Keep Me Safe

by Angela Bennet

  “Hello, Olivia,” he stated calmly as he took a step back and folded his arms over his chest. “You know I don’t like hurting you but you were trying to deceive me. You’ve been awake,” he accused. His eyes looked dead as he studied her. Dark irises that held no kindness, nothing like the cheerful warmth that was reflected in Paul’s gaze. She didn’t answer Ethan. She knew it was pointless to plead with him or even goad him. She couldn’t defend herself against the assault that would ensue.

  “You’ve been gone a long time,” he continued as though they were having a polite conversation. “I’ve missed you. Do you know how much trouble you’ve caused by your little disappearing act? I’ve neglected everything because of you. I’ve lost millions of dollars through my negligence but I considered it a worthwhile loss if it meant I could focus on retrieving you. I admit I enjoyed the challenge. You were smarter than I anticipated. But the chase grew old and it was time to reel you back in. It was time for us to be reunited.” He stepped closer and traced his fingers over her sore cheek. She winced at his touch and he smirked.

  “Still nothing to say? No begging or pleading for mercy?” She merely pressed her lips in a thin line and watched him. He didn’t like her silence. His voice grew louder with each word as his anger built. “You have no excuses? No stuttered apologies?”

  He squatted down so they were eye to eye. She glared at him defiantly and she could see her silence annoyed him. He shoved away and started pacing back and forth in front of her. “I want you to beg, Olivia. I deserve to hear you cry for my forgiveness!”

  He stopped and glared at her. “How can you simply sit there?” he shouted when she remained silent. “I have pictures of you with him, Olivia. How could you betray me the way you did? How could you allow another man to touch your body when it belongs to me? I own you, Olivia. Did you forget what I taught you?”

  “You don’t own me; no man does!” she hissed. He struck her with lightning quickness. She sucked in a harsh breath but refused to cry out.

  “Did you enjoy his touch, his hands exploring the sacred areas that belong to me? Did he kiss you and arouse you? Did he take you and use you?” Ethan asked calmly as though he hadn’t just backhanded her. His cool gaze narrowed when she didn’t respond. “You have defiled yourself and you disgust me,” he sneered.

  “Then let me go!”

  “Why would I, Olivia darling? Your lover is dead. I’ve taken measures so you will never escape again. All that remains is to cleanse you of his memory and then all will be well between us again.”

  Olivia grimaced but she didn’t bother to answer. She knew arguing with Ethan was pointless. His tactics of wiping Paul from her memory would be cruel and painful. She hoped he didn’t plan to start “treatments” right away. No matter what he did to her, she would never let go of her love for Paul. She didn’t know if he was alive or dead, but he would always live in her heart. She would use those memories to keep going and she would fight to be free again.

  “Cat still got your tongue?” Ethan scoffed. “What a rare, silent woman you’ve become. I miss how you used to snivel and beg for me to stop. How you’d cry out then agree with everything I said. Where did that woman go? You never glared at me defiantly as you are now. I miss the gentle, timid Olivia. I’ll have to teach you to submit to me all over again. It will be so much fun! You’ve always been a challenge - so innocent, so beautiful. We had such a special relationship. It was perfect, but then you had to ruin everything by running away. I wanted to kill you for escaping. I dreamed about wrapping my hands around your throat and watching the life slip from your body. But then I wouldn’t have you anymore, would I? Why did you leave me?”

  Olivia blinked away her sudden confusion. One minute he was angry and shouting. Now he sounded like a wounded little boy. He was insane. He’d always taken drugs and she’d seen him experience strange and violent fits. Was he intoxicated now? He appeared lucid but Ethan had the ability to function under extreme influences. Her first reaction was to placate him as she always had but she reminded herself to remain silent. Breaking free of him had made her strong. She learned to stand for herself and Paul confirmed that she wasn’t the cowering victim Ethan wanted. If saying nothing was the only way to fight him right now, then no word would pass her lips. She would continue to defy him every day and with every breath.

  “I hate what you’ve done to me, Olivia. My Olivia. You don’t belong to Paul Justice.” He pulled out a pocketknife and waved it in front of her. When she flinched he smirked with satisfaction. “I know you used Paul Justice to get back at me. You wanted to hurt me and you did, Olivia. You were successful.” He severed every plastic cord binding her to the chair. “You ripped my bleeding heart from my chest and squeezed the life out of it. Don’t you know it pulsed with passion for you? Your life is my life; my life is yours. We are one, or have you forgotten? Of course you knew how I felt, how I yearned for you, and yet you betrayed me! First you left. Then you gave yourself to another man. You are disgusting and dirty to me now. I despise you for abusing my trust. It haunts me to think of you laying in another man’s arms but I will have the final revenge. He is dead, Olivia. Ha, I see by the flicker in your eyes that his death hurts you. Good. He’s gone and I will crush you as well. You will suffer as I have suffered these many months.”

  “You’ve suffered?” Olivia retorted in disbelief. She couldn’t hold her tongue any longer. He’d gloated over her pain and rejoiced over Paul’s death. No! No, Paul couldn’t be dead. Surely Ethan lied. He wanted to make her miserable. He was responsible for ruining so many lives. For now she would tuck away the pain of losing Paul to deal with later. Right now she had to focus on her anger. Maybe she was being reckless but she wouldn’t let Ethan get away with bullying her. “You haven’t suffered, Ethan. You are nothing but a coward who hides behind your computer. You strike at people like an invisible menace and you steal from them. They never realize their enemy has a face because you lock yourself away in a closet. You haven’t suffered at all,” she sneered.

  Ethan’s hand snaked out. He buried his fingers in her hair and with a painful grip he forced her to her feet. “I don’t like your attitude, Olivia dearest,” he murmured placidly. He seemed calm but she could see the wild look in his eyes and the sheen of perspiration on his lip. He was losing control.

  “And I don’t like yours!” Olivia reached out and pushed him hard. She was used to Paul’s wall of muscle. Ethan’s wiry frame fell back but he quickly regained his footing. Olivia could tell by the fury on his face that she’d pushed him too far but she couldn’t back down now. “You’re crazy, Ethan! Do you hear me, you’re crazy! And yes, I love Paul Justice! I danced for him and I sleep in the same bed with him. I enjoy his kisses. He touched my body and my heart in ways you’ll never reach. I hate you, Ethan! I hate you!”

  “I will teach you to submit, you whore!” When he tried to grab her again she punched him in the throat as Paul taught her. She thought the hit would incapacitate him for a moment so she could get in another strike but his bellow of rage caught her off guard. And so did his fist. He knocked her to the ground, then his many blows rained down.

  THIRTEEN

  “You should be glad I intervened when I did,” Ethan’s new aide, Hammond, murmured softly. He spoke so quietly she almost missed the words. “Try not to antagonize him. I’ll do my best to keep him distracted and away from you.” He carefully dabbed at the cuts and bruises on her face. She winced when he pressed the cloth to a cut near her eye.

  “That stings,” she muttered. She wasn’t sure if the cut was from the car accident or Ethan’s fist. Hopefully she wouldn’t need stitches. Ethan wouldn’t allow a doctor to treat her.

  “It could have been much worse. I’ve never seen him in such a rage.”

  “Apparently you haven’t been around here long.” Olivia eyed Hammond curiously. His expression was annoyed but his hands were gentle as he treated her injuries. There was something odd about him. “Who are you?”

&n
bsp; Hammond briefly met her gaze then looked away. “Let’s just say I’m a friend here to look out for you.”

  Olivia stiffened with suspicion but Hammond’s expression remained bland as he continued to give her first-aid. Was this a trap? Was Ethan using his new employee to get her to open up and reveal secrets to a false sympathizer? “I don’t have any friends in Ethan’s house,” she answered stiffly.

  “Well you do now and I’m going to do my best to keep him from hurting you again. But you have to cooperate. I won’t be able to keep him away from you completely since he’s so obsessed. So don’t make my job harder by antagonizing him. Stay in your room. Don’t come out unless he requires you to. Understand?” All this was spoken in a hurry, whispered under his breath. Olivia began to hope he was for real. Maybe Hammond really could help her. If she gained his trust he might help her escape again. She would need someone on the inside since Ethan had tightened security. He wouldn’t risk losing her a second time.

  “Also, don’t talk to anyone in the house but me,” Hammond warned. “He’s testing your loyalty. Even this might be too much conversation.” Olivia didn’t need to be warned. She’d lived under Ethan’s mad authority for too long not to understand the dangers.

  “There, I’m all finished,” he declared as he straightened and took a quick step back from her. “Get some rest.” He gathered the bandages and ointments and left without another look in her direction.

  Olivia crossed to the window and looked out over the city. It’s an amazing view and a beautiful room for a caged pet, she thought with a grimace. She pulled the curtains far to the side so she wouldn’t feel closed in. There was no balcony off her room and no means of escape, but she would find a way.

  Her thoughts wandered back to Paul as they always did. Was Ethan right, was he dead? No. She couldn’t believe it – she wouldn’t allow herself to believe it. Wouldn’t she know in her heart that he was gone? She’d never felt such a connection to another person, not even her sister or parents. He held her heart. Surely she would know if that connection had been severed by death. Her last image of him slumped over the steering wheel as blood poured from various cuts haunted her. How severe were his injuries? Did he even realize she was gone? Once he was healed enough to miss her, he would be frantic. And he would feel guilty for not keeping her safe. She didn’t want him to feel guilty. She always knew Ethan would catch up with her one day and no one would be able to protect her. What Paul had given her was much more precious than protection. He’d shown her true love. He helped her regain her confidence. And he showed her how to fight back. She always believed quiet compliance was the best way to handle Ethan, but look what that had gained her – two years of fear and pain. No, she would fight back this time. She deserved better than this prison Ethan had created.

  So what should she do now?

  Hammond told her to lay low and keep out of the way. She had no reason to trust him except that he said a few kind words to her and patched up her face. That in itself was suspicious. Ethan never allowed anyone to touch her, so why had he let his new aide? Hammond was fairly attractive but older than her - early forties if she had to guess. Normally Ethan allowed Dirken near her and only for brief moments. Something was different here and she didn’t trust the changes. Who was Hammond? His cropped haircut reminded her of Paul, but he also had a trim beard. He didn’t look military, or mafia. He was smarter than the guys Ethan usually hired to do his dirty work. She could see a sharpness in his eyes. He’d kept his back to the camera monitoring her room so Ethan couldn’t see their interaction. Could Hammond be trusted? She wouldn’t be able to approach him and there was no way to test his allegiance to Ethan without Ethan becoming suspicious. Maybe relying on Hammond was out. If she trusted him too heavily he could be hurt in the process. Anyone close to Ethan was at risk of him turning on them. Only Dirken had survived Ethan’s volatile swings. For some reason Ethan trusted Dirken above anyone else.

  Olivia grew tired of the view out her window and moved to the bed. She didn’t want to let down her guard enough to sleep but she was exhausted from all that had happened and her body hurt. She knew Ethan was able to watch her every movement as she climbed into the bed. To give herself a modicum of privacy she pulled the silk coverlet up over her head as she nestled into the pillow. The sheets held a crisp lemony fragrance. She missed the scent of Paul’s aftershave that clung to his pillow. She wrapped herself tighter in the coverlet and tried to pretend it was his arms that held her. She had to fight off the sense of hopelessness and desperation that tried to overwhelm her as sleep quickly came.

  ***

  “Do you think she’s beautiful?” Ethan asked casually as his new aide stepped into his office. He’d had to hire Hammond a few months ago to help with his business. The search for Olivia had become too consuming and he needed a fellow computer “enthusiast” to assist him. Hammond was known in the underground network as being one of the quickest hacks. He could break into any government system almost as quickly as Ethan himself could. He was cool, flawless, and ruthless in his execution of orders. He didn’t seem to care about anyone or anything. Ethan knew better than to trust him – he couldn’t trust anyone, not even Olivia. He immediately forgot about Hammond as he thought about his soulmate. She was finally back! He felt a trill of excitement that was quickly replaced by anger. Her betrayal went deep. Was she attracted to his new aide? He clenched his fists in fury at the thought. She’d gotten out of control these last months. She’d grown brash and aggressive. He rubbed the tender spot on this throat where she’d struck him and smiled with amusement. His little butterfly stirred such a range of emotions within him. He hated her, he lusted her. She had the power to crush his heart – not that he would tell her. She was magnificent and defiant. He relished the opportunity to break her again.

  Hammond didn’t answer so Ethan continued his casual questioning. “Do you think she would be interested in someone like you? You spent a long time tending her injuries. Did she plead for your help? I don’t suppose you feel pity for her. She’s very seductive. The way she bats her eyes, and her lips turn down in a little pout. She’s hard to resist. Will you be enticed, Hammond? Will you betray my trust?”

  “I hadn’t noticed her appearance one way or another,” Hammond said with a disinterested shrug. He ignored all the other taunting questions. “I saw the memo you left on Senator Thatcher. It seems he’s taking your involvement more seriously. Will we ‘handle’ his financials or has he agreed to your terms?”

  Ethan’s sharp gaze remained on Hammond. He noticed he quickly sidestepped the questions about Olivia. Hammond was very careful. “No, no, we’ll leave the senator alone for now. He assured me his position on Chinese relations has changed and he’ll make sure our exports are properly ignored. I can get anyone to agree to my terms with the proper motivation.”

  Hammond nodded but his expression gave nothing away of his thoughts. “As you wish.”

  Ethan sat back in his plush chair as he eyed Hammond thoughtfully. Hammond returned the gaze evenly. He wasn’t easily daunted and Ethan wanted to see how far he could push him. He loved testing people, learning their weaknesses so he could exploit them later. “Did you enjoy touching her skin?”

  “Sir?”

  “Did your fingers caress her cheek as you ministered to her injured face? I wouldn’t have blamed you, especially as you had your back to the camera and had blocked the monitoring. Yes, I was watching your interaction with her. She can be prickly and unmanageable at times – especially since she’s come back, but I can’t blame her entirely. She was forced to fend for herself like an animal. She’s too helpless and needy to be left alone for so long.”

  He paused, gauging Hammond’s reaction but Hammond’s expression was impassive. Ethan grinned to himself as he continued, “What type of women do you prefer, Hammond? Strong? Independent? Do you want a woman who will fight you for dominance in the relationship so you can prove your power over her? Or do you like them to be docile like
Olivia? She’s very desirable, especially when she’s weak and fragile. I can’t resist her. Such pale beauty. Her body is supple, isn’t it? Such long legs, perfect breasts. She could drive any man wild with lust.” He waited, hoping Hammond would take the bait and let down his guard. Ethan felt his nerves coil with anticipation of finally witnessing Hammond’s flaw. Go ahead, step into the trap so I can destroy you.

  Hammond shook his head. “I’m sorry, sir, but I’m not really interested and I didn’t take notice of her body as I tended her injuries. I prefer not to let women interfere with my life, expect on a temporary basis and rarely at that. I find them to be an annoying distraction.”

  “A distraction, huh? Are you saying I allow Olivia to interfere? That she has distracted me from handling more important business matters?” Ethan’s voice rose with sudden anger and he could feel the blood pounding in his head. How dare this new aide insinuate he was being managed by a woman! He may be brilliant with a computer but he was no match for Ethan’s genius. Hammond was nothing and he would grind him underfoot if he made one wrong move. “You think I’ve chained myself to a temptress who has seduced me away from my true purpose? Perhaps I’ll crumble in her hands and she’ll have total power over me?”

  “I implied no such thing,” Hammond answered evenly. Even when Ethan yelled he didn’t flinch as most people did. Until Hammond arrived, only Dirken could stand in the face of his anger and not cower.

  Ethan waved him toward the door. “Fine, go away. I have a migraine and don’t want to be disturbed.” He reached for his drawer filled with different mixtures of drugs. He needed a pick-me-up. Too many things were bothering him. He wanted to go to Olivia and lose himself in her body but he knew she would fight him. He didn’t want another battle. He needed to strategize and figure out how to conquer this new temperament of hers. This was Paul Justice’s fault. He stuffed a few colorful pills in his mouth and tipped his head back to swallow. He felt Hammond’s watchful gaze on him. It was unnerving. “Go,” he growled.