by Davis,Lexie
I watched the clock most of the night, rejoicing when Officer Jones’ shift was over. I seriously despised that man. He didn’t leave, though, to my dismay. No, he hung around, flirting with the lady officer who took his place.
I’d asked him about every hour if he’d call Cameron and he’d gone from strictly saying “no” to “fuck off”, then ignoring me completely. I wanted to say I was Cameron’s girlfriend but I didn’t really know if I was. I mean, we hadn’t really had the whole where-is-this-relationship-going conversation. Maybe we should, if I ever got out of here.
Charlie’s parents agreed to come bail him out before his father went in to work at eight. And I planned to call Aunt Greta around the same time, since I didn’t want to be left alone with these people.
The room’s noise had died down immensely, since most of the drunks had either passed out or puked their stomachs up. It wasn’t as scary, but I still didn’t want to be left alone with them.
“I need to talk to Ricky Holdings.”
My head popped up at the sound of Cameron’s voice. I stood and went to the side of my cell. It was him. He’d come down to jail. A flood of relief washed over me.
“Cameron!” I shrieked, waving my hand to get his attention. He was just around the corner within seeing distance, though his back was to me. “Cameron!”
He turned his head, looking towards me, and I waved my arm between the bars. Finally, he spotted me and narrowed his eyes. He came to me, stopping at my cell with an angry expression on his cop face.
“What the hell are you doing in there?”
“I punched Charlie in the midst of a raid and they arrested all those involved.” I tried really hard not to cry. I didn’t want to cry in front of Jones.
“Give me the keys,” Cameron barked. Jones handed them over hastily, locking his eyes on me.
Cameron unlocked the door and pulled me into his arms. We embraced for a moment and then he pulled away. “Get her stuff for her. Why the hell didn’t you call me?”
“Uh, sir, I thought she was lying about knowing you,” Jones explained meekly.
“Well, I trust it won’t happen again.” He pushed against my back as the lady officer led me to get my stuff.
I didn’t know much about Cameron but I was soon learning he didn’t joke about with his co-workers. Whatever he said was done, and no questions were asked. I could tell by the way Jones acted that he was clearly scared of Cameron.
I changed my drab jumpsuit for the regular uniform that I had worn in and came out to see Cameron yelling at the officers.
“Sir, I didn’t know she was your girlfriend,” Jones said.
“Well, now you do. You should have called me the minute she walked in that door, before you even thought about booking her for something as stupid as this.”
“Sir, with all due respect, I gave her five minutes. She could have called you if she wanted.” Jones was getting lippy and I thought for a brief moment that Cameron would punch him the way I had punched Charlie.
Cameron stepped back, taking a few deep breaths and reigning in his temper. “I’m taking her home. And I suggest, if you know what’s good for you, that you erase both her record and Charlie’s record before I get back.”
He turned towards me, grabbed my hand and pulled me out the door. I was damn near running as he led me to the town car and hoisted me in, slamming the door behind me. I wasn’t sure exactly who he was mad at. Me or Jones? Or both?
I waited until we were on the road until I spoke. “You’re mad at me.”
“I’m pissed off. Don’t push it.” He stopped at a red light and ran his hands through his hair. “You should have called me.”
“I don’t have your number. I know your address. I know what you look like naked, but I don’t know your phone number. Or your cell.”
He stared at me in a get-real fashion. “I’m not in the mood for cuteness.”
“I’m not being cute. Do you know what it’s like in there?”
The light changed and he stomped on the gas. “Hell yeah, I know what it’s like. I put people there.”
We didn’t speak anymore until he pulled up at the club so I could get his car. He parked next to the Volvo and killed the engine. I wanted to run, but my legs were simply too tired to move.
“Are you okay?” he finally asked.
“Aside from being scared to death, yeah. I’m just chipper.” A tear fell to my cheek and I brushed it away, staring out the side window.
“Mia, it’s all over now.” He brushed his hand along my forearm. “Did any of them touch you inappropriately?”
I rolled my eyes. “Jones took a sneak peek when Taylor was doing the whole strip thing. But touching, no.”
Cameron got out of the car and came around to my side. He lifted me out and hugged me to his body. He kissed my cheek and ran his hands down my back to cup my ass.
“Are you going to be okay? You need some sleep, and probably a shower. You can go to my place if you want. The garage door opener is in the Volvo and I didn’t set the alarm when I left. You can go in and make yourself at home. Or you could go to your place. Whichever you prefer.”
I really wanted to go to his place but I needed clothes and soap that smelled like me and not him. “I need to go home for clothes.”
“All right.”
He waited while I grabbed my purse from the club, leaning against the town car. When I came back into his sight, he grabbed the bag from me and dug inside for my cell phone.
“What are you doing?”
“Programming my numbers into your phone.” He looked up for a moment, the cop face finally gone. “I suggest you memorise them.”
We hugged and kissed again, then he left to go off into the big bad world to fight crime. If anything good had come from this situation, it was the knowledge that Cameron considered me his girlfriend. I knew I shouldn’t be, but I was ecstatic about it.
* * * *
After doing two loads of laundry and packing a few items in an overnight bag, I headed out of my apartment around lunchtime. I thought it was rude to eat up his food so I stopped at McDonald’s along the way. I don’t know why, but my apartment didn’t feel safe anymore. It didn’t give the same sense of security Cameron’s house did.
I don’t know. Maybe it was the fact I lived in a sucky neighbourhood and had spent a night in jail. Or maybe I just wanted to be surrounded by Cameron. Either way, I decided to stay at his place as long as he’d have me.
His house was silent as I entered, so unlike my apartment. No neighbours screaming below and humping above. Nobody around trying to enter your apartment without your knowledge. That was what scared me the most. So, in addition to the three locks that came standard with the apartment, I’d added three more and kept them locked at all times.
Here, I could step out on the patio and not worry about a thing, which is what I did. Taking my food and iced tea out with me, I sat outside to enjoy the peace and quiet. I suppose I should have called Tony, but I really didn’t know what to say.
My cell rang in the middle of a sip of tea, and I answered it on the third ring. “Yeah?”
“It occurred to me that you had all three of my numbers, but I forgot to get yours.” Cameron sounded playful, much nicer than earlier this morning.
“Sorry. How’d you get my number?”
“Your aunt. I had to practically answer a survey to get it, but after she finally realised I wasn’t going to harm you, throw you in jail or anything, we had a nice little chat. I do feel sorry for Booker, whoever that is.”
“Booker’s my cat. He likes to poop in her potted plants and she hates it.” I grinned, thinking about a special instance that involved a very high-powered person’s wife and her hand in cat shit.
“Nice. Where are you?”
“Your house. Back patio with a ten pack of chicken nuggets and a tall glass of iced tea, courtesy of Mc Donald’s.” I took a sip of my tea. “Uh, Cameron?”
“Yeah, babe?”
&nbs
p; “Are we okay? You know, from before? You were kind of mad. I’m sorry I didn’t call you, but it’s not like I didn’t try.” I gathered my trash and stuffed it back in the bag it came in. “Just for your information, Officer Jones is a prick.”
“You don’t have to worry about him, sweetheart. And yeah, we’re fine. Are you staying at my place tonight, after work?”
I lay back, smiling. “Yeah, if you want me to.”
“I want you to.” He huffed a breath. “Uh, I need to get off here. Chief’s breathing down my neck about this case and the leads have me going in circles. I might be home late. If I don’t see you before you head out, I’ll see you in the morning.”
That disappointed me. “Okay. I’ll see you whenever.”
“Yeah. Hey, Mia? Just a word of advice. Your boss is a crook and I’m going to take him down. You might start looking for another job.”
He hung up before I could respond, which was his intent, I’m sure. I knew Tony wasn’t that great, but what could he have possibly gotten into that could have been so bad? I clicked my phone off, sipping the last of my tea. Who knew?
* * * *
Cameron didn’t make it home before I left for work and, twenty minutes after I arrived, Tony beckoned me into his office. It was best for me not to go alone, but Charlie and I weren’t really speaking since the whole punching instance, and there wasn’t anyone else around.
He locked the door, eyeing me with interest—an interest that made my skin crawl. “You caused me to get a thousand dollar fine, Mia, for your little clash last night. How do you expect me to gain that money back?”
I knew before he said it what he planned on me doing, and I stood my ground. It wasn’t happening. It shouldn’t have happened the first time, and it wasn’t happening this time. I didn’t care what he said. I wasn’t sleeping with him again.
“I’ll get the money from my tips.”
He laughed. “Honey, money can't pay for annoyance. Because right now I’m really annoyed. I’m sure you can think of something else you can do.”
His finger slid along my collar and I flinched. “I’m not sleeping with you, Tony. It was a mistake the first time.”
“Really? Because, if memory serves, you begged for my dick.” He ripped my shirt apart in one swift movement and cupped my breasts, squeezing them hard with his greasy hands.
I tried pushing him away, but he had more muscle and weight and pinned me to the wall helplessly. With one hand, he squeezed my wrists in a tight vice, using his other hand to work on the button of my pants. His knees pressed into my legs, keeping me from moving. I screamed and bucked against him and his touch, only to find my efforts were worthless.
“I bet your tight little slit is wet for me, isn’t it?” His fingers plunged into my panties and up into my dry orifice. I screamed out again in pain. “Shut up, bitch. I said shut up!”
I started crying uncontrollably, using all my efforts to fight him. Sometimes my hand would slip and he’d stop touching me long enough to regain his control. Sometimes my legs would move, though he pressed his knees into me, causing another bolt of pain to shoot through me.
We battled for I don’t know how long until he finally threw me on top of his desk and held me immobile as he pressed his full body weight down on me. He got my pants to my ankles and my panties to my knees. He pushed my legs wide and probed me with his fingers.
I clawed at whatever I could grab, finally working up enough strength to get one arm free from his grip. His face was the only thing I could see and I dug my nails into him. He cursed and slapped my arms away before backhanding me across the face so hard my head thumped against the desk.
“You stupid bitch.” He wiped the blood from his cheek and hit me again. “You’ll pay for that.”
I lay motionless on the desk as the next events played through in slow motion. Tony grabbed my hair and rapidly pounded my head against the desk before reaching down to his trousers and fumbling with their fastenings. The room grew blurry and I lashed out at him but my vision doubled. My hands made contact with nothing but air.
I fought with all my might. My vision swam as light coloured the room. The pounding in my head increased with each action, but my fist couldn’t stop punching with the hope of contacting with the burly man on top of me.
Somewhere from afar, I heard a familiar voice. Cameron’s, I thought, though I couldn’t be certain. I tried turning my head towards the sound but my vision wasn’t cooperating. I couldn’t see anything but colour.
And then a weight was lifted. I could breathe again. I could probably even move my legs if I tried. And, oh, how I wanted to try. I cried out, frustrated with my helplessness. I didn’t know if they could hear me, but I hoped they could.
And then, suddenly, that voice was back. I couldn’t see a face clearly, but it was Cameron’s hypnotic voice that spoke to me. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. It’s over. I’m going to take you to the hospital. You’re okay.”
I could do nothing but believe him as my world faded to black.
One Night Only
Chapter Six
My head killed me as I mustered what little strength I had to open my eyes to bright fluorescent light. My body felt like a herd of elephants had pummelled me. There were aches and pains everywhere and a throbbing between my thighs that hurt almost as much as my head. I slowly took in my surroundings.
White. Everywhere I looked was white. Possibly the ugliest room I’d ever seen. I glanced down at my body and found an ugly blue gown, one I knew I hadn’t purchased myself.
“Where am I?” I mumbled, though my voice sounded strained.
“Hey, sleepyhead.” Cameron came into view, smiling down at me. “I was wondering when you were going to wake up and talk to me. How do you feel?”
I took inventory of my pain. “Everything hurts like a bitch.”
His smile faded as he hesitantly reached out to touch my face. He was so warm against my clammy skin. I leaned into his touch.
“You’re so beautiful, you know that?” Tears misted his eyes but he blinked them away. “Uh, do you remember what happened?”
I thought real hard, only increasing the drums banging against my brain. “I went to talk to Tony, and he wanted to have sex with me to make up for the annoyance I’d caused. I fought him and he slammed my head against the desk.”
Cameron took a deep breath. “Is that all you remember?”
I tried to think, and finally nodded yes when my head hurt worse. “Can I have some painkillers? My head hurts really bad.”
“Yeah, sure. Let me go get a nurse.” He leaned forward and pressed his lips lightly against my forehead before he turned and walked out of the room.
I lay there a moment before I realised someone else was in the room.
“Don’t pay me no mind. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.” Aunt Greta slapped the magazine she’d been reading on the ground next to her, then rose from her seat to come stand next to me. “You gave us all quite a scare, little one. We didn’t know if you’d make it.”
I stared at the older woman’s face, the tears in her eyes. “What happened?”
“It’s not important. Rest, child. That’s all you need to do is rest. I’ll watch over you and keep you safe.” She rubbed my arm, pulling the seat closer to the bed.
I was helpless to my body’s wishes. I closed my eyes and let someone else carry the weight of the world for once.
* * * *
Cameron told me all about what happened. How Tony had forced himself on me, how Cameron came in to make a bust. He had found Tony on top of me, slapping me into unconsciousness while he tried to rape me. I didn’t remember that part, which was probably for the best.
Cameron took me back to his house and forced me to stay in bed. He took a few days off to take care of me while Aunt Greta didn’t stay too far away. Between the two of them, I was never left alone.
“Hey.” Cameron came in the bedroom, smiling at me. The pounding drums in my head dulled to a
minor ache for which I was grateful. “How’s the noggin?”
He plopped down on the bed beside me, lying on his stomach. I wasn’t sure why but he didn’t touch me any more. Except for the clinical to-help-me touch, he kept his distance.
“Better.” I smoothed the black satin sheets out. “I am tired of lying here though, and I’d really like a shower.”
He sat up, draping his legs over the edge of the bed. “Well, if you think you can stand in the shower, you can take one. The doctor said you might get sick to your stomach when you tried to sit up. Do you want to try it?”
“Cameron, I’m fine. Please, stop treating me like I’m helpless. I’m not helpless!” All at once the memories of Tony climbing on top of me, forcing himself on me, crashed down at once.
My chin quivered as I stuck my balled fist against my mouth to keep from crying. Cameron looked pained as he stood and came around the bed to me. He hesitated a moment, then reached out. I clung to him.
He held me against him, rocking me back and forth. He kissed me repeatedly, sliding his hand down my back. I cried until my headache throbbed within my skull and no tears were left in my glands.
“He tried to…” I couldn’t finish the statement. My voice sounded so meek I didn’t even recognise it as my own.
Tears fell on me and I realised they weren’t my own. Cameron didn’t wail like I did or have tears flooding his cheeks like the Niagara Falls. A couple of tears were all they were as he held me tight against him.
“I’m so sorry, Mia. I’m so, so sorry.”
It was a long while later before Cameron helped me to the shower. I really didn’t have the strength to hold myself up, but felt nasty to the point I needed a shower. Together, though, we conquered it, Cameron’s strength being rock solid.
I dressed in one of his old football jerseys and a pair of my panties. I didn’t want to think about what had happened. I just wanted a normal night at home with my boyfriend.
I curled up on the couch, drawing my knees to my chest. I didn’t care what we did as long as it wasn’t talking. I didn’t want to talk about anything. He put on a movie and sat down next to me, looking perfect in an old pair of nylon shorts and nothing else.