The HUSH Series: (HUSH, HUSHED and JANE.)

by Sandra Raine

  "I must've eaten something bad last night," I lied.

  "Where'd you guys eat?" Doug then casually interrupted as he sliced into his steak while the medium-rare blood leaked from its wound. My stomach turned.

  "Hard Rock Café."

  "The one at the Biltmore?" Doug retorted appallingly. "Wow!” he then sighed out surprised. “Their food is usually good."

  "Yeah," I made an attempt to agree. "But maybe for once they failed, you know. . .to make the food good?"

  "Could be," my father also casually interjected. "Sooner or later a restaurant is bound to make you sick. Remember that one place out in Santa Barbara, down by the Marina? Five Star Restaurant and everyone fell ill and just about died from eating those Scallops." We all nodded. "You talk about lawsuits. . ." and my father’s voice trailed off into a lengthy wave of sighs.

  "What was it like, Dad, like in the hundred millions, right?"

  "Yeah, Douglas, something along those lines."

  "Hmm," I grimaced stealing a glimpse from my watch: it was 8:35. "I'm tired," I fended after a few minutes had passed and other mindless dinner chatter began. I slowly rose up from the table, picked up a few dishes and headed inside.

  Sitting on my bed and literally trembling in my skin is where I waited for Dominic's call. My bedroom was dark ‘cause I had the light turned out to make like I was asleep. From the dark I stared out my bedroom window, the same window I would be climbing out of to meet Dominic.

  Earlier, as my father was grilling his famous Steaks, I managed to sneak past him to the tool shed for a ladder. Once in the clear, I propped the ladder securely beneath my bedroom window. Luckily for me my bedroom window sat on the east end of the house and nowhere near the patio.

  I broke my gaze from the darkness and glanced unnervingly at my bedside clock: it was just past nine. A wave of elation then swept through me as I quickly got up from my bed and started to undress. But seconds later however, that same elation had been replaced by a panic I was just barely coming to terms with as it suddenly gripped me from the inside and forced those tears of distress to trickle down my face. . .the cell rang and rang. And despite my hesitation, despite my gut telling me to run downstairs into my father's arms and alert him of Dominic's intentions with me I instead picked up on the third ring.

  "Yes?" my voice cracked, my hands trembled, my insides churned.

  We're waiting.

  "Yes, Dominic."

  Dominic hung up, and I left my bedroom with my heart literally in my hands.

  Chapter 10

  Down the block a set of headlights flashed on then off. And it wasn't the Bentley that awaited me it was Dominic's Hummer with Dominic inside, and alone.

  The corner of my left eye had already done a swift glance at the backseat prior to me sliding onto the front seat. I shut the door quietly, keeping my gaze to the serenity of the soft lighted street.

  "Just so you know, Jane, there is no work tonight," Dominic said quickly while an invisible sigh of relief escaped my mouth thus calming that raging fear that had been burning in the pit of my stomach since this morning. "I called you because there's a few things I failed to sort out with you."

  Wait! Was Dominic being. . .polite?

  Without thinking I cleared my throat. And without thinking again, I opened my mouth to ask a question about "work" but I suddenly remembered Dominic's forewarning about never asking questions about "work". So as quick as I was to open my mouth so was I quick to shut it.

  "If you have a question you can ask."

  Not allowing Dominic the opportunity to change his mind on his offer I said the first thing that came to mind which wasn't what I had originally wanted to say. "Yeah, but you're going to get mad at me."

  "Is it about work?" I stiffened a nod at the same time holding my breath. "Go ahead." Dominic urged.

  I broke my gaze from the street and looked at Dominic confused. I even searched his face for any sign of entrapment but found nothing but eagerness.

  "Like. . .what kind of things?" Dominic smirked. I think he had expected a speech from me.

  "Well for starters, Jane, you need to pick up on the first ring. Second, don't ever avoid picking up the cell. And third, no jeans. I want you in a dress. It's just three simple rules to follow when leaving your house. If you can abide by those rules everything will go smoothly. You step out of line, you'll regret it. Understand?" I nodded, yet I was stumped on the 'You'll regret it' .

  "Now," Dominic said changing his tune. "We all have school tomorrow so you'll be hanging with Tanya - everywhere Tanya goes, you go. Tomorrow I want you smiling. I want you talking. And you need to eat. I want you thin but not that thin, understand?" Again I nodded only this time a little too eagerly only 'cause I was trying to hold on to Dominic's every word. "When you see me at school, and you'll be seeing me quite a bit considering you'll be hanging around our crowd, I don't want you looking at me unless I address you. Now as far as Toni is concerned, and just so you are aware, I broke it off with her not more than a couple of hours ago." I stared at Dominic in a state of shock backed up with some awe. And I must've looked pathetic, if not, desperate 'cause he read my expression and laughed. In my mind's eye I actually pictured Toni drowning in tears of humiliation under her Princess sized canopy bed, banging her fists against her silk pillows while streaks of black mascara scorned her pretty face.

  "I need to concentrate on what I'm doing," Dominic conceited. "And besides," his expression then suddenly chilled, "I don't have to sweet talk her pristine ass into bed when I can fuck you anytime." My expression gloomed offensively leaving Dominic chuckling impishly. He knew I had been insulted over that remark but he didn't care 'cause he chuckled again.

  "C'mon, Jane," Dominic toyed turning on his charismatic charm. His voice softened and his eyes dimmed sensually into mine. And for some strange and blasphemous and unexplained reason my heart fluttered. And the sensation felt exactly the same way as when Dominic first walked into Tanya's bedroom and kissed me. I mean, had I gone insane? Did I actually, and still, have feelings for him in spite of what has happened. . .In spite of what he's turned me into? Did I REALLY love him as I first proclaimed I did? I mean, what the hell was going on with my emotions? Why was I staring into his eyes? Why was I yearning for him to take me and have sex with me?

  Dominic must've read my expression. 'Cause like an open invitation he quickly brushed his lips against mine. And when he made an attempt to steal a kiss from them, and because I still had that fear tugging at my insides, drove me to turn him down. And I must've provoked Dominic's inner angst 'cause within that spurt of rejection he grabbed my face hard and forced me to look at him. I whimpered as my heart accelerated.

  "Don't ever turn away from me!" Dominic scolded as the heat off his breath scorched my face. "Now," he said calmly letting my face go gently so he could stroke my hair and touch my bruised lips. "Unzip my jeans and go to work."

  About half-way down the block from my house I stammered to one of the many trees lining the easements and threw up. Then like a drunken whore I stumbled to another tree and broke down beneath it, telling myself that there was no way I could go on, to go through the pain and the torture of having to unwillingly perform sexual acts with strange men if I couldn't control my performing with Dominic who was no stranger to me. I mean. . .suddenly I began to panic, wondering how I was going to survive having sex, let alone, having it become easy for me without going out of mind?

  Come morning I couldn't bring myself to get out of bed and get ready for school. But when I did, I just about regretted it after Tanya text me and told me that she and Dominic would be stopping by to pick me up so driving myself to school was out of the question.

  Dominic pulled up in his Hummer just as I was clearing the driveway to my house. From the front seat Tanya opened the back door and I slid in.

  "Morning," Tanya said cheerily over her shoulder which I found tacky.

  "Morning," I mumbled less-than-ecstatic. I glanced at Dominic who, and to
my dismay, was already staring at me through the rearview mirror.

  "Tanya, give Jane some of that make-up stuff to cover up that bruise." Dominic said.

  "Oh, God!" I fretted, opening my purse and rummaging desperately for the concealer all the while remembering that this, the bruise was the important thing I had to do before heading downstairs but realized I had forgotten.

  "Here," Tanya said dangling a bottle of foundation over her shoulder.

  "I have some." I said pulling both my concealer and a mirror from my purse. I immediately applied the cool liquid to my cheek which was still tender to the touch just as Dominic pulled into the Starbucks drive-thru where he ordered us some Latte's.

  I was glad to be back at school and away from all the humiliation and the torture and the abuse I had suffered over the weekend. I literally tossed myself back into my studies, conversing with my friends (when Tanya wasn't around), and for once I wasn't daydreaming about Dominic; something I had done frequently after loosing my virginity to him.

  For lunch Tanya toted me to Sonic with some of her friends. She stood by my side the whole entire time as Dominic predicted. I was quite taken aback when Tanya decided to include me in some of her conversations with her so-called "friends" - conversations I found as boring and lame as I was much too busy longing for school to drag on although three o'five was just around the corner; the thought of school coming to an end began to screw with my nerves as well as my lunch.

  Somewhere during the mindless chatter with me constantly glancing down at my watch, a cheer-bitch by the name of Ericka casually inquired about my bruise. And instead of scrambling for an answer as I would have probably done if this were another lifetime, I instead fibbed a lie.

  "I got into a fight at the mall with some girl over a dress."

  Ericka and the other cheer-bitches laughed. "Really?" Ericka lit up intrigued over my lie.

  "Yeah," I chuckled with slight embarrassment as she and the other cheer-bitches began to reminisce about their fights with other girls. I glanced at Tanya who shot me a glum smile before turning away. I assumed the actual truth must've made her feel bad, or maybe I was just getting good at lying in general?

  During PE Dominic - and unfortunately the only class we shared - to my surprise walked up to me and actually asked how my day was going. He even managed an earnest smile, and he even laughed when he joked about the second string Quarterback, who over the weekend, jumped a fence and landed hard on his left ankle, springing it.

  "So who do you think will be pulling overtime come Friday's game? Me! Shit!" Suddenly Dominic sounded pissed. And I figured him talking to me about it gave him some sense of comfort to rant and rave; something he probably felt he couldn't do around the other guys maybe for fear of him bragging about his ego which I didn't see why the guys would get pissed in the first place over if Dominic was their starting Quarterback to begin with?

  Wait! Was I actually defending Dominic?

  I suddenly cringed from that eerie thought as Dominic spat on the ground and shook his head in disgust. "That's goin' to fuck up my weekend plans," he whined almost regrettably. And just hearing him speak like that caused a chill of remorse to nip at my skin - right then and there I couldn't help but to embrace what awaited me.

  I nervously glanced back up at Dominic and he was already staring down at me but in thought; I assumed he caught me pondering out loud.

  "You going to be alright. . .I mean, having to play harder for Friday's game?" I said quickly, breaking the tension that settled between us.

  Dominic eventually broke his gaze from mine and nodded. "See you after school," he mumbled, walking away without so much as a glance back.

  But it was after school when the noose around my nerves really began to tighten thus choking me particularly when Tanya and I waited impatiently near Dominic's Hummer for Dominic who was right in the middle of an argument with Toni; Toni who was impersonating one of them ghetto chicks, tossing her hand mid-air, twisting her neck this way and that way. She looked like a fucking joke! Meanwhile, Dominic looked like he was no more than five seconds away from cold-decking her to the ground. Then, like a bolt of lightning, something struck Toni causing her aura to shift; she was now staring right at me. And it was in that truculent moment when I realized what was happening, what her intentions were the second she stepped away from Dominic and started walking quickly in my direction.

  "Oh, crap!" Tanya's boredom suddenly bitched while I just stood there literally glued to the pavement and cowering in my stance 'cause Toni was a little taller than me, and from the looks of the way she was approaching me, aggressive, too.

  Dominic was fast on Toni's heels. I could see he was trying hard to keep her from confronting me. But Toni just kept on ignoring him 'cause she kept pulling her arm away from him every time he tried to grab her.

  After a few more steps, some heated bouts of swearing every name in the good book, Toni was now standing in front of me and I didn't know what to do?

  Chapter 11

  A crowd suddenly gathered around me and Toni, and for the life of me I didn't know where to start hitting Toni 'cause she was already all up in my face telling me how she was going to kick my ass and that she blamed me for Dominic breaking up with her and yadda, yadda, fucking yadda! And as I stood there taking all of Toni's trash talking I could feel my anger starting to build particularly when I caught Dominic smirking that same smirk as he was on top of me, fucking me in front of the camera. It seemed like I must've had a flashback of some sort 'cause in no time I dropped my backpack, and with a brilliant force, the same force Dominic used when he backhanded me that night over Tanya's car, I knocked Toni right on her ass in front of the entire football and cheer team and half the student body. And while other girls in my position would have easily stopped fighting, I didn't. Instead I jumped on Toni while she was still on the ground. And while she was still obviously trying to recuperate from the first unexpected blow to her left cheek I continued to slug her over and over again.

  I must've been beating Toni something God awful 'cause within seconds Dominic and some of the guys interceded in the fight; they were like crowbars, trying to pry me off Toni. And for the life of me I couldn't remember what happened after that 'cause somewhere during the ordeal I passed out.

  I heard muffled voices around me right before my eyes opened up. I was now lying on the leathered sofa in the living room to Dominic and Tanya's house. I quickly sat up and touched my face; it felt tender. Then when I glanced at my hands I saw that they were slightly bloodied and bruised.

  "Here!" Dominic bitched tossing me a pack of sanitized hand wipes and abruptly settling a bowl of ice onto the glass coffee table. The ice stirred and my nerves pinched.

  "Um. . .what happened?" I then pried hoping Dominic wouldn't get pissed over my prying.

  "You gave Toni a good screwing!" Dominic suddenly laughed after hearing Tanya's brash comment. I shook my head and wiped my hands clean before sticking them both into the bowl of ice. I held them there for a few seconds before pulling out then repeating a couple more times.

  "You really beat her up bad, Jane." Tanya said matter-of-factly but it was the bummed-out tone she used that caused me concern 'cause Dominic left the living room looking slightly pissed over it.

  "She deserved it." I fended on behalf of my defense.

  "You think so?"

  "Yes."

  "Hmm," Tanya droned in thought. She then stole a glance toward the living room's entrance prior to lowering her voice. "Dominic is going to have to keep a closer eye on you then," she cautioned.

  "Why?"

  "'Cause of your anger. . .Maybe perhaps toward he and Justin and Josh?"

  I scrunched my forehead and stared comically at Tanya, thinking 'And what are you. . .a fucking saint?' but I held back from insulting her.

  After a moment I, too, stole a glance toward the direction of the living room's entrance prior to lowering my voice to scoff regrettably. "If I were Dominic I wouldn't worry about i
t, Tanya; I can't fight him or your cousins off! And that's the plain harsh truth." I got up from the sofa and headed toward the kitchen to dump the bowl of ice but I froze in my tracks when I found Dominic in the kitchen staring out the bay window smoking a cigarette. He turned and looked at me just as a plume of smoke escaped his mouth. And just like a dog with its tail between its legs after a good scrap, I scurried toward the kitchen's sink and quickly dumped the ice and washed the bowl.

  "Um. . .Thanks for the ice," I said to Dominic, rubbing my hands uneasily and quite nervously.

  Dominic nodded and stared back out the window. "Ready?" He asked, coolly.

  "Yeah."

  "Did I say you can go?" Dominic then grilled me all stiff and tight lipped when I attempted to ease my way out of the kitchen to grab my things.

  My stomach knotted as I stopped dead cold in my tracks. "No." I mumbled.

  Dominic finished off his cigarette and tossed the spent butt to the floor. He stomped on it hard. Either he was annoyed, or he just didn't give a shit about his parents' expensive Italian tiled floor. He then stepped to the edge of the table and kicked out a chair. "Sit down." He grunted. I quickly sat down trying hard to keep a collective composure beneath Dominic's towering frame just above my right shoulder.

  "I'm worried about you, Jane," he surmised, and slightly on the troubled side. "I mean, I saw something in you today that made me realize your actions aren't going to be good for business."

  Wait! Was Dominic scared? "I don't understand?" I interjected naively only to fail miserably 'cause Dominic gave me this harsh, quizzical stare that showed he wasn't buying into my coyness. His lips then pursed again. And I took that as a sign that I needed to change my attitude. Fast!

  "If you try to rebel against me, Jane, against any of us, not only will I be forced to kill your entire family, I'll force you to watch. And once I'm done killing your family, Jane, I'm going to kill you next. And the only difference that will be between your family's death and yours, yours will be slow and very, very painful."