by Sam McCarthy
“You’re driving?” I couldn’t hide the surprise in my voice. He usually liked a drink or two with dinner.
“Yes.” He replied “I need to keep my wits about me tonight. Not to mention I can get you home much faster.” He winked at me and we left the apartment letting the door slam behind us.
He unlocked the SL; it was one of the more unassuming cars he owned and one that he didn’t mind handing over to a valet. There were some in his collection that he wouldn’t let anyone else get anywhere near, and I smiled as he held the door open for me thinking that I was rather like one of his collection of cars. You can look but don’t you dare touch.
He closed the door, ensuring that my dress was inside the car and moved around to the driver’s seat, climbing in beside me. He started the engine and she roared into life as he left the basement garage and headed into the city.
As I stared out of the window I felt him place his hand on my thigh, without even thinking I gripped his hand tightly and held on to it. He easily shrugged me off and slid it down my dress flicking the fabric up in one sweep and trailing his hand back up my naked leg.
I took a sharp breath in and held it. He was still driving, eyes firmly on the road as he fondled and kneaded my flesh, edging ever closer to my warmth. I watched him as he spun the wheel and turned into a side street, pulling on the handbrake and dimming the lights. He left the engine running while he got out of the car and opened the boot. He moved around to the passenger door, opened it and reached in to the side of my seat. In an instant the seat was flipped back and in the seconds it took me to compose myself from my new position he grabbed both of my wrists and bound them together with rough hessian rope, which he had presumably found in the boot.
“What are you doing?” I asked in a panic. “My dress.”
“Shut up Elise.” He growled. “I need to let off some steam before we get there.”
He wrenched my arms upwards and hooked my hands over the headrest of the seat, holding me firmly in place. I could do nothing except let him take me, let him get rid of the pent up frustration he was clearly feeling. This dinner must be a big deal; he was fine when we left home.
Once I was incapacitated he positioned himself between my thighs and unbuckled his belt, dropping his trousers a few inches, just enough to release himself. He roughly pulled up my dress and plunged himself deep into me. I bit my lip as he rammed himself home, my thigh catching on the door with every thrust. I breathed through it and let him get on with it. There was no pleasure intended for me during this attack, it was merely for him to feel some release, to gain some control before he headed into a situation he was clearly uncomfortable with. He grunted as he came, those dark eyes boring into me as I watched him. He wouldn’t apologise for his behaviour, not did I expect him to. This was part of the deal. If he needed to use me, I would let him. I shifted slightly to allow him to slip out of me, and he used my knickers to mop up the stickiness he had left behind. He stepped out of the car and fastened himself up smoothing down the wrinkles in his suit and making sure he looked presentable once again. He reached in and untied my hands; my instant reaction was to rub my chafed wrists to get some blood flowing back into my fingers. He wound the rope around his hands and grinned as he moved to the boot to dispose of it.
I reached forward and opened the glove box. I kept a pack of wipes in there, I had ruined dresses previously by sitting on them without cleaning myself properly, and though it was not particularly ladylike of me, I cleaned myself rather than ruining this particular dress.
By the time I had finished he was back in the driver’s seat.
“Are you ready to face the world now?” I asked him.
He smiled at me and adjusted the gear stick.
“I’m always ready to face the world with you by my side.” He said softly.
Chapter 26
We arrived at the restaurant just after 7pm and Dominic threw the car keys to the valet after opening the door for me. As we entered the building he gripped my arse cheek hard and leaned in to my ear.
“I love the idea of you being naked under that dress. Now let’s get this dinner over with so I can take you home and give you some well earned pleasure.” He smiled as he stepped aside for me to enter before him and I felt a little shiver travel up my spine in anticipation of my reward later. Now if we could just get through this dinner out of the way quickly. We passed through the crowded room and followed the waiter assigned to our table. Dominic whispered his filthy talk in my ear as we approached the table and I turned to him and smiled as the waiter pulled out my chair. Time stood still as I thanked him and heard a male voice...
“What the fuck?”
I turned my head to see my son sitting there with a face like thunder, and next to him Adam, looking down at his hands as he twisted his napkin in them.
“Is this some kind of joke?” Daniel stood up from his position at the table, knocking a glass of water over as he did so. The waiter fussed around attempting to mop it up and I just stood there, my mouth open, staring.
“You go behind my back and organise a dinner with this wanker who wants to take EVERYTHING from us, and then he turns up with that...that...WHORE on his arm!” Daniel was furious, his face screwed up in anger and spittle flying across the table as he shouted. The other diners were starting to look at us now and I just wanted to get out of there. All sorts of things were rushing through my head as I heard Adam’s voice.
“I had no idea she would be here son, I promise you.” He glared at me as he spoke, and I felt my face burning with embarrassment and discomfort.
I felt Dominic’s hand on my arm, I turned to him, and my hands were shaking due to the panic rising in my chest. I felt sick.
“Why? Why am I here?” I directed my question at him but it was really just a cry for help from anyone.
“I had no idea Elise. I’m sorry. If I had known I never would have brought you...” His voice soothed me but I could tell he was as unsettled as I was. He turned to the table and spoke to my ex husband... “My apologies Adam; I had no idea that you and Elise had a history.” He tried to lead me away from them when all hell broke loose. Daniel flew across the table and grabbed the back of Dominic’s collar. Adam leapt up and tried to grab him, failing miserably and landing helplessly on the floor. Daniel was raging, screaming obscenities at the two of us and flailing his arms around in an attempt to perfect his hold on Dominic. In a flash I was on my arse and as far as Dominic was concerned, that was a step too far. He turned and grabbed Daniel by the throat, pinning him to the table top with one hand.
“Back off little boy.” He growled at him. “I’m going to take your mother out of here and I suggest that you grow up a bit while I do so. She does not need to see you like this, and as your mother she deserves more respect from you!” He loosened his hold on him a little and continued. “I’m going to let go now. You ARE going to behave yourself aren’t you?” Daniel nodded and Dominic let go of him. He moved away from the table and extended his hand to me. I took it and he pulled me up from the floor, he placed him arm protectively around my waist and led me back through the room, the other diners now staring at us in disbelief. He handed his card to the maitre D and told him to charge any expenses for damage to him.
As we got to the door and Dominic leaned around me to open it I heard the commotion behind me. Daniel was there suddenly; his face streaked with tears and his suit all crumpled with his tie sitting lopsided at his throat. He was a mess, but how he looked was nothing compared to the things he was screaming at us.
Whore, Bitch, slut were just some of the words I could make out. These insults were followed by the accusation that Dominic had brought me here on purpose to rub their noses in it. I started to panic, feeling my eyes well up with tears as I was ushered outside and placed straight into the car. As Dominic climbed in beside me, I glanced back and saw my son, my baby boy, being wrestled to the ground by the restaurant staff.
Dominic wasted no time at all in starting the en
gine and the tyres screeched as he sped away from the restaurant and the fracas we had left behind.
There was silence and the air hung heavy with tension.
I watched him as he gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles whitening and lines furrowing his forehead. He looked as stressed as I felt but I couldn’t ignore the nagging voice inside my head any longer.
“Did you know?” I asked him. “Did you do that on purpose?”
“What?” He looked at me in disbelief. “Are you seriously asking me that?” He rolled his eyes and put his focus back on the road.
“Yes.” I responded in anger. “I’m seriously asking you that. Try as I might Dominic...there is a little voice that keeps coming back telling me that you must have known.” I paused for a second but not long enough to let him defend himself. “I can’t help but think that you might well have taken me there to rub his nose in it.”
“Elise...you clearly don’t know me at all,” He sighed.
“No...You are right!” I was shouting now. “I don’t know you. I have let you into my life and given everything to you, and you...well...you still have your walls up high around you.”
“You obviously haven’t given everything to me Elise, or I would know that Adam fucking pain in the arse Bentley was your fucking ex husband wouldn’t I?” He shouted back at me. “So if you want to throw shit around about keeping secrets, then perhaps we should start with you sweetheart.”
“Oh so now it’s my fault!” I frowned; I couldn’t quite believe that he had turned this around on me.
“I DIDN’T SAY THAT!” He glared at me. His eyes were dark and devoid of expression and just for a moment I felt sad. We were acting like a married couple in trouble, bitching at each other and I feared that was the one thing he had been trying to avoid throughout all of this. I stared back at him trying to find the words. My whole world was crumbling around me and I didn’t know what to say to stop it.
I turned away from him and glanced through the windscreen just in time to see the wagon careering towards us.
“DOMINIC!” I screamed his name but it was too late. His face filled with horror as he saw it too. There was nowhere for us to go and everything slowed down as we braced ourselves for the impact. I can picture every feature of the truck driver’s face as he too was powerless to stop it. The last thing I remember was Dominic’s hand on mine, gripping... squeezing...as if our whole lives depended on it.
Then silence.
Chapter 27
The smell of petrol fills my nostrils and I am aware of sirens in the distance. I try to move but my legs feel so heavy. Like lead weights.
My hand does too. It feels weighted down by something.
I look down and see Dominic’s hand clasping onto mine tightly but I can’t focus enough to see him.
My vision is blurred and I’m aware of wetness. I start to panic as I realise its blood, dripping onto our hands like a leaky tap.
I rest my head back on the headrest and blink in an attempt to adjust my eyesight.
I can see a man outside of the car. He is running towards us.
He is screaming something, his mouth open and his face contorted but I can’t hear him.
Everything is fading away slowly.
I try to lift my arm to open the door but I am too weak.
I just want to sleep.
“YOU HAVE TO GET OUT!” The door opens and my seatbelt is released.
“Dominic.” I murmur.
“YOU FIRST.”
He is shouting and I don’t understand why.
I feel him slide his arm around me and I want to fight. I want to tell him to get off me. But I can’t. I’m at his mercy.
I feel myself fall and I close my eyes.
I’m moving now, the hard ground grazing my skin as I’m dragged along. But I feel no pain.
Just let me sleep.
I hear the shouting all around me.
“GET HIM OUT.”
“IT’S BURNING! HURRY UP!”
Who are they talking about?
What’s burning?
I let myself drift.
It’s quiet now.
No more shouting.
No more sirens.
Just silence.
Just calm.
Let me sleep.
*****
There is beeping.
The light is so bright. I flutter my eyelids as I try to open my eyes but it hurts.
“She is awake.” I don’t recognise the voice.
I feel someone’s hand on mine but it isn’t right. It feels strange...alien.
“Elise.” The voice is soft and gentle.
I open my eyes slowly and look to my side.
“I have called the nurse.” The voice continues as his face slowly comes into focus. “How are you feeling?”
“Dominic?” I ask. “Where is he?”
Adam looks at me. There is pity in his eyes.
“He’s gone Elise.” He says.
I snatch my hand away from him and turn away. The tears stream from my eyes and I sob loudly.
“Get out.” I say to nobody in particular.
“GET OUT!” I scream.
I feel the tightness in my chest and convince myself that my heart is actually breaking. He can’t be gone. He can’t be.
I curl myself up into a ball, ignoring the wires and drips around me and cry uncontrollably until I drift back into sleep.
Chapter 28
When I wake up properly there is a nurse fiddling with a monitor at the side of the bed. She gives me a sympathetic look as she fusses round me, helping me into a sitting position and plumping my pillows behind me. She holds a glass of water in front of me and encourages me to take a sip.
“Come on sweetheart. Just a little and then we can start to take these lines out.” She nods towards the canulas in my hand and smiles as I let her tip the glass to my mouth.
“That man? He was here...” I mutter.
“You husband?” She moves around the bed. “He has gone for some lunch, he won’t be long.” She moves towards the door.
“No...No...You don’t understand...” I start to say.
“He hasn’t left your side since you were brought in.” She continues.
“No...I don’t want him here...” I try again to tell her.
“Just rest now.” She calls over her shoulder as she leaves the room.
I am left alone, frustrated and furious with Adam for letting them think we were still married. I pull myself up and search the side table for any of my personal belongings. There is nothing. No purse or phone. I am completely alone. I bite my lip as the tears pool in my eyes. I can’t believe that Dominic is gone. I was so angry with him and now....Now I will never see him again. He showed me how to love life, and now, all because of a stupid row he has lost his. I am brought out of my moment when a doctor bustles in to the room.
“Well hello there. It’s good to see you awake.” He smiles at me. He is older with dustings of grey peppering his dark hair and deep brown eyes which crinkle at the corners when he smiles. “How are you feeling?”
He perches on the edge of my bed and assesses me as he chats. He shines a torch across my eyes, holds up his fingers and asks how many...all the usual stuff.
“You had a bump on the head so we popped you off to sleep for a few days to help the swelling go down, but all is well.” He pats my hand sympathetically. “Your leg will take a little longer to heal but you will be back on your feet in 12 weeks or so.”
“My leg?” I scrabble around trying to lift the sheets.
“Don’t go into a panic. Your ankle was broken in several places. From what we can gather you were trapped in the car, and had to be pulled free.” He picked up my notes as he continued. “You have had quite a bit of metalwork put in there but it’s all good.”
“The accident. I was with someone...” I was desperate to find out what had happened.
“Your husband has all the information you need.” He told me. He patt
ed my hand again as the door opened. “Ah...talk of the devil.” He stood up as Adam entered the room. “I will leave you to it.”
I dropped my head back on to the pillows and closed my eyes. Adam was the last person I wanted to see.
The doctor and Adam chatted quietly while I ignored them. The door closed again and I sensed Adam sit down beside me.
“That’s good news.” He was far too cheery for my liking. “The Doctor has said you can come home tomorrow as long as you manage to eat something today.” He carried on chatting, not giving me the chance to respond even if I wanted to. “Daniel has moved out of his room so you can stay in there while you get back on your feet.”
I snapped my eyes open and looked at him with disbelief.
“I’m not going home with you Adam.” I told him. There was no way I was leaving this hospital with him.
“You can’t stay in the flat by yourself.” He told me.
“Then I will stay with Max.” I retorted. “Speaking of Max. I want to talk to him, where is my phone?”
I glared at him. He was fidgeting, wringing his hands again and you could practically see the beads of sweat collecting on his forehead.
“You didn’t have anything with you when they brought you in.” He said. “I can get you a phone if you would like?” He was being sickeningly pleasant and all I wanted to do was scream at him. I knew it wasn’t his fault but I couldn’t be happy when he was sat next to me and the man I really wanted had gone.
“It doesn’t matter...just go.” I turned away from him. “I don’t want you here.”
I closed my eyes again in the hope that he would leave.
He did, and when I woke again Ellie was sat holding my hand. She had her head on the bed and her hair fanned out across my arm. She looked so young. I gave her hand a little squeeze and she jumped up.
“Mum!” She grabbed me in a bear hug. “You don’t know how happy I am to see you.”
“And me you sweetheart.” I kissed her head. “Now...do me a favour....call Uncle Max and tell him to come and get me.”