by Alta Hensley
Turning sideways, I stared over my shoulder at the man I’d feared at one point I’d never see again. Did he know I failed him? Did he know I allowed Janie to be killed?
Despite his cautious tone, his familiar voice eased some of the panic tormenting my soul. I reached for his extended hand.
“What happened? Can you tell me what happened to you?”
Tears exploded from my eyes, streaking the dried blood on my cheeks. “Janie is dead, and so are Lisa and Trudy. I held Janie in my arms as she struggled in pain for her last breath.” A tortured sob escaped my quivering lips, forcing me to collapse to my knees as I felt like my body didn’t have enough air to survive on.
Like a wary wolf, he slowly placed a hand on my shoulder. Was he expecting me to bolt at any moment? I continued to sob into my dirty hands.
“What happened? Who did this?” I asked between gasping breaths.
Victor knelt down and wiped my hair away from my eyes, appearing careful not to come on too strong. “Harley told me that the price on a Drayton Doll has made you all a commodity. Therefore, in a lot of danger. I had no idea.”
“Who wanted us? What were they going to do? Sell us?”
Unable to keep from comforting me any longer, Victor lifted my shivering body into his embrace. The scent of Janie’s blood seared into my nostrils. Now I was spreading the proof of her death on his perfectly pressed pinstriped suit.
“I don’t know who ordered this, but when I find out…” His body tensed. “Harley is finding out. But I promise you, the men whom Harley didn’t kill, and whomever is behind this will fucking pay. I swear to you. I will kill each one and make it known to all to never come near one of you women again.”
I tensed, but didn’t pull away. I expected Harley to be violent, but hearing those words come from Victor’s lips surprised me and sent a shiver down my spine. I had no doubt he meant every single word.
“Can you tell me what happened? I heard from Harley, but not what happened before he arrived,” he asked.
Taking a deep breath to attempt control over my crying, I answered, “A bunch of men. They came in with knives and guns. They broke their way in. I tried to fight them off so one of the girls could run for help. But it didn’t work. They killed Janie, and I had to watch her die in my lap. I didn’t see the others, but Harley told me they didn’t survive.” I began to cry again, pressing my tear-soaked face into his shoulder. “I watched Janie take her last breath, and I don’t see how I am ever going to get the vision of her misery out of my head. She was in so much pain, and so scared. Those men were monsters.”
My misery mixed with fury. I couldn’t stop the rage. I wanted revenge just like Victor did. I wanted to take them all on. I wanted to scream! But right now, my weakened body could only cry.
Cupping my jaw, Victor lifted my face and kissed me lightly. His lips were cold and dry, but his attempt to comfort me at least eased my sobs. My shaking body warned of shock, and I was wise enough to see the signs of an upcoming breakdown. How much could I be expected to endure before the darkness claimed me? How much could someone take and see, and be able to handle it? Could I ever be all right after what happened?
Victor tightened his grip around me and whispered, “It’s going to be okay. You are going to be just fine.”
“How can you say that? Women are dead! How dare you coddle me, and act like I just had a bad dream!” I pushed abruptly away from him, my breath coming in serrated gasps. “Look around you, Victor! Your dollhouse is covered in blood. Those men killed for no reason. Janie is dead! The others are dead. And I can’t help but feel like they died because of me. So, no, it is not going to be okay! And how do we know they won’t come back and kill the rest of the dolls? Or others? If people want to kidnap us for money, more will come, right?”
Not bothered by my rage, he said, “Listen to me.” He stroked the blood soaked hair on my head. “I’m making sure that the dolls are all safe by upping security and utilizing Harley and his men, but right now I need to focus on you. You’re hurt.”
I shook my head. “I’m fine.”
Victor tilted my head so I had no choice but to look into his eyes. “Are you? Are you really fine?”
Tears continued to spill. I shook my head and whispered, “No.”
“I’m so sorry you had to go through that.” He kissed my forehead. “But I’m here now, and I’m not going to let anything happen to you ever again.” He kissed my lips again, tenderly, tightening his grip around my body. “I am so proud of the fighter you are. I was told you killed your attacker. I know that couldn’t have been easy, but I’m really proud of you.” He tightened his grip even more, giving me comfort that I desperately needed. “But you don’t have to be strong any longer. Let me be strong for you.”
I sobbed even louder, as if his words gave me the permission to not hold back. I couldn’t do much else even if I wanted to. I felt completely broken—shattered into a million pieces. I cried in his arms until I couldn’t cry any longer. I mourned my friend. I mourned the life of a woman I’d grown to care about. And though I hadn’t known the other girls for long, I mourned them as well and their senseless deaths.
But if I didn’t stop crying—or at least try to stop—I feared I wouldn’t ever be able to again.
I wiped at my nose and took a deep breath. I needed to regain myself. I had no choice but to do so.
“When I got the call telling me what had happened, I have never been so scared in my life,” Victor whispered into my ear as his arms wrapped around me tighter. His lips traced the curves of my neck and shoulders. Hearing his declaration of emotion surprised me. Victor’s heart revealed itself. “I was told three out of the four women were dead. And as awful as it sounds, I pleaded to whatever fucking God was listening for that surviving woman to be you.”
“I feel so guilty that I lived and they didn’t,” I said.
“Don’t,” he said. “Never feel guilty. You had no control over what happened. I’m not telling you to just forget and move on, but you can’t blame yourself for living. Janie and the others wouldn’t have wanted that for you. You know that.”
Safe in his arms and snuggled up against his chest, Victor’s touch helped extinguish all the misery that had tortured me while I’d waited for his return. I was worried to ask my next question, but knew I had to. “So what do we do now? The dolls? The galleries? Are we safe to perform?”
He inhaled deeply. “Until we know who and what is behind the attack, Harley is moving all the dolls to his house in the bayou. He thinks it’s the safest place, and I agree. The Dollhouse isn’t safe no matter how many hired guns I place here. The location has been compromised, and if those assholes found the house, then others know where it is as well.”
“What about Berlin? You were headed there.”
“I canceled and turned the jet around the minute I got the call of what happened. I also postponed Japan since it’s coming soon as well. I’m not doing a thing further until I know fully what is going on in the murky depths of the seedy underworld.”
“Do the other dolls know what happened?”
He nodded. “They’re devastated, but also happy you at least survived. They can’t wait to see you, but I have them all packing right now.”
“We’re leaving now?”
“We’re relocating to Harley and Marlowe’s tonight. Marlowe is already preparing the rooms. It’s going to be a tight squeeze with everyone, but at least it will be safe for now.”
Safe.
Safe for now.
That was all I really needed to hear to regain normal breathing and dry up my tears.
Clinging to his warm chest, the world seemed right again, or as close to right as my world would ever truly be again. Victor pulled my hair away from my face. His smile disappeared, the light in his eyes shadowed, and any sign of warmth faded. His fingers grazed over the dark marks along my neck, face and chest.
“Ivy, I need to look at these bruises.”
I stared in
silence as he examined my condition, clearly seeing my battle wounds for the first time. “Are you in a lot of pain?”
I shook my head.
His nose flared with his deep breaths. “Did they rape you?” he asked calmly, but his expression revealed a hint of anger… fury… rage.
I shook my head. Physically I really wasn’t.
I hadn’t been raped… not in the way he was asking. But something deep inside of me told me not to reveal the entire truth. I didn’t think he could handle the truth of what did occur. But I also knew he expected the full truth from me.
My heart pounded in my chest, lacking the strength and courage to relive the awful attack. He wasn’t listening anyway, was my excuse for not revealing the entire truth. His head needed to be calm, not hot with anger.
“Victor, please, forget about the bruises.”
“Tell me what happened, now.” The order was firm and unwavering.
“One of the men lunged at me, grabbed me by my neck, and threw me to the ground. I tried to get away from him, but he caught me and hit me repeatedly. I struggled to fight the sick fuck. He choked me, punched me several times, and then things got blurry. I tried to fight as hard as I could, but things went black and…” Tears burned my eyes. “Then he took the handle of the knife and…”
“What?”
I took a deep breath. “He shoved it inside my ass. Wanted me to have it inside of me like all the Drayton Dolls are known for doing.”
“We need to get you to the hospital now!”
I shook my head. “No, please. I already told Harley no. I’m fine. I don’t need a doctor examining there and asking questions that I don’t want to answer over and over again. Please. It could have been a lot worse, but I was able to stop it before he could fully… fuck me there.”
Victor lifted the shirt from the rest of my body, his fingers tracing along the bruises across my neck, chest, and ribcage. The pain in his eyes broke my heart.
“I should have been there.”
“Victor, you had no way of knowing.”
“I you and Harley hadn’t killed them, I’d kill them for what they did to you.”
“I just want to get out of here. I don’t want to have to relive this nightmare over and over again.” I wanted out of this house, but I also hoped that Victor would stay with me. The thought of not having him by my side filled me with a new sense of panic. “I’m so scared. I’m terrified of what might still happen. And I’m scared of being alone. Will you stay with me?”
“I’ll stay with you,” Victor whispered. “I’m just so sorry, Ivy. I had no idea this would happen. I would have never even created The Dolls and my art showings if I had felt any of your lives would ever be in danger. I didn’t realize I was opening the gates to hell so every fucking sick soul could enter.”
“You had no way of knowing,” I mumbled against his chest. “Just like I have to forgive myself for Janie’s death.”
“I should have been here to protect you.” Guilt flooded his expression. “To fight alongside Harley. It should have been me killing those men. Not him.” He looked at me with such sadness in his eyes. “To know what they did to you, and the fact that you had to see such an awful act. I just want to take all the pain away from you.”
I pulled away and stood up, wrapping my arms around my still shaking torso. “You’re here now. And right now I need you.” I made my way to the bathroom door, feeling a renewed sense of strength. “I want to help pack and see the other dolls. I’m sure they are terrified too.”
Victor opened his mouth to speak when I cut him off.
“I’m bruised, I hurt, but I’m alive.” I gave a warm smile for the first time and added, “Please let me join the others. At least for now. You can have someone look at me, or you can examine me closer once we are at Harley’s. Right now, I just need to go grieve with my friends whom I’m sure want to know I’m okay.”
Walking so he stood in front of me, he brushed a strand of hair from my face and sighed. “Fine. But no lifting or doing any of the work. Your body has been through a lot.”
I nodded in compliance. I wasn’t tired and didn’t want to rest, but the look on Victor’s face made it clear what would happen.
“I won’t lift a finger,” I insisted. “I just want to see the others and clean up some more.”
“Fine. But quickly. I’m going to go talk to Harley about the plans, but after that, I don’t plan to leave your side again. Are we clear on that?”
“Yes. We’re clear.”
And I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.
The thought of Victor never leaving my side again is what gave me the courage to leave that bathroom and face reality. My new reality.
Victor helped me walk out to the living room where Harley and other gun-toting men stood. I had Victor to lean on. Victor was here. Victor would protect me. The thought of safety when others lost their lives brought fresh tears to my eyes. But it was nice knowing I wasn’t alone. I wasn’t dead. I stood with Victor’s arms around my broken body, and something deep inside of me told me that with Victor’s help, I would be all right.
Chapter Eighteen
Victor
“I know you’re all scared and wanting to know what’s going to happen,” I began as all the women filled Harley and Marlowe’s living room. “As you can see, Ivy is all right and we’re thankful for that.” I paused to smile at Ivy who stood next to Amber who had her arm around her bruised body. “But we lost Janie, Trudy, and Lisa in the most awful of ways. Harley and I are using all our resources to find out who did this. They will not get away with this. Someone will pay for our friends’ deaths. I will make damn sure of it.”
Marlowe walked up to where I stood and handed me a crystal glass full of scotch. I fucking needed it.
“Thank you,” I said to her as she went about offering drinks to the dolls who also clearly needed one. “For now, my number one concern is that everyone is safe. Harley and Marlowe have offered their house for now. We have security positioned outside, on the pier, guarding every door, and even in boats watching the waterway. There is no way that anyone is entering this house.”
“What about the police? Can’t they help us?” a doll asked from the group of scared women who stared at me with wide eyes.
“No police right now,” Harley interjected. “Certain crimes need to be handled differently. You all need to trust that we have this handled. We ask for twenty-four hours. If any one of you aren’t satisfied with the results and what we have to say, then we’ll get the police involved. You have my word.”
Glancing around, I could see that all the women seemed content with what Harley had offered.
Marlowe chimed in. “The rooms upstairs have had extra cots brought in that should accommodate everyone. It will be tight, but there are plenty of blankets and pillows. I stocked the bathrooms with extra towels as well. We have plenty of food and booze that I expect you all to help yourselves to all of it. My house is your house while you are here. Please don’t be shy or hesitate to ask for a thing.”
“Who could do something like this?” Allen asked.
“All we know,” I began, “is that Harley had heard rumors that Drayton’s Dolls were being discussed, and that there was a possibility there was a price on the black market for them. He didn’t have any confirmation of that fact, but came by to warn us. And when he did, he walked in on Ivy and the others already being attacked.”
“So the fame of the art exhibits attracted the wrong people,” Joseph said, shaking his head. “Sick people.”
“But didn’t the attackers get killed?” Amber asked.
“I killed the men,” Harley said, glancing at Marlowe who scowled as he said the words. “But they weren’t the one calling the shots. The person who does that never does his own dirty work. There is someone behind all of this, which means he’ll regroup and try again. Our job now is to find out who that person is so we can take care of him to ensure all of your safety forever. But we will. Tr
ust me.”
“So, it’s been a long night, and I think we could all use some sleep. Tomorrow, we’ll have answers. I promise,” I said. “I promise you all something else. I won’t hide anything from you. When I know more, so will all of you.”
“There’s food in the kitchen if any of you want something before bed,” Marlowe said.
I turned to Harley. “Thank you, Harley. I mean it. I won’t forget this.”
Harley nodded to the large window that overlooked the pool. “My house guest who lives in the pool house is in Europe at the moment, so the pool house is free. Why don’t you take it? I have another room for Joseph and Allen to share on the main floor. The dolls can have the entire upstairs.”
I looked outside at the small house with the lights of the pool shining upon it. I then looked at Ivy and nodded. “Thank you. I’m going to take Ivy with me. She could use a good night’s sleep, and I don’t plan to leave her side again.”
“Do what you want, but it’s yours for as long as you like,” Harley said.
I walked over to Ivy. “You and I are going to be staying in the pool house.” I wasn’t asking, but I didn’t expect Ivy to argue with me either.
“Okay,” she said softly.
“Are you hungry? Do you want anything to eat? Drink?”
She shook her head. “No. I’m just tired.”
I took hold of her hand, thankful to feel the warmth of her palm in mine. Such a simple touch, but so powerful in the sense of relief I felt at that very moment. I had her. She was safe. I would make sure that fact would never change again.
Ivy
I entered the pool house and sat down on the end of the bed, my fingers trembling with all the built up terror of the day.
I buried my face into my hands, doing my best to quiet my tears, to stop their flow. My shoulders shook gently, all the shame and humiliation from the day rushing at me all at once now that it was quiet and I was away from all the dolls I felt I had to stay strong in front of. The next thing I knew, Victor’s arms were wrapped around me, pulling me against his body, stroking my hair, soothing me. My hands pressed to his chest, my cheek against his shoulder, I continued to cry, unable to stop.
