Imperfect Forgery: (A Dark Romantic Suspense)

by G. D. Madsen

  Lucas's phone begins to buzz on the couch. He mutters something indistinguishable, the slice of pizza still in his mouth. Lucas drops it back on the plate and grabs a napkin, wiping his fingers as he goes for the phone.

  "You better have a good reason for interrupting our pizza night; otherwise my kitten might bite you again." He grins and winks at his girlfriend, but in no time his carefree smile vanishes and his face turns grey. "Are you sure? Fuck... I'll talk to her. Yeah, I'll call you back."

  "Lucas, what's wrong?" Aurelia walks up to him, but the man doesn't respond. Twisting the phone in between his fingers, Lucas glances at her, then slowly shifts his gaze toward me.

  "What happened?" My heart quivers when I stand up. "Is it David? Did something happen to him?"

  "No, no... He's fine, but..."

  "But what?" Aurelia covers his hands with hers to stop him from flipping the phone.

  "It was Bryan who called." Lucas pauses. "He is with David and Greg..." Another pause. "Your doctor is missing."

  My legs turn to soft rubber, and I grip to the edge of the couch for balance. "Silvio took her."

  "Maybe she got held up somewhere." Lucas tries to appear cheerful. "The guys will find her."

  "Not if he has her," I say mostly to myself. "He is going to hurt her..."

  "Why would he? Nobody is aware she helped you escape, and even so, she has no idea where you are. Don't worry."

  I am not worried about my safety. It won't matter if she tells him anything, or if he believes her. Silvio doesn't ask questions; he demands answers and thrives at extorting them by any means.

  Lucas touches my hand, bringing me back into the room with him and Aurelia. "Don't blame yourself. If that monster kidnapped your doctor, he is the only one to blame for this, understand? But you could help. They need the location of Silvio's place. They tried the only publicly known address, but they ended up at some abandoned warehouse."

  I squeeze his hand, shaking my head. "No, they cannot go there. Silvio will know they are coming. He will kill them. Lucas, they can't go to that bloody mansion!" My voice breaks.

  "Sweetheart, those men are not amateurs. You have a former FBI, a cop with criminal skills, and an ex-military. Trust me, they can remain invisible long enough."

  Lucas unclenches my fingers, and I notice the red marks I left on his skin.

  Silvio left marks on my body and soul; he hurt me in every possible and impossible way, and I assumed he was invincible. But he failed to imprison me again because David and his friends shielded me; Lea defended me.

  I owe them this much, and deep down I crave to believe they could slay the beast inside his own lair, but there is one huge problem.

  "I have no idea where the house is." I look up at Lucas and Aurelia, both of them surely considering if I would lie. "The house was my prison. The furthest I got away from it was the night Mauro and I tried to escape. Whenever I left the mansion, the limo was my second cage, and while I lived outside, Mauro was my Cerberus."

  "What do you remember?" Aurelia asks now. "Any landmarks?"

  How can I explain that I preferred shutting my eyes to stop myself from crying if I was lucky enough to be alone in that limo; while other times I was on my knees, or worse. "I didn't have many occasions to look out the window..."

  "I'm sorry," Aurelia whispers.

  I curve my lips into what resembles a smile, grateful she did not ask why.

  "What I can tell you is that the mansion is quite secluded. There are a few houses before the road turns left, but nothing further. It takes about five minutes from there to reach the gate, which is where the road ends. I can't tell how long it usually took to go from Chicago to the place, it always felt too long when Silvio was with me, and too short when I was alone; but, I would guess, no more than an hour... I am certain of one thing though, the mansion is north or northwest of Chicago, and I don't remember ever seeing Lake Michigan on the way, only some smaller lakes or ponds. One is on the property itself – this is where Silvio caught us trying to run away. I'm sorry, I wish I could help more..."

  "It's OK." Lucas reaches into the jeans pocket for his phone. "You did help. Now we know the mansion is not around this area, and close to small bodies of water. I will call Bryan. Listen, Judy, try to rest, and you might remember something extra."

  I shake my head. "I will go to the office and paint instead. It helps me think."

  As I retreat into the room where I relocated the canvas and shut the door behind me, tears overflow my eyes. Still holding on to the door handle, I slide to the floor in sobs, dampening the sounds with the other hand.

  Silvio took her, and I know exactly what he will put her through if he has not done so already.

  They will never find her in time.

  I lean my head back against the doorframe, and a warm breeze caresses my hair, bringing the soft whisper from the canvas by the open window, offering me the answer to the question I was not yet ready to ask.

  Lea was the message, and I am about to respond, but not in a way Silvio expects.

  I wipe my face and focus on Judith still sitting alone in the bed. She is waiting for Holofernes to arrive, and he will. Confident and victorious he is going to climb in the bed with her, having no idea this will be his last night alive.

  Silvio considers me an open book. Perhaps he is right; after all, he made me. Only, he never thought that recognizing his mood, memorizing his every gesture, every little habit, and every second of his routine was my key to survival. Now it may as well be the key to Lea's freedom.

  I unplug the phone from the charger and press the digits, imprinted with blood and tears into my memory. I never told David what techniques Silvio used to achieve this, nor why it was so easy for me to memorize David's number.

  "Yes?" A deep voice rumbles from the receiver and shakes my whole body like an earthquake, every bit of courage plunging into the abyss that sound unsealed. My heart threatens to jump out of my throat if I as much as part my lips.

  "Lavinia." Triumphant laughter makes my palms sweat, and my heart, still stuck in my windpipe, stalls. "I knew you would understand my message."

  The warm breeze turns icy as it touches my clammy skin, spreading goosebumps all over my body. "Where is Lea?" I ask, my voice steady, unlike the rest of my stature.

  "You mean the doctor?" Another ominous laughter. "Right here with me. We just got to appreciate each other... intimately."

  "Don't touch her!" A surge of fury like I never realized I had in me pushes the fear aside. "It is me you want!"

  Silvio makes a triple tsk sound. "Ah, here's the problem, sweetie. You are not here, and she is. She was quite enjoyable, let me tell you. Far from the addictive type you are, but I'll settle for what is on the temporary menu."

  "I'll take her place," I whisper, my throat tight from fighting nausea.

  "Say that again," he demands, although I am sure he heard me fine. "No, even better, beg me to take you back… beg me to fuck you instead of your lovely doctor."

  My whole body shakes, struggling to remain unresponsive to his command, which disarms my mind and turns it hazier with each word.

  I am almost willing to do anything not to anger Father again.

  Why did I believe I could do this?

  ‘I knew you were going to be special. Strong and beautiful, and capable of slaying any monster in your life.’ My father's voice reaches from beyond the haze.

  Judith might still not be ready to slay the monster, as she is trying to rid herself of Lavinia’s remains, but I know who might be!

  Kahina…

  "No," I reply silently but with determination. "I will take Lea's place, but not as your prisoner. I want you to prove your great addiction to me. I want to share the bed with you as your partner. I want to become equally involved."

  "Now, to what do I owe this change of heart?" He sounds surprised, and frankly, so am I.

  I may manage to convince him, but every word I speak must be the truth because he will catch the lie
. "Not what. Who... I am too damaged for a man like David. I understand it now, and I think he will too. Sooner than later. But nonetheless, he showed me what freedom was, and I refuse to give it up again."

  My throat tightens at the thought I might never see David again, but I continue, "Lea is not the only reason I want to return home. You made me who I am. Even if I hate to admit it, I will never stop craving what only you can give me, Silvio," I say his name, and the pizza I barely touched threatens to escape my stomach.

  Breathing out away from the microphone, I focus on the painting. "I want to spend this night in your bed. With you. But first, invite me to dinner in public, to end all the rumors out there about you abusing me."

  "Sweetie, what a smart girl you are." Silvio's voice resembles a content growl I had heard too many times while kneeling in front of him. "I must say, I couldn't have come up with a better idea myself."

  He is tempted. I only pray he is tempted enough.

  "Let's recap. I will take you out for the world to see our perfect father and daughter relationship, then I will fuck you all night long, in any way I please, and if I am satisfied by the morning, the doctor gets to go."

  "This was not the—"

  "Now, listen to me, Lavinia!" That name on his lips paralyzes me.

  I need to stop pushing him before it is too late. He needs to believe in my surrender.

  "I heard your proposition, and I decided to satisfy some of your caprices, but I am the one who makes the rules. If you prefer to think about my offer a bit longer, I would happily wait. After all, I have someone to keep me busy."

  "No!" My answer comes out too fast, proving how desperate I am, but it doesn't matter. If I succeed, Silvio will be a ghost by the morning. "Please, don't touch her. I accept your rules. Have the limo waiting outside the apartment in one hour."

  "Don't be late," Silvio says in a low voice. "The idea of seeing you soon makes my cock pulse with anticipation. I will save it all for you, but if you choose to delay my pleasure, I will fuck your doctor until she bleeds. Doesn't that sound familiar, sweetie?"

  "I'll be there." I throw the phone across the table, and it lands on the floor. Probably it's still intact, unlike my composure.

  The clock is already ticking, but I need to leave David a message before I go.

  When I am done with the canvas, I pull out a chair to reach the relic on the wall and hide it under the denim of my jacket, the sleeping pills I never took still in its pocket.

  Perfect.

  All I need now is a car. I may not hold a driver's license, but I know how to drive. Mauro taught me, so I could drive him when he was too drunk.

  Lucas and Aurelia are in the balcony, talking. The doors are closed. They probably don't want me to hear their conversation, afraid to upset me, but I'm not upset, I am determined, and this looks like an ideal moment for me to act.

  I get on all fours and crawl toward the new coffee table where I saw Lucas throw his car keys after he returned with pizzas. As I am picking up the keys, his smartphone catches my attention. Lucas forgot it on the couch. This is even better!

  I hide his phone inside the jeans' pocket and sneak back into the office. One last glance at the canvas for encouragement, and I climb out the window.

  Minutes resemble hours as I hide in the bushes, waiting for somebody to drive by in this late hour. Finally, an engine roars, and I press the button to unlock the Maserati. With the hand break down, the twenty-thousand-pound steel monster quietly crawls down the driveway into the empty street. Now all I need is for another car to drive by.

  I get more than I anticipated when a cabriolet loaded with youngsters passes by, honking, whistling, and drowning the powerful engine roar.

  Soon the lights of David's lake house disappear from the rearview mirror.

  I am on my own.

  Chapter 24

  Kahina

  For a moment, I forget to breathe. The limo is already parked by the entrance door to the apartment building. Am I too late?

  Impossible! I broke all the speed limits to get here in less than an hour. No, I checked the clock on the dashboard, it took me forty-six minutes to be exact, most of which I wasted stuck in the city traffic.

  Silvio sent the car early to mess with my mind. He wanted me to panic. He knew I would.

  What have I gotten myself into? How am I going to fool the man who knows my every trigger?

  No, that's not entirely true. I kept David a secret for almost a month. I can do this.

  I pick up Lucas's phone from the passenger seat and turn it off, wondering if he and Aurelia discovered I was gone. I don't want David to find me. It's not me they are supposed to rescue, anyway. I hide the sleek black object in the cargo pocket of my jeans, silently praising Lucas for not choosing an oversized model.

  I take a couple of deep breaths and step out.

  The driver studies the asphalt when he opens the door for me, as usual. I cannot contain a sigh of relief when I find the inside empty, but my converses are made of cement. I could still turn around and run back to the car parked right behind the limo. Billions of different scenarios stream by with the speed of light, but they all come to the exact same conclusion – Lea will go through hell if I run.

  I climb inside and flinch when the door behind me closes.

  This time, I scrutinize every street we pass and every turn we take, drawing the map in my head until the city lights fade behind us. The whole route plan shatters, and cold shivers creep up my spine.

  I hammer the separating glass with my fists, but silence from the other side is all too familiar. "Hey! Find the guts to acknowledge me for once in your damn life!"

  The window actually rolls down, and the driver looks at me through the rearview mirror, blinking rapidly.

  "Where are you taking me? I thought we were going to a restaurant?"

  His eyes dart down to the wheel, then to the road, then back to my reflection in the mirror. "I'm sorry."

  "Fuck..." I curse sinking into the seat. I don't believe this word ever left my mouth before.

  "But he told me to stay put after we arrive. I am to drive you both to the restaurant after he shows you something special, he said."

  I blow out a long gust of air, trying to understand if I am relieved or terrified. Yes, Silvio got hooked on the idea of the public display, but I will still need to survive whatever happens inside the mansion.

  "If it helps, he informed me this wouldn't take long," the driver adds before separating from me again.

  I stare out into the darkness outside, unwilling to think about the moment I will be alone with Silvio in his domain.

  The closer we get, the more consuming the need to shut my eyes and my mind becomes, but the moment the limo halts at the gate, I force myself to look at the driver's fingers pressing the code.

  The combination I was never told appears strangely familiar.

  "I'm going to kill you," I mutter under my breath when I piece two and two together.

  The lights appear all too soon, but my vision turns dark, and all I see at the end of that ominous tunnel is Silvio, his black suit trousers and equally black button-down shirt matching the void where his soul should have been.

  After nearly two weeks outside his grasp, the all-consuming fear was becoming a distant memory. Unfortunately, now as I watch him walk toward the car, I cannot stop shivering – every terrifying moment spent with him returning tenfold, threatening to cause another panic attack.

  The hinges of the limo door shriek as it flies open.

  Silvio doesn't bend down.

  He makes sure I notice the bulge in his trousers, and the sight makes me want to crawl under the seat.

  He stands there, waiting for me to abandon any hope before he extends his arm. I lay my shaking hand in his, and his fingers wrap, like octopus tentacles, around it.

  Silvio pulls me out, because I am unable to move, leaving me no other option but to face the devil and his horrifying smile of victory, spread all over his fa
ce.

  Silvio's brown eyes look almost black, and I step back, but the lock on my hand only tightens. With not so much as a word, he pulls me inside.

  Within me, I find no courage to disobey, fear choking me. His dominance radiates through the grip, causing my body to shiver, as the most twisted corners of my brain long for the sickening cocktail of pain and pleasure.

  Once the door slams behind us, Silvio turns around and pins me against it, his hands skimming beneath the jacket and the long-sleeved blouse. He slams his hips into mine, but I remain still, my eyes shut. I cannot fight him now. Not yet. I need to keep Silvio busy, so he does not consider searching me.

  His hands travel up my ribcage, his short beard scrubbing my cheek, and my skin crawls. "No bra, just how I prefer you," he snarls into my ear, and gnaws my earlobe, his finger simultaneously twisting my nipples.

  I cannot hold back a cry. My hands rise and freeze midway. I am desperate to push him, but I don't. I have come too far to risk ruining my plan.

  "Now, let me welcome you home, sweetie." Silvio consumes my lips, his tongue invading my mouth like it has every right to be there. His knee wedges in between my legs, one hand sliding from my breast to rub against my folds through the fabrics of my jeans.

  I want to scream because my mind is refusing to remain indifferent. Years of conditioned obedience take over my reason, and I respond to the possessive claim. Silvio's grunt-like laugh resonates in my throat. He is satisfied with my reaction.

  "You can't imagine how tempted I am to skip the stupid dinner and drag you straight to bed."

  No, no, no!

  My body threatens to betray me, my mind already desperate to turn blank again… Everything would fall apart if he acted on his wish. My efforts to remain calm fail, and a whimper that Silvio swallows, complicates things further.

  He releases me, and my knees buckle. Only my back against the door keeps me from collapsing.

  "Indeed a good show you put up, Lavinia. I almost believed you. Maybe I should return to your doctor for more fun?" His voice is like gravel, scraping my heart, the image of Lea pressed under him, bleeding me dry.