Part 17 (2/2)

She turned her head towards me in the dark. ”Oh G.o.d. It wasn't a dream. Was it?”

I shook my head. ”No, Sheila, it wasn't.”

”You aren't going to let him touch me again are you?”

”He won't touch you while I'm in control here. I can promise you that.”

Her body began to shake again and she struggled to control it. With an effort, she succeeded.

”Jane? And Christi? Where are they?”

”In the bathroom. They'll be here shortly.”

”I'd like to see them. Please?”

”As soon as they're done.”

She swallowed. ”Please. I'm thirsty. Can I have a drink?”

I rose from the chair. ”Sure. Be back in a minute.”

I walked out to the bathroom. Blinking in the sudden light. The girls were just about finished. Christi was drying the bottom part of her hair. She playfully thrust her bare chest out as she saw me enter. Her hands above her, her right holding the hair dryer and her left buried in her hair. Most of the steam had disappeared from the room. Escaped through the open door. Jane was drying her nails. She'd changed the colour to a deep red. Her make up was perfect again. No sign of the sleep she'd had. She'd brushed out her hair as well. Still soft and s.h.i.+ny from this morning. I couldn't help myself. I ran my fingers through her chestnut hair. She allowed the touch and actually smiled and gave a small laugh. For some reason pleased that I'd done it.

I searched around and found a plastic cup. Probably used by the former occupants of the house for brus.h.i.+ng their teeth. I rinsed it in the sink and filled it with cold water.

”Come to the master bedroom when you are both done,” I left them one last instruction as I left carrying the water.

I slipped back into the room with Sheila.

”Lights,” I announced to the only other occupant of the room. I flicked on the lights.

Sheila cried out as the bright light hit her. Not quick enough to close her eyes before the lights snapped on. She had scrunched up her face, closing her lids tightly against the harsh light. Her left arm was thrown across her eyes. I sat back in the chair beside her.

Finally she opened one eye and managed to brave the light. ”You could have warned me,” she chastised me.

”I did.”

”Not much of a warning. I'm barely awake. I don't want to be awake.”

I looked at her again in the light. Her eyes were both open, but blinking furiously. I cringed as I saw her face for the first time in the light. The right side of her face was slightly swollen. There was a angry red bruise formed on her right cheek. About where the b.a.s.t.a.r.d had slapped her. Her right eye was blackened. Not the worst s.h.i.+ner I'd ever seen. h.e.l.l, I'd gotten worse myself in the schoolyard in my younger days. But seeing it on this delicate woman seemed wrong somehow.

”What?” she asked seeing my scrutiny of her face. She hitched herself up towards the head of the bed, sitting up. The covers fell away from her bare b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Noticing, she tried to cover herself by pulling the covers up with her left hand.

”Sheila. Honey. Leave it, it's nothing I'm not going to see anyway.” I was far more concerned with her face anyway.

She noticed that my gaze hadn't fallen to her bare chest but remained on the right side of her face. She lifted her left hand and touched her right cheek, letting the covers settle around her waist. She winced at her touch. She traced along her eye, involuntarily moving away from her fingers. She dropped her hand back to the covers and began to cry silently.

”I'm a mess aren't I? I'm sorry.”

I couldn't imagine for what she was apologizing. Maybe that b.a.s.t.a.r.d in the other room had made her apologize for her appearance. Even after he'd caused the bruises marring her perfect face. I couldn't understand what would possess him to be so brutal with such a delicate creature. Control didn't require this kind of heavy handedness.

I lifted the cup of water towards her lips. I noticed that the right side of her upper lip was slightly swollen as well. She allowed me to feed her, wincing as the cup touched her upper lip. She drank the whole cup of water in one big long swallow.

I gently asked her. ”How are you feeling?”

”Sore as h.e.l.l.”

”I'll bet. What were you sorry about?” I asked her.

”Me. My face. I. I guess I just didn't want you to see me like this.”

”Sheila, you'll be alright. It's not your fault. It will heal.”

”I've been through worse.” I couldn't imagine her looking any worse unless he had gotten to the left side of her face as well. Then it would have been twice as bad, I guess. ”Why did you wake me up? Why are you being so gentle with me?”

”I didn't mean to frighten you.”

”I know. It's just that, my Master ... I mean the judge ... would wake me up by slapping me, or shaking the h.e.l.l out of me. I can't count the times I was awakened screaming in pain.”

”I'm sorry. I don't wake up my girls like that. Usually they are up well before me anyway.”

”Thank G.o.d you don't wake us up like that. G.o.d I hated that. Why'd you wake me up then? You want something.”

”Sheila. Honey. I just didn't want you to sleep all day. You wouldn't sleep when we do. Tonight.”

”That's not all is it? You want to hurt me. Or rape me.” Suspiciously. ”Why aren't Jane and Christi here?”

I almost laughed, but I controlled the impulse. ”I think that you are hurt enough. I don't need to add to it. And I think raping you qualifies as hurting you. I'm not going to hurt you. I promise. And I told you. Jane and Christi just have to finish in the bathroom and they will be here.”

She sighed. ”You are so different. He wouldn't have cared. He would have raped me and added to my bruise list just for fun. And G.o.d help me if I complained.”

”I'm not Mayer. Never will be. And speaking of Mayer, you feel like getting back at him?”

”Getting back at him?”

”Yeah. Paying him back? Getting some revenge?”

”What do you mean?” She was truly confused.

”Let's hypothetically pretend that I had him helpless. You know, how he kept you. Maybe bound up. Uncomfortable. Would you want to pay him back for some of those bruises? Give him a taste of his own medicine?”

She closed her eyes and thought about it for a second. ”I'd be yours forever if you let me at him for just a half hour.” A thought occurred to her. ”He couldn't get at me. Retaliate? Ever?”

”Nope. He'd be completely at your mercy.”

”Oh G.o.d. I don't know. I want to. G.o.d, do I want to. But. I know what it's like on the other end. Being helpless. Having someone just beat the h.e.l.l out of you for no reason. It's wrong.” She closed her eyes. Remembering some abuse from the past.

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