Broken Beast

by R. R. Banks

  “For old time’s sake?” He smiles and gestures to the shower.

  “I’m uh… I’m feeling really chunky right now.” I laugh nervously. “I don’t want you to see me.”

  “Maybe you are a little heavy right now, but that doesn’t mean you’re ugly.” He pulls his T-shirt over his head, revealing his Adonis-esque form, and hangs it over the side of the stall. He shucks off his shorts next but keeps his boxers on. “Plus, some other parts of you are looking a little bit fuller. I don’t mind that in the slightest.”

  He glances at my breasts, a lecherous grin coming across his face. I try to step back, but he has me cornered. The movement of my boobs must have distracted him, because he goes for my shirt next instead of his own underwear. There’s nothing I can do at this point, so I let him start to undo the buttons of my dirty shirt. I look down at my feet and take a shuddering breath.

  Once all of the buttons are undone, he pushes the shirt off my arms. My shorts go next, and I’m left in only my bra. He looks down at my body, confused for a moment, then back up at me, the pieces falling into place in his head. Even though I’ve gained unrelated amounts of weight, it’s mostly been in my butt. There’s no hiding the fact that there’s a distinct roundness there that’s never been there before. That, plus my illness… There’s no way I can convince him otherwise.

  The air between us is electric with tension, the sounds of birds filling the air, and a low rumble of what must be a plane in the distance. We must be miles and miles away from the road, considering how quiet it’s been this whole time. I haven’t heard a single thing, and trust me, I’ve been listening.

  “Simone.” His eyes have gone hard, and anger seems to make every inch of his skin tense. “Are you pregnant?”

  I cover my belly with my hands, feeling myself start to cry. I don’t want him to hurt the baby. I don’t want him to hurt me. But he’s a half foot taller than me and strong and fast. I’m out of options, and almost out of time.

  “Tell me!” he shouts in my face, grabbing me by the shoulders. He shoves me up against the wall of the shower, the back of my head slamming against the old wood so hard that my vision gets blurry. “Don’t fucking lie to me.”

  “Yes,” I whisper, crying.

  “You fucking whore.” He grabs my hair in a grip so tight that I cry out and yanks me out of the little shower stall. “You slut, I can’t believe you. I can’t fucking believe this.”

  He throws me to the ground on the grass behind the house, and I land hands first in an attempt to protect my stomach. I stop myself from face-planting onto the ground, but my wrists are scraped to all hell, immediately bleeding and aching like crazy. The beautiful ring he’s given me gets covered in dirt. I try to scramble to my hands and knees, but he grabs me by the hair again.

  “Were you going to pass some other fuck’s baby off as mine?” He kneels down, getting right in my face. His breath is hot and smells like burnt coffee. “Were you?”

  “N-no,” I gasp, breathing so hard that I’m on the verge of hyperventilating.

  “Whose is it?” He shakes me again, my neck protesting against the force. “Do you even remember his name; you piece of shit?”

  By now I’m sobbing, unable to give him the response he’d probably hate to hear anyway.

  “Is it Jay’s?” he snaps, yelling inches away from my face. I can hear Maya over the mechanical rumble in the distance, screaming for help that no one will hear. She’s kicking the wall from the inside, hard.

  “Yes,” I reply, curling into a ball. “Please don’t hurt me.”

  He glares at me, our faces so close that I can see the pores and fine lines he tries so damn hard to obliterate. His chest is heaving with rage, and his grip on my hair tightens. I get the feeling that my begging has only made the idea of hurting me even more appealing, because he gives me a wicked grin.

  Just as he’s about to open his mouth, a gun blast goes off. It’s not anywhere close to our heads, but both of us jump back from each other. I turn and start crying for a whole new reason. Jay’s speeding up the hill in his truck, one arm hanging out the window, holding a gun pointing in the air.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Jay

  I thought I was at the peak of my rage but seeing that piece of shit touching Simone and screaming in her face unlocks a whole new level. It’s the same guy I saw talking to Harrison in town that day, the extremely good-looking one. Even now, with his hair messed up and his eyes wild, he looks intimidatingly good, like he’s an actor in a movie where all this shit goes down.

  They’re too close for me to shoot a warning shot near his head, so I shoot one into the air. Simone looks up at me, her fear turning to happiness in an instant. I come to a stop so hard that Harrison slides off the backseat and onto the floor. I don’t care what happens to him. I jump out of the car and run towards Simone and Max.

  “Check inside the house for Maya,” I bark at Holly. I don’t turn to see if she does what I say. All I’m focused on is beating the ever-living shit out of Max.

  He’s in his underwear, and so is Simone — at least on top. Without her shirt on, I can see her little belly, a little blip on her usually flat stomach. That makes me run even harder. I need to get her and the baby to safety.

  Max hauls Simone up into his arms, looping one arm around her neck and holding her in front of him like a shield.

  “Don’t shoot, or I’ll snap her neck,” he shouts, stopping. I stop in my tracks, too, about ten feet away from them. He’s already putting pressure on her windpipe, but I don’t want to see if he’s bluffing.

  “Put her down, Max. We’ve called the cops. There’s nothing you can do.” I slide my gun back into its holster and put my hands up, open in a sign of peace. I’m feeling literally anything but peaceful at the moment.

  “I could kill her and this baby,” he says nonchalantly. “Then what?”

  Simone squirms, grabbing his forearm. She kicks his shin hard enough for him to wince, but he doesn’t loosen his grip at all. I hold my ground.

  “Let’s just calm down for a second,” I say, trying to sound friendly. “Put her down and we can all talk. Harrison told me you’ve been here for a while.”

  His face screws up in rage. “He did what? He fucking snitched? After all the money I gave him?”

  Ah — the final puzzle piece falls into place. When he told me about where Simone probably was, he didn’t explain why he’d give Max any information. Harrison’s not a bad person, but he’s not immune to the temptation of money. But Edgar was offering low six figures for all that land — how much more could Max have offered?

  “How much did you give him?” I ask, creeping to the side, but forward a little bit. The cops are behind us, since Holly called on the way, but I’m not sure how far they are. The least I can do is stall.

  “Fifty thousand more than that guy was offering him.” Max snorts. “What’s it to you?”

  “He’s in the truck right now, scared shitless of you.” I stop. “He has nothing to do with any of this — why’d you ask him for help?”

  “He needed money, and I needed services.” He takes a step back and lifts Simone off the ground a little bit. “Don’t come any closer. I swear, I’ll do it.”

  I’m not sure what to do. He’s laser-focused on me, and there’s no way I can shoot. I don’t want to take my eyes off of him, either. Holly’s still beating down the door to the cabin, but he’s not paying any attention to her. All this is about is Simone, and his inability to control her. She stopped kicking, but her posture is still upright. A surge of pride hits me, despite it all. She hasn’t been broken by this.

  “Just put her down,” I repeat, frustration finally setting in. I’m used to handling problems, but I can usually rely on my size and words alone. I could solve this problem with my fists, but that would only make things more complicated right now.

  “No.” He stays right where he is.

  We stand still, not moving, the sounds of sirens far in the distan
ce. He refuses to break eye contact with me, so I don’t either. In the staring contest, his grip slackens a little bit. Simone, finally able to breathe, takes that moment to slam the back of her head into his face and bite down on his arm. It’s enough for him to loosen his grip significantly, and she slips out of his arms. She bolts towards me.

  In an instant, Max is on her tail. I meet them in the middle and grab her, scooping her up and swinging her out of the way. When Max reaches for her, I kick him in the chest, sending him backward, gasping for air. The wind’s been knocked clean out of him.

  “Oh my God, oh my God,” Simone whispers into my ear through tears, clutching me like I’m going to disappear any minute. “You found us.”

  “I wouldn’t have stopped until I did.” I kiss the top of her head, still watching Max coughing and trying to catch his breath. I take slow steps back, keeping my eyes on him, my gun still up.

  The sirens finally reach us, and the cops appear, fanning out from behind us. Max is still writhing on the ground, holding his stomach. I might have broken some of his ribs or fractured his sternum. I’m not sure. But either way, fuck that guy. I could have done so much worse.

  Once the cops swarm him, I carry Simone over to where Holly’s standing next to the door, still unopened. Holly’s cheeks are bright red from exertion.

  “I can’t get it open,” she says, sheepish.

  I put Simone on her feet, but she holds on to my hand. I kick the door right off its hinges, and Maya screams inside.

  “It’s okay, honey! It’s us,” Holly calls. “You’re safe.”

  Holly rushes inside to comfort her, and we follow. Maya looks like she’s been crying, but otherwise she’s unhurt, thankfully. I dig out my pocketknife and cut her loose. She throws her arms around me the moment she’s free.

  “Thank you for saving us,” she says into my T-shirt, sobbing. I don’t think she realizes she’s crying anymore.

  “No problem.” I pat her back with my free hand. Simone snakes around to make it a group hug. I look around the cabin for her clothes but can’t find them.

  “You want my shirt, babe?” I ask Simone. “You’re a little naked right now.”

  “What?” She glances down at her naked lower half, using her arms to shield her stomach like I already haven’t seen it. “Oh, shit. Please?”

  I peel off my T-shirt and slide it onto her head. It covers her past her butt. She gives it a happy sniff, which makes me smile.

  A cop comes inside and looks around. He spots me and Simone hugging Maya and slowly makes his way over, like he’s worried about startling everyone.

  “Are you Simone Moreland?” the cop asks.

  “I am.” Simone finally lets me go.

  “Can I ask you a few questions? We’d like to take you down to the station.” The cop gestures out to the cars.

  She curls up against me, scared.

  “Is it possible to do it here?” I ask, looking down at the top of her head. There are twigs and grass in her hair. “It’s been a rough few days.”

  The cop nods and pulls up a chair. Just like a coordinated dance, she settles between my legs on the ground and I wrap my arms around her. I want to touch her stomach so badly, but I resist and hold her hand instead.

  “Walk me through what happened on the day you were taken,” the cop starts.

  Simone takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. “I was on a hike with Maya. It was the middle of the afternoon and hot, so not a ton of people were around. We were on a part of the trail with really dense woods on either side, and then someone grabbed me by the hair. They put something over my mouth, and I passed out.”

  I pull her a little closer.

  “I woke up inside that little cabin. Max is my ex-boyfriend and I think he took me and Maya so he could convince me to get back together with him,” she sniffs, dabbing tears with the sleeve of my T-shirt. “I stalled him as much as I could. I tried to play along for a while and said that I would go back to the city with him, but that only made him propose to me. I pretended to say yes.”

  She stops, slides the diamond ring off her finger, and hands it to the cop. It’s nice, and a weird jolt of envy runs through me. Her first time being proposed to should have been a joyous thing, not whatever the fuck Max did.

  “He took me outside to take a shower and he…” She pauses. “He just lost it. Then you guys came.”

  The cop nods, taking a few more notes. “Do you know what set him off?”

  “Not really,” she says. She yawns. “I’m very tired. Can we finish these questions another day?”

  “That’s fine.” The cop nods and looks to me. “Are you going to get her home safe?”

  “Yes, of course.” I look down at Simone. “You want to go home?”

  She nods. “Please.”

  I know we need to talk about our relationship still, but I don’t want to push the issue when she’s this vulnerable. Once Maya’s parents arrive to take her home, I tuck Simone into the front seat and buckle her in.

  She falls asleep on the ride back to my house, a deep, hard sleep. She’s drooling on herself and everything. Just looking at her makes me feel relieved. The adrenaline rush is over now, and I want to take a nap myself. But I can’t quite yet.

  “How did you guys find us?” she asks after a long drive, her eyes still closed. I look over at her warily. She looks so pale and fragile. “You can tell me. I’m still running on adrenaline despite passing out asleep so I think I can handle the truth.”

  “Harrison told us,” I explain. “He was the one who broke into the guest house and took all your stuff back for Max. Max was lurking around town and overheard that he was having some money troubles, probably at the Tavern. I guess Max manipulated him, too, because Max promised him one hundred fifty thousand dollars to help him keep tabs on you.”

  “Holy shit.” Her eyes pop open and widen.

  “That’s the kind of money Harrison could have gotten if he sold his land, plus a lot more. He got offered it in exchange for doing very little, so he took the deal. He had no idea that Max would try to kidnap you and Maya. I don’t think he would have done it otherwise.”

  “But who was the second person who took us then?” she asks.

  “That? Don’t know. But Harrison told us that he refused to do it when Max told him the whole plan. Thankfully he did, otherwise I don’t think we would have found you guys. Max didn’t think he’d snitch because he gave him so much money, but I pressured him into it.” I sigh. “I hate what Harrison did to you, but he was in a shitty position. Max took advantage of him.”

  Simone takes that in and closes her eyes again. I can’t quite tell what she’s thinking. “Thank you for telling me.”

  We get back fifteen minutes later. I park the truck and go to grab her from the front seat.

  “C’mon, Moni.” I scoop her up, light as a feather, and bring her inside. “You hungry?”

  “Yes, starving,” she murmurs, still half asleep. I place her on the couch and put a blanket on over her body.

  “I bet you are.” I search through my kitchen for something substantial and find enough ingredients for a sandwich. I put one together, slice up an apple, and bring it out for her. “You’re eating for two, after all.”

  She freezes, looking up at me in horror. I push the plate into her hands and sit down next to her.

  “How did you know?” She asks quietly.

  “Holly told me once we realized you were missing. She said you’re three months along?” I study her face, tear-streaked and dirty. She’s still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.

  She just nods and picks up a slice of apple.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…” She nibbles on the slice, looking ashamed.

  “You didn’t mean to get knocked up? I’m pretty sure it took both of us for that to happen.” I smooth her hair out of her face and tuck it behind her ear. “Why didn’t you tell me, Simone? Is that why you put us on hold? Because of the baby?”

&nbs
p; She nods, tearing up. “I’m really sorry.”

  “Thank you for the apology, but I’m more curious as to why you felt like you had to.” I tilt her face up with two fingers. “You could have told me, babe.”

  “But you said you didn’t want a family because your own family life was really tough. Remember? The first time we went to the bar?” She wipes her eyes and eats a whole apple slice in one go. “And I wasn’t sure if I was ready to be in a relationship like that still. Throwing the baby into the mix is like putting everything on hard mode. I didn’t want you to feel pressured into staying just for the sake of it.”

  “I do remember saying that, and now I regret it,” I reply, putting my hand on her knee. “That was then, way before we started to fall for each other again. And way before you made me realize that my life doesn’t have to be the way that I thought it had to be — lonely and isolated because I couldn’t handle being around others out of fear... My life can be what I want it to be, and I want it to be with you and this baby.”

  “Really?” Her green eyes light up for the first time in who knows how long… “I thought you would be pissed off at me for lying.”

  “I’m a little mad, but I’m mostly just relieved as fuck that you’re okay.” I glance at her belly, hidden by my T-shirt. “Seeing you get kidnapped by a crazy person really put things in perspective.”

  “You aren’t even a little upset?”

  “I’m only upset that I haven’t been able to be there for you. It seems like you’ve been feeling like shit.” I grin, squeezing her hand. “I still owe you a pedicure, don’t I? Maybe I can pamper you a little bit.”