Waiting on April

by Bella Settarra

  “There’s only one other way to find out,” Dave told him with a grin.

  Steve felt a lurch in his stomach. Usually he would have loved the idea of going to see April, especially as he was actually on duty right now, but somehow he knew his timing was completely off. Still, this was his job and he couldn’t avoid seeing her because of some personal matter when there was so much at stake.

  “She won’t be pleased to see me,” Steve warned him.

  “Can’t help that, buddy. I’m just a cop doing my job, that’s all.” Dave smirked.

  “Yeah, I don’t think she’ll quite see it that way somehow, bro,” Steve replied with a grimace.

  Steve was right. He could see by the look on her face when she opened the door she wasn’t exactly pleased to see him. Still, business was business and he knew even she couldn’t argue with him doing his job.

  He watched her face now as she hesitated to tell him exactly what happened here the other night. He was done with jumping to conclusions. It was time for the truth.

  She bit her lip. “Greg was waiting for me after work the other night. He’d come to tell me he wanted me back, but I told him I didn’t want him. He got real insistent, said he wouldn’t leave my house until I promised to think about it.”

  Steve fought hard to keep his cool. “How insistent? Did he hurt you?”

  She shook her head a little sheepishly. “No. I told him I’d give it some thought though, just to get rid of him.”

  Steve huffed. He wondered whether he should have come knocking on the door after the asshole had left after all. She must have been pretty shaken up by him.

  “And did you think about it, honey?” Dave asked casually.

  April grinned. “There was nothing to think about. I knew I didn’t want to go back with him. I could never trust him.”

  Steve felt a thud in his stomach. Would she ever trust him now? After all, he’d gone off half-cocked and got her into strife with the bastard. Not to mention the fallout from CondomGate to deal with. Phew, he’d really done a number on the poor little sub without a second’s thought. What he wouldn’t give to know just what was going on in that pretty little head of hers right now.

  “Is that what you were telling him in the diner?” Steve sighed, guessing that she wouldn’t want that brought up right now.

  She nodded. “He said he’d come back ’round here for my answer, but I knew I’d have trouble getting him to leave again. I told him to meet me there as it’s more public and I thought I could just get up and leave when I wanted to.” She pouted. “As it turned out it was him who upped and left me picking up his tab. Guess I wasn’t quick enough there.” She smiled a little ruefully.

  “I know what I’d have done,” Steve growled. He could feel his heckles rise at the mere thought of the way the asshole had treated his sweet little sub.

  “I take it he didn’t take kindly to being shot down?” Dave asked slowly, just as his radio sounded. “Excuse me, I need to take this.”

  Steve frowned as his partner went out into the little hall to answer their colleague. He contemplated continuing the questioning without him, but his thoughts were interrupted when Dave shot back into the room.

  “The fuckwad’s just been seen heading for the hospital. We gotta go, buddy.”

  Steve jumped to his feet as a lead weight hit the bottom of his gut.

  “Greg?” April stared at him and his heart went out to her.

  “No, darlin’. Nothing to do with that. It’s another case we’re working on,” he explained quickly as they rushed to the door. “We’ll catch you later.” He followed Dave out of the little house and jumped into his SUV, revving his engine as he tore down the street.

  “What the hell’s he doing out of custody? I thought we had him?” Steve snarled as they headed for the hospital.

  “Had to let him go again. That dang lawyer of his insisted they didn’t have enough to go on. The girl’s still not talking. We can’t prove anything until she does. Even with all the forensics we got on him, he’s still adamant it’s all consensual.”

  Steve seethed. He hated cases like this. “Yeah and if she dies? What’s his fancy lawyer going to come up with then? Suicide?”

  “Let’s just hope it doesn’t come to that,” Dave replied calmly.

  Just then there was more shouting over the radio.

  “They got him?” Steve frowned.

  “Yup. She’s got an armed guard outside of her door anyhow. He didn’t get near her.” Dave sighed.

  Steve let up on the gas a little, but still drove toward the hospital. “Let’s hope this is enough to keep him locked up again for a while.”

  “Amen to that, brother. The longer we can keep scum like that off the streets the safer we’ll all be.”

  They pulled up in the parking lot and caught up with a couple of officers outside the main building.

  “They’ve got him,” one of them confirmed.

  “Great. How’s the girl?” Steve asked, his stomach churning a little. The more he thought of the poor woman in that bed, the more he realized the danger he’d put April in by antagonizing Preston.

  “Better,” the officer said with a nod. “They’ve got her sedated, but she’s improving.”

  Steve sighed. Thank God.

  “Wanna go see?” Dave asked, obviously catching his relief.

  Steve nodded and followed him inside.

  “She’s not talking yet.” A uniformed officer sat outside the door to the little side room. “The doctor’s with her at the minute.”

  “You managed to keep the fucker away then?” Steve checked.

  The guy grinned. “Didn’t get near. They headed him off near the main doors. Pity really, I was hoping for a crack at the bastard myself.”

  “Join the line, buddy.” Dave shook his head.

  “I’m sorry, you can’t go in there.” A pretty blonde nurse came out of the side room wheeling a blood pressure machine.

  “That’s all right, ma’am. We just wondered if there was any news?” Steve smiled at her.

  She blushed. “Yes, sir. She’s improving slowly. We’re keeping her sedated for a while longer while her strength builds, but it’s looking good. You might be able to see her in a day or two.”

  “Thank you, ma’am. That’s real good to hear.” Steve smiled at her again, and felt his stomach ease a little.

  “Time for a coffee?” Dave offered with a grin.

  “Yeah, hardly tasted the last one, my nerves were so edgy.” Steve grimaced.

  “You looked like a teenager on prom night back there,” Dave teased with a grin.

  “Thanks for that, buddy.” Steve shook his head as they went in search of the cafeteria. On the way Steve’s cell sounded.

  “At last. The couriers.” Steve flipped his phone open. “Yeah, you’re certain on that? That’s great news. Thanks for your time, I appreciate it.”

  Dave grinned at him, obviously reading his expression. “Go on. I can see you’re dying to tell me.”

  “Mary-Lou Trammell signed for the package at seven fifty-eight this morning.” Steve grinned. “So much for her not getting home until half past eight.”

  “And your little girl stated that Preston was at her place until just after eight,” Dave concurred, consulting his notebook. “So they weren’t together.”

  They high-fived just as they arrived at the counter.

  “Two coffees please,” Steve asked the server with a grin.

  “Looks like we need to have another word with those two and find out just what in the hell Preston was really up to this morning.” Dave placed the tray on the table and sat down with a sigh just as his radio sounded again. He stared up at his partner in horror as the message came over the airwaves.

  “They lost the guy.”

  “They lost Mark Trammell?” Steve asked, stunned. “Shit! There’s only one place he’d be going to!”

  “And we’re halfway across town.”

  CHAPTER NINE

 
April was relieved she hadn’t had to tell the guys about what really happened the other night. She could see the disapproving looks she was receiving from Master Steve when she was telling him about the difficulty she had getting rid of Greg, and was just waiting for him to berate her for letting him into the house in the first place. She knew she’d been stupid; she didn’t need him to tell her. And as for those self-defense lessons, she just knew Master Steve was biting his tongue over them!

  She’d tidied up their dishes and spent a cozy hour reading her book before deciding it was time to start getting ready for work. She was almost done when she heard the doorbell. Damn! Master Steve had said they would catch up with her later, but surely he wouldn’t want to keep her talking now? This was the last thing she needed right before a busy shift. And she’d miss the bus if she didn’t leave in the next few minutes.

  “I can’t talk now…” the words tumbled out of her mouth as she hauled open the front door.

  “That’s all right, sweetheart, this won’t take long.”

  A familiar voice growled at her as he pushed past her and into her small hallway. It certainly wasn’t Master Steve—it was Mark Trammell.

  “Hey, what do you think you’re doing?” She shrieked at him as he swung the door out of her hand and slammed it shut.

  “I could ask you the fucking same thing, slag!” He pinned her against the door with his large frame, his face right in hers, eyes blazing with anger.

  April gawped at him in amazement. His black eye was worse than her own, and he had a deep cut across his neck, which wasn’t there the last time she’d seen him.

  “I haven’t done anything!” Her voice was hoarse with fear as she struggled to breathe against his monstrous weight.

  “Like fuck you haven’t! How in hell do you think I got this?” He pointed to his eye while digging his elbow into her collarbone to keep her in place.

  April’s brain scrambled for a coherent thought. She shook her head dumbly. None of this made any sense.

  “Your fucking lover boy, that’s where! You told him I hit you, didn’t you, bitch?” He hollered into her ear and she winced at the pain.

  “I didn’t,” she whispered, shaking her head. “I didn’t say that.”

  His full force was squashing her tiny frame against the wooden door, and she could feel his heat as she struggled for air.

  “You told him I was here! You told him I went to the cops claiming it was him, didn’t ya, bitch?” He yanked her hair which was tied in a tight bun on top of her head.

  Her scalp stung with his force and she felt herself begin to panic. This guy was all muscle and he had her completely paralyzed against the door. Her mind raced as she tried to remember all the moves Master Steve had taught her. “Use your hands to attack the upper body, elbows and knees for the rest.”

  She couldn’t pull her knee up because he had both her legs locked in place with his own. Both her hands were being held firmly above her head with one of his, her elbows were trapped beneath his arms, while the weight of his whole body kept her firmly against the hard wood. There had to be something she could do. She just needed her best weapon, her brain, to get her out of it. Momentarily closing her eyes, she could hear Master Steve’s lazy drawl egging her on to think. She took deep breaths, slowing her breathing and allaying her fear.

  Concentrating on each part of her body she realized there was something that wasn’t quite immobilized—her feet. Because of the way her legs had been trapped there wasn’t much room to maneuver, but if she relied on the element of surprise…

  Without even opening her eyes, she quickly lifted her right foot and kicked him with all her strength right across his shin. He jumped with a yell.

  “Fucking bitch!” Her eyes sprang open as she felt his grip loosen on her arms and she immediately tried to shove him backward.

  “No, you don’t!” He grabbed her left arm while bending the fingers of her right hand back toward the top of her wrist.

  She screamed as the pain ripped through her body.

  “You’ve brought all this on yourself you stupid slut!” he shouted as he finally relented and pinned her hands back above her head. She was almost suffocated by his weight, but he was undeterred. “You’ve got no one to blame but yourself. You told him I’d set the cops onto him didn’t you, bitch?”

  She slunk back against the door, unable to hold back the torrent of tears which flooded her face. His words resonated in her head and she remembered the conversation she’d had with Greg. She’d suggested it was Trammell who had told the cops it was Greg who had hit her. This was her own damn fault! Fuck. It hadn’t occurred to her that Greg would hit him, or that it would all come back on her.

  “I told Greg you came ’round because you thought we were seeing each other,” she admitted, trying to calm him—as well as herself—down a little. “Didn’t he tell you you’d got it all wrong? I’m not seeing him.” Her voice was feeble, but it was the best she could do.

  “I saw you, slut! I saw him come in the other night and the next day he was wining and dining you in some place in town! You can’t deny it. I saw you with my own eyes.” His voice was vicious as he squeezed harder on her hair, causing her to yelp.

  “I was telling him I didn’t want him.” She was pleading with him now, as tears streamed down her face, partly from pain, partly from fear, and partly from sheer frustration.

  “Likely fucking story! Mary-Lou told me you were sniffing around him. How can you do that to a pregnant woman, you bitch?” He yelled right into her face and his hot breath blasted her flushed cheeks.

  She tried to shake her head, but he held it firm by the hair. She couldn’t move. She was completely helpless.

  “I wouldn’t,” she whispered, but she knew he wasn’t listening.

  “How would he like it if I got you pregnant, hey?” His teeth were gritted as he snarled at her like a wolf rounding on its prey.

  April stared at him, not daring to breathe. Did he really just say that? Would he? Not if she had anything to do with it, he wouldn’t! How dare the bastard come into her house and threaten her like this?

  “How do you think he’d feel then, hey? Think he’d still want you? Think he’d think you were worth losing his own kid over?”

  Bile rose in her throat as she imagined what he could do to her. She felt her whole body tremble as fear and anger flooded her system in equal measures. It didn’t matter what Greg fucking Preston wanted; she was more concerned about Master Steve not wanting her. She couldn’t let it happen, there had to be a way out of this if she could just think straight.

  Forcing herself to blink the tears out of the way, she stared up at the hall clock until it came into focus. It was half past six. Time for the team briefing. Master Dominic would soon be wondering where she was. He might contact Master Steve to see if he’d seen her. Master Steve would come to find her. Hope began to well inside her as she thought of her friends. They would be worried about her. They would help her. Oh God, she just hoped they would get here in time. If she could just stall him…

  “P-please.” It was all she could produce as she silently pleaded with him not to follow through with his plan.

  He laughed. It was cruel, taunting. He looked like a madman. It was all so unreal.

  “Let’s get this going, shall we?” He started pawing at her clothes.

  Her mind raced. They were blocking the door here—her only way out, Master Steve’s only way in.

  “The-the bedroom’s through there,” she managed.

  He sneered. “Are you asking me into your bedroom, bitch?” His voice was smarmy as he stared at her though fiery eyes.

  She stared at him in disbelief. He couldn’t be serious! What kind of sicko would do something like this? He was looking at her expectantly, without conscience.

  “I asked you a question, bitch? Are you inviting me into your bedroom?” He was staring straight into her eyes, speaking through gritted teeth.

  Her thoughts scrambled. Why was
he making her say it? It didn’t make any sense. Unless…

  Her mind flashed back to a particularly grueling session in the gym with Master Steve. He had accused her of not taking it all seriously enough. He was trying to convince her of the severity of the situation. She was exhausted, but he was determined to show her it was mental as well as physical. He’d scared her by telling her that some guys—bad wannabe Doms included—would try to force a girl to consent to the most unspeakable things so they would have plausible deniability and get away with it.

  At the time she had thought he was overreacting, that she would never be stupid enough to fall for a trick like that. Now she realized Master Steve had been right to worry.

  She tried to nod her head, but she couldn’t move. She opened her mouth, but it was dry. Her jaw shook too much for her to make the word, but she managed a sort of squeal from within her throat.

  The leer on his face told her he had taken it for a “yes,” and he slowly released his weight from her aching body.

  “All right. If you insist,” he sneered, staring into her face all the time.

  She was convinced she was gazing into the eyes of a psychopath as he gradually released her legs, holding her focus with his burning stare as they slowly moved toward the bedroom. It was now or never.

  She lifted her knee, ready to kick him between the legs. Too slow. He saw it coming and grabbed her foot in his huge hand, yanking it out of his way, and wrenching her thigh. She screamed as the pain tore through her. She knew the moves, but Master Steve had been too gentle an instructor.

  “See how you like it, bitch!” he yelled at her as she toppled to the floor, falling flat on her back.

  As she did so, she heard her cell phone ringing from the bedroom. She tried to jump up, despite the searing pain in her spine, but he had her pinned to the carpet with a heavy foot on her chest. Someone must have noticed she hadn’t turned up for work by now. She knew they would worry when they got no answer. Someone would be looking for her soon. She just had to hang on.