tightening around my mouth. I had become professional at hiding what I truly felt. And it was a good thing. The less people saw of the real me, the more I could manipulate them for my own use.
Thomas had been good to me, but his plan was taking far too long. It was almost as though he felt afraid to truly make a move against his half brother. I could practically see the guilt he felt, mirrored in his eyes every time I brought up the idea of finishing this. Deep down he knew the truth. He knew what Christopher had done to Rebecca. There was nothing… Not trail to follow. It was as though she had simply vanished.
Vanished like Bella. Christopher was simply too good at covering his tracks, he left nothing behind to find, nothing to trace back to him. Just gone.
I straightened the black tie I wore as the cell phone of the bedside locker began to buzz. I scooped it up and lifted it to my ear, I expected to hear Thomas’ excited voice on the other end. He’d put everything else on hold to get married. A part of me was happy for him, he was a nice guy, he deserved a happy ending. But a greater part of me, the dominant half of me hated him for it.
I hated that he would get to watch the woman he loved walk down the aisle towards him. I hated that he had paused the investigation for this. And I hated that he wouldn’t tell me where Christopher was holed up. He’d said he was doing it for my own good, I didn’t see it that way.
“Aidan.”
His voice wasn’t filled with excitement, it was filled with terror. It had me instantly on alert.
“What is it, Thomas? What happened?”
“She’s gone, Aidan! Stacey is gone. After the ceremony she just disappeared. I thought she was talking to her family but I can’t find her anywhere!”
His voice hinted at the edge of hysteria and panic that he was threatening to disappear into. He needed to keep his head.
“Have your security shut the place down, don’t let anyone leave. I’ll be right there.”
But he had already hung up. I knew he’d do as I said, Thomas trusted my instincts. He’d asked me to attend the wedding and I’d turned him down. Happy occasions weren’t my thing, not anymore. Grabbing my gun I couldn’t help but feel a sick sense of satisfaction creeping through my chest.
I hadn’t wanted things to go this way. Thomas was a good man and he loved Stacey. I’d watched them together often enough, felt the gnawing envy eating away at me. It wasn’t fair. None of it was fair. And now, now it felt like a sort of twisted justice had been served. I wasn’t allowed to have the woman I loved… It made sense that no one else could have their happy endings either.
The car zipped around the tight bends in the road easily. I had one hand on the wheel, the other resting in my lap. If Bella could see me now she probably wouldn’t approve of who I’d become. I was reckless and yet, I really didn’t care. I wanted to be reckless, if I died what would it matter? She was probably already dead, I certainly had no proof that she was still alive.
And yet, something made me put both hands b
ack on the wheel. Something whispered in the back of my head that I couldn’t give up. Until I knew for certain, until I witnessed it with my own eyes I still held a tiny flicker of hope. And that tiny flicker meant I had to live, I had to live so I could save her.
The car screeched around the final bend and I swung the car into the manor’s drive way. The house loomed up in front of me, sitting at the end of the long gravel drive. Stones sprayed up around the car as I abruptly put the car into park and hopped out. There was a sinking feeling in my stomach that told me something awful had happened.
People had gathered at the side of the house and as I jogged closer I could make out the sound of wailing. There didn’t seem to be any cops on the scene and no ambulance crews. Had they even bothered to call any of the authorities?
I pushed my way through the guests, finally breaking out into the clearing. Stacey was on her knees, her white lace and satin dress fanned out around her. It was her that the terrible wailing was coming from and the moment I broke free of the crowd I could see why.
Thomas lay on his back, half on the grass, half on the gravel path, shattered glass from the broken window splintered around him. For a moment I found myself frozen on the spot. Stacey continued to sob but it was the only sound being made. If I hadn’t known better I’d have said the people gathered around were all mannequins, they certainly didn’t seem real. It felt more like a staged set.
My boots crunched across the gravel and Stacey turned to stare up at me. Her green eyes swam with emotion and her dark brown hair was mussed up as though she’d been involved in some sort of struggle.
“Aidan, help him, please, help him.”
I crouched down next to her, pulling the cell phone from its place inside my suit jacket. My fingers slid across the screen, dialling the number for the emergency services. With my free hand I reached across and placed my fingers against Thomas’ throat. There was a small flicker, he wasn’t dead.