Shocking Heaven

by Sidebottom, D. H.

  “Hello E” Austin hissed, as he shoved me down on to the ground.

  My eyes went wide as I took in his crazy features.

  His face was red and angry, his teeth were bared, his eyes were wide and frenzied, and his sweaty hands were shaking against my face with his adrenaline.

  I struggled against him but his firm grip held me secure underneath him and I shook my head desperately trying to tell him to stop before he did anything he’d regret.

  “Thought I’d left?” he snarled and I managed to swallow the bile that was surging up my throat.

  One of his clammy hands stroked down my face and over my neck, triggering a whimper from my squashed mouth.

  “Always thought you was better than me didn’t you E?”

  I shook my head wildly.

  What the hell was he on about?

  “All I asked was that you passed a message onto Melissa but you had to get your henchmen to…to beat the shit out of me. All for asking for a favour E” he spat and his spittle splattered my face and I closed my eyes against it.

  “No” I mumbled under his hand but I doubt he could understand me. I don’t think he was really listening to me anyway; he seemed phased out, somewhere in his own gaga land.

  “I think that deserves a bit of retribution E.”

  Oh Shit!

  “Austin. No” I muffled under his hand as his other hand slid further down and over my breastbone, his eyes tracking their undertaking before he came to my breast and fondled it harshly.

  A sob tore up through my throat as I bucked and thrashed under him.

  The punch of his tight fist on my cheekbone smarted and a tear slid free.

  “Keep. Fucking. Still. Or this will be fucking painful” he jeered.

  His hand reached the button on my jeans and I shook my head rapidly, my eyes wide and wild as I started crying properly.

  I closed my eyes and prayed as he gripped the waist band of my jeans and nudged them down over my hips with my knickers.

  I screamed under his hand and as it slipped down a little, I managed to get my teeth into the flesh at the base of his thumb and I bit down savagely. His blood filled my mouth and I gagged at its taste.

  He squealed and when he removed his hand to punch me again I screamed at the top of my voice.

  I was so proud of my lungs…singing must have helped because the pitch of my scream perforated my own eardrums as well as Austin’s.

  “You fucking Bitch” he shouted as his fist connected with the side of my head and everything went black.

  ***

  My head throbbed, the pain was a thumping pressure and I moaned before I had even opened my eyes.

  “E?” Luce whispered from the side of me.

  “Mmmm” I moaned but still refused to open my eyes.

  “You okay?”

  “Mmmm.”

  I finally peeled them open to find Luce sat beside me on a chair with her hand in mine.

  I was desperately searching my brain to try and remember why I was laid in hospital and as she sensed my confusion she squeezed my hand “You’re in hospital E.”

  “Yeah” I moaned and then my eyes widened when it occurred to me exactly why I was there.

  I scrambled backwards up the bed; my eyes were wide as the terror set in and I gripped Lucy’s hand tightly.

  “Luce…Austin.”

  She nodded and smiled gently. “Yeah Hun, I know.”

  “Did he…Did he…?” I asked as I squeezed myself to ascertain if there was any soreness.

  “No” Boss declared from a dark corner of the room and I jolted in surprise at his voice.

  “Boss?” I squinted in the direction of his voice and I saw him approach slowly.

  His smile was soft even though his eyes showed so much pain. “Hey Hot stuff” he said softly as he bent to plant a tender kiss on my forehead.

  “What happened after…he punched me in the head and I can’t remember…I don’t know what he did…I don’t know…” I was starting to panic, unsure of what Austin had done when I had been knocked unconscious.

  “Hey. Ssshhh” Boss soothed. “It’s okay E. Bulk, Romeo, Cam and me got there before he…before he…” he swallowed heavily and I puffed out a large breath and nodded wildly.

  “Okay” I choked out and glanced around the room. “Jax?”

  Boss shrugged his shoulders. “We can’t get hold of him. I have no god damn clue where the prick is!” he snarled.

  “What time is it?” I asked, now growing concerned with Jax’s disappearance.

  “Just gone 5” Luce informed me and I frowned then winced as my cheek bone throbbed. “Shit!”

  Where the hell was he?

  I looked between Luce and Boss “Did you report it?”

  Boss nodded. “Yeah” Was all he said before he looked away and I grabbed his hand. “Boss?”

  He rolled his eyes at me “Well. I realised you was in trouble when I heard you on the phone and we came looking for you. The others kinda’ kicked the shit out of the bastard while I picked you up. Police dragged them in.”

  My eyes widened and I kind of hiccupped…don’t ask me why I hiccupped because I have absolutely no idea!

  “What the hell? They were just protecting me!” I declared as Boss nodded and shrugged but settled his hand on mine. “E. Don’t blame yourself for this. It’s not your fault.”

  I couldn’t help it. I did blame myself.

  “But…Shit! You shouldn’t have reported it Boss.”

  He glared at me so hard I quaked under his stare. “That’s bullshit E and you know it. The guys will be fine and Austin deserves fucking locking away…fuckin’ animal!” he snarled as he turned away from me.

  “They got any previous Boss?”

  I noticed he cringed but he didn’t respond as his phone rang in his pocket.

  He pulled it out and released an almighty huff when he answered. “Where the fuck are you?” he roared and I could hear the silence on the other end of the line.

  Boss was livid and I gathered it was Jax that had called him, probably to find out why the house was empty at 5 O’clock in the morning.

  “E’s in hospital and you had better get your fucking arse down here now. She fucking needs you, you arsehole!”

  “Boss, it’s okay…it’s fine. He had stuff…”

  He gave me that killer glare again. “The fuck its okay hot stuff…You rang him…You fucking rang him!” he hissed at me.

  I heard Jax scream down the phone at him, asking him what the hell had happened.

  “Austin tried to…Fuck Jax; he tried to rape her…”

  He planted the phone back in his pocket and I presumed Jax had disconnected on the other end.

  He spun around and punched the wall before he disappeared through the door and Luce and I stared at each other.

  “I think he’s pissed cos’ he didn’t get to kick the shit out of Austin” she divulged with a tiny laugh and I nodded.

  “He cares a lot about you E. We all do…” Tears flooded in her eyes and she blinked rapidly as she tried to fight them. “Hey. I’m fine” I whispered as I pulled her hand to my mouth and gave it a small kiss, followed by a smile.

  She nodded her head rapidly but sucked in her teeth “When Romeo called me…I…I really thought he had…”

  I clutched her hand tightly and shook my head. “But he didn’t. I’m okay” I whispered.

  She nodded sternly and wiped her tears away with the back of her hand before she rolled her eyes “The police wanna talk to you.”

  I nodded. “Of Course” I sighed heavily as the nurse entered the room.

  “Hello Eve. You decided to join us?” she smiled kindly and I returned her smile.

  “Didn’t wanna be too lazy” I winked then winced as a sharp pain shot through my pupil.

  “No winking love. You’ve got a right proper black eye there” she chuckled and I knew she wasn’t being offensive, just trying to put me at ease.

  She took my obs and chec
ked me over before she shoved some pain killers in my hand and passed me a cup of water “These will help with the pain.”

  I nodded and swallowed them down as the door opened and a policewoman appeared.

  “Hi Eve” she ducked her head slightly as she smiled gently and I groaned internally.

  I hated false sympathy.

  To her I was just another attempted rape victim. One of many, just another number in the sexual assault statistics and to be honest…it fucking stank!

  “You up to answering some questions?” she asked as she ventured across the room and dragged the spare chair to the other side of the bed.

  Didn’t look like I had much choice then really.

  “Before I answer any questions I want to know what’s happening with my friends” I told her sternly.

  Her eyebrows elevated slightly “Your friends?”

  “Yes. They got into trouble for coming to help me and apparently now they are all down at the police station.”

  She nodded and stood before she left the room and went into the corridor.

  Luce scowled at me and I narrowed my eyes on her “I need to know they’re okay Luce. They beat him up for me and now they’re in trouble.”

  “I know E, but I’m sure they’ll be fine.”

  I shrugged. Who could tell?

  The policewoman re-entered the room and smiled at me “They’ve just been given a warning and they have all been released.”

  I sighed heavily and beamed at her “Thank you so much.”

  She retook her place in the chair and scrunched her nose. “It’s no problem love. I can understand why you are concerned and to be honest I wish I had friends like that” she winked at me and I decided I liked her.

  “Yeah. They’re…” I sucked on my lips as I suddenly felt emotional. “They’re…”

  She patted my hand and flipped out her notebook for a diversion.

  “Okay Eve. I’m WPC Gemma Broadley and I’m here to take a statement from you about the incident which occurred in the early hours of this morning in the vicinity of Blythes Hall Student village. Are you okay to answer some questions?”

  And so it began…

  CHAPTER 26

  Jax came barrelling into my room just as Gemma finished my statement and had taken photographs, scraped my fingernails and bagged my clothes for evidence.

  She had been lovely. Never rushing me and her questions had been tactful and discreet as she had taken me through it all step by step.

  “Babe.” Was all he said and I saw his adams apple bob up and down as he scrutinised my face.

  “Your fella?” Gemma whispered in my ear.

  I nodded. Her eyes twinkled. “Wow” she mouthed and I chuckled slightly but nodded and waggled my eyebrows.

  “I’ll be in touch Eve” she reassured me as she left.

  Luce stood up. “I’ll leave you two alone” she nodded comfortingly before she smiled at Jax, then left.

  Jax stood chewing frantically on his bottom lip for a while before he crossed the room in three long strides.

  His fingers stroked across each bruise on my face as his face darkened and his breathing deepened.

  “I’m okay” I whispered as I looked up at him.

  A low growl reverberated from his chest but he sat on the bed beside me, scooped me up and pulled me onto his lap.

  His hand threaded through my hair before he pushed my head onto his chest and he settled us back down on the bed.

  We lay like that for ages. Just curled up with each other, me taking comfort from him as he took solace from me.

  “Babe” he whispered against the top of my head. “I…Fuck!”

  “Hey. I’m good. The guy’s got there in time” I pacified but he sighed heavily.

  “You rang me. Fuck babe. You fuckin’ rang me.”

  I buried my face in his chest when I couldn’t hold back the tears any longer.

  His breath stunted as I sobbed but he didn’t say anything or even move, just let me let it out as he tenderly stroked my back and arm and I gave it him all. Each tear, each piece of my pain, each part of my terror and each chunk of relief for what could have been so much worse.

  “So fuckin’ sorry babe” he breathed out eventually “I should have…”

  I peeked up at him and shook my head. “Hey no. You had to deal with Fran. How is she?” I asked as I turned and knelt beside him so I could see him properly.

  He puffed out a large heavy breath “She took an overdose. Lost the baby.”

  Oh God!

  “Oh Jax. I’m so sorry baby.”

  I straddled his legs, my thin thighs encompassing his thick ones as I cupped his face and rested my forehead against his.

  He clicked his tongue and his face threw out many of his emotions. Something I had rarely witnessed from him but this time he was hurting and he needed me to know that.

  I placed a gentle kiss on his nose “Before you say it Jax…it wasn’t your fault. She was already high when she came to the pub.”

  I knew exactly what was going through his head and it was crucial that I helped ease his pain.

  “But you said it babe. In the pub.”

  I frowned and took hold of his hand as I gently traced around each of his fingers, anything to just touch him and try to absorb all his horrible thoughts.

  “I said what baby?”

  “You said that I was…cruel” his face screwed up as though he was experiencing real physical pain and I bit my lip and wished I could rewind time, just take us back to that night in Z Bar when she came knocking.

  But who knew if anything would be different?

  I swallowed back my guilt and cupped his face. “Baby. Yes, there are ways to say things but you are you and however or whichever way you say things…you’re just you. Fran knows you didn’t mean to be cruel. Hell, she stormed in fists flying. If a person’s gonna behave like that, then they should expect some sort of reaction to it.”

  He nodded slowly. “Well she got revenge didn’t she!” he hissed and I cocked my head, shrugging with incomprehension.

  “She took me away from you when you needed me” His voice broke as he said the words and my heart ached for him.

  “Jax, baby I’m okay. A little shook up yes, a little sore, but I’m okay.”

  He closed his eyes tightly. “You still mine babe?” he asked on a whisper as though he was nervous of my answer.

  “Lock, stock and barrel baby” I whispered back as I leaned into him and brushed my lips over his.

  A whimper left his throat before his arms surrounded me and he drew me into him.

  “I love you Eve Hudson” he hummed against my lips.

  “And I love you Jaxon Cooper.”

  So fucking much!

  ***

  Friday afternoon came around way too quickly and Jax and I were singing loudly to a Kings of Leon song as we made our way down the motorway, back to my Moms.

  I had decided to just go for one night with Jax chaperoning me. The last thing I needed was to push my luck that my mother would behave for more than that length of time.

  I had told her we were coming, so I was hoping she had no orgies planned, especially with Jax being with me…I would have died, and I was optimistic that she would be clean.

  Well not optimistic…hopeful really!

  “You ever think about finding your Mom Jax?” I asked carefully after our forth song duet.

  He sucked air through his teeth and seemed to consider my question but he didn’t seem to be offended by it.

  “Dunno babe. Tried once when Mary Ann and my Dad died but…” he trailed off, checking his mirrors and I knew it was a diversion.

  Hell, I was expert at diversions.

  I glanced over at him and flipped through his iPod, trying to appear nonchalant “So what…you couldn’t find her or she just…?”

  I didn’t want to finish that sentence.

  His lips made many movements, both of them being sucked in and out, pursed, nibbled and lick
ed as he fought with himself about opening up to me.

  Eventually he cast me a narrow glance and sighed “She just didn’t wanna…come.”

  I desperately tried to forbid my eyebrows from hitting my hairline.

  What sort of mother didn’t want to attend her own child’s funeral?

  Bloody Hell!!!

  I was suddenly so angry with that woman.

  I wanted to hunt her down and hurt her…bad; punish her like she had punished her children for just being there, for just breathing.

  I wanted to drag her home by her hair and tell her, instil into her how wonderful and caring her son was.

  How much pain and self-suffering he carried around with him because of her actions, because she was so bloody selfish.

  Out of all the things I had discovered about her this was just…just beyond belief.

  I pulled in a breath and just nodded. I had to be strong for him, not flip out every time he trusted me enough to share a piece of his suffering with me.

  “Say it babe” he said quietly and at first I didn’t understand what he was saying.

  “Fucking. Say. It!” he growled this time and I now understood every word and every emotion that was strewing from him.

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea Jax” I whispered.

  He reached over and took my hand, giving me a quick look. “SAY IT!!!”

  I closed my eyes, internally fighting every damn thing I wanted to say…no scream!

  “You can say it babe cos’ I fucking think it…all the fuckin’ time babe.”